We all think we have the World’s Best Dog. You pet the “World’s Goodest Boi” every day and snuggle up next to the World’s Cuddliest Dog. However, what if you have a dog that goes above and beyond, a true record-setter with an official title of its own?
Since the first edition of the Guinness Book of World Records in 1955, countless dogs have vied to win coveted titles of being the best in the world in their respective categories.
There are particular World Record procedures and guidelines for what counts as an official entry. Over half of entries get rejected simply because they need more or the right kind of evidence needed to determine eligibility. Many require measurements; therefore, the instruments used to determine the outcome need to be accurate and precise, such as stopwatches, rulers, scales, and quantitative data. Independent witnesses, a photographer, a videographer, or other criteria may be required depending on what title your dog wants to achieve.
As new generations of dogs emerge, more records will be broken, and interesting categories are bound to be added. Be thinking of which category you think your dog could win that hasn’t been done yet as we examine some current and past canine world record holders.
Spectacular Dog World Record Holders That Will Wow You
Some world records require no talent and are a product of nature’s workings, such as the World’s Tallest Dog or Longest Tongue. They do not require great talent or amazing feats. However, other world records can stun and delight audiences with their daredevil moves or seemingly impossible nature. Others will make you scratch your head as to why someone would even want to come up with that category, but there it is – a record for any canine to beat. Some silly ones have even had several record holders.
Whether coming by their title naturally or showing off notable skills, explore the amazing, impressive feats of these dogs that hold world records.
Keon the Irish Wolfhound's astoundingly long tail
World’s Longest Dog Tail
Keon the Irish Wolfhound seems unaware resting after a hike that he has the longest tail in the canine kingdom, measuring 30.2 inches long from the top of the bone to the tip (not including his hair). According to the AKC Irish Wolfhound breed standard, they stand 30-32 inches tall with long, slightly curved hairy tails, making Keon’s tail just about as long as the breed is tall! Even though Keon’s name means “courageous warrior,” his Belgian owner Ilse Loodts reports that he is a gentle giant.
Shortest Dog to Ever Live
Even though this noteworthy record was achieved well before the first edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, it doesn’t make it any less impressive. A dwarf Yorkshire Terrier (name unknown) stood only 2.8 inches tall and measured 3.75 inches from nose to tail. Unfortunately, this fist-sized dog passed away before his second birthday in 1945. A former editor of Our Dogs weekly newspaper, Arthur Maples from the United Kingdom, was the proud owner of the world’s tiniest pooch to ever live, and so far, no dog has been smaller.
World’s Smallest Dog
Speaking of being small, the current World’s Smallest Dog title is held by Pearl the Chihuahua. If you have a popsicle stick or a dollar bill handy, you can have a reference for just how tiny she is! Pearl was measured from the base of her front leg to the top of her withers in a vertical line, coming in at 3.59 inches tall, 5 inches long, and weighing only 1.22 pounds!
This little Chihuahua makes up for her tiny size with a giant personality according to her owner Vanesa Semler. Pearl is reported to be a diva and loves to get dressed up, sleeps in a baby crib, and only eats food meant for people.
Pearl comes by her status honestly with World Record royalty in her pedigree. Her mother is identical twins with “Miracle” Milly, a Chihuahua who previously held the same world record measuring 3.8 inches tall and fitting in a teaspoon at birth.
Chaser the Border Collie with some of the 1,022 nouns he identified
Smartest Dog in the World
Border Collies are considered the smartest dog breed in the world, so it’s no surprise this next title stems from intelligence. Even after passing away in 2019, Chaser the Border Collie is still considered the smartest dog in the world. He understood verbs and nouns have different meanings, responded to simple sentences, and identified 1,022 objects correctly 95% of the time. In contrast, a human toddler understands 200-300 words. His owner, John Pilley, was a Professor Emeritus at Wofford College. His research team worked tirelessly for years to understand the inner workings of dogs’ brains, inspiring further research initiatives to help humans understand more of a dog’s cognitive abilities.
Let’s move away from natural talent and focus on some of the weird, wonderful, unusual, and downright hilarious World Record Titles available for dogs to earn.
World’s First Skydiving Anti-Poaching Dog
Humans have used dogs’ innate instincts and genetics to develop four-legged assistance for different tasks. A dog with a job needs to be fearless, obey commands, and have a strong bond with their handler.
Poaching is a major problem in Africa, and humans have turned to canines to help stop poachers from hunting and killing endangered species. Protected land is huge, so anti-poachers had to get creative with ways to cover a wide area quickly to catch the poachers before they got away when vehicles were not enough or too loud for an ambush.
The Paramount Group in South Africa runs the Anti-Poaching and Canine Training Academy where nearly 200 dogs are trained to assist humans in various anti-poaching initiatives. Handler Henry Holsthyzen noticed his German Shepherd, Arrow, never showed fear when searching for poachers in helicopters, not even with heights or windy conditions. Holsthyzen’s tight bond with Arrow allowed them to trust each other as they first descended from a helicopter by rope, then jumped with Arrow strapped to the front of Holsthyzen. Their first jump was on the outskirts of Pretoria in 2016.
