- [Narrator] When you think of a dog, what's the first thing to come to mind? Something cute and fuzzy with
a mindless grin on its face? Well true, some dogs are like that, but others are far less cuddly. So from brutal beasts taller than men to mighty hounds that have gone toe-to-toe with actual bears, grab a lead or chain, because we're about to go walkies with the most powerful
breeds of dog in the world. (lively music) Beary strong. Back in the 1900s, Soviet shepherds in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains were hard at work creating
something so strong, so fearless, so downright formidable that no predator would ever dare bother their livestock again. Unfortunately, I hadn't been born yet, but they got the next best thing, the Caucasian Shepherd dog. Selectively bred to be
absolutely mahoosive, these big boys are confident, powerful and fiercely defensive
if they sense a threat. They had to be that way,
because the shepherds that first bred them
were under constant risk of attack from all kinds
of beastly predators, including bears. Yeah, you heard right. Caucasian Shepherd dogs
were used to defend flocks against actual bears. Weighing in at up to 220 pounds and fiercely protective, the dogs probably wouldn't
actually win against a bear in a proper fight, but they don't need to, they're intimidating and aggressive enough to scare one straight off. Seeing the success of the dogs, the Soviet Union began
using them as prison guards throughout the 20th Century and they were even enlisted to patrol the infamous Berlin Wall in the 1960s. Indeed, when the wall
subsequently came down in 1989, some 7,000 of them were dismissed and given to local families to live out the rest of their days. And who wouldn't want one
of these barking behemoths on their side? It'd make my neighbor's pit bull look like a baby chihuahua. Wild thing. You probably know that
our domesticated dogs evolved from wild wolves, but there's one pooch that said, "Nah, you know what, I'm going back." I'm talking about the almighty Wolfdog and no, that's not the name
of Marvel's new superhero. These muscly chonkers are the result of a domestic dog mating
with a feral wolf. And, well, you can tell. Averaging up to 100 pounds, they're as heavy as young hippos and bigger than some humans. Geez, you wouldn't catch
me that close to one. Despite being strong,
fast and cunning though, their odd mix of genetic traits makes their behavior very
difficult to predict. One individual could be
cute, cuddly and docile, whereas another could
be extremely aggressive. Even so, the colossal canines
were occasionally bought by 18th century British nobles
as a scientific curiosity. They're banned in Britain today and 40 US states have also
outlawed ownership of the breed, due to it being viewed as a wild animal. In Slovakia, the Czech
Republic and Russia though, they've seen work in police,
military, border patrol and search and rescue organizations. So, if you're on their good side, they can be incredibly useful. If you're not though, well, you'd better
watch out for that bite. You know what else you
should watch out for? More great videos like this one. So hit those like and
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them slip by you again. Right, let's see what absolute
unit we've got up next. Hunting the hunter. Though highly controversial, breeding dogs as hunting animals has been practiced around the
world for thousands of years. But did you know that over in South Africa one absolute warrior of a dog
used to be bred to hunt lions? Yeah, you heard that right. Back in the late 1800s, lions
were hunted for their hides or captured to sell to zoos. Attempting to do this alone however would be incredibly dangerous. You needed an ally, someone fast, strong and agile to distract the lion and allow you to strike
the finishing blow. Enter the Rhodesian Ridgeback. These fearless hounds
can reach stunning speeds of 30 miles per hour, and have the endurance
of a perfect hunter. While lions can hit
around 50 miles per hour, they get tired and slow down fast. Ridgebacks on the other hand,
they just keep on going. But surely a lion would beat
a Ridgeback in a fight, right? Well, that's the thing. The Ridgebacks never actually fought. They'd chase a lion down, then
taunt and dance around it, disorienting it, but
never actually allowing it to strike them with its claws. And whilst they did this, their owner would line up their
