Meet Zorba- the legendary, record-breaking Mastiff!
The Zorba dog was bred by a woman of the name Mrs. I Prosser on September 26, 1981. He was later owned by a man named Chris Eraclides with whom he resided in London, England.
At first, Zorba may seem like an ordinary Mastiff, but when met up close it wasn’t difficult to see what made him stand out.
Massive in size, Zorba could trump the height of any NBA basketball player when standing on his hind legs.
But exactly how big was Zorba and how did he stand up against other Mastiff dogs?
Today we’ll take a greater look at Zorba the dog, as well as some other record-breaking dogs in history.
We’ll also answer other questions like:
- How long did Zorba live?
- What is the largest living dog today?
- And is the English Mastiff the right dog breed for you?
So what are we waiting for?
Let’s meet Zorba:
Zorba (Dog) Weight Vs. Normal English Mastiff
Before we take a look at Zorba’s stats, why don’t we first take a look at the stats of a normal English Mastiff?
There’s no doubt that even the average English Mastiff is massive in size. According to the AKC, a male English Mastiff should stand at least 30 inches tall at the shoulder.
The average English Mastiff weighs about 190 pounds, but many reach weights of up to 250 pounds once fully grown.
The breed is also defined as being extremely muscular, with a body that is proportional to its height.
And then came Zorba who blew these statistics away. Exactly how large was Zorba the English Mastiff?
According to his statistics, Zorba trumped the size of a normal English Mastiff by over 100 pounds. At full maturity, Zorba weighed a total of 343 pounds.
Not only did he trump other Mastiffs in weight, but also in height.
At the shoulder Zorba stood 37 inches tall – that’s 7 inches taller than the average Mastiff. In terms of length, Zorba was 8 feet and 3 inches long.
These amazing statistics landed Zorba his place in the Guinness Book of World Records in September 1987 as the world’s heaviest dog.
[ Check Out Another Big Mastiff from Iran ]
Zorba The Dog vs. Other Record Holders
Of course, Zorba isn’t the only dog to hold World Records. Here are some other noteworthy record-breaking dogs:
Zeus the Great Dane
While Zorba long held the World Record for the World’s heaviest dog, Zeus the Great Dane surpassed him when it came to height.
Defined by his owner as being a “Gentle Giant”, the Great Dane stood 44 inches tall on his hind legs – or 7 foot 4.
Named as the World’s tallest dog in 2013, Zeus sadly passed away on September 3, 2014.
Milly the Chihuahua
Going from the world’s tallest dog to the world’s smallest dog is Milly the Chihuahua. Living in Puerto Rico, Milly is owned by a lady of the name Vanesa Semler.
Nicknamed as “Miracle Milly”, this record-breaking Chihuahua was born on December 1, 2011.
When born, Milly could fit into a teaspoon and weighed less than one ounce. By one year of age, Milly stood only 9.65 cm tall and weighed a tiny 567 grams.
Keon the Irish Wolfhound
A wagging tail is always a good thing, right?
But what about when that wagging tail is over 2 feet long? As is the case with Keon the Irish Wolfhound who set World Breaking Records for the longest tail on a dog.
Living in Belgium, Keon’s tail measures over 30.2 inches in length – so lookout when he swings it!
How Long Did Zorba, The English Mastiff Live?
Zorba fulfilled his world record of the heaviest dog in the world in 1989 at the age of 8 years old.
He lived another 5 years after that, until he passed away at the age of 13.
In terms of English Mastiff dogs, this is also a pretty impressive statistic as most Mastiffs live between 8-12 years.
He seems that Zorba was able to beat the odds both in size and in lifespan.
Despite the fact that he is no longer with us, Zorba still holds the record for the World’s heaviest dog to this day.
What Is The Largest Living Dog Today?
While English Mastiffs are still considered one of the largest living breeds of dog in the world, there is one breed that surpasses them in size –
Originally bred as a guardian dog, this breed is considered the largest of all dogs as of 2020.
Just how big is it?
They rarely get above 180 lb and are not usually larger than 33 inches at the withers. Most of these dogs average 120-160 lb and stand about 27-30 inches tall at the shoulders.
Like the English Mastiff, the Caucasian Shepherd dog is described as a gentle giant that is strong, brave, and self-confident, yet loving and affectionate at the same time.
When not playing guard dog, this breed gets along well with all other members of the family, including other pets.
Is The English Mastiff The Right Choice Of Pet For You?
As a first-time dog owner, the English Mastiff can make a great companion.
They are very loving and affectionate dogs that do well with all members of the family – including other pets if they are raised with them at a young age.
The English Mastiff is also a very intelligent breed of dog, so they are easy to train.
With that being said, if you are to own an English Mastiff it is important that you are willing to put the time and effort into training them at an early age.
Without proper training, things, like walking and jumping up on people, can become a huge issue very quickly.
Though the Mastiff would rarely intend to hurt anyone, they may do so by accident due to their large size.
The Mastiff also makes an excellent pet for more experienced dog owners.
They make excellent guard dogs and are very intelligent and easy to train. With that being said, it’s important to remember that Mastiffs do best with gentle training,
wherein positive reinforcement is the main training method. Mastiffs do not respond well to harsh training methods.
With all of that being said, though the Mastiff can make an excellent companion for new or experienced owners, it can’t go without saying that the Mastiff is also a lot of work.
Firstly, Mastiffs slobber – a lot. If you’re going to own a Mastiff, you need to be prepared to wipe the slobber off of everything.
They are also very loud snorers, so if you are a light sleeper or require a lot of sleep, the Mastiff might not be the best choice for you.
Furthermore, English Mastiffs require a great deal of space.
Due to their large size, Mastiffs tend to do best when they have a large house and large yard to roam. Small apartments are not well suited to the large English Mastiff breed.
Other things to consider when purchasing an English Mastiff are the food and vet bills.
English Mastiffs require a lot of food to provide energy for their large bodies. On average, an English Mastiff will eat between 10-11 cups of food twice per day.
As you can imagine, this can become very expensive over time. In terms of vet bills, the English mastiff is a relatively healthy breed of dog, but does require regular checkups. They are also prone to hip dysplasia.
Final Thoughts
English Mastiffs are a gentle, loyal, loving breed of dogs that make excellent companions.
They do, however, cost a lot of money to own and require a lot of space for roaming.
As Zorba the English Mastiff shows us, this breed can grow to weigh well over 300 pounds, so it’s important that you have the proper resources and space to treat one fairly before purchasing a puppy.
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