Last Updated on January, 2025
Before diving into dog breeds that can kill a lion, can a dog kill a lion?
Technically, a pack of dogs can kill a single lion. But a single dog cannot kill a lion.
So, there are dog breeds that have the power to destroy a lion, such as the Rhodesian Ridgeback (a South African native dog breed) and the Tibetan Mastiff, which are some of the largest dog breeds brought to the USA.
In this guide, we have handpicked the top 13 dog breeds, which are VERY powerful mentally and physically.
Let’s take a look at what these breeds are!
Quick Summary
The top 13 dog breeds that have the potential to kill a lion are the Rottweiler, Bloodhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Kangal, English Mastiff, Boerboel, Cane Corso, Neapolitan Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Wolf Dog, and Turkish Kangal.
A pack of dogs have the strength and capability to take down a single lion but a single dog cannot do so.
Lion’s strength, size and bite force are more significant than a single dog, so the idea of a single dog taking on a lion is a daunting proposition. It’s more likely that a pack of determined dogs would have a higher chance of success against a lion.
Table of Contents
What Are the Dog Breeds That Can Kill a Lion?
Here are the top 13 breeds that are strong enough to kill a lion.
1. Rottweiler
Is a Rottweiler a relatively large dog? Yes, despite being large, it has sharp teeth with influential jaws, is courageous, and is highly intelligent.
What are the activities it is used for? It helps in guarding livestock and properties, pulling sleds, participating in water rescues, and more.
It is 24 to 27 inches tall and 95 to 130 pounds, especially for males. Females are expected to be between 22 to 25 inches tall and weigh between 85 to 115 pounds.
Its bite strength is estimated at 328 PSI.
Get the best training collar for your Rottweiler. Also you should get a best Rottweiler dog crate if you are owning this dog breed.
2. Bloodhound
Do you know which dog breed has the best sense of smell? Yes, that’s the Bloodhound, a relatively large dog breed.
What is its key strength? The most vital strengths of this dog breed are their sense of smell and intelligence.
Its height is 23 to 27 inches, and its weights vary between 80 to 160 pounds. Meanwhile, it has a bite strength of 200 to 400 PSI.
One extraordinary skill it possesses is the ability to hunt wild animals and deer. Do you want to know something extraordinary about this dog? It can hunt people too.
Here’s how much a Bloodhound dog breed cost.
3. Rhodesian Ridgeback or the African Lion Hound
Is it a mixed breed? Yes, Rhodesian Ridgebacks have the characteristics of European and African hunting dogs. It is a muscular breed that can track its prey due to its excellent sense of smell with a bite strength of 224 PSI.
What are the breed’s main characteristics? They are confident, loyal, remarkably intelligent, and aggressive.
A male Rhodesian Ridgeback is about 25 to 27 inches in height. The female Rhodesian is around 24 to 26 inches tall. It has a standard weight range between 70 to 80 pounds.
How good is its speed? It has a speed of up to 30 miles per hour. Therefore, it’s advantageous to prey on wild animals such as lions.
4. Caucasian Shepherd Dog
Where did the Caucasian Shepherd Dog species originate from? It came from the Caucasus Mountains. Why is it suitable to be your guard dog? Because it is attributed to its muscular strength, defense, and strong aggressiveness.
Its height is 24 to 30 inches, and weighs between 100 to 200 pounds. Therefore, it is enormous and has a strong bite strength of 500 PSI. A surprising fact about it is that it has a speed of about 30 miles per hour.
5. Kangals
The Kangal is a Turkish breed with a solid, muscular body and a natural instinct. It is also an aggressive dog breed with a sturdy bite and a defensive nature. It is 28 inches tall and weighs 90 to 145 pounds.
How strong is its bite? Its bite is three times stronger than the Doberman breed and has a 743 PSI bite strength. Therefore, you must ensure proper training to handle it well as a pet owner.
6. English Mastiff
The English Mastiff is one of the biggest dog breeds in the Mastiff family. It is primarily used as a guard dog with the right training.
Its height is around 24 to 30 inches and its weight can range between 140 to 180 pounds. What’s great about the English Mastiff is that it’s gentle, good-natured, powerful, fast, agile, and has has powerful jaws with a bite strength of 500 PSI.
Here’s how much a English Mastiff dog breed cost.
7. Boerboels Dogs or South African Mastiff
Boerboel is one of the South African natives of the Mastiff family. It is the MOST agile dog breed within the family.
Boerboel male dogs can grow to a height of 24 to 28 inches. The female dogs can also be between 22 to 25 inches, and both can weigh up to 200 pounds.
What are this breed’s attributes? It displays remarkable patience, courage, protectiveness, aggressiveness, and confidence.
A report mentions that one Boerboel dog can destroy even a leopard with its bite strength of 800 to 850 PSI.
The Boerboel has excellent hunting ability and you can certainly expect it to have the ability to destroy a lion.