Arrow wears protective “doggles,” a custom harness, and other safety equipment specifically designed for dogs. Holsthyzen stated in an interview, “He’s a natural born skydiver and an adrenaline junkie - I was more scared than he was!”
The longest human tunnel traveled through by a skateboarding dog
We promise we are not making up this award! When Otto was 3 years old, he had tunnel vision to accomplish an amazing feat using only a skateboard. This English Bulldog from Lima, Peru glided through the legs of 30 people who formed a human tunnel all facing the same direction with their feet apart to create the tunnel. Otto can proudly say that he sailed through the longest human tunnel traveled through by a skateboarding dog.
Fastest time to pop 100 balloons by a dog
Have you ever tried to pop 100 balloons quickly? No? Well, Toby the Whippet from Alberta, Canada has with a rapid speed of 36.53 seconds! Owner Christy Springs said Toby practiced by using his teeth and paws to pop a plastic pool full of balloons. The neighbors loved watching this record-setting Whippet whip through the latex balloons, the popping noises not bothering him one bit.
However, the best part may be that Toby is not the first dog to accomplish this feat! A Jack Russell Terrier named Twinkie held the previous record, bursting 100 balloons in 39.08 seconds in 2016, and was ousted by Toby the next year.
Beloved Betty White with Wendy and Lucky Diamond the Maltese
Animal with the most photographs with celebrities
Lucky Diamond the Maltese has met and posed with 363 famous public figures, earning her the title of Animal with the most photographs with celebrities. Lucky Diamond traveled around the world with her owner, Wendy Diamond, an animal rescue advocate who is the Founder and Editor of Animal Fair Media, Inc., to various charitable events and shows where celebrities were in attendance a dime a dozen, producing perfect opportunities for pictures.
Lucky Diamond has been photographed with Jessica Biel, Bill Clinton, Kanye West, Kristen Stewart, and Kim Kardashian just to name a few. Sadly, Lucky Diamond passed away from spleen cancer in 2012, but she made a permanent mark on history as the most photographed dog appearing with celebrities and famous people.
Augie, the tennis ball-loving Golden Retriever
Other record-setting dogs worth mentioning
While we could keep going on about the stupendous accomplishments of dogs, we couldn’t leave out some more interesting records achieved by our canine companions.
- No Golden Retriever owner will be surprised at this one! Augie the Golden Retriever held five regulation-sized tennis balls in his mouth at one time, earning him the title of Most Tennis Balls Held in the Mouth.
- The Highest Jump by a dog was achieved by Feather the Greyhound, who jumped 75.5 inches. Feather’s owner, Samantha Valle, helped prepare Feather with consistent training, special obstacle courses, and positive reinforcement.
- The World’s Tallest Dog to ever live was Zeus, the Great Dane who stood at a whopping 44 inches tall. Even though he passed away in 2014, no dog has exceeded this height yet although several have come close. Owner Denise Doorlag reported he ate a 30-lb. bag of food every two weeks and reached 7 ft. 4 in. tall when standing on his hind legs.
- Here’s another silly but amazing achievement for you – The most balls caught by a dog with the paws in one minute is 14, held by a Beagle named Purin from Japan. She even surpassed her previous world record of 11. This pooch from Tokyo is multitalented and can also skip rope, skateboard, and walk on two legs.
- Round up your friends with dogs to beat this one! You’ll need 5 oz. cups of water, some dogs, and a staircase with 11 steps. Sweet Pea the Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix achieved the most steps walked down by a dog facing forward while balancing a (5-oz) glass of water by making it 10 steps. You and your pup should aim for 11!
- Surf’s up! Most dogs love to go swimming, but can your dog surf? Abbie Girl, a rescue mutt owned by Michael Uy, rode the longest wave surfed by a dog in open water at 351.7 ft. long. Uy put her on a surfboard one day with her wearing a doggy lifevest, and she took to the waves like a natural, inspiring other dog surfers to bark, “Cowabunga!”
How to Suggest a New Dog World Record Title
Does your dog have a unique skill you think would set a world record, but you can’t find the appropriate title? If this inspires you to create a new world record, here’s how to submit your idea to see it come to fruition.
First, make sure your idea is completely different from existing records featuring a new skill that hasn’t been evaluated before. Also, keep in mind that just because you suggest a new title and submit your candidacy does not mean you will have it granted, as 60% of new World Record applications are rejected.
Pawrade Holds the Record For World’s Cutest Puppies For Sale
While we’re not officially in the Guinness Book of World Records, we know deep in our hearts that our puppies for sale would paws-down win the title of World’s Cutest Pups. Much like when applying to receive a world record title, our breeder partners must pass a thorough application process to demonstrate their commitment to putting the well-being of each puppy front and center. We think that all of our puppies are special, and we know you will, too.
Contact a member of our Puppy Concierge Team to pick a winning puppy! We can’t wait to see what amazing feats your new puppy will accomplish!
