Have you ever seen a dog so big that people mistake it for a lion or a pony? Well, meet Kenzo – a Central Asian Shepherd who is a whopping six feet tall when he stands on his hind legs.
You heard that right, he’s as tall as a human. And if you thought his height was impressive, wait till you hear his weight – 187 pounds, which is equivalent to the average weight of a fully grown man.
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Jamal Miah, from East London, said he adopted Kenzo when a friend gave him up a couple of years ago, telling him that the pup had become too big to handle.
Jamal explained in an interview video that he was shocked when he first laid eyes on Kenzo, saying, “Oh my god” at the sight of him. But despite his massive size, Kenzo is just a big lover boy at heart.
However, not everyone is a fan of Kenzo’s size. Some people are so scared that they cross the street when they see him coming. Others mistake him for a lion or a pony, which is understandable given his enormous size.
“It’s 50/50. Some people are scared and cross the street when they see him, and others just want to stroke and pet him. People will question me, like, ‘what is this dog?’ They’ll say ‘what is that? Is that a pony? Is it a lion?’” Joe Uk reported Jamal saying.
Even Jamal’s daughters were initially scared of him, but they soon got used to the big furry pup.
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Caring for Kenzo is no easy feat. Jamal says the dog eats a whopping five pounds of raw meat a day, which costs Jamal £1,200 ($1,500) a year. That’s enough to make any pet owner’s head spin.
To accommodate Kenzo’s size, Jamal has also had to make some adjustments to his home. He’s installed iron gates to keep Kenzo from crashing through the fence in his back garden and even hired a professional dog trainer to teach him how to act properly when inside.
“A Central Asian Shepherd is not a dog for the beginner dog owner. They are naturally outdoor dogs, and they’re meant to be outside. I wanted him to be a friendly family dog, and to break the stigma around big dogs like him,” Jamal said.
Jamal hopes that by breaking the stigma, more people will consider adopting Central Asian Shepherds.