The world's biggest puppy is six feet tall and 180 pounds

If you're looking for a house to rob, you should probably stay away from Jared Howser's place in Salt Lake City, Utah. His dog, Euphrates, stands six feet tall on her hind legs, and weighs 180 pounds. Wait, did I say dog? I meant puppy. That's right, Euphrates is only nine months old. That means she might grow even bigger.

We don't know exactly how big this monstrous dog will get because it's a new breed. Euphrates is an American Molossus, selectively bred to replicate the Mesopotamian Molossus, an ancient canine species that went extinct 7,000 years ago. In some museums, you can still see the remains of these 'dino-doggies' (to use a technical term).

"The only two direct lines coming from that ancient dog are the English and Neapolitan Mastiff," explained Jared. "Through selective cross-breeding those two breeds it's given us the closest living relative...a bonafide relic from the ancient past."

According to Guinness World Records and hundreds of breeders, there is no dog bigger than Euphrates. The colossal canine eats eight cups of dog food a day, which should be no surprise, since she weighs more than the average human. (Personally, I can only eat five cans of dog food a day.) "If she was to stand she is big enough to look out of the peephole on our door," said Jared. "I'm 260lb and 6ft 3, but if she decided to run I couldn't hold her on the leash, she could drag me down the road with ease."

Euphrates was the largest of her litter (obviously), and Jared purchased her for $5,000. In the first nine months, she grew so quickly that she was clumsy, having to constantly re-adjust to her new size. When curious onlookers hear she's just a puppy, they gasp, and can't believe their eyes. But despite her terrifying appearance, Jared assures them she's quite friendly:

"She is very affectionate with us, when we take her out in public she is very affectionate with children and women especially. If anyone reaches out a hand to stroke her, her tail will start wagging, if you don't look her in the eyes she will be friendly but will posture against you."

So, why did Jared get this dog-zilla? One time he witnessed a home invasion, saw thief threw a 135 pound Cane Corso dog out of a window. Sadly, the dog did not survive. The incident traumatized Jared, and thus began his quest for a larger dog. One breeder informed him about the American Molossus breeding program, and he becamse one of the first to adopt. It makes sense to use this breed for security. Some accounts suggest that when the Romans conquered Greece, they used the Molossus in battle. It is reported they wore spiked leather harnesses and were trained to underneath the bellies of enemy horses.

"The hope is to avoid any violence, she is a big scary dog," said Jared. "I live in a good area but we are the only house on our block not to have had our car broken into since having Euphrates." I bet! Maybe we'll see more of these mountainous mutts as time goes on. I hope they breed a red one, and name it Clifford.

In a related story, this dog looks like it has a human face, and people are freaking out...