World's Biggest Dog: George, 230-Pound Great Dane and Guinness Record Holder, Featured in New Book by Owner
Just a day after the world's smallest dog Beyonce made her television debut, Dave Nasser, the owner of the world's biggest dog named George, released his new book about living with an almost five-feet-tall Great Dane.
The book, entitled "Giant George: Life with the World's Biggest Dog," hit bookstores on Tuesday after George was officially named the largest dog by Guinness World Records in 2010. And not just the largest dog, but George, 6, is the biggest ever recorded.
Nasser details what it's like living with George, who weighs 230 pounds and stands at four feet tall, seve-foot-three inches when standing. George eats more than 180 pounds of food a month and has to sleep on a queen-sized mattress in his Tuscon, Ariz. home, Nasser said.
Though he weighs more than 100 pounds more than the average Great Dane, George engages in many "normal" dog activities, Nasser said, from baking at the mailman to munching on food, like the two cups of rice, one cup of dog food, three quarters of a cup of chicken, and four or five tablespoons of yogurt he eats on a daily basis.
Nasser says he and his wife, Christie, were looking to adopt a puppy when theys tumbled upon a seven-week-old George, one of 13 puppies in Oregon.
"Twelve were entangled with one another, but our eyes were drawn to one pup standing apart from the rest. He was clearly the runt, endearing him to Christie immediately," Nasser said.
But this was certainly no runt, as the Nasser family later learned.
"At five months he still acted like a puppy, chasing his tail and playing games of fetch and tug-of-war with his favorite bit of rope. But he was already the size of a fully-grown Labrador," Nasser said, noting he outgrew his twin-sized mattress.
When George turned two-years-old, and weighed 252 pounds, a friend suggested that Nasser contact Guinness to see if his dog was the largest in the world.
"One of their adjudicators came to watch George being measured in the presence of a vet. He was officially declared not just the world's tallest living dog (43 inches from paw to shoulder) but the tallest dog ever," Nasser said.
After word got out that George was the world's largest dog, through the help of social media websites, he and the Nasser family appeared on talk shows like "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
"Without question, this was one of the most memorable moments for all of us. Oprah was super friendly and the segment was trouble free," Nasser said.
But for Dave Nasser, it was a feat to transport his giant dog from Arizona to film the shows. According tothe New York Daily News, George took up an entire row of five seats on the airplane when flying to appear on "Live! With Regis and Kelly." George, however, is still quite a humble dog, despite his celebrity status.
"Our cherished pet may have become a global celebrity - but really, he's just one of the family," Nasser said.
"Giant George: Life with the World's Biggest Dog" by Dave Nasser is available at bookstores and at Amazon.com.
View the slideshow to see photos of George and visit his Facebook page for more.
Contributed by International Business Times