Great Danes are often called “gentle giants” for a very obvious reason – they are one of the largest dog breeds in the world. Great Danes are so big that they are shoo-ins for the Guinness Book of World Records in the Tallest Dog category. In fact, most of the title holders in that category are Great Danes, including Titan, Gibson and Harvey. Giant George, a gargantuan blue Great Dane from Tucson, Arizona, is the current “King of Dogs” with not one but TWO Guinness titles: Tallest Dog Ever and Tallest Dog Living.
Just How Big Is the World’s Biggest Dog?
Giant George is so impossibly tall that when people see his picture they cry “photoshopped fraud.” Snopes, the website famous for debunking internet untruths, said that Giant George “looks more like a miniature horse than a dog.” Indeed he does. But Snopes also said he’s a real dog, and Guinness reps confirmed it. They measured the super-sized Great Dane themselves, and said he stands 43 inches tall from paw to shoulder and is 7 feet 3 inches from nose to tail. The 5-year-old dog weighs 245 pounds (which is, incidentally, about 100 pounds heavier than the average Great Dane).
Giant George’s stature and Guinness records catapulted him to fame, and now he’s one of the most popular “Celebri-dogs” on the planet. He’s been on Oprah and LIVE! With Regis & Kelly, and hobnobbed with Meredith Vieira. Giant George gets mobbed everywhere he goes, but unlike some “stars” who shun the paparazzi, Giant George loves the attention he gets when he gads about town. Giant George even got to meet another Guinness World Record holder, a Chihuahua named Boo Boo who at 4” tall is the Smallest Dog Living. Can you imagine what the itty bitty Boo Boo must have been thinking during that meeting? Most likely, she hoped Giant George didn’t think she was his lunch!
I recently spoke with Giant George’s owner, David Nasser, and he shared some exciting news about his pony…er, his dog.
Life with Giant George
So many people wanted to know what life was like with the World’s Tallest Dog that George decided to write a book. Simon and Schuster London thought that was a fabulous idea, so George went to work on his memoirs straight-away. “Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog” is scheduled to be released in late summer or early fall.
While George himself is being very tight-lipped about the specifics of his highly anticipated book, Dave told me that it’s a “good-hearted look at life as a big dog.” It’s a story about how this giant dog fits into the family, and includes some of George’s quirky antics and the things that make him so much fun to be around. George’s book also talks of his Guinness experience, the path to stardom, and what it was like to meet Oprah. George’s fans can expect lots of cool never-before-seen photos and details about his life.
People gawk at Giant George everywhere he goes, and can’t stop themselves from cracking jokes about his size or telling Dave he needs to get a saddle for his pony. Although Dave said he enjoys taking GG out to the dog park and other places, hearing the same jokes time and again does get old. The media attention is fun too, but time consuming.
Dave had no idea his cute puppy would grow so big that one day he’d hold two Guinness World Records. Oh sure, people who adopt Great Danes expect to have a large dog, but having the World’s Tallest Dog is not usually something they think much about. That is, until one day their little puppy (well, as little as a Great Dane puppy can be) starts to grow…and grow…and grow!
Giant George and Social Networking
With 64, 000 Facebook fans and 1500 Twitter followers, Giant George is one of the most popular dogs on the social networking scene. Giant George also has his own website and official Fan Club. Although he himself might be done “growing,” it seems that his fan base shows no such signs of stagnating. And when his book, “Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog” comes out in a few months, I expect his popularity to skyrocket.
For more information on this impressively tall dog, follow Giant George on Facebook or visit his website.
Read more articles by Julia Williams
