Most of those figures seem to be average statistics and can vary depending on the individual animal. I found some additional statistics that measured some big and exceptionally strong dogs, such as mastiffs, as having an even higher bite force compared to other dogs. Some of the big boys, according to these sources, can achieve a bite force of up to a maximum of 450 psi although the average is lower. Impressive, but still not comparable to a wolf.

Like I said, it seems like bite strength is difficult to accurately calculate and get a good sample for. Not only do you have to get the animal to bite where you want for measurement, but it is difficult to tell if you are getting the animal’s maximum strength out of the bite. There are a lot of factors involved, but those figures I stated above seem reasonably accurate and are from good sources rather than unsubstantiated claims or heresay, a lot of which abounds on the net.

A big dog might be able to squeeze out more biting force in extraordinary circumstances, but nevertheless I think it is safe to say that the claims of 2,400 psi and even 3,000 psi are no more than myth and misinformation.

Incidentally, it seems that wolverines have one of the higher pound for pound bite strengths relative to size. It also might be interesting to know that marsupials have a stronger bite force in relation to body size than other mammals.

Human- Around 120 psi, although one source said up to 170 psi.
Alligator- 2,000 psi and over. (all the way up to 2,500 psi.)
bear- Around 750 psi
Lions- Listed as anywhere from 700 to 900 psi.
Hyenas- 1,000 psi.
Wolf- 500 to 700 psi. (claims of 1,500 psi seem exaggerated.)
Average labrador- Around 200 psi.

You can see that this is not an exact science here.

One thing that seems very apparent, however is that the extreme biting strengths attributed to pit bulls and rottweilers that you might have heard, are a myth. It seems the only substantial scientific studies done have come up with a maximum of 330 psi of bite force for a domesticated dog, and that figure was a rottweiler’s bite. A German Shephard’s was around 220 psi.

Bite force seems to be a tricky thing to measure, but one thing that is very apparent from what research I was able to do is that 2,400 psi for a dog bite is an extremely overblown figure. Anyway, hope this helps!

As far as the Wolf vs Pit debate. The wolf wins 9 out of 10 times. Trained killing pit or not. The wolf wins. Just my opinion. I use to have a St. Bernard crossed with a Red Doberman. His name was Grubb. He was huge. And he had no problem with any pit that came in his yard, and there were a few. Only dog he ever had a problem with was a neighbor’s hybrid wolf. But Grubb still came out on top. Boy did that dog eat a lot. It’s how he got his name.

Something you mention that I really think hits the nail on the head is the lack of fear that feral dogs will have towards humans. As I said earlier, many natural predators can be wary and cautious, but this is not so with feral dogs. They are bold, cunning, and just do not have that natural shyness, which makes them dangerous. This lack of fear, coupled with a good size pack, can make even a group of relatively small feral dogs a force to be reckoned with. They seem to be willing to attack larger animals with little or no regard for their own safety and the fact that several could be shot, yet still attack, is not really that surprising to me.

The coyotes I think are also exactly as you describe. They are elusive, yes, but in recent days it seems they have been getting quite the reputation for being aggressive and bold. They are another animal that displays less wariness than some other predators, and are more willing to make forays near human settlements. They also do not seem to be deterred by barking dogs very much and from what i’ve heard have no qualms at all about attacking even larger dogs.