5 Large Dog Breeds
Are you thinking about getting a big dog? Keeping a large dog requires more responsibility and training than a small dog, which should start when they are still a puppy. There are many important things to take into consideration. They need space, lots of exercise, and they also tend to be more expensive; they eat more, which leads to buying more food. But it’s worth it, so here are 5 amazing large dog breeds.
- Great Danes are considered to be gentle giants, they get along well with children and enjoy playing. The Great Dane is a German dog breed that is also known as the German Mastiff or Deutsche Dogge. Their long tails have the ability to knock over a lot of items, particularly in a small area.
Fun facts:
- Because of their stately beauty, they are known as the "Apollo of dogs."
- Scooby-Doo, the cartoon character is a Great Dane!
- In 1965, the Great Dane was declared Pennsylvania's official state dog.
- Great Danes have an average lifespan of 8 to 10 years.
- The Scottish Deerhound aka the "Royal Dog of Scotland" is one of the tallest dog breeds, raised to hunt wild red deer. They’re active, large, and mischievous, meaning that they need a lot of space to run. The Scottish Deerhound's thick coat is 3 to 4 inches long and wiry, but the fur on the head, belly, and breast is smooth.
Fun facts:
- A Scottish Deerhound's average height is 30 to 32 inches for a male and 28 inches and up for a female.
- The dogs in the movie Brave are all Scottish Deerhounds.
- Leonberger aka Leo is a powerful and elegant dog breed whose name comes from the German city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg. They were originally bred as a guard dog, but due to their gentle and affectionate nature, it has amassed millions of fans.
Fun facts:
- They make excellent therapy dogs due to their sensitivity.
- Colors of their coat include lion–yellow, golden to red, and red–brown, as well as sand-colored (cream, pale yellow) and all variations with a black mask.
- In 2009, a Leonberger named Ariel gave birth to a litter of 18 puppies!
- Bernese Mountain Dog was developed to be a multi-purpose farm dog, they were in charge of driving cattle, pulling carts, and protecting the farm. Today they are a perfect family dog but they also specialize in search and rescue.
Fun facts:
- Their name comes from Bern Canton, the central region of Switzerland.
- A “Swiss kiss” is a white mark usually located on the back of their neck.
- Mastiffs are extremely loyal to their families, are wonderful pets, but getting a powerful dog, effort and commitment are needed.
Fun facts:
- In the 1989 Guinness Book of Records, a Mastiff named Zorba weighed 323 pounds!
- Their coat is easy to take care of but they do shed a lot.
- Mastiffs appear in several movies like the Sandlot or Turner and Hooch.
Resources:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/working/leonberger/
http://images.akc.org/pdf/leonberger.pdf
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/68225/10-stocky-facts-about-bernese-mountain-dogs