They often say about dogs “our smaller friends.” But, if we take this phrase literally, then the matter may come to a dispute, because some dogs are larger in size than the average person. For example, the heaviest dog in the world weighed more than a hundredweight, and its length from head to tail exceeded 2.5 meters! And this is not an isolated case - you can easily collect a top large breeds of dogs, which, in terms of their size, will more likely claim the role of “big brothers”. Are you interested in which dogs are the largest? In this article you will find a fascinating story about dog record holders, as well as a list of the largest breeds with a brief description.
No. 1 – huge in size
George is a blue Great Dane and his height is 2 m 13 cm. The owner of the dog is Dave Nasser, who lives in America (Arizona).
A dog eats more than 60 kg per month. He sleeps in his own big bed. George rides in the back of the SUV and barely fits in there. Options:
- From paws to shoulders he is 1 m 10 cm;
- From the nose to the base of the tail - 2 m 21 cm;
- It weighs 110 kg.
The dog with the longest ears
The first record was held by Mr. Jeffries' basset hound. But in 2009 he died. The length of the ears was almost 35 cm.
After his death, the record passed to a dog named Harbor (coonhind breed) from Colorado; the length of his ears was still slightly less - 34.29 cm.
No. 2 – favorite, smaller than others
Millie is a chihuahua. She is only a little more than 9 cm at the withers. Her owner Vanessa lives with her in Puerto Rico. The dog lives at home and rarely goes outside, riding only in his owner’s arms. Her legs are so thin that if she jumped off the sofa, she would break them.
Millie can get lost in the grass. On the street people take pictures with her.
Now the dog is 2 years old and weighs about 400 g. In infancy, the dog easily sat in a tablespoon.
TOP 20: dog records in the Guinness Book of Records
The Guinness Book of Records is a very popular publication that is updated and published every year. This amazing collection contains not only unusual human achievements; on the pages of the book you can also find the records of our smaller friends - dogs. Here you can find pets born with unique characteristics, as well as animals that have achieved certain results through long training. Let's look at the most entertaining dog records.
Record No. 1 – amazing size
Guinness World Records for the largest dog In the list of “most dogs”, the Blue Great Dane George took the lead in terms of size. The pet is distinguished by its impressive height, which is 2.13 meters. The characteristics of the dog are included in the world collection:
distance from shoulder to paws – 1.10 meters;
distance from tail to nose – 2.21 meters;
The record holder's weight is 110 kilograms.
Guinness Records for the largest dog The owner of the Great Dane is American Dave Nasser, who lives in Arizona. The approximate diet of a dog per month exceeds 60 kg of food. The Great Dane has its own bed, which is impressive in size. Dave bought the pet at the age of six months and did not expect George to reach such a size.
George is the largest dog in the world. The dog's size is so large that he can hardly fit in the back seat of Dave's SUV. The predecessor of the blue dog was the Great Dane named Gibson. However, the dog died at the end of 2009 from cancer. Now George is the largest dog in the world.
Record No. 2 - the smallest pet
Guinness World Records for the smallest dog The opposite achievement from the first record is the smallest size of a Chihuahua named Millie. The pet's height barely exceeds 9 centimeters. The owner of the dog is Vanessa, who lives in Puerto Rico. Millie “lives” in the apartment and rarely goes outside. If a pet leaves the walls of its home, it is only in the arms of its owner. This is because Millie is very fragile due to her size. Her paws are so thin that she can get a fracture from a simple fall from a chair.
The owner does not walk down the street with the dog for the reason that it is easy to get lost in the thick grass due to its minimal height. Millie is very friendly and willingly takes pictures with people around her who are surprised by the size of the dog and want to take a photo.
Today Millie has reached the age of 2 years, and her weight does not exceed 400 grams. When the dog was a puppy, she could easily fit into a tablespoon. At this time, the pet set its first record in the “smallest puppy” category.
Record No. 3 – long-lived
Guinness World Records dogs are distinguished not only by their amazing size, but also by their life expectancy. The first dog that managed to set a record for longevity was an Austrian shepherd, whose age was more than 29 years. The pet guarded flocks of sheep all his life and led an active lifestyle, which is why he ended up on the pages of this amazing collection.
Another contender for the championship was the dog Bela, who managed to live 29 years and 193 days, which is 33 days more than the Austrian shepherd dog. Perhaps Bela could boast of a more advanced age, but the owner decided to euthanize the pet due to her health condition. Bela was not included in the book because she did not have documents confirming her date of birth.
Today's record holder is a terrier named Max. His age is 29 years and 240 days. The owner of the animal does not provide Max with special care and has fed him dog food all his life.
