Does the fact that my dog, Cato, has a saggital crest suggest he has some pit bull in him?

Reading that article, Cato is part orangutang. No wonder he was mad when you started playing with that cute dog down teh street.

p.s. I thought the Sagittal Crest was a ridgeline in the Sierra Nevada.

”A sagittal crest tends to be present on the skulls of adult animals that rely on powerful biting and clenching of their teeth, usually as a part of their hunting strategy…Among mammals, dogs, cats, lions, and many other carnivores have sagittal crests” – Wikipedia

I had to look it up. Apparently a lot of different animals have this. Below is a picture of an emaciated dog with an obvious crest on its head. (Doesn’t look like a pit bull to me, but it would look a lot different if it were the proper weight.)

https://www.lifewithdogs.tv/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/creekdog.jpg

Below is the skull of a badger with a sagital crest. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__7tSF7YZHec/TJYuJ1SXkRI/AAAAAAAABLg/t0_BIOm9XuQ/s400/badger-4422.jpg

My stepfather has a Bassett Hound which has a saggital crest. We always joked that he has a horn or that it’s a knob for steering him lol. We didn’t know what it was called, so we just call it a knob.

Here, it’s discussed in detail, and they mention Bassett Hounds;

https://carnivora.ca/carnivora-dogs/canine-design

Cato’s is really more prominant than I’ve seen on any of my other dogs. This includes Labs, a German Shepherd, a Border Collie and a Cocker Spaniel mix.

grrr…sagittal.

sry
Cato has a prominant sagittal crest. What does that mean?

Are you concerned about your dog having pitbull in his lineage because of the reputation pit bulls have? Are you worried somebody will give you a bad time about the dog?

According to the link I found it says that a prominent crest means the animal has a very strong bite.

“Powerful chewing muscles attach to the crest giving an animal tremendous bite force.“

The same article also mentions that the size of a saggital crest is often larger in males of certain species, and and can relate to social status.

https://www.archaeologyalmanac.com/2017/06/07/sagittal-crests-not-just-for-mastication-anymore/

That’s the “smart bump” on my boy’s head; he is a Black Lab/German Shepard ! He likes it scratched.

German Shepard tail and jaw.

@Dutchess_III: Bassetts have a prominent one as well. That’s what gives their heads the high, pointy look.

Nah. Lots of breeds have that. Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Boxers, Bassets, Dachshunds, Beagles. My Lab, too, and he’s a purebred.