Of all the animal kingdom, dogs are the most human-friendly creatures. For thousands of years, these four-legged animals have served humans. For some, a dog is a sweet, albeit useless, friend; for others, it is a guard or assistant. In order to enhance certain qualities, people have developed many new breeds of dogs. In general, all these animals are divided into three categories according to their breeds: large, medium and small. However, even large dogs can be very large.
There are dogs whose height at the withers exceeds 55 centimeters and which weigh more than 50 kg. A separate group has been allocated for such animals. And people also use similar characteristics of dogs for their own purposes. Giants carry heavy loads, serve as rescuers, herd herds and even look after children. But what dog breeds are considered the largest.
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World records
Did you know that in the Guinness Book of Records there is a “item” for the largest dog in the world. Several contenders have already competed for this record, and it must be said that each of them deserves to bear this proud title:
- Nova , a representative of the Great Dane breed from the USA , reached a height of 180 cm while standing on her hind legs and was terribly afraid of small dogs. Nova became the pioneer of the so-called relay of giants. Nova and all the giants listed below took part in charity projects
- The Great Dane Gibson , with a height at the withers of 108 cm, became a record holder in the 80s. It is noteworthy that the dog’s owner was a 9-year-old girl, and Gibson’s height, standing on his hind legs, reached 213 cm.
- In the 80s, relatives fought in a friendly manner for the title of the largest dog in the world - St. Bernard Benedict , weighing almost 150 kg, and Baby Haydan Dark Blue, 94 cm tall and weighing 138 kg.
- The Great Dane, named Giant George, was 110 centimeters tall and weighed 111 kilograms. Unfortunately, “under the weight” of his own body, the dog’s heart wore out very quickly... and George died at the age of 5.5 years.
- Not a world title, but still a title, went to the Bulldozer from Stavropol. The Central Asian Shepherd Dog , a male, weighing 113 kg, was recognized as the largest dog in the CIS.
- Hercules is an English mastiff from Great Britain, who broke all records with a height of 94 cm, a body length of 250 cm and a weight of 156 kg. The owner of Hercules gave interviews many times and claimed that he raised the puppy without any excesses, and considered heredity to be the reason for the pet’s gigantic dimensions.
- A Great Dane named Zeus received an honorary title in 2013, at that time his dimensions of 111.8 cm in height and 70 kg in weight were a record.
Record holders who went down in history and became famous throughout the world were born and ended up in specific families by chance. If you are thinking about a giant pet, you need to choose a breed based not on its potential dimensions, but based on your capabilities in raising and maintaining a dog.
Saint Bernard: sensitive and affectionate
Weight: 80–100 kg Height: 70–90 cm
The history of this large breed began in the Swiss Alps, on a dangerous mountain pass. In the 11th century, dogs guarded the monastery of St. Bernard and helped the monks rescue wanderers lost in the snow and fog. The breed got its name from the monastery.
Large dogs with thick dense hair, strong paws and a unique sense of smell found people even under two-meter snowdrifts. Acute hearing allows them to hear the approach of an avalanche: in 1983, American scientists found that “avalanche dogs” distinguish sounds with a frequency of up to 46 kHz (humans - up to 20 kHz).
Today, Alpine giants are rarely used in rescue work, but these calm and good-natured dogs became favorites in families with children, and their popularity increased sharply in 1992, after the release of the film “Beethoven”.
Akita Inu
The Akita Nu breed, bred in Japan, ranks tenth in the ranking of large dogs in the world. The height of the breed is 67-70 cm, weight reaches 50-52 kg. It was bred as a large game hunter, and is now actively bred all over the world for keeping at home. The dog gained popularity thanks to the legendary story about Hachiko, which tells about the incredible loyalty of a dog who waited for his owner for nine years. Due to its cleanliness and behavioral characteristics, it is perfect for living in city apartments.
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The most talented dogs
Simply being born the very best is, of course, an achievement, but becoming one is even more honorable. For many years now, the beagle Purin has held the world record for the number of balls caught with his front paws in one second. The four-legged “goalkeeper” is capable of catching as many as 14 balls during this time. But Leonberger Hagrid is able to catch 13 objects in half the time.
Khotosho
The animal is classified as an indigenous species. Otherwise, the dog is called the Buryat-Mongolian wolfhound. Since ancient times, these friends of man have accompanied nomads in the territory of present-day Buryatia.
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Khotosho is characterized by the following characteristics: height - up to 75 cm at the withers, weight - from 45 to 70 kg. The dog is calm and balanced, has no problem staying alone for a long time and does not feel sad without its owner. At the same time, it is very strong and resilient, capable of protecting people from attacks by wild animals.
Moscow watchdog: hardy and fearless
Weight: 55–65 kg Height: 68–78 cm
Moscow watchdogs were bred relatively recently, in the middle of the 20th century, by crossing the St. Bernard, the Caucasian Shepherd and the Russian piebald hound. Their descendants inherited the best features of the original breeds: the impressive appearance and strength of Alpine rescue dogs, the unpretentiousness and ferocity of shepherd dogs, the mobility and perseverance of hounds. At the same time, they are stronger, more muscular and hardy than prototype dogs.