Record No. 4 - the most expensive cable
The most expensive dog of our time is the Tibetan Mastiff. The breed has an unusual appearance, fluffy hair and a bright reddish color. At the same time, mastiffs are loyal friends of humans and have an easy-going character. It is likely that these features have elevated the breed to the rank of the most expensive in the world.
The cost of a puppy varies within the following limits:
in Russia – from 3,000 to 14,000 dollars;
in Tibet - about $100,000;
The most expensive puppy was purchased by a multimillionaire for $1.5 million.
Record No. 5 - the fattest pet
The fattest dog in the world Not only people, but also their pets face the problem of excess weight. On the pages of the collection, records of dogs with the heaviest weight are mentioned. The record holder in this area is a border collie named Cassie. The animal lives in an English county. Cassie's weight reached 58 kg, which is 4 times the norm for this breed!
The reason for the dog’s “rounded figure” is simply poor nutrition. The dog was fed mainly fried foods and sweets. The dog's weight is critical, so it is not even able to move independently.
Shelter workers found out about Cassie’s “problem” and took her for rehabilitation. After several months of working with the pet and switching to proper nutrition, Cassie began to move independently. The shelter staff promise that they will be able to return the animal to its usual form.
Record No. 6 – the richest canine representative
Pets' devotion can be rewarded not only with good treatment, but also with a decent will. German Shepherd Gunther is the richest dog in the world. It belonged to the countess, who after her death bequeathed all her funds to the shepherd. Today the dog's net worth is more than $300 million.
The funds are managed by the people specified in the Countess's will, who have the honor of caring for the pet. Therefore, funds are regularly spent on charity in animal shelters. Gunther has offspring who will officially become the owner of their father's funds.
Record No. 7 – amazing balancing
Dog records A mixed-breed collie and an Australian shepherd named Sweet Pie has a unique ability - like a member of a circus group, he can hold a glass of water on his head and move around with it without spilling a drop. The sweet pie holds two records at once. The first - the dog managed to walk 10 steps with a glass on his head with a total weight of 150 g. At the same time, the dog returned to the starting point, walking the step again backwards.
The second mestizo record is covering a distance of 100 meters in 2 minutes 40 seconds. There was a tin can on the dog's head. Sweet Pie's owner spent more than two years teaching his pet this trick.
Record No. 8 - the heaviest breeds
St. Bernard Benedict - the pet weighs more than 140 kg with a height of 98 centimeters;
St. Bernard Haydan - weight 138 kg with a height of 87 centimeters;
English Mastiff - weight 133 kg with a height of 95 centimeters.
Record No. 9 – the highest
The Great Dane named Gibson is the tallest representative of the canine world. Its height is 2 meters 15 centimeters. The owner of the Great Dane is a professional breeder and lives in California. The owner pays special attention to Gibson, monitoring his diet and rhythm of life.
The Great Dane is popular with advertising agents, who have repeatedly invited the pet to film various social projects. The Great Dane is often filmed in the company of the smallest dog in the world, which creates a special contrast.
Record No. 10 - the most jumping
The record holder for high jump is the male Steg, who managed to jump over a wall 3 meters 50 centimeters high;
a German shepherd overcame a barrier in the form of a smooth wall 5.6 meters high;
Olya's dog took first place in high jumping - her result was 1.5 meters.
Record No. 11 – the most resilient
St. Bernard Brady moved a huge load weighing 3,000 kilograms. These were railroad tracks that a dog managed to move in 1978;
St. Bernard Typhus - he managed to drag the above-described cargo using a special cart over a distance of 4.8 meters;
The strongest dog based on its own weight is Newfoundland Barbara, who dragged 2,300 kg along a concrete surface.
Record No. 12 – the fastest
The fastest dog in the world. Hunting breeds are rightly considered the fastest breed, the peculiarity of which is determined by their “use” by humans - pets develop great speed to catch prey. The breed has an amazing gene composition that does not require improvement. Greyhounds are the only breed in the world that has not been crossed with other canines to add beneficial qualities.
The breed is recognized as the best short distance runners. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour, and in a throw even about 90 km per hour. At the same time, the dogs have a fragile physique and a very miniature weight of 30-38 kg.
The record holder among his “brothers” was the dog Star, who managed to reach a speed of 67 km per hour. With such a “companion” you don’t need to have a weapon when hunting, because the pet can catch up with any prey.