weapon for the fatal shot. It's undeniably cruel, but you can't deny how impressive it is on the dog's part. If you fancy owning a
Ridgeback for yourself though, just be careful. Hunting is hard-wired into their DNA, so without rigorous training, they'll chase after every
squirrel and grandma they see. Okay, maybe not grandma,
but you get the idea. Snow Problem. Hey there, how's it going? Oh, me? The name's Amazed. Mr Amaze, oh shh (dog barking). Sorry, I was just testing
out my new husky voice. The ladies are gonna love it. Anyway, talking of
husky, the Siberian Husky is one of the most
iconic dogs in the world, but you might've thought of
it as more cute than powerful. Well, you'd have been wrong. They're descendants of Chukotka sled dogs, which have been bred by the indigenous
Chukchi people of Siberia since prehistoric times. The Chukchi needed dogs
that could pull heavy sleds for long distances in the biting cold, without needing much food. And when I say long distances, I mean like 150 miles a day long. That's like running from Washington, D.C. all the way to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Anyway, word spread of the hardy hounds and through the 1890s to 1930s they were imported over to Alaska to help people get around in the similarly bitter conditions. They quickly proved extremely popular and became known as Siberian Huskies. It turns out, owning animals that can bomb through the snow at 30 miles per hour whilst tugging full-grown men
behind them is pretty useful. That's seven miles per hour faster than Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. The Roman defender. Ancient Rome, the land of democracy, gladiators and rottweilers. Wait, what? Believe it or not, the
Romans were incredibly fond of a powerful, hardy breed of dog that was the ancestor of
the modern rottweiler. They trained and enlisted the
hounds to deliver messages, pull carts and guard livestock, and most astonishingly of all, the ferocious canines would
actually march with the armies, not to fight, but for a
much more important reason. You see, before
refrigeration was invented, if you wanted to keep meat
fresh, you had to keep it alive. So journeying Roman legions
would travel with livestock and to stop their food running away, they needed dogs to herd it. Wild. Jump forward a few hundred years and modern rottweilers
have proved themselves just as incredible. As well as remaining excellent herders, they're also so strong
that when properly trained, they can pull an absolutely
insane 15,000 pounds of weight. That's like dragging three fully grown rhinos behind you. But they're not all brawn and no brain. Oh no, these guys saw service
through both world wars as messengers, fierce
guard dogs and even medics. Okay, but how does a dog become a medic? Well, Russian medical dogs were trained to drag wounded soldiers to safety, whilst German rottweilers
would locate fallen men and lead their handlers to them. Aw! If you're considering getting
one of these bad boys though, you'll need to ensure you
give them the attention and training they demand. If not, their helpfulness can
quickly turn into unruliness. And do you really want an unruly pet that can bench 80 times more than you? Hulking hero. I'll admit, I've got a bit of a soft spot for the first "Beethoven" movie. They really didn't need to make
another five of them though. Regardless, the movie's
namesake is a Saint Bernard and these big furballs
are absolutely ginormous. They stand nearly 3 feet tall
and weigh up to 180 pounds, the same as the average American adult. The huge muscular animals
were originally bred at a monastery in the Swiss
Alps during the 17th Century. Due to their immense size and strength, they were used as rescue dogs, easily able to carry lost
adventurers through the cold, treacherous conditions of
the Alps and back to safety. Indeed, over the following three centuries they were credited for saving well over 2,000 lives. The most famous of these
heroic hounds, Barry, was born in 1800. In the space of just 12 years,
Barry saved over 40 people from certain, icy doom, and
one was just a small child. Apparently, Barry had
found the boy trapped and helplessly unconscious
in a cavern of ice. It was impossible for
any man to reach him, but Barry was no man. Like something out of a cheesy feel-good pet-based action movie, the Saint Bernard bravely
leapt into the cave and started licking the
child's face to warm him up. Then, he slung him on
his back and carried him all the way to safety. Damn. sadly, old Bazza
