It takes a different kind of dog lover to take on large breed dogs; we might even call them extra large breed dogs. Many people consider Rottweiler’s, Labradors, and those size dogs to be large. This article is going to discuss really large dogs like the Mastiff, Great Dane, and Saint Bernard. Many people might describe these dog breeds as huge instead of big or large.
The average size of a male Mastiff is 165 pounds minimum, but they can reach as much as 225 pounds. They will be at least thirty inches tall at the shoulders and sometimes taller; a Labrador is 21-24 inches tall for a comparison. These impressive measurements gain the Mastiff the title of largest dog breed based on AKC accepted base size. Although these dogs are mammoth, they are very mild and laid-back dogs. They are great with kids and other dogs, and even make one of the better housedogs. There are a couple of things to consider before keeping one of these giants in the home, one is they are hairy, two they drool by the bucket load.
Another massive dog is the Saint Bernard; this dog ranks number two behind the Mastiff as largest dog breed. An average Saint Bernard will be 27 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh in anywhere from 130 pounds to 200 pounds. The Saint Bernard gained its popularity through being used as a rescue dog in the mountains of Switzerland. The Saint Bernard is credited with the rescue of more than two thousand human lives; this alone makes the Saint Bernard a beautiful dog. As with the Mastiff, the Saint Bernard is usually a gentle and loveable giant. Another trait that it shares with the Mastiff is that it will drool quite a bit. The one drawback of the Saint Bernard is that they are very protective in nature, they need the proper owner, or their overprotective tendencies can become aggressive. A Saint Bernard, or any of the large breeds, that becomes aggressive can be dangerous because of their massive size.
The last dog we will discuss is probably the most popular large breed dog because it has a couple of television stars in its corner, it’s the Great Dane. The Great Dane is not the largest, but it is the tallest of all dogs. The Great Dane is taller and leaner than the top two dogs on the list; Danes will stand 30 inches tall at a minimum, and can weigh as much as 185 pounds. For the Great Dane somewhere in the range of 145 pounds is more reasonable. Again, the Great Dane is another gentle giant that makes a great housedog, and they do not drool at a record setting pace either. One thing to keep in mind about these dogs, and all dogs for that matter, is that all dogs are individuals. This means they may or may not be exactly like the breed standard that is set forth, any dog of any breed can be aggressive, mean, gentle, or any number of other traits. The way they are raised, trained, and treated will have a large effect on how they act.