2007-01-20 05:41:13 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
no the jaws do not lock but they are very strong and can hold on for a very long time!!
Dispelling some myths about Pit Bulls:
-Is it true that Pit Bulls can lock their jaw?
The infamous locking jaw is a myth. The American Pit Bull Terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog. All dogs are from the same species and none have locking jaws. Dr. I Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Furthermore, Dr. Brisbin states, "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."
2007-01-20 05:45:24 · answer #1 · answered by marnibrown1 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I don't remember where I saw it, or how much truth there is to it, but I remember reading somewhere that it kinda sorta came from the old time dogmen. When two dogs would get a hold on each other in the pit, it's believed that they called this a "lock" so to speak. Supposedly the term was seriously twisted through the years. If you think about it, that kinda makes sense, and would explain how people got their drive, tenacity, etc... confused with their jaws actually LOCKING. I'd like to know where people get things like "they have a 1600 psi bite force", too. I have yet to see solid proof of that one. I'd also like to see proof that just because a dog's game, it's human aggressive, too. Never really understood where people made THAT connection either. ETA @ Becka (sorry if I spelled that wrong), but I have a few issues with your comment, LOL!!!: "A pit bulls jaws do not "lock" but rather the shape and contour of their sharp teeth" A pit bulls teeth are no sharper then that of any dog. And really, a well cared for dogs teeth aren't all that SHARP anyway, and are actually kinda blunt at the end. "make for a very strong hold once they bite down into flesh. Their teeth interlock in such a way that you can not just pull them off of flesh like any other breed of dog." Okay, here's a concept: If the dog has bitten down on flesh, then the flesh is between the teeth. Therefore, the teeth CANNOT "interlock" at all. If they could, it wouldn't matter because the flesh would pretty much be removed anyway. Teeth have to touch to interlock, don't they? Can YOUR teeth "interlock" at all if there's something between them? Didn't think so. Guess what, neither can ANY BREED OF DOG's teeth. "If you were to try this it would rip out the chunk of flesh that the dog is holding on to." You do realize that ANY breed of dog will rip off a part of the flesh it's holding onto if they're broken the skin if some random jackass attempts to PULL the dog off, yeah? ANY DOG WITH TEETH CAN TEAR FLESH. Period. Maybe you should go back to school, yeah?
2016-05-24 01:06:00 · answer #2 · answered by Susan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NOOOO!!!
Pit bulls do not have a locking jaw. If they did they would be categorized as a whole new species. They just have very strong jaws.
2007-01-20 05:44:11 · answer #3 · answered by Stark 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no that is a myth its a proven fact that pitbulls do not have locking jaws they just have a very powerful jaw structure so people think they do
2007-01-20 05:56:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not really...their jaws are just very strong. If you research this, it is a popular myth that their jaws lock down.
2007-01-20 05:44:26 · answer #5 · answered by deb 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
any dog can have a jaw lock .............
it is also known as tetanus, but it is very rare in dogs, but more commonly observed in equine species.
but if your dog is a farm dog, or in contact with horses, or has had a cut/ wound..............then he could have contracted tetanus, which causes the jaw to lock. amongst other symptoms such as stiffness of the legs etc.
contact vet asap. an anti-serum will be admisitered with an antibiotic
2007-01-20 05:47:08 · answer #6 · answered by *dj's gurl* 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Mine don't... and I am pretty sure none other do. Their jaws are very strong and if they bite and don't let go, it is because they don't want to let go, not because they can't.
2007-01-20 05:52:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Certainly not! Its just that Pitbulls, boxers, and other fighting breeds will not let go. they were bred to fight and to win. the ones that didn't win didn't get bred.
2007-01-20 05:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i believe they are able to lock there jaws,but it`s voluntary ...
2007-01-20 05:47:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
No, this is completely false.
2007-01-20 06:09:58 · answer #10 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