From largest to smallest
We are all interested in extremes..you know, the cutest, the ugliest; the youngest, the oldest and yes the largest and the smallest. Of course, when I thought of the largest dog breed, I thought of a Great Dane or an Irish Wolfhound, but to my surprise the largest overall breed of dog is the Old English Mastiff, as seen above. While the other two breeds may be taller than the mastiff, in overall weight and size, the mastiff is considered the largest breed. The largest dog ever was an English Mastiff that weighed 343 lbs., but most dogs in this breed range from 120 to 230 lbs and 25 to 36 inches at the shoulder. The wide variation is dependent on the sex of the dog with the male being at the large end of the spectrum.
The smallest breed of dog, and one that we commonly see with celebs like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears is the Chihuahua, named after the state in Mexico where it was discovered in the middle of the 19th century. This dog is a part of a dog group known as the toys, of course because of its size. They only weigh between 6-9 lbs. and usually are no taller than 9 inches. Because they are so small, sometimes children forget they are not a toy, but a real dog and rough house a bit too much. This is not a breed that is known for its easy temprament and might become quite agitated when provoked…kind of like a temper that makes up for their size. However, this is an extremely popular breed with many devoted and loving owners.
December 12th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
[...] the world. Recently the American Kennel Club added three new breeds that they are now recognizing. The Tibetan Mastiff looks similar in stature to the breed of Mastiff that was discussed in a prior e… However this mastiff has gained popularity in this country and the AKC will not consider [...]
April 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
[...] Check out a prior entry where I speak about the Mastiff!!! Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to My Friendly Pets. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in General on April 13th, 2008 Link to this Entry Email This Entry [...]