passed away back in 1814, but not without becoming the
goodest of all good boys. Furrarri. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Of course not, this video's
about dogs, come on. It's actually a greyhound, but because of this
guy's incredible speed, you'd be forgiven for not realizing as it whizzes past you
at 45 miles per hour. That's twice as fast
as our man Usain Bolt. And easily makes greyhounds
the fastest dog in the world. But how can they hit
such blistering speeds? Well, it's a combo of lots of things. Long legs, a flexible spine
and big muscles all contribute, but it's their outrageously
powerful, humongous heart that really sets them
apart from other dogs. Most other breeds have
hearts that weigh about 0.77% of their total body weight. Human hearts are about 0.5%. Greyhounds on the other hand, theirs can reach a whopping 1.73%. This means they can beat at an astounding five times a
second when they're sprinting, pumping oxygen to their muscles so fast that they leave other dogs in the dust. Seriously, just look at
one versus a racehorse: (crowd cheering) Crikey. Now, the horse would've
probably won in the long haul, greyhounds aren't known for their stamina, but when it comes to sprinting, they're a formidable force. As such, they've been used as racing dogs for over 100 years, with the first race taking place in California in 1919. California has since banned the sport due to animal welfare concerns, along with most other US states, but it remains legal in some
countries around the world. Despite their unrivaled speed though, they're renowned for being super lazy and have been nicknamed the
40 mile per hour couch potato. Still better than my nickname though. And no, I'm not telling you what it is. Pit fighting past. Everyone loves a bad boy. It's why I've taken to
riding my bicycle one-handed. And when it comes to dogs, there's one that's badder than any other. Say hello to the American
Pit Bull Terrier, and yeah, these boys are bad. Or at least, their reputation is. There's so much muscle packed
into their stocky bodies that the biggest can
heave almost 3,000 pounds of weight behind them. Whoa, understandably
then, the dench doggos have become very popular amongst trainers looking to compete in canine
weight pulling competitions. Yup, that's a thing. I'm not convinced how ethical that looks, but sadly, they used to be
the unwilling competitors in a much less ethical
sport, pit fighting. Back in the 19th Century, cruel blood sports like bull baiting had just been outlawed in Britain, which was the sadistic act of
tying a bull to an iron stake and setting dogs on it for entertainment. Geez. In response to this, dog
fighting became popular because it was easier
to hide from the police. Dogs were made to brutally fight against one another in pits, in fact, pit bulls were originally bred for this very purpose, hence the name. So pit bulls garnered a
somewhat unfair reputation as aggressive, bloodthirsty animals. In reality, a well-trained pit bull can make for an incredibly friendly pet. That's because, despite
being bred as fighters, they were also bred to
be gentle towards humans. Any that bit their trainers were put down, whilst those that didn't were kept alive to pass on their genes and temperament. If all this sounds cruel and
archaic, it's because it is. Thankfully, dog fighting is outlawed in most parts of the world now, though unfortunately, illegal
fights remain a problem in some countries, including the US. So next time someone mentions pit bulls, throw away that falsified version of them you have in your head. They're more likely to be like this. Lab-dog. What if I told you that
some brainy US scientists have been working on growing a new, huge, super powerful breed of
dog to best all others? So big it stands seven feet tall and so fast it can chase down
and eat a fully grown human in seconds flat? Well, I'd be lying. Psych, sorry, couldn't resist. The Irish Wolfhound does exist though, and whilst they're not
quite that ginormous, they are an intimidating seven feet tall when standing on their hind legs, which is taller than most humans. As such, these absolute units have been used throughout history to hunt everything from
wolves to wild boar. I mean, they're not just hulking, they can also hit top
speeds of 40 miles per hour, so you ain't getting away from them. According to legend, Cormac Mac Airt, one of the high kings of Ireland sometime between the
2nd and 4th centuries, had a huge army of 300