8. Cane Corso
The Cane Corso from Italy is another breed from the Mastiff family that is well known for its guarding capabilities.
Yes. these are is primarily used as guard dogs. But that does not mean they are not friendly, Cane Corsos with proper training, can fit into any family. They are also great as working dogs and to guard livestock.
It has immense muscular strength, influential jaws, and a protective nature.
Male Cane Corso’s height ranges between 25 to 27.5 inches, and female is about 23.5 to 26 inches. Its weight may vary and is proportional to its height.
How powerful is the bite? It has a bite potential of 700 PSI.
Get the best dog crate for your Cane Corso.
9. Neapolitan Mastiff
Neapolitan Mastiff has natural aggression and can play a big role in game hunting.
Its height is between 24 and 30 inches, and its weight can vary between 110 and 150 pounds. This dog breed has a protective nature and beast-like appearance. Of course, it is not the best-looking dog.
Due to its sheer size and extraordinary bite force of 550 PSI, it has the potential to kill a lion.
10. Fila Brasileiro
The Brazilian native Fila Brasileiro is a crossbreed with three dog species: English Mastiffs, Bloodhounds, and Bulldogs.
What are its personality traits? It is a courageous, intelligent, determined, aggressive, and active dog.
The female Fila Brasileiro is 23 to 27 inches, and the male stands at 25 to 30 inches. Overall, both weigh between 90 to 189 pounds.
The remarkable fact is that it can chase prey up to 35 miles per hour and has a bite force of 238 PSI.
11. Dogo Argentino
Dogo Argentino is a muscular breed and a hunting dog. However, they are mainly pack hunters.
Is it big or small in size? Indeed, it is big in size. It can hunt down large animals due to its bite strength of 500 psi.
Dogo Argentino’s characteristics include intelligence, being very energetic, strong smelling sense, and an innate chasing instinct to prey on animals.
The height of a male Dogo Argentino ranges between 24 to 26.5 inches, and females range between 24 to 25.5 inches. Overall, both weigh between 80 to 100 pounds.
Here’s how much a Dogo Argentino dog breed cost.
12. Wolf Dogs
As the name signifies, the Wolf Dog is one of the more aggressive types of dog breeds. The formidable bite force of 406 PSI is an example for that.
That also makes handling this breed challenging. But it is intelligent, assertive, be it a little more territorial when it comes to guarding its food and territory.
A Wolf Dog when it comes to size, can grow 23 to 33 inches tall and weighs around 60 to 120 pounds.
Wolf Dogs are most effective when they collaborate in packs, as they can efficiently take down a lion.
13. Turkish Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd Dog
The Turkish Kangal is a heavy dog.
Does it have a powerful bite? Yes, it has a very powerful bite, with the force of 743 PSI.
Turkish Kangal has excessive energy and a bite force of 743 PSI. Hence, its natural inclinations are challenging to control for pet owners. However, with the right pet training, these behaviors can be effectively overcome.
Can a Single Dog Fight a Lion?
No, it’s difficult to conclude whether one dog can fight a lion. However every dog breed mentioned above hunts large animals and has a reasonable bite force.
A dog with exceptional hunting skills and a tenacious nature may not win a lion when alone. That’s why a pack of dogs facing a single lion has more chances of success.
How Many Dogs Are Essential to Kill a Lion?
Generally, 4 to 8 hunting dogs are essential to kill a lion. As mentioned above, winning against a lion is difficult for one dog alone. As you know, lions are dangerous animals that closely resemble tough dogs.
Hence, we can roughly estimate that in order to be able to destroy a lion, a dog must possess such characteristics as powerful jaws, sturdy bite sense, and intelligence.
How can a pack of dogs finish off a lion? Each dog can attack the lion from various directions, attack its main pain points, and lower its strength.
This way the dogs can take advantage of the exhausted animal (specifically the wounded lion) and win the fight. So, there’s a higher chance of a pack of dogs winning against a single lion.
Are Lions Scared of Dog Species?
No, lions are not scared of dogs. Moreover, lions are more potent than dogs. Lions have exceptional patience, sense even the slightest scent, have the most vital bite force, and excellent hunting skills.
Therefore, lions are powerful physically and mentally.
If you suspect anxiety or emotional stress is the reason for your dog to pee on the rugs, take him to an animal behaviorist.
Other guides and tools you might need when training your dog:
Final Thoughts
The world of dog breeds encompasses a diverse range of sizes, strengths, and abilities.
While it’s fascinating to explore the breeds that possess the physical attributes and instincts to potentially challenge a lion, it’s essential to remember that lions remain formidable apex predators with their unique set of skills.
The idea of a single dog taking on a lion is a daunting proposition, and it’s more likely that a pack of determined dogs would have a higher chance of success.
These insights shed light on the intriguing dynamics between man’s best friend and the kings of the jungle.
FAQs
Was this article helpful?