Balanced and fearless dogs flawlessly cope with the duties of watchmen and bodyguards. According to the Russian Cynological Federation, the Moscow Watchdog ranks second in terms of protective qualities after the Caucasian Shepherd Dog.
Deerhound
Deerhounds are considered the oldest hunting breed. Otherwise, their name is “Scottish Deerhound”. The creatures have come close to extinction more than once, but people have managed to preserve these loyal four-legged friends.
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Deerhound height is from 70 to 81 cm, weight is from 45 to 50 kg. The dogs are calm and fearless, like a number of other representatives of the current top, and treat children with love. They are easy to train due to their docile nature. After training, dogs become both dexterous hunters and reliable guards of yards and territories.
Komondor: shaggy and cute
Weight: 50–60 kg Height: 70–80 cm
The Komondor, or Hungarian Shepherd Dog, is the most unusual of large dog breeds, a real wolf in sheep's clothing: massive dogs with powerful jaws are covered with thick white hair twisted into long cords. This fur coat helps shepherd dogs camouflage among sheep and protects them from hypothermia and overheating. Dog handlers suggest that the dogs inherited their unique coat from shaggy shepherd dogs - descendants of Tibetan shepherd dogs, and Hungarian legend says that the Komondor is the result of the “marriage” of a wolf and a sheep.
Thanks to their strong immunity, Hungarian Shepherds easily adapt to any conditions, and their easy-going nature helps them get along with people. Today they still herd sheep and serve as guard dogs.
Tibetan mastiff
An expensive rare breed was bred in China. This charming-looking dog, which has become the heroine of hundreds of legends and myths, comes from Tibet. The dog weighs 70–80 kg with a height of up to 66 cm at the withers.
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The Tibetan Mastiff is known for its kind character, gets along with other animals, and is good with children. But these qualities appear only if the pet is given early socialization - raised from birth.
Newfoundland
From a distance or in a photo, it’s easy to confuse a black Newfoundland with a bear. A shaggy diver dog attracts attention with its appearance. But, in addition to fluffy wool, it also weighs up to 70 kg with a height of up to 70 cm.
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Newfoundlands love water - they swim and frolic in it. Not evil, rather the opposite - they are too friendly and will never bite. But they do not accept criticism, much less corporal punishment. At the same time, a high level of intelligence was noticed - in addition to calmness and devotion, dogs have repeatedly proven that they can predict human actions.
Irish Wolfhound
It was the turn of the Irish Wolfhound - a fearless creature weighing up to 55 kg and up to 90 cm tall. The breed was bred specifically for hunting game - bears, moose and other large animals.
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Irish Wolfhounds, with all their strength and assertiveness, are famous for their sincere devotion to their owner, love for children, and calm attitude towards cats and other surrounding creatures.
Alabai: ancient and harsh
Weight: 50–80 kg Height: 70–75 cm
The Central Asian Shepherd Dog has served humans since time immemorial: in Turkmenistan, archaeologists discovered terracotta figurines from the 2nd–4th centuries depicting massive dogs with a powerful head and wide chest. Alabais grazed herds, guarded houses and protected the owner. Despite their external slowness, they have excellent reactions and a stern disposition.
Alabaevs are also called Turkmen wolfhounds, and this large breed of dogs has become a living symbol of Turkmenistan. In November 2022, a 15-meter gilded monument to the Central Asian Shepherd Dog was even installed in Ashgabat.
And the largest Alabai lives in Russia: the dog Bulldozer weighs 125 kg and eats 5 kg of meat and 10 liters of porridge every day.
English Mastiff
The silver belongs to the English Mastiff. The big guy, usually white in color, reaches a height of 76 cm at the withers and weighs up to 72 kg. Outwardly it seems that this is a formidable dangerous creature, but the first impression is deceptive. The English Mastiff is an aristocrat among dogs. Calm, behaves measuredly and balanced. Prefers to stay at home and does not ask for long walks.
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The pet has to give a lot of time. The animal needs constant communication and languishes from loneliness. But at the same time, a firm hand from the owner will be needed, otherwise the mastiff will not miss the chance to show his own dominant character.
Russian greyhound
In eighth place in the ranking is the Russian greyhound, the height of males reaches 85-87 cm with a body weight of 47-52 kg. Dogs weighing up to 60 kg are quite rare, since with proper care it is impossible for a greyhound to eat. The breed is described in references dating back to the 17th century, has unique speed qualities, during a jerk the speed reaches 90 km/h, and can make a throw of three meters with a push from a standstill. An excellent hunter, with a balanced character, excellent vision and excellent reactions.
Leonberger
Created in 1846, the Leonberger breed is the ninth largest dog in the world. The height of its representatives reaches 80 cm with a weight of 45-50 kg; sometimes the body weight of males can reach up to 58 kg. The balanced character and excellent protective qualities make it possible to keep the breed as a bodyguard or watchman in homes with children. The dog is rightfully considered a family dog, showing its loyalty, friendliness and cleanliness. Leonberger is sociable, muscular, hardy, easily obeys the owner, and has an excellent memory.