Record No. 13 – developed mind and ingenuity
Comparison of pets occurs not only by external parameters. Scientists have begun a search for the most intelligent breed that can be trained, gets along easily with people, quickly adapts to unfamiliar surroundings and is able to make its own decisions without instructions from the owner. This breed turned out to be the Boeder Collie. The experiments carried out revealed the best results in a number of “mental” tasks compared to other breeds. The following dogs have developed ingenuity and a predisposition to learning:
poodle;
Doberman;
German Shepherd;
Labrador;
husky
In the course of their research, scientists also identified the least “intelligent” breed – the Afghan hound. The dog has a very beautiful appearance, but does not perceive commands well and often does not assimilate information. This does not mean that the breed is hopeless. However, training will require more time and patience.
Record No. 14 – the rarest breed
Some dog breeds are endangered, including the Chinook. The breed was considered extinct for a long time, but in 1981, 12 Chinooks were discovered. After this, dog breeders took active measures to reproduce their pets, but their number still remains critically low.
No less rare is the Eskimo dog; the number of its representatives in 1975 was only 100 individuals. Today, scientists are creating conditions for the reproduction of animals, but their number is still on the verge of extinction - only 300 dogs in the whole world. The cost of a puppy of this breed starts from $8,000.
Record No. 15 – longest ears
A Basset Hound named Jeffrey has the longest ears in the world. Their length is more than 30 centimeters. The animal experiences constant discomfort due to non-standard sizes, as the ears constantly fall into the bowl and interfere with eating. When walking, they often develop in the wind; Jeffrey constantly steps on them while walking and is often injured.
The owner cares about her pet, so she ties the dog’s ears with an elastic band. The previous record holder for ear length was Jeffrey's genetic grandfather. Apparently this gene is inherited.
The owner values the pet’s peculiarity so much that she insured his ears for a quite impressive amount – $48,000. Jeffrey's ears are not proportional and have different lengths: the right one is 35 centimeters, the left one is 32 centimeters.
Record No. 16 - the most terrible dog
An unusual nomination in the Guinness Book of Records, the owner of which was a Chinese Crested named Sam. A competition held in California helped identify the winner. Here the owners present the ugliest dogs and the winner receives a $1,000 prize. Sam took the lead in this competition for more than 3 years.
Probably, the dog’s streak of victories would have continued, but the pet died of cancer. Despite his frightening appearance, he was the favorite of the family in which he lived for more than 15 years.
Record No. 17 – the most prolific
A greyhound named Low Pressure holds the record for the number of puppies born. The dog is the father of more than 2,400 puppies that have been officially registered;
a dog named Lena of the American Foxhound breed is the most large mother - there are 24 puppies in her litter;
St. Bernard Anne is also distinguished by increased fertility - she gave birth to 23 puppies, 14 of which did not survive;
Irish Setter bitch became the mother of 22 puppies in 1974. Only 15 puppies from the litter survived;
Tia of the mastiff breed gave birth to 23 puppies and set a new record for survival - only 4 puppies from the litter died.
Record No. 18 – swimmers
It is known that dogs are natural swimmers. They cover long distances with ease and love water. However, some representatives have special skills. The record holders are two Labradors named Gypsy and Kai, who swam across the 15.6 km long bay. This record was set together with their owner Steve Fisher. The dogs completed the task in just 6 hours and 18 minutes.
Record No. 19 – record holders in the number of awards at competitions
The German shepherd Mystic demonstrated a special talent for performing and following commands. She is the recipient of more than 270 awards. The dog takes part in competitions almost every month. Its owner is American James Moser. Since childhood, he has been raising a pet, without using the services of specialized trainers.
No less talented is the Scottish terrier bitch named Close. The owner of the record holder is an American living in Florida. Throughout his life, the pet has won 204 awards.
Record No. 20 – a dog walking on its hind legs
A unique feature has developed in the dog Vera, who has congenital defects of the forelimbs. Because of this, the pet cannot move like the rest of its relatives. However, Vera's owners taught her to use her hind legs to move, and now the dog walks like a human.
Source
No. 12 – smart and savvy
Smart and quick to learn:
- Poodles;
- German Shepherds;
- Doberman;
- Labradors;
- Husky.
Afghan hounds are the worst at learning commands without understanding what is needed. They need to be trained harder and longer.
What affects the lifespan of four-legged animals?
The average life expectancy of four-legged pets is 10-13 years. Its change up or down depends on internal and external factors.
Dependence on various factors
Internal factors include everything that cannot be adjusted. It is embedded in the animal from birth. This group includes:
- Size. The smaller the dog, the more years he has. It's all about the minimum concentration of the IGF-1 protein, which is responsible for wear and tear on the body.
