The concept of power is very relative. By what criteria will we measure it? By weight, which dog could lift or drag? In relation to the lifted load to the mass of your own body? By the number of rings won in battles? If we look at the Guinness Book, then the title “most powerful dog in the world” belonged to Saint Bernard male Brandy Bear. He lived in the United States, in the state of Washington, in the seventies of the last century, and set his official record (for which he was listed in the Book), when in 90 seconds he dragged a cart with a load of 2905 kilograms by 4.57 meters on a concrete surface.
There is nothing surprising in this feat of Reites, if we take into account where and why this breed was bred. Before the construction of tunnels under the Alps, Italy was connected with the rest of Europe only a few passes. The most popular of these was St. Bernard's Pass. The main stream of pilgrims traveling to Rome moved along it. Merchants' caravans and travelers traveled year-round, and the road rises above sea level to a height of two and a half thousand meters. Fog, unexpected snowstorms flying even in summer, avalanches made this tract very dangerous. In 962, a shelter was built on the pass, where Bernardine monks provided hospitality to travelers. When the breed "Dog of St. Bernard" was bred, no one knows for sure, but there is no doubt that it is the strongest dog.
In the alpine valleys, legends about St. Bernards, who lived in different years and even centuries, who were torn from under the thickness of the snow and brought people to the shelter under an avalanche, are still circulating. And since not small children walk in the mountains in winter, one can imagine the strength of this animal, which is able to pull an adult man out of the rubble and drag a considerable distance. This strongest dog has a very reasonable and calm character. She is smart, although phlegmatic. St. Bernard became the protagonist of the film "Beethoven", where the nature of these dogs revealed the most vividly.
The Guinness Book mentions another record holder - Barbara Alexis Dark Hans. This bitch, Newfoundland, is the strongest dog in the world in relation to its own weight. In 1979, a 44-pound Barbara dragged a trolley with a load of 2289 kg. Newfoundlands (in our country they are also called "divers") were bred in the eponymous province of Canada as service dogs. Outwardly, they resemble St. Bernards - massive, furry, slobbery, with drooping ears. However, this breed has a variety of colors, although most often - black and chocolate.
And the strongest dog winning canine battles is Tosa Inu or Japanese Mastiff. Other mastiffs - Neapolitan, Pyrenean (shepherd’s patu dog), Tibetan (similar to a lion because of its “mane”), and Spanish are also notable for its considerable power. The name of the breed Irish Wolfhound speaks for itself about the ferocity of its representatives. Caucasian Shepherds, Boerboels and Turkish Kangals are also formidable.
However, the strongest dogs are by no means the most dangerous. Newfoundlands, St. Bernards and Leonbergers can not do harm to humans at all. The friendliness of these animals, although they are the size of a closet, knows no bounds: even cats have nothing to fear from these giants. And the largest dog in the world - the English mastiff (the male Zorbro set a record - 156 kg of weight and height 96 cm at the withers) - also established itself as a gentle and loving family member.
