If you’re a dog lover and meet that special pup that melts your heart, you may decide to scoop him up without a second thought. However, what happens when that dog ends up being a doggy giant? For one thing, large dogs come with several challenges, including requiring a lot of exercise and training and costing you a lot more than you expected.
Sometimes, when you decide to get a new furry family member, you probably assume that your expenses are going to increase a little; things like vet bills, grooming, and dog food are all no-brainers. The thing is, depending on what dog breed you have, your pet food bill can vary dramatically. For example, small dog breeds, like a Maltese, may only eat roughly two-thirds of a cup of food per day, and medium breeds might eat around 2 cups of food per day, but what if the dog of your dreams comes in the form of a 200-pound St. Bernard? This powerful canine requires an average of 6.5 cups of food per day. What a difference!
Your budget aside, it’s important to know what your dog needs, no matter what his size. The largest dogs, such as the Mastiff and Great Dane, need more food, plain and simple, but not all large dogs eat the same amount. Plus, dogs within the same breed may have different food requirements due to things like activity level, existing health conditions, metabolism, and age. Therefore, your first step is to know your pup, then decide what he needs to eat daily to perform at his optimal level.
So what are some of the largest dogs, and exactly how much can one dog possibly eat in one day? Here’s a quick peek at some of the largest breeds and their dietary needs, based on an average of the breed size and activity level.
Daily food amounts are shown for an adult dog and shown as a range since the exact amount will vary based on your dog’s gender, age, and activity level. For example, a female will usually require less food per day than her male counterpart since females are normally smaller in size than males. In addition, a puppy often needs almost twice as much food as an adult dog since it is still growing, while a senior dog will need less. best suv for big dogs
So, who exactly are the big dogs? Here’s a look at the 10 largest breeds:
10. St. Bernard
These pups are truly heroic. Throughout history, these large pooches were used by monks in the Alps of the Great Saint Bernard Pass to find and rescue over 2,000 people stranded in the snow.
9. Newfoundland
These furry lifeguards love to swim and are great at water rescues. In fact, a Newfoundland saved the life of Napoleon Bonaparte when he fell overboard after his escape from exile on the island of Elba.
7. Irish Wolfhound
This Celtic beauty dates back thousands of years and was primarily owned by Irish nobility. The tall, horse-like dogs drove wolves out of Ireland and were immortalized in a poem by William Robert Spencer.
6. Great Dane
This large pooch is quite the muse and has been the inspiration behind several well-known cartoon and comic-strip pups. And unlike the name suggests, this breed is German, not Dutch.
5. Cane Corso
These Italian stallions are big, brave, and handsome. Italian artist Bartolomeo Pinelli loved the looks of these pooches so much that he featured them in many of his works.
4. Tibetan Mastiff
These dogs, originating in Tibet, were originally kept by nobility and monks as guard dogs. Later, England’s Queen Victoria owned and loved one of these towering cuties.
3. Dogue de Bordeaux
This pup, with his fancy name, is actually a type of mastiff that dates back many years in France. He loves agility and is very calm and obedient. One even co-starred in a popular late-1980s buddy-cop comedy as the heroic — and scene-stealing — canine partner.
2. Scottish Deerhound
Known for his height, this tall pooch was once used to bring down — you guessed it — Highland deer. The breed almost went extinct because, at one time, only Scottish lords were allowed to breed and own these giant cuties.
1. the Great Pyrenees
This giant, gorgeous canine was once used to protect sheep from predators. Because their white coats blended in with the flock, they took predators by surprise. And, apparently stole the heart of King Louis XIV, who loved these handsome pups.