Baron is an Olde English Mastiff, and weighs 122KG! (269 pounds!) He's only four years old and still growing, so may end up the largest dog in the world. He's also a registered therapy dog and helps kids with reading.

Baron just posed for this pic (and banana for scale) for me but check out some pictures of Baron and his adventures in this album I made, or at his Facebook page. There are also various news articles about him, and he has been on TV.

Baron is a big friendly boofhead, who still thinks he is a lapdog. It can get intense when he sits on you! He and his mate Chelsea (a French Mastiff) are snoring at our feet right now, but love nothing more than heading out for walks and meeting new people and dogs.

My wife is a teacher, so we got to know him through her school, and as lovers of big dogs, we could not turn down the chance to hang out with Baron and Chelsea for a few weeks!

Baron and his owners volunteer for a fantastic Aussie charity literacy program called Story Dogs, where kids can build their confidence with reading in a relaxed yet fun setting. It's based on an American program called READ, for those in the USA who wants to get involved.

He's also the brand ambassador for Pawssum - a Aussie vet service that will come to you.

So reddit, ask us anything!

Comments: 343 • Responses: 76  • Date: 

Grandpa_Edd463 karma

Is he a good boy?

sywofp658 karma

He's a very good boy! Even right now, despite the fact he farted and we had to open the windows because it's so bad.

Juanieve05116 karma

"Yeah honey that Baron boy it's very smelly ugh"

sywofp39 karma

Yes that is very handy :D

rasmusxp318 karma

How much does this good boy eat in a day?

sywofp361 karma

This is the question we get asked the most, and while he eats a lot, it's not as much as you might think! He spends a lot of time snoozing, and it's important that he does not get overweight.

I weighed his breakfast and dinner, and it's around 2.5KG a day of dry and wet food, plus of course snacks!

points4participation3 karma

There's no way this is asked more than "How big are his poops?"

sywofp3 karma

That' the second most popular!

Dirt-McGirt229 karma

how big are his poos (v important pls answer)?

sywofp201 karma

My wife wanted to post photos of his poop, but I didn't want to spoil anyone's breakfast!

They are sizeable though. When out on a walk, picking up his poo with a bag is a two handed job...

AppleNippleBob35 karma

I came here solely for a poop pic. Please deliver OP!

sywofp9 karma

We cleaned up outside this morning, but next steamer he drops I will report back with a pic, just for you...

Dlrlcktd4 karma

It's been an hour, are you ok? Did the poop swallow you up

sywofp8 karma

He pooped on his walk this morning, so it might take a while... I am feeding him more snacks to speed up the process and will report back eventually!

kinkypremed5 karma

How does the two handed thing work? Do you double bag your hands?

sywofp22 karma

Single bag (heavy duty though) with both hands inside, and scooping underneath, then flipping the bag inside out, tying it off and then finding the nearest bin ASAP!

JustDontSer194 karma

He's very large does he have any joint problems? What are people's reaction when they see you walking him? How often do you guys sit for him?

sywofp238 karma

Generally he is in great health with no ongoing joint issues, but can very easily strain himself - especially his back legs.

When kids see him they always want to come and give him a hug! But reactions from adults range for people who don't even seem to see him at all, to those who can't help but come and say hi (that was us the first time seeing him!). Walks can take a long time if the park is busy because of all the attention he gets!

This is our first time sitting for him, and we got lucky because his usual sitter was not available.

PsychicVoid126 karma

Whats it like taking him for a walk? Pulling a horse?

sywofp244 karma

Fortunately he is very well behaved, and doesn't tend to pull. If he stops to sniff something though, then there is no continuing until he is ready to go again!

skittles15110 karma

Baron met lil Sebastian?!

sywofp57 karma

Haha, yes!

TheG4K94 karma

What kinds of exercises he practice? He can run fast like others dog or his size limits him?

sywofp145 karma

Just like any dog, he gets the zoomies and likes to bound around. But because he is so large we have to be really careful not to let him get too crazy or he can easily strain his knees.

Normally he very relaxed when walking and plods along, sniffing everything. But he likes to run a bit faster too, but can't go as fast as smaller dogs.

whateverlizard80 karma

Do you read him the Clifford the big red dog books?

I'm sure you and your wife feel like Emily Elizabeth!

sywofp51 karma

If love could cause Baron to grow larger then I am sure he would be as big as Clifford!

I like to read him Sci-Fi, but Baron appears to love all books equally.

Except a book we had of dog selfies, which he chewed to pieces!

CaptainBowdrill65 karma

Any plans to get him a saddle?

Also if the apocalypse comes, will you put a big Lazer on him so he can zap people?

sywofp74 karma

We could make some money on the side at the local park with Baron rides! The danger would be children getting covered in slobber...