Wolfhounds he hunted with. Wowsers. Sure, that'd be really
terrifying and everything, but think of all the poop. Ew. 'Ardened Argentinian. So a dog and a mountain
lion walk into a bar and well, I haven't come
up with the punchline yet. But I do know that if
they got into a bar fight, the dog might actually win, at least, if it was a Dogo Argentino. Seriously, this Argentinian breed was bred from fighting dogs
and is so darned beastly that apparently, people
successfully trained it to hunt ferocious big cats. Metal, despite being half the weight, considerably smaller in size and slower, Dogo Argentinos can
still put up a mean fight against a mountain lion. So how? Well, size doesn't
account for sense of smell and a trained Argentino can sense its prey far before their prey senses them. After locking onto the scent, the dangerous Dogos can then sneak up and dispose of them with a
quick, incredibly powerful bite. You see, the muscles in
a Dogo Argentino's jaw are better developed
than a mountain lion's, so they have a stronger
bite, and in the wrong place, that can be deadly. Of course, it's not guaranteed and mountain lions are
still highly formidable, but it's impressive nonetheless. Argentinos actually have
a really friendly nature when they're trained properly, but they're naturally protective and have a high drive to hunt. Because of this, without strict training, they can become very
violent and destructive. In fact, the breed is banned
or has ownership restrictions in countries from Turkey
to the Cayman Islands. I guess those places took the no in Argentino really seriously. Licky legionary. If you were literally named after the Latin word for protector, then I imagine there'd be
a little bit of pressure to live up to that title. Fortunately for the Cane Corso, whose name comes from the Latin cohors, they absolutely own it. An Italian breed of mastiff, this powerful dog was used
for hunting large game and herding cattle across
the Italian Peninsula, and it's not hard to see why. With over 100 pounds of tanking muscle, they make for much more than just good Netflix partners. But if you think the
modern Cane Corsos are big, their ancestors were even bigger. In fact, Corsos are descended
from Ancient Roman war dogs. You see, when Rome
invaded Greece in 146 BC, they took some of the powerful
Greek dogs back to Italy and bred them with Italian hounds, creating the first Cane Corsos. These huge doggos were
then trained for war. Equipped with metal
spiked collars, mail armor and chest plates for protection, the Corsos would charge in
formation towards enemy soldiers with flaming buckets of oil
strapped to their backs. As well as being a terrifying
sight for the other side, by running beneath horses, the flaming dogs would make them buck and throw off their riders. Wow. To this day, the Corso still
makes a phenomenal guard dog, though if you own one, I'd highly recommend you don't strap a fiery bucket to its back. Para-pooch. Imagine Einstein, except whilst coming up with the theory of relativity, he's also pumping iron at the gym. Swolestein, if you will. Well, sadly, Swolestein
isn't real in human form, but he does exist in the
form of the German Shepherd. That's because as well as being one of the smartest breeds in the world, German Shepherds are also tough as hell. So they've been consistently
used by military, police and search and rescue units around the world for decades. And I'm not just talking go
there, sniff that, job done. Over the years, German
Shepherds have been trained to do everything from destroy tanks to parachute out of planes. Seriously, back in the 1930s and '40s, Soviet and Russian military forces intensively trained German Shepherds to carry explosives to tanks, a skill which was actually utilized against Germany in the Second World War. Meanwhile, the British had been training the perceptive puppers to be paratroopers. During the D-Day landings of 1944, it wasn't just humans
that landed in Normandy, German Shepherds did too. After leaping from the
planes and parachuting down, the dogs sniffed out hidden enemies, stood watch over sleeping allies and hunted down mines and other threats. Absolutely incredible, right? Jump to modern times,
and they're still at it, just with cooler goggles. Hmm, I wonder if I could train one to write these scripts for me? Heavyweight hound. 230 pounds, that's as heavy as 40 bricks. It's as heavy as 45 chihuahuas. But it's only as heavy
