Tallest Dog Breed

Outside the realm of Chihuahuas, terriers and Pomeranians, one can find some breeds of dogs that are in fact quite large. For the average family, having a full grown, male German Sheppard translates into possibly having the tallest dog in the neighborhood. While the size of the German Sheppard is nothing to laugh at, it has nothing on some of the dogs that are considered to hold the title of tallest. There are several breeds of dog that don't quite make a German Sheppard look like a terrier, but a dramatic difference can be seen. Below, we take a look at some of the tallest breeds of dog that can be found in the world.

The title of tallest dog breed is split between two types of dog, depending on how "tallest" is defined. The current holder for outright tallest dog belongs to a Great Dane named Gibson. This lengthy pooch measures in at 41 inches, while standing on all fours and a whopping 85 inches (7 ft 1inch) while on its hind legs.

For both the Great Dane and the Irish wolfhound, the question has been posed, "Why are these dogs so tall?" For both of these gigantic breeds, the answer lies in their original purpose. The history of the Irish wolfhound has been noted to take roots in years prior to Christianity. The Irish Wolfhounds most ancient purpose, which may be suggested by its name, was to hunt wolves in order to protect the livestock of their owners. In order to fend off wolves, it is understandable why the Irish Wolfhounds have to be such a tall breed. Like its Irish counterpart, the Great Dane was originally used in to combat a particularly large and powerful animal. The Great Dane's original use was to hunt wild German boar. While both of these animal's histories comes from a need to be powerful and aggressive, they are currently popular and calm pets, despite their towering size.