I am currently looking on eBay for lasers for the apocalypse / Emu uprising...

CaptainBowdrill22 karma

He could shoot UFOs out of the Sky. What a hero.

You probably won't know it, but I imagine him to look like an Elcor from Mass effect

sywofp17 karma

My wife says Baron is much more handsome than an Elcor!

garbagephoenix61 karma

Can you tell him we love him?

sywofp78 karma

I just told him, and he looked at me confused because I should be making him breakfast! I will tell him you all love him all day though.

bluecat200147 karma

Do the owners know you are pimping their dog for sweet karma?

sywofp73 karma

I promised them I would give Baron one extra pat for every upvote!

marchbook22 karma

Then I'm upvoting all your comments. Tell Baron all those pats are from me, okay?

sywofp8 karma

He's loving all the extra attention :)

The_Scrunt46 karma

How on earth did Baron secure a Mortgage?

sywofp71 karma

Baron doesn't need a mortgage - if the largest dog in Australia wants to take over your house, what can you do??

bigsmokecluckinbell38 karma

What breed is it?

sywofp45 karma

He's a brindle olde English Mastiff - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff

AProf11 karma

Is his size abnormal for that breed?

LukeVenable94 karma

No. Most English Mastiffs are the largest dog in Australia

sywofp8 karma

That is how we do it in Australia!

sywofp11 karma

Yep - usually they are around the 80KG mark.

bigsmokecluckinbell30 karma

What does this good boy diet consist of?

sywofp51 karma

Breakfast and dinner is meat and biscuits, but he also gets a big selection of extras, such as sardines, eggs, chicken necks, veges and of course plenty of snacks!

Kerrigan4Prez30 karma

Has he ever chewed up a baseball signed by Babe Ruth?

sywofp17 karma

Not yet! He did chew up a dog selfie book a friend gave my wife...

Sbeaudette29 karma

house sitting or sitting on your house?

How loud is the bark? (or does he?)

sywofp54 karma

We are looking after Baron in his house, so while he misses his owners very much, at least he is in his normal environment.

He does not bark a lot - only when someone knocks on the door and he wants them to come give him pats! His bark is loud but very deep, so if you are standing next to him you feel it in your bones!

Iocronik29 karma

If I were ever lucky enough to meet this dog could he be persuaded to sit on my lap?

sywofp44 karma

It would not take much persuading! If you sit down next to him he loves to try and sit on you.

pmsavenger218 karma

Mastiffs don't think they are lapdogs they KNOW they are lapdogs!

sywofp8 karma

And that's why we love them so much!!

sywofp35 karma

Here's a pic!

NORWAYISMYFAV8 karma

I think I need to hangout with this dog asap for real.

sywofp7 karma

My wife and I love going to zoo's where we can do behind the scenes animal encounters.

I feel like you could open a zoo with just Baron hugs and it would be super popular.

Iocronik3 karma

That's everything I want out of a dog. I'm jealous

sywofp2 karma

Here is another with his owner, and a much too small couch!

ZAFJB20 karma

Why have you not shown a banana for scale?

sywofp26 karma

Because I am a bad redditor! I will procure a banana and take the obligatory pic, just for you!

plastictaco3 karma

It’s been 3 hours, Baron ate the banana

sywofp7 karma

It's been three hours, and Baron ate his sitters!

Banana acquired, and picture coming shortly!

sywofp10 karma

Banana for scale!

carsonnwells17 karma

Are Aussie Brunettes prettier than Aussie Blondes ?

sywofp72 karma

Baron's mate Chelsea is a blonde (fawn) but they seem to have the same amount of fun!

For humans, Aussie redheads are where it's at!

pipsohip16 karma

Does his size come with any sort of health problems or special considerations that need to be made?

sywofp16 karma

He's very healthy right now, but it's easy for him to strain his legs if he slips, so we have to be fairly careful. He also has a special ramp for getting in and out of his van and we avoid big stairs.

Monknut116 karma

How does he help kids read?

sywofp32 karma

(This is the wife here!) The theory behind it is to offer students a non judgmental environment to take risks, which for many students reading out loud is a huge risk. It has also been amazing to build the social standing of some of the students who have been reading to him. They are allowed to bring someone with them if they choose and they are the 'experts' on Baron. They've become more confident in class and with their writing as they suddenly have something that they are excited to write and talk about. And just as a bit of a plug, story dogs are always looking for volunteers if you are in Australia or donations to keep the program going!

jaybusch13 karma

Hey, I also have a dog named Baron, just that he weighs about half as much as yours! Are Mastiffs usually that large?

sywofp16 karma

Post pics of your Baron! :)

The largest dog ever was a 155 KG English Mastiff, but usually they are around the 80KG mark.

thisisfreedomcountry10 karma

Was he bred to be this big? How is he so large? 😶

sywofp15 karma

Nope, no special breeding. English Mastiffs are not usually so big, but he has just kept growing!

