Zorba Mastiff

Big Dogs

The Chihuahua is certainly adorable, but this tiny breed is not everyone's cup of tea. For some people, it's the large dog breeds that hold the most fascination.

Big dogs come in all proportions; some are taller, some are heavier, and some are a massive combination of the two. To big dog lovers, bigger is usually better. Let's compare the average sizes of some of the largest dog breeds of all.

These breeds represent quite a lot of dog by anyone's standards, but remember these are only average size ranges. Some individual dogs may be slightly smaller than their ideal breed standard, while others reach well beyond breed expectations. It's these giants that often find their way into the public limelight.

Meet the Zorba the English Mastiff

When it comes to a combination of weight and height, the Mastiff is hard to beat in terms of sheer mass. Saint Bernards may be capable of reaching greater size, but many don't reach the top of their impressive scale.

The American Kennel Club standard states the male Mastiff averages up to 190 pounds, but it's not unusual for these giants to weigh around 225 pounds at full maturity. However, once in a while, a dog comes along that amazes even the most seasoned big dog enthusiasts. On that note, it's time to meet Zorba.

While there is no actual breed of Zorba Mastiff, this general term is sometimes applied to Mastiffs of exceptional size. This nickname comes from a famous dog that was one of the largest ever recorded.

Zorba is a legend among giants, an English dog that was so massive he earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. His stats are almost unbelievable.

• Weight: 343 pounds
• Height: 37 inches at the shoulder
• Length: 8 feet, 3 inches long

Standing on his hind legs, Zorba would have dwarfed the tallest basketball player the NBA ever produced!

Other Guinness Record Holders

The Zorba Mastiff is incredibly impressive, but he's not the only giant dog to make the record books. Let's check out a few more record holders.

Cloe the Mastiff

Another Guinness record holder, Cloe was a massive Mastiff from Tibet that was one of the heaviest ever recorded. Weighing in at a whopping 365 pounds, Cloe stood 38 inches tall at the shoulder and measured 8 feet, 5 inches from nose to tip of tail. By the age of eight years old in 1989, he was said to have been the size of a large donkey.

Gibson the Great Dane

Mass is one thing, height is another. Guinness' current living record holder for height is Gibson, a Harlequin Great Dane that stands an unbelievable 42.2 inches tall at the shoulder. This amazing beast is nearly 7 feet tall when he stands on his hind legs!

Heaven Sent the Chihuahua

Just for fun, let's compare these big boys to Guinness' smallest living dog of record. Heaven Sent Brandy is a Chihuahua that measures just 6 inches in length from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail.

Sylvia the Yorkshire Terrier

Now for the smallest dog ever recorded. Sylvia the Yorkshire Terrier was a mere 2.5 inches tall, 3.5 inches long and weighed just 4 ounces. This would make her roughly the size of the Zorba Mastiff's nose!

Her life span was short; she was only two years old at the time of her death in 1945.

Zorba Mastiff Conclusion

The Zorba Mastiff was certainly an impressive canine, and sure to go down in history as one of the largest dogs ever. However, you have to wonder what the future holds. Which breed will produce the next giant to amaze us all? We'll just have to wait and see.