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A Great Dane described by his family as a “gentle giant” has been recognised by the Guinness World Records (GWR) as the tallest dog in the world.
The 3-year-old boy, named Kevin, is 3 feet 2 inches tall and is from West Des Moines, Iowa.
He is 2 feet 10.41 inches taller than the shortest dog currently living, Pearl, who is 3.59 inches tall, meaning roughly 10 Pearls stacked on top of each other would be as tall as Kevin.
His family consists of three dogs, including his best friend Tuck the Decker Rat Terrier, four cats, chickens, goats, a horse, and his humans Tracy, Roger, Alexander, and Ava Wolf.
Tracy Wolfe said the name Kevin came from watching the movie “Home Alone.”
She said her son had grown up quickly, “not outward, but upwards,” adding:[Kevin is] The epitome of a gentle giant.”
“He’s actually scared of most things, even the vacuum cleaner. He won’t let them get within six feet of him. He jumps and runs to get away,” she added.
He also has a playful nature, which you can see by the way he crouches and crawls around other dogs to make himself look small and less scary.
Wolf added that Kevin shared a close bond with his 12-year-old son, Alexander.
“They were good friends from the beginning,” she said.
“They spent many nights lying together on ‘Kevin’s couch.'”
Kevin was officially recognized as the world’s tallest dog on March 20th.
The previous record holder passed away last September after a battle with cancer.
Zeus, who was 3ft 5in tall, was diagnosed with cancer and died in Texas at the age of 3.
The Great Dane, which can reach seven feet on its hind legs, was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest dog in 2022.
Zeus had pneumonia after having one of his legs amputated earlier this year.
The dog’s owner, Brittany Davis, announced the dog’s death in an interview with Guinness World Records, saying the Great Dane died with his head in “his mother’s lap.”
“Zeus was a truly special dog – sweet, loving and very stubborn, but always happy to see his family and many friends on our adventures around Dallas and Fort Worth.
“Zeus lived a lot of life in three short years and was ready to beat cancer,” his owner said.