7-Foot-Tall Great Dane Is Often Mistaken For A Horse
Big dogs are impressive, especially when they’re so large they get mistaken for other animals. Take Thunder for example, a 7ft tall Great Dane who regularly gets mistaken for a horse whenever his owner takes him out for a walk. This big boy easily could pass for a pony since he tips the scale at more than 210 pounds. However, in typical big dog fashion, he thinks he’s a lapdog and often tries to cuddle on his owner’s lap.
35-year-old Jenny Saccoccia and her husband, 37-year-old home developer Chris, live with Thunder in their family home in Ontario, Canada, which is a four-bedroom house that they all share with their other smaller dogs: a Pomeranian named Chichi, a Malamute named Tulu, and a Yorkshire Terrier named Peanut. Turns out, the large and monstrous Thunder is actually afraid of the small dogs, who all have the run of the household.

Photo: Instagram/meet.the.skys
Thunder is 8-years-old, and in those 8 years, he’s never stopped being an imposing sight to others when he’s out for a walk. In fact, even to this day, strangers on the street will often stop and ogle, often asking for a picture of him because they can’t believe his size – he’s always getting mistaken for a horse.
As 5ft 1inch Jenny said, “People stop to take photos and can’t believe that he’s a dog.”
She shared, “They think I’m walking a horse. Even the vet is always talking about Thunder because they can’t believe how big he is.”
Despite his size, Jenny has marveled at how much of a wonderfully gentle and patient dog he can be with both children and other, smaller dogs.
She said, “He’s so well behaved, we can leave food out and he won’t touch it. He just hangs out with us, he pokes his head in the fridge but doesn’t touch anything.”
She added, “My friend has a two-pound Chihuahua and she loves Thunder. She jumps on his ankles and he’s great with kids. All of our nieces, nephews and cousins love him too.”
Regarding his size, Jenny said, “His tail is at the same height as a man’s groin so they have to be careful playing with him too.”
Thunder comes by his looks honestly, having come from a long line of large dogs, including his father who was a champion show dog. Both Jenny and Chris dreamed of having a big Great Dane of their own someday, so when Thunder’s dad had puppies, they immediately jumped at the chance to adopt Thunder after he was born. They’d hoped that he would grow up to be as big as his father, and grow he did!
The couple’s home is situated on five and a half acres of land, making it the perfect home for Thunder to be able to roam free without worrying about space limitations.
As Jenny said, “Thunder’s free to do what he wants and we have a pond he can bathe in during the summer. He fits in the house because he has his own area. He is 100 per cent our child. He’s such an amazing dog.”
Sounds like this big boy is living his best life!