Dog breeds have always been an interesting topic to discuss. Each dog breed has outstanding characteristics, such as size, shape, color and personality.
Over centuries, different breeds of dogs in different locations have been honed by humans to perform certain roles, starting from hunter to guardian, from herder to companion.
If you wish to have a pet dog, get to know these popular dog breeds you can pet at home.
Size has been one of the significant players in the search of perfection. Some players want to have bigger dogs for hunting bigger or faster or guarding home with more intimidation. Among hundreds of dog breeds around the world, let me show you the 6 tallest dog breeds around the world.
- Irish Wolfhound
Irish wolfhound was bred to be a courser, and originally used to chase down wolves. It was originated from war hounds into a dog used for hunting and guarding.
Despite the fact that they are used for hunting, today’s Irish wolfhounds are fairly quiet, reserved, easy going and intelligent.
Make sure you also know these purrfect dog breeds to pet as outdoor dogs.
Irish wolfhound is the tallest of all dogs, even taller than the Great Dane. According to the standard, the minimum height of the Irish wolfhound should be 32 inches for males and 30 inches for females. Males often stand as tall as around 34 to 35 inches and weigh more than 140 pounds.
- Great Dane
The second tallest dog breed is the Great Dane. It is also widely known as the largest dog breed. The Great Dane is a breed of German origin and it also has German name, Deutsche Dogge, which means German mastiff.
However, before setting down the official roots in Germany, this dog eventually became the crossbreed between English mastiffs and Irish wolfhounds.
The Great Danes may not be the heaviest dogs as they weigh 100 to 120 pounds. However, they are among the tallest. The standard average Great Dane is around 28 to 30 inches tall, but they may get taller.
The tallest dog in the world record was a Great Dane named Zeus who stood 44 inches tall. Unfortunately, this big dog doesn’t live long as it lives only to be between 6 to 8 years old.
- Scottish Deerhound
Belonging to the leggy breed of dogs, the Scottish deerhound is another member of the tallest dog breed around the world. This breed used to be a courser, once used to hunt red deer and easily chase down its prey. They are very large with a lanky body for speed.
The average deerhounds can stand as tall as 32 inches and weigh as much as 110 pounds. They are not used for deer hunting anymore.
Regarding to its personality, the Scottish deerhound is gentle and extremely friendly. It also needs considerable exercise while it is young so that it can develop properly and maintain its health and condition.
If you wish to pet this dog breed, you need to make sure that you provide it with wider running course to keep the dog healthy and happy. Young deerhounds can sometimes be quite destructive especially when they do not have sufficient exercise.
However, they are good around company and children as they are gentle and docile while they are indoors. Just make sure that you supervise them while they are with young children.
- Greyhound
Greyhound is a breed of dog which has been bred for coursing game and racing. It is also called as English greyhound. Greyhound is a gentle and intelligent breed of dog, which has lots of amazing features, such as long and powerful legs, deep chest, flexible spine and slim build.
Greyhound also has an average race speed which exceeds 64 km per hour. It even can reach a full speed of 70 km per hour. Regarding to its height, males are usually 28 to 30 inches tall while females are usually about 26 to 28 inches tall.
Greyhounds are considered as good pets too, due to their loving nature and enjoyment of human or other dogs’ companion. Greyhounds do well in families with children too, and they love most happily as pets in the house.
- Tamaskan Husky
Tamaskan Husky is a combination of tall, athletic and sturdy dog. They were originated in Finland as a sled dog, but is more popular as ‘wolf dog’. It has similar appearance with wolves, in terms of its coat, color and face.
Tamaskans are known to be alert, intelligent, protective and devoted dogs. They are friendly, gentle and calm, however several issues may arise if they display any alpha behaviors or become territorial. That’s why early training and socialization are needed.
Male Tamaskans are usually around 63 to 71 cm tall while the females are usually 61-66 cm tall. They can live up to 15 years.
Get to know the other Husky breed in the differences between Siberian husky and malamute.
After having a pet dog then you should know about heat stroke in dogs that often suffered by dog and also how to keep your dog active indoors so they don’t feel bored inside of the house.