AlcoholicInsomniac7 karma

Is he still growing?

sywofp9 karma

Yep, but only quite slowly now.

ruinevil10 karma

Is everything bigger in Australia?

sywofp37 karma

Well, I am 6'7", so I would say yes!

HyperVpnT9 karma

Are the owners at all interested in breeding him?

sywofp23 karma

They would love some Baron puppies (and we would too!) and it's something that could well happen in the future, but will require some careful planning!

HyperVpnT10 karma

That’s awesome! (I think everybody would like Baron puppies lol). What dog(s) is currently larger than Baron? And do you know how much he’s grown say in the last year?

sywofp16 karma

There is a US based Mastiff who is 127.5 KG (last they knew anyway) bu I am sure there are some other unknowns out there!

He's growing quite slowly now, and did most of his growing before he was 2 years old. He weighed around 115KG a year ago.

hooter11128 karma

How bad do his farts smell?

sywofp16 karma

Really bad! Sometimes it can stink out entire parts of the house and we have to hide in other rooms.

Giirish9 karma

Apparently they have to open windows in the home.

sywofp14 karma

Doors, windows - everything!

Ninjaivxx8 karma

I have an English mastiff at home. How often do you see Barons ...Red Rocket? I swear my dogs is just hanging out All The Time!

sywofp13 karma

Haha, yeah often when he sits down he lipsticks.

We like to tease him and call him a doodle dog!

treezOH1236 karma

How do you transport Baron? Mini-van, regular van, flat-bed truck? Or do you put a leash on him and let him run along side the car?

sywofp11 karma

He has his own Ford Transit van for transport, and a special ramp for getting in and out.

I am still working on hitching him up to a buggy so he can transport us...

mycatisabrat6 karma

What is the expected life span of this boy? I see it doesn't take much to fall in love with him. It would hurt to see him leave too soon.

sywofp10 karma

7-10 years, which is way too short :(

My wife and I love big dogs (and had a great dane) so know the pain, but even so it's worth it.

amoeba36 karma

Is he an absolute unit?

sywofp5 karma

He really is! He loves to play tug of war with a towel, but fortunately does not know his own strength...

bboy75 karma

How do you feel about the ethics of breeding dogs into abnormally sized, fragile, short-lived creatures, for the sole purpose of aesthetics? How do you feel about publicizing and perpetuating this practice?

PS: he's adorable.

sywofp7 karma

I love big dogs, but I don't support breeding for aesthetics at all. Baron was actually taken in from a family who could no longer look after him, and our great dane was a rescue. So I'd love to see breeding programs that helped reduce issues, but would of course always want to support the dogs (big or small) that are already out there. That said, I don't know if I could refuse a Baron puppy...

The publicizing it is an issue that honestly I have not given the appropriate thought. I think there are advantages in support programs such as story dogs, but you are right that it is an important issue that I am not really sure how to properly address.

ElDiario5 karma

Are his poops massive or what?

sywofp9 karma

Picking up after him on a walk with a doggy bog is a two handed operation :(

Danielzm5 karma

how come you are doing an AMA on behalf of a dog that you don't own? do the owners know you are doing this ? just wondering.

sywofp6 karma

Because reddit deserves to see Baron! We thought it was an interesting perspective to have an AMA from people with an outsiders perspective into his life. Plus we are a bit more familiar with Reddit, but we will be sure to have an AMA with his owners if he grows big enough to be the largest dog in the world!

Quirkycanadian5 karma

If I flew in from Canada, Can I meet Baron? LOL

sywofp13 karma

For a modest fee, he will even meet you at the airport!

Arkhus_Rei4 karma

How'd you get the opportunity to sit for him?

sywofp11 karma

My wife actually organised for him to come to her school as part f the Story Dogs program and got to know his owners through there.

We then run into them at a park and they mentioned they were going away but their normal house sitter was not available, and we offered! We don't have any kids, and are familiar with large dogs (we had a gorgeous great dane who passed away a while back) so it easy for us to do, and we loved the chance to spend more time with the dogs.

TheTouchStoner4 karma

How did he make enough money to buy his own house in this economy? Don’t tell me he got that size without eating his avocado toast

sywofp8 karma

He's a sardines on toast kinda dog, and doesn't seem to like avocado, smashed or otherwise!

I haven't seen any ownership papers for the house, so he might have just eaten the previous occupants...

