A man’s best friend? See the top 10 largest dog breeds

They often say a man’s best friend is his dog because it will remain loyal till death. For lovers of dogs, here’s a wonderful thread about the largest dog breeds as tweeted by @Bigmozel, a Twitter user.

1. Caucasian Shepherd Dog

The Caucasian Shepherd Dog is a breed originating from ancient Caucasus dogs. The breed was developed from dogs of the Caucasus Mountains and the steppe regions of Southern Russia.

2. English Mastiff

The English Mastiff is a breed of large dog. National kennel clubs, including the United Kingdom’s Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club, refer to the breed as simply the Mastiff.

3. Newfoundland dog

The Newfoundland dog can be either black, brown, or white-and-black. However, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it became part of the confederation of Canada, only black and Landseer coloured dogs were considered to be proper members of the breed.

4. Komondor

The Komondor is a large, white-coloured Hungarian breed of livestock guardian dog with a long, corded coat. Sometimes referred to as ‘mop dogs’, the Komondor is a long-established dog breed commonly employed to guard livestock and other property.

5. Neapolitan Mastiff

This is an Italian breed of large dog. It descends from the traditional guard dogs of central Italy. It was recognised as a breed by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1949, and accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.

6. Scottish Deerhound

The Scottish Deerhound, or simply the Deerhound, is a large breed of hound, once bred to hunt the red deer by coursing. In outward appearance, the Scottish Deerhound is similar to the Greyhound, but larger and more heavily boned with a rough-coat.

7. The Irish Wolfhound

From Ireland that has by its presence and substantial size inspired literature and mythology. Like all sighthounds, it was used to pursue game by speed; it was also famed as a guardian dog, specializing in protection against and for the hunting of wolves.

8. Great dane

The Great Dane is a German breed of domestic dog known for its large size. The record holder for the tallest dog ever is a Great Dane called Zeus, who measured 111.8 cm from paw to shoulder. The tallest living dog is another Dane named Freddy, measuring 103.5 cm.

9. Leonberger

The Leonberger is a giant dog breed, whose name derives from the city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. According to legend, the Leonberger was ostensibly bred as a “symbolic dog” that would mimic the lion in the town coat of arms.

10. Tosa Inu

The Tosa is a breed of dog of Japanese origin that is considered rare. It was originally bred in Tosa, Shikoku as a fighting dog and is the only breed still used in Japanese dog fighting. Ownership is restricted in some countries as a dangerous breed.

You can see the full thread here on Twitter