- Floor. Hot-tempered males often die in fights, and unsterilized females often die from too frequent and difficult childbirth.
- Congenital diseases and features. This includes breed pathologies and diseases transmitted from parents. The risk group includes brachycephals who suffer from oxygen starvation all their lives.
External factors include everything related to care and maintenance, that is, quality of life. Safe sleeping space, regular nutrition, sufficient physical activity, favorable psycho-emotional conditions and regular preventive measures play the most important role in the life of pets.
How to extend the life of a pet?
Proper care and comfortable maintenance do not guarantee protection from force majeure and internal factors. Their main task is to reduce existing risks, but even this can extend the life allotted by nature.
For the longevity of your beloved four-legged animal, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- Register your pet for spaying or neutering immediately after puberty if you do not plan to involve him in breeding work. Both operations reduce aggression, prevent unwanted pregnancy and cancer of the reproductive system.
- Follow the schedule of vaccinations and treatment against parasites, and also do not forget about annual preventive examinations. More frequent testing may be required for at-risk animals.
- Keep your dog's bed and other personal belongings clean.
- Balance your diet, eliminating deficiencies and surpluses of essential elements.
- Control your pet's weight with active games and exercises.
- Monitor the condition of the ears, eyes, claws, skin and fur. At the first signs of illness, contact your veterinarian immediately to prevent the disease from becoming chronic.
- Eliminate physical punishment and minimize stress by surrounding your pet with love and care.
Also try not to forget about safety. Most accidents occur due to poor upbringing and permissiveness, so do not neglect training, socialization and mandatory wearing of equipment on the street.
Saint Bernard (weight – 80-100 kg, height – 70-90 cm)
The history of this breed originates from the Swiss Alps, full of dangerous mountain passes. It is believed that in the 11th century such dogs not only guarded the monastery of St. Bernard, but also helped the monks in searching for travelers lost in the snow and fog. The name of the monastery gave its name to the breed.
The large size of St. Bernards and their dense thick fur, as well as powerful paws and an excellent sense of smell, helped the dogs find people even under a two-meter layer of snow. Thanks to their keen hearing, these dogs can hear an avalanche approaching. In 1983, research conducted by Americans showed that such a talent allows dogs to distinguish sounds with a frequency of up to 46 kHz, while the human hearing threshold is 20 kHz.
Today, these gentle and sensitive giants are rarely used as rescuers, but they feel great in families, where they quickly become friends with children. The popularity of St. Bernards grew significantly after the Beethoven film series in the 1990s.
♥ ON THE TOPIC: Animals and insects, or 30 reasons not to go to Australia.
Who is scarier than others
The most dangerous dog is a Chinese Crested dog named Sam. Slanted eyes, crooked, outward-turned teeth, tousled fur - all this helped the pet gain extraordinary popularity and for three years win the “Ugliest Dog” competition in California. Unfortunately, the dog has now died of cancer.
Thus, no matter what our pets are, no matter what features and illnesses they have, we still love them the way they are!
- Author: Elena Romanenko
Rate this article:
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
(1 vote, average: 5 out of 5)
Share with your friends!
Scottish Deerhound (weight – 40-50 kg, height – 75-80 cm)
The first mentions of these tireless hunters can be found in medieval chronicles, and the ancestors of the breed are carved on stone slabs from the 1st century. It is believed that the owners of Scottish deer greyhounds did not even need weapons when hunting - the powerful dogs themselves drove and killed even large wild deer. This breed is distinguished by its excellent sense of smell and instant reaction; the dogs move over rough terrain without any problems.
But as soon as the hunt ends, the deerhound becomes affectionate and balanced. The dog easily remembers commands and gets along well with children. But these dogs perceive cats and other small animals exclusively as potential prey.
It must be said that the Scottish Deerhound is a very rare breed. In addition to their homeland, they are also bred in America. The slender and graceful greyhound Haikori gained fame, having twice won the most famous American exhibition - the Westminster Show. In 2007, this greyhound became the best puppy, and in 2011 - the best hunting dog.
♥ ON TOPIC: Why is wine dry, or which wines are called dry and which are sweet?
The rarest breed
The American Hairless Terrier is recognized as one of the rarest and most expensive breeds. A distinctive feature of these pets is the complete absence of hair. The number of representatives of this breed varies around 70 pieces.
Another representative of rare breeds is the Tibetan mastiff. Huge, majestic creatures, due to their exclusivity, cost from three thousand dollars per puppy. The height of an adult reaches 86 centimeters. Mastiff puppies can weigh 80 kg.
