Stephanie Fallon, 46, a Georgia-based stay-at-home mom, talks with PEOPLE about her journey raising the Boerboel breed
Credit: Hannah Kuck; Georgia.shepherds; Courtesy of Stephanie Fallon
NEED TO KNOW
- Boerboels are known for their bite force, measured between 500 and 800 PSI, among the strongest in dogs
- Owner Stephanie Fallon emphasizes the importance of training and muzzle conditioning for safety and public interactions
- Fallon shares her experiences online to educate others about the powerful and often misunderstood South African breed
Boerboels are known for their impressive stature and guardian instincts, but according to longtime owner Stephanie Fallon, their bite force truly sets them apart.
Often measured between roughly 500 and 800 PSI (pounds per square inch), the Boerboel’s bite is widely considered one of the strongest in the canine world, a level of force that Fallon says is important to understand when learning about the breed.
“It is one of the highest or the strongest bites in the canine world,” Fallon tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It’s like somewhere between 500 and 800 PSI.”
Fallon, a 46-year-old stay-at-home mom, has spent more than a decade raising Boerboels and has owned five of the powerful South African guardian dogs since first discovering the breed in 2008.
While they are often admired for their presence and protective nature, she says their physical strength is something that requires awareness.
“There are some videos out there showing dogs coming up to this bite cushion, and it measures the pressure,” she explains. “When they had the Boerboel come up and bite, it was — I don’t know — like 700, 800 PSI.”
The measurement, she notes, comes from controlled demonstrations using specialized equipment designed to calculate bite force, similar to how it’s measured in other animals known for their extra-powerful jaws.
@fallon_boerboels
E-collar for the win 🙌… and I’ll die on this hill. It might not be the correct tool for all dogs, but in this environment, it’s the right tool for THIS dog. I know my dog and I know what works for HIM. He is safe, he is loved and he lives a life full of adventures with lot of freedom and boundaries. #ecollar #dogtraining #recall #hikingwithdogs #dogsafety
♬ original sound – Steph, Gronk, GrooGrux & Sushi
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For Fallon, understanding that level of force is part of what makes the breed so formidable.
“A protection dog — or a powerful breed — should still be stable enough to go in public and be neutral. They should not be dangerous,” she says. “If you can't take your dog in public because they might whip around and bite a child or bite a person, then they don't belong there.”
It’s because of their strength, Fallon says she takes extra precautions in certain situations — including training her dogs to comfortably wear muzzles.
“I want my vet staff to feel comfortable and safe doing their job — it's not fair for them to worry [like] ‘Oh, if I poke him with this shot, is he gonna turn around?’ It's not like a bite from a chihuahua,” she says.
She also explains that the training is less about the dog’s behavior and more about being prepared.
Credit: Courtesy of Stephanie Fallon
“All dogs should be muzzle conditioned,” Fallon says. “You don’t know when you’re going to need it.”
“Unfortunately, muzzles get such a bad reputation — [people think a] muzzle equals danger and it doesn't,” she says. “Some people put muzzles on their dogs because their dogs eat things they shouldn't eat in the environment [they’re in].”
Fallon, who began sharing videos of her dogs online in recent years, says part of her goal is to provide accurate information about a breed that often draws attention for its size alone.
“They just have this presence,” she says. “If you were to see them in person, you’d be like, ‘Whoa, he’s big.’ "
By sharing her experience on social media, she hopes to give people a clearer understanding of what makes the Boerboel such a powerful and often misunderstood breed.
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