What Is The Bite Force Of A Chihuahua? Can They Bite Off A Finger?

Although quite intelligent and smart, chihuahuas can be aggressive sometimes due to anxiety, resource guarding, or territorial behavior. In these cases, chihuahuas can even bite their owners. So, it is important to know What Is The Force Bite Of A Chihuahua? Let’s find out!

In this article, we will cover:

Controversy About Chihuahuas Bite Force
How Do You Measure Bite Force?
How Strong Is A Chihuahua Bite? How Painful?
Can A Chihuahua Bite Off A Finger?
And more…

What Is The Bite Force Of A Chihuahua?

The bite force of a chihuahua ranges between 100-200 pounds per square inch (PSI). This is because chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dog, so their head and skull are small too. These bites can easily cause bruises, scratches, and cuts on human beings generally. But there have been cases of fatalities too.

In the research cranial dimensions and forces of biting in domestic dogs, the force of biting in domestic dogs is strongly related to the size of the dogs. The study shows that dogs of small size have lesser bite force as compared to larger dogs.

This is because the dogs such as chihuahua have brachycephalic skulls, that is they have short heads, resulting in lower bite force values than one would expect. In comparison, the larger dogs have bigger skulls, thereby resulting in large bite force values.

Generally, the bite force of a chihuahua ranges between 100-180 PSI but it can go upto 200 PSI in some cases. The chihuahua’s bite force is way lower than other dogs. For reference, the Kangal breed has the strongest bite force (743 PSI), followed by the Bandog which has 730 PSI.

Surprisingly, aggressive-looking dogs such as Pitbull just have 235 PSI force bites. Similarly, the Boxer and the Labrador have the same 230 PSI. This might have given you an idea of how strong your chihuahua bite can be!

Controversy About Chihuahuas Bite Force

According to some sources on the Internet, the bite force of a chihuahua is 3900 PSI. Astonishing, right? Well, this is wrong information. Given the shape and size of the chihuahua skull, it is practically impossible for them to have such a strong bite force.

In addition, the saltwater crocodile has a bite force of 3700 PSI, which is the highest bite force on Earth. These crocodiles have a 76cm skull and 98.3 cm long lower jaw bone. They can crush anybody in a moment with just one bite.

Now compare the size of a chihuahua and a saltwater crocodile, you will know that it is a ridiculous claim that chihuahuas have 3900 PSI bite force.

On top of that, if you compare chihuahuas with other dog breeds, there are nowhere found in the top 25 dog breeds with the strongest bite force. All these dogs have a PSI above 200.

How Do You Measure Bite Force?

Force Bite is the strength of teeth and jaw muscles of any dog including chihuahuas. It is measured in PSI units. Here, PSI stands for pounds per square inch. Thus, it measures the pressure applied from a one-pound force to an area of one square inch.

According to the study of bite forces and their measurement in cats and dogs, bite forces in dogs cannot be measured as in the case of humans as the chewing action cannot be directed. Thus there are two ways to measure bite forces in dogs:

1. In Vivo Measurement

In this case, the bite force is measured in dogs in an awake or anesthetic state by making them chew on an electronic device called the transducer.

2. In Vitro Measurement

In this case, the researchers used dry skull measurements and muscle measurements to find the force bite. However, this method is not 100% accurate and can have lower measurements as compared to the above-mentioned method.

How Strong Is A Chihuahua Bite? How Painful?

Even if a chihuahua’s bite force isn’t very strong and they do not make it in the top strongest bite force, their bites can still be very painful.

An aggressive chihuahua can bite your wrist or leg. When they bite, their teeth sink deep into the skin and cause enormous pain and bleeding. It is because chihuahuas have really sharp teeth.

Moreover, their tiny teeth exert more pressure in the skin as small areas tend to have more pressure as compared to large dogs with large teeth.

So, even if they look small, they can still cause bruises to you that might require medical treatment or surgery.

Can a Chihuahua Bite Off a Finger? Can A Chihuahua Kill You?

According to some studies conducted in 1950, 334 psi bite force is required to sever a finger completely or to bite off a complete finger in adult humans. In the case of children and infants, the number is slightly lower than this.

As you can see the bite force of a chihuahua is nearly half of what is required to take off a finger. Thus, chihuahuas cannot take a finger in one bite.

However, this does not mean they aren’t dangerous. A study conducted in 2009 showed that chihuahuas bite the veterinarians the most. In addition to this, smooth-coated chihuahuas were placed fourth at 4.2% when it came to biting children.

On top of that, there are other factors you should consider. A chihuahua bite can lead to infection in humans. If left untreated, these infections can reach the blood and cause some life threatening situations for humans.

In addition to this, if by chance the chihuahua bites you in an area where the artery is close to the skin surface, it could also prove to be fatal.

Also Read: How to Stop Chihuahua from Biting? (With Training Tips!)

What To Do If A Chihuahua Bites You?

In order to avoid life-threatening situations from arising, there are a few things you can do that will help you treat the chihuahua bite wound. So, let’s see how to care for chihuahua bites:

1. Medical Care At Home

When your chihuahua bites you anywhere on your body, first, you must treat it at home to avoid infection. Here are four steps you should take immediately at home:

A. Washing Your Wound

Go to the bathroom and take a gentle soap. Rub it on the infected area and wash it with warm water.

Keep the infected area under water for five to ten minutes.

B. Stopping The Bleeding

If your wound is still bleeding, take a clean cloth or towel and stop the bleeding. Put the towel on your wound and apply pressure using your fingers.

After some time, check the wound. Do not check the wound too soon as it might obstruct the entire process.

C. Applying Antibiotic Cream

Once the bleeding has stopped or reduced, apply an over-the-counter antibiotic cream to minimize the risk of infections and heal the wound.

D. Wrapping The Wound

Finally, use a band-aid or a sterile bandage to cover the wound. Keep the bandage as it is and visit your doctor.

2. Visit Your Doctor

Even though you have secured the chihuahua bite at home, it is necessary to visit the doctor.

The doctor can check your wound after removing the bandage and advise you on some medicines to heal it faster and reduce pain.

3. Change The Bandage

Once the doctor has seen the wound, he will apply a new bandage to your wound after cleaning it thoroughly.

Make sure you do the same on a daily basis on your own. If your doctor is nearby, you can get it changed there as well.

4. Look For Signs Of Infection

While changing the bandage daily, make sure to look out for the following signs:

Redness near the infected area
Swelling
Fever
Increased Pain

In case any of the signs are visible to you, make an appointment with your doctor.

Are There Any Fatal Chihuahua Attacks?

Although chihuahua bites can cause skin scrapes, cuts, scratches, and bleeding, mostly, there was one case in the United States between 2015-2017 where a chihuahua bite killed a person.

Another case was reported in 2018 where a chihuahua bite killed a lady in the US. Thus, there were only two chihuahua dog bite fatalities found from 2005 to 2022 according to the website dogbite.

Top 25 Strongest Dog Bite Force

Here is a list of the top 25 strongest dog bite forces from highest to lowest PSI. This will further help you understand how strong or weak a bite from a chihuahua can be.