dogs

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.

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.

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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:

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.

Phew, that's about all the powerful pooches

that I can deal with for now.