Yesterday I met a South African Boerboel - OMG!

[BewilderedAndAngry]

The largest flipping dog I've ever been close up to - and I used to be good friends with a neighbour's Great Dane.

The size of the thing, the sheer bulk, the massive head

I like larger dog breeds, think labrador, retriever, gun dogs etc, I own a greyhound, but that was just a bit much. I can totally see how they were used to fight lions off.

My own --wussy- grey stopped in his tracks and just stared

[Want2bSupermum]

OMG that dog is huge! I would hate to be picking up its poop. Must be a two bagger every single time.

[BewilderedAndAngry]

You're right - I hadn't even thought about that aspect of it.

And it must need half a cow to eat every day, I'd've thought!

[mmmuffins]

OMG that photo!

[BewilderedAndAngry]

I should clarify, the woman in the photo is not me, it's a google images stock photo, but the size of the mutt is about right.

[Timeforabiscuit]

Oh
My
God

I think I love him

[BewilderedAndAngry]

All of him, Time?

He was very friendly and his owner told me all about him.

I think we'd have to move house to accommodate a horse dog the size of him.

[musicalendorphins2]

He is as big as a bear! He's gorgeous but the poo aspect is daunting. I would feel safe walking anywhere though!

[pigsDOfly]

I bet he needs a hell of a lot of walking too. Although, if you got tired on very long walks he could probably carry you home.

Not really practical for the average suburban household I would think.

Poo aspect would definitely put me off.

[Collaborate]

That's not a 2 bagger. That's a bin bag and a shovel!

[villainousbroodmare]

They are lovely and usually very gentle but people tend to cross the road to get away from you when you walk with them. That was a novel and and not so nice feeling for me as I'm used to walking the sort of dog that makes passersby smile.
They don't really need a phenomenal amount of walking but do need lots of flopping about space.

[dillite]

How on earth do you even control something that huge? Surely if it decides to chase something you will end up without an arm? And no sleeping on ones lap for a doggie that big, that's for sure.

[SistersofPercy]

Bloody hell! And I have issues with Murph lying on top of me!!

DD came in from a walk with Murph telling me they had met a Sloughi. My first question was 'whats that a cross breed of?' I'd never heard of them at all.

Between Sloughi's and Boerboel's I've now learned two new dog breeds this week.

[MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours]

Isn't he/she lovely Looking though. Must have a bark like a bomb going off too!

[MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours]

I'm fact if I had one of those I could change my user name to MyDogIsABiggerBastardThanEverybody

[MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours]

In not I'm!

[MargotLovedTom]

Good God, it's like Honey I Blew Up The Mastiff. Not my favoured sort of dog at all tbh, imagine the slobber! Our goldie is big but he'd look like a whippet compared to that beast.

[DrElizabethPlimpton]

I have no idea how my lab would cope meeting one of those beautiful dogs. She wee'd herself the first time she met a Great Dane though she is fine with them now.

[lilacblossomtime]

Last time my dog met a Great Dane it was scared of her! She is a very soppy, elderly Lab so it was quite funny.

[Lucy61]

Do they come with a saddle?!

[mrslaughan]

Generally these big build dogs need less exercise than a smaller fog, like a terrier or any of the spaniels..... The amount of walking required does not increase with the size of the dog., the amountof exercise is dependent on the what the breed has been bred for, a dog like that I had not been bred to 'work' probably more sit and scare people off.

[Theas18]

Dh says is it a very small person?

[HookedOnHooking]

Cor. Biggy is a big boy but that is Big. Lovely. I'd need another sofa.

[HookedOnHooking]

Biggy foesn't need much walking. He's built for lying around under an olive tree with very occasional bursts of running after wolves. When I make him do more than half an hour walk he stops and refuses to go further.

[fuckweasel]

They are gorgeous. Met one in a hotel in Namibia and she was their guard dog. She would sneak into my room for (big) cuddles. Gentle as anything (until someone came to the gate!).