Wolfir3 karma

Is he neutered? I saw the album pic of him upside down, but I can't tell if there are balls there or not

sywofp6 karma

They blend in and are, I would say, small for his size! So not neutered.

roxy0312 karma

In another response they mentioned his owner possibly breeding him in the future.

sywofp3 karma

We would love a Baron puppy :)

treadup3 karma

Has he broken any furniture yet?

sywofp8 karma

Fortunately his house is very spacious, so he has plenty of room. So no breakages on our watch, but there are quite a few knick nacks around that are glued back together...

When he is excited though his tail can give a massive wallop!

Maetharin3 karma

How does he behave when in the vicinity of other dogs, especially smaller aggressively nervous breeds like Chihuahuas?

sywofp11 karma

He is incredibly chill. We meet a lot of dogs while walking him, and none have ever phased him - even the small excitable ones!

Mostly he just wants pats from humans!

CharlieDay773 karma

What's the lifespan of these monsters?

sywofp6 karma

Sadly big dogs don't tend to live as long, but he should have around 7 to 10 years.

bradbull3 karma

Did we have a largest dog competition or something? How do you know he's Australia's largest?

sywofp6 karma

Good question, because there is no 'official' recognition here in Australia. Baron and his owners are very active in the doggy community, and go to a lot of shows etc, and they have yet to find a bigger dog.

Aloyzia_x2 karma

A lot of people asked you his weight, but I'm curious about his height! How high are the withers? Does the head add a lot to the height? I need answers 😭

sywofp4 karma

Took me a while and he tried to eat the tape measure, but we got his measurements.

He is 85cm (2' 9.5") high at the withers, and 35cm (1' 2") wide at the shoulder blades. 90cm (3') high at the bum. Generally the top of his head is about 15cm (6") higher than his withers, so he stands 100cm (3' 3.5") tall on all fours. If he stretched up then it can be a lot higher.

His head is pretty much a 30cm (1') ball with 13cm (5") nose attached. His tail is 55cm (1' 10") long, and 17cm (6.5") wide at the base.

Overall he is 205 cm (6' 9") long, including the tail.

Sitting with his front legs straight and bum on the ground, the top of his head is at 110cm (3' 7").

day7seven2 karma

Can we get a banana for scale?

sywofp8 karma

I neglected this, but will make it happen asap!

jawynne2 karma

Would you agree that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there?

sywofp3 karma

If it is, then luckily Baron is well fed at home!

CronullaCeltic2 karma

Why is the dog so big?

sywofp7 karma

Speaking scientifically, I think it is from having so much love (and slobber) inside of him that it made him grow...

DJ_Dilemma2 karma

If I was going to attempt to steal this dog how many of my crooked dog loving buddies do you think I would need to haul it into the back of a Bedford rascal?

sywofp4 karma

Haha, I think you should hire a heavy lift helicopter!

Farlandan2 karma

How does he feel about being used as a pillow? because I really want to take a nap with this dog. Lately my default state has been "want to take a nap" but a giant sleeping dog sounds like an opportunity not to be missed.

sywofp3 karma

He is an excellent pillow! My wife has napped many times leaning on him. The danger is all the slobber...

xZaggin2 karma

How many baseballs has he kept in his dog house from the sandlot kids?

sywofp2 karma

All of them. And the kids!

hardyflashier2 karma

Please ask Baron for me: Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? That's right, you are!

sywofp3 karma

I asked, and he look at me funny, then went back to destroying his favourite toy...

_Hardcore_Casual_1 karma

How did he sign the rental agreement or mortgage?

Where did he go on vacation?

sywofp1 karma

With a very large pen! He is actually just vacationing in the garden, but wanted someone else to come water the plants...

blinkingsandbeepings1 karma

I don't have any proper questions, but can you please give that big cutie a scritch behind the ears for me?

sywofp2 karma

Mercutio333331 karma

Why?

sywofp1 karma

Could you say no to this face?

BruceWillisHasACat1 karma

Is he a good dancer or does he have two left feet?

sywofp5 karma

Foolishly I have not tried dancing with him. My wife is a better dancer so we will find out and report back!

sillyness0 karma

How big is his penis? Asking for a friend

smellthecookie1 karma

*lipstick

sywofp4 karma

Maybe it's maybelline!

justaregularbrick-1 karma

What is a dog?

sywofp8 karma

It's just god backwards!

Cyberpork-4 karma

How much does he eats and.. how big does his poop is??

sywofp1 karma

He eats about 2.5KG a day, but it's not as much as you think because he spends a lot of time snoozing!

His poop is rather sizeable... Picking up after him is not our favourite part of looking after him!