He was the runt of the litter. Now he may soon be the world's tallest dog.
Freddy the Great Dane measures 7 feet 4 inches standing on his hind legs, according to Barcroft TV. The impressive measurement ties him with Guinness World Record-holder Zeus. But if Freddy wants to take the title, he has a little more growing to do.
The true measure of a dog's height for record consideration is on all fours -- from paws to withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades), a Guinness World Records spokeswoman explained to The Huffington Post.
On that count Freddy measures 41 inches -- 3 inches short of Zeus's 44.
But here's the thing: Freddy is only 18 months old, so it's likely he'll get bigger, the Barcroft TV clip points out. Freddy's owner, Claire Stoneman, has already submitted an application to Guinness, the world record authority confirmed to HuffPost.
However, Freddy doesn't need to be recognized by any governing body for us to officially declare that he is an eating machine.
Stoneman, from Essex in the United Kingdom, tells Barcroft TV that she feeds Freddy eight large cans of dog food, 12 pounds of tripe, 12 pounds of minced chicken and four roast chickens weekly, costing her $146 -- and that's the bill without Freddy's exceedingly tall sister Fleur.
The 38-year-old taxi driver who is 5 feet 4 inches tall says she spoils both of the pups. "They're my life," she said. "They're my babies."