The Iowa Great Dane is now the tallest dog in the world

There’s a new taller dog in the neighborhood and his name is Kevin. Guinness World Records has certified that Kevin, a Great Dane from West Des Moines, Iowa, is officially the tallest living dog in the world.

Contrary to popular belief, a dog’s height is not measured while the dog stands on its hind legs like a human. After all, you don’t see many dogs walking around the city like that. Instead, a dog’s height is measured from the soles of the feet to the withers, which is a fancy word for the top of the shoulder blades.

Using this criterion, Kevin measures 3 feet 2 inches tall, which is about the size of a three-year-old human and just three inches shorter than the former reigning tallest dog and fellow Great Dane. Zeuswho sadly died as a result of bone cancer in 2023.

Kevin lives happily with his owners Tracy and Roger Wolfe and his human siblings Alexander and Ava. The Wolfe family are animal lovers and own three dogs and four cats, as well as chickens, goats and horses. Tracy also operates Merle Hay’s Animal Medical Clinic, located in Des Moines.

As you can see, Kevin loves to cuddle and usually forgets about his size, especially when the vacuum cleaner comes out.

“He is terrified of the void,” Wolfe told Guinness. “He won’t let it get within six feet of him! He’ll jump and run to get away from it.”

Despite his scaredy-cat tendencies, Kevin has a pretty fearless namesake, named after Kevin McCallister from the Home Alone cinematic universe. And it also reminds her mother of a very special person, her late Great Dane Cora.

“Both were black-coated Danes,” Tracy says.

Great Danes can be black, blue, fawn, gray and white and boast a variety of coat patterns. In addition to being as tall as a child, Great Danes can weigh as much as a human, with the breed’s average weight being between 110 and 175 pounds. But despite their enormous size, Great Danes are calm, loyal, and can be easy to train.

If you’re looking for a huge puppy, be sure to plan ahead, as extra large dogs can cost your family a pretty penny when you factor in vet bills and all the extra food they need because, well, they’re extra large!