Worlds largest and smallest dogs...

from dogsinthenews.com



Eisenhower said "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - its the size of the fight in the dog." Obviously, he never saw these canine contenders.

Following last months "biggest dog, smallest dog..." article, today we have an even bigger dog, and an even smaller dog to consider.

First the little guy. "Dancer" is a chihuahua from Okahumpka, Florida who only weighs 18 ounces and stands 4.1" tall from paw to shoulder. When he was born June 8, 2006, he was so small and fragile that vets suggested he be euthanized. Lucky for him, his guardian Jenny Gomes ignored them. Having already rescued the mother, whom she found pregnant, abandoned and malnourished, Ms. Gomes wasn't about to give up on her pups either. "He was about as big as my thumb" she says, adding that she didn't expect Dancer to survive but wanted to give him a chance. Now 11 months later, the microscopic mutt is just fine. Apparently his only health problem is low blood sugar. (heh, low blood sugar. honest, i'm not making this stuff up!)

On the other end of the scale we have "Moose", a mammoth english mastiff from Vernon, New Jersey. In November 2001 he was awarded the title of "largest dog in America" on Live with Regis and Kelly, weighing in at 286 lbs. This put him at a tie with the Guiness World Record holder for "heaviest dog", Kell, a neopolitan mastiff from the UK. It was later determined that Moose weighed 291 lbs, making him the clear winner.

Sadly, we report that Moose passed away not too long ago at the age of 10. His guardian Donna Vasquez says he was a beloved family member, "a true gentlemen."

Still, one can't help but imagine the panic at the pearly gates upon Moose's arrival! (Mayday! Mayday! We're losing altitude!"