In the Guinness Book of Records, a new record holder was recorded - Zeus' dog from the town of Otsego, Michigan. The reason was the growth of the dog, which is 111.8 centimeters from the foot to the withers. By the way, the dog just a couple of centimeters ahead of the former record holder, who belonged to the same breed of dogs.
Former champion - Giant George
The highest dog in 2012 was the Great Dane George. Standing on his hind legs, he lifted his body as much as 2 meters 30 centimeters above the ground - a real giant. The weight of the dog was 110 kilograms, and the height at the withers reached 1 meter 10 centimeters.
George was born on November 17, 2005. This huge dog was a member of several shows. The dog lived only 8 years. He stayed in the memory of the owners, like a playful dog who did not like water, preferred the company of his masters to loneliness, and, in spite of his enormous growth, was afraid of his fellows.
The biggest dog in the world
And today, after the death of George, the title of the highest dog at the withers passed to the Great Dane of Zeus. He is now five years old. He weighs just over seventy kilograms, and eats up to 14 kilograms of food a day.
Often people who meet Zeus during a walk, ask: "Is it a dog or a Horse?" The question is not surprising. After all, if the dog comes on someone's foot, then there will be a big bruise. They transport the dog in a specialized van.
What breeds of dogs are considered to be the largest?
A list of the highest breeds of dogs can be found in various sources. However, each offers its own version. But no doubt in the list we will find the English mastiff, the Great Dane, the Irish wolfhound, the Scottish dirhound, the leonberger and, of course, the Newfoundland .
Among the large, but lower in the list, are representatives of the breed of St. Bernard, Alabai and Caucasian Shepherd, which are similar in size. Neapolitan mastiff and akita finish the list of giants.
Still, the German danes remain the leaders. Their males usually reach 80 centimeters at the withers, and females - 72. Some experts say that the largest breed can be called the Irish wolfhound, which grows to 85 centimeters. However, there are no record holders among them.
If you are the lucky owner of a large dog, remember that it requires special care. He needs a lot of space and support for calcium and phosphorus in the body. Since childhood such an animal is given special nutritional supplements.