as one English Mastiff. That's right, the absolutely colossal three foot tall English Mastiff is easily the world's biggest dog. The hulking hairballs don't
just look tough though. Throughout history,
they've proven themselves to be utterly formidable. In fact, people reckon
they might be descended from dogs that fought in Ancient
Roman gladiatorial arenas. Yep, it wasn't just humans
that fought in the Colosseum. Back in Ancient Rome,
Mastiffs were trained to fight in the arena too, where they were forced
to battle everything from lions to full-grown bears. Whoa, whilst undeniably cruel, it's no coincidence that the
mastiff was chosen for the job. They're absolute tanks. But there's one English mastiff
that towered over them all. His name, Aicama Zorba of La-Susa. Yeah, as well as sounding
like some ancient warrior god, Zorba stood over three foot tall, was eight feet long, and
weighed a crushing 330 pounds. The massive mutt, born in 1981 in London, still holds the world record for heaviest dog in known history. For a dog so famous though, there's an odd lack of photos of him. Perhaps, like my face, you
just weren't ever meant to see. The biggest biter. Ever been eating a pork chop and accidentally bit into the bone? They're pretty hard, right? Definitely not chewable, anyway. Well, if you were a Kangal Shepherd dog, that bone would be child's play. That's because Kangal Shepherds
aren't just ginormous, they also have the strongest bite of any dog in existence. We actually have a scale to measure it, based on the amount of
pressure that a bite exerts on a square inch of surface. We call it bite force. Our bite force is 160 pounds
per square inch, or PSI, which means we have no
trouble biting through flesh. A young lion's PSI is around 650 to 700, about four times stronger than ours. A Kangal however has a
terrifyingly powerful bite force of 743 PSI. So a bite from one of these bad boys would be enough to send you
straight to hospital, or worse. The breed is native to the
Kangal province in Turkey, where farmers use them
to guard their livestock. That means fending off wolves,
jackals and even bears. And if a Kangal does get bitten, their coat is legitimately dense enough to repel wolf bites. Man, but wait, it gets even crazier. Historically, African
farmers have felt forced into shooting cheetahs to stop
them eating their livestock, something that has pushed the
big cats closer to extinction. But recently, Namibian charity
the Cheetah Conservation Fund came up with an ingenious solution, stationing Kangals on the
country's farms instead. Now, over 400 brave doggos
defend Namibian farms from cheetahs, without
farmers having to shoot them. It's a win-win. The cheetahs live and so do the livestock. So they can bite harder than
a lion, have wolf-proof fur and are helping to save
cheetahs from extinction. Is the Kangal Shepherd a super dog? I think it might be a super dog. Tibetan titan. All right, I love dogs, but if I saw one of these
massive furry nightmares careening towards me, I'd poop
myself and run for the hills, and I wouldn't even know it was a dog that I was running from. Nope, this isn't some
horrifying lion-bear hybrid, it's a Tibetan Mastiff. The 150 pound floofer is
one of the hardiest hounds in the world and thrives in the harsh mountainous climate of Tibet. You and I would struggle to even breathe at the peak of a mountain, because there's so much
less oxygen in the air, but Tibetan Mastiffs
excel at these altitudes and can run, hunt and fight even when they're a whole
three miles above sea level. Their incredible high-altitude abilities can be traced back thousands of years to when they interbred with
Tibetan mountain wolves and gained some of their genes. So these bad boys are more
closely related to wolves than most dog breeds, and they can go from
cute to chaos like that. Indeed, their fearsome
reputation has long meant they've been used to
protect Buddhist monasteries in Tibet from bears, snow
leopards and even tigers. They'll fearlessly attack
any of these predators without hesitation if
they see them as a threat. Geez. And that means if they
see you as a threat, they're sure as hell
gonna turn on you too. Any animal that's happy
to tango with a tiger is one you really don't wanna mess with. (lively music) Phew, that's about all
the powerful pooches that I can deal with for now. Which of those did you
find the most impressive? And are there any other dogs
that you'd have included? Let me know down in the comments below, and thanks for watching. (lively music)
