The Biggest Dog Breeds
There is a long list of dog breeds out there and we did a little research to bring you the most extreme sizes we could.
Here are images of the big daddies of the dog world, or the giant dog breeds. These animals are the biggest canines on the planet.
The Afghan was originally used for hunting in the mountains of Afghanistan mountains & carries very old bloodlines. Not known for their intelligence, these animals are mainly show dogs today.
For centuries these dogs were used as fighting dogs in war & for hunting. Their size made them a formidable opponent against wolves so they were popular as sheepdogs.
The Bouvier was originally used for cattle herding, however they became popular during WWI as rescue & message dogs. Their exposure to the battlefield almost killed off the breed in the early 20th century but breeding programs have been successful since.
Bullmastiff dogs are a cross between Bulldogs & Mastiff dogs creating a large, stout dog. They were used by gamekeepers to tackle poachers and hold them down & today they are popular as guard dogs.
Established in 1923, the Giant Schnauzer is a cross between several large breed dogs. They were originally bred as cattle dogs and later became popular as a guard dog within military & police ranks.
Called the Apollo of all Dogs, there is Greek money from 36 B.C. that bears a dog very similar in looks to the Great Dane. The ancestors of the modern breed were prized for their ability to take down bears & boars.
Thought to have originated in Asia or Siberia these dogs are thought to share blood with St. Bernards & Newfoundlands. The breed became popular in Europe during the dark ages & French Nobility found them fashionable guard dogs.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog comes from the Swiss Alps and were used as cattle dogs. These animals may have been influential in creating St. Bernards. This breed was also called “the poor man’s horse” because of their natural drafting abilities.
Stay Tuned
There were more of the giant breeds than we expected, so we split them into two posts (& we like big images so your browser will thank us). Keep an eye out for part 2 of the big dogs and a few of the small ones too.
