What’s The Biggest And Tallest Dog In The World?
Dogs are like a box of chocolate, there’s a different flavor in there for everyone. Since dogs come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, there is bound to be the perfect pet for someone. However, we got to thinking, who ends up with the world-record-holding dogs, such as height, weight, or length? Do those owners specifically choose their pet as is, or was it a pleasant surprise? So we decided to take a look.
The dog who had the Guinness Book of World Records for height was a beautiful Great Dane named Zeus, who lived in the US. He was the tallest dog ever on record, standing at 3 feet, 8 inches. However, when he stood up on his hind legs, it was a different story. Unfortunately, Zeus passed away in 2014.
The new record holder for the tallest dog is currently another Great Dane. Freddy from Essex, England, measures 3 feet, 4 inches, and when standing on his hind legs he’s more than 7 feet!
As his owner, Claire Stoneman, confided in The Telegraph, when he was a puppy, he was actually the “runt of the litter.” Nobody saw that one coming!
Me and my Bubbas, 💕💕💕🐾🐶🐾🐶💕💕💕 pic.twitter.com/7KKmHME6Ls
— claire stoneman (@glampinky13) September 17, 2017
What counts as official measurements, comes down to all Guinness World Record measurements being taken by a veterinarian. All dogs must be at least a year old, as well as have a vet-certified “clean bill of health.” However, the GWR no longer accepts entries for the heaviest or thinnest pets.
As the public relations manager for Guinness World Records North America Inc., Amanda Marcus, explained, “We appreciate that the welfare of the pet would be, in the majority of cases, at the forefront of the owner’s mind,” she says. “We had, however, become increasingly concerned that owners would potentially be encouraged to over or underfeed their pets in the quest for recognition. Therefore, to avoid any undue suffering to any animal, we have ended our interest in such records.”
In terms of length, there is one breed, the Irish Wolfhound, who nearly always takes the title of the longest dog. The most recent dog to be named the longest dog by GWR was an Irish Wolfhound named Farrell, who was a total of 7 feet, 9 inches from the tip of his nose all the way to the tip of his tail!
However, thus far the longest ever recorded dog by GWR was an 8 foot, 4-inch English Mastiff. Given the length, we can only imagine that must have been one massive Mastiff since according to the American Kennel Club, the breed is known to be quite large and weighty.
In fact, in 2014, the AKC released a list of the 15 largest breeds of dogs, which included the Mastiff, the Neapolitan Mastiff, and Bull Mastiff. As it turns out, the average male Mastiff is around 30 inches tall, and can easily weigh anything from 160 to 230 pounds. These dogs are certainly not tiny since their lineage was bred for battle. And their size definitely makes them scary to look at, but their breed is known to be extremely sweet, loyal, and even-tempered.
But Mastiffs aren’t the only large and heavy breeds out there. Other working breed dogs that are extremely large and powerful are Saint Bernards and Newfoundlands. Saint Bernard males on average weigh in at around 140 to 180 pounds, and can be 30 inches tall. While the Newfoundlands, also called “Newfies,” can weigh anywhere from 130 to 150 pounds and be 28 inches tall. Both Saint Bernards and Newfoundlands are also very gentle dogs and given their sweet-natured dispositions, they make for great family pets. Because of their thick fur coats and their endurance, these two breeds have been employed by rescue teams across North America to aid in search and rescues, as well as in the snows of the Swiss Alps.
Incredible dogs for sure!
