Photo By Natalie Behring/Guinness World Records
Pearl and Reggie
From the Afghan Hound to the Zwergschnauzer, Aug. 26 is a day to celebrate every breed of dog, even the ones that aren’t breed-specific. And for good reason — it’s National Dog Day. The Zwergschnauzer, in case you were wondering, is the Miniature Schnauzer.
It’s no surprise dogs have their own day — there are an estimated 89.7 million of them in the United States, far outnumbering the 73.8 million cats.
According to the American Kennel Club, the top five breeds are the French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Poodle.
While the Chihuahua doesn’t make the top 20, it still holds a major title: The smallest living dog, according to Guinness World Records, is a four-year-old Chihuahua from Florida named Pearl, who stands just 3.59 inches tall. Pearl recently met Reginald (Reggie), the tallest living dog, a Great Dane that stands at 3 feet 3 inches from floor to withers. Reggie, believe it or not, was the runt of his litter.
There are, of course, some relatively new breeds. For example, different Doodles became popular in the 1990s. But few can rival the rarity — or the price tag — of Cadabomb Okami, a one-of-a-kind wolfdog that’s a cross between a wolf and a Caucasian Shepherd. These massive hybrids can reach staggering sizes. Cadabomb himself recently sold for a record-breaking $5.7 million to a dog enthusiast in India. At just 8 months old, he already weighed 165 pounds. That same owner also has a rare Chow Chow that resembles a Qinling panda, which he purchased last year for about $3.25 million.
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