The world’s tallest dog is terrified of the vacuum and named after a children’s film
The world record holder crouches and crawls to make himself appear smaller and less scary, his owner said
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A great Dane, who has been described by his family as a “gentle giant”, has achieved the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the world’s tallest dog.
The three-year-old called Kevin stands at 3ft 2in and comes from West Des Moines, Iowa.
He is 2ft 10.41in taller than Pearl, the current shortest dog living who is 3.59ins tall, which means that roughly 10 Pearls stacked on top of each other would equal Kevin’s height.
His family is made up of three more dogs, including his best friend Tuck the decker rat terrier, four cats, chickens, goats, and horses, as well as humans Tracy, Roger, Alexander, and Ava Wolfe.
Tracy Wolfe said the name Kevin came from watching the movie Home Alone.
She said he grew at a fast pace “not out, but up,” and said: “[Kevin is] the epitome of a gentle giant.”
“In fact, he is scared of most things. He is terrified of the vacuum. He won’t let it come within six feet of him. He will jump and run to get away from it,” she added.
He also has a playful nature, which can be seen when he crouches and crawls to make himself appear smaller and less scary when around other dogs.
Ms Wolfe added Kevin has a close bond with 12-year-old Alexander.
“They have been pals since the start,” she said.
“They lay together on ‘Kevin’s couch’ many evenings.”
Kevin was officially verified as the world’s tallest dog on March 20.
The previous record holder died after a battle with cancer in September last year.
Zeus, who was 3ft 5in, died at the age of three in Texas after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Great Dane, who could reach seven feet on his hind legs, claimed the Guinness World Record for tallest dog in 2022.
Zeus contracted pneumonia after he had one of his legs amputated earlier this year.
His owners announced his death in an interview with Guinness World Records. His owner, Brittany Davis, said the Great Dane died with his head in “his mom’s lap”.
“Zeus was a truly special dog. He was gentle, loving, very stubborn but always happy to see his family and many, many friends on his adventures around Dallas & Fort Worth.
“Zeus packed a lot of life into three short years and was primed to beat cancer’s butt,” his owner said.
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