5 Reasons We LOVE Having A BIG Dog

Trying to decide what size dog is right for you?! Ever wondered whats so great about a big dog? Today we are sharing 5 reasons why we LOVE having a big dog!

Great Things About Big Dogs

As you may have noticed we got a darling fluffy dog a few months ago! Zeke is a cute 60+ pound Aussiedoodle and is two years old. It has been really great having him around! We truly feel like we are living the good life with him in our home! I am honestly surprised I ended up with a big dog because I thought I was scared of them. As a kid big dogs intimidated me. I only had a few interactions with large dogs and in general they scared me.

Growing up I had a cute little Shih Tzu named Casey. He was such a great dog! I always imagined I would have a dog just like Casey when I grew up and got married. Jake had never had a dog before but he knew he wanted one someday. Before we got a dog we really considered what it would be like to be dog parents. We wanted to make sure we would be home enough to give our dog a stable home, in addition to having the time and energy to take our dog out on walks and adventures.

2 years ago when my sweet father passed away Jake and I both knew, time for a dog or a kid (or both!) At that time we were going at the start of our infertility adventures, so while that was going on we were researching dogs.

When Jake and I were going through the process on what kind of dog we wanted, we both decided we wanted a big dog. On our first visit to stay at the Montage Deer Valley, we met the cutest Bernese Mountain Dog. The dogs name was Jonas,  and we were so obsessed with him. Last April we dog sat a Saint Bernadoodle named Blitz. After a week with Blitz we were sold on getting a big dog! I was so glad we dog sat for a week because it gave us a real taste of being dog parents. We also got a feel for what it would be like to have a large dog in our home. Blitz was a good 70 pounds so we really got a vibe of what it would be like to have an big dog living indoors.

After lots of research we narrowed down our search. For example we wanted some sort of doodle dog (because of no shedding), a boy and an older dog. I knew finding an older dog that was a doodle was a tall order. Zeke is such a great fit for our family, he was worth the wait!

Having a dog of any size can be so much fun! But today we wanted to share 5 reasons we LOVE having a big dog!

5 Reasons We Love Having A Big Dog

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1. You don’t have to bend down to pet them

Yes, I know this sounds extremely lazy of me, but there is something magical about your dog being a good height so then you just put your hand down and pet them. Zeke loves to be around us all the time, so anytime I move, he moves and so he loves to come get a good head rub. It’s nice to keep on what I am doing but be able to give him some attention at the same time.

2. Bigger the dog, bigger the hugs

Little dogs are so much fun to hold, but I LOVE with a big dog how you can wrap your arms around them and give them big hugs! It’s also so much fun when we tell Zeke up and he puts his paws on our shoulders and gives us a big hug! Seriously its my favorite ever! Then I try to dance with him and he doesn’t know what to do! hehehehe Sorry Zekey!

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3. Big dog, big bladder

Having a dog that only needs to go to the bathroom a few times a day is super great! Zeke will go outside about 3 times a day to go to the bathroom. He is pretty routine with his bowl movements.

When we babysat a large dog it was a good test for us to find out if we needed to get doggy door installed for our future dog. To our surprise we found the dog only went outside a few times a day to go potty.

With Zeke he has had the same large bladder and only needs to go about every 6ish hours. It’s also great to because if he is in his crate, I don’t worry about him needing to go to the bathroom. We try not to keep him in his crate over 3-4 hours, but its nice to know he won’t be uncomfortable in there and pee his pants 😉

Plus with a big bladder, he doesn’t need to be let out at night time. He lays down to go to bed around 10pm and sleeps the night through. Then goes on his morning walk. When he gets home he likes to go to the bathroom in the backyard around 8/9am. Dreamy right there… dreamy!

4. Don’t worry about sitting on your dog

Yes this one is cheesy, but you always know where your dog is at. My sister Hayley had the cutest Chihuahua that was 4 pounds. She was constantly worried they would sit on the couch and crush their dog.

With a big dog it’s easier to keep tabs on them! I mean if your dog likes to be where you are at, it can make walking in doorways and up the stairs a little tight because of their large size; but it also makes it pretty fun!

Casey would also hide under furniture when he got scared. With Zeke being big, if he gets scared he just comes to us for love and affection!

5. Can go for longer walks

Growing up with my little dog Casey, I loved to take him on walks. After walking down the street, he would be exhausted and I would end up carrying him the rest of the way home. If you are not planning on taking your dog on walks often, a smaller low energy dog could be a great choice for you!

Jake really wanted to be able to bond well with the dog. For him he knew that bond could happen with walks. Jake really wanted a dog that could have some endurance, but also be chill and sleep through most of the day.

Jake and Zeke go for 2-3 mile walks everyday. However Zeke loves to go a light jog pace so they usually end up running a few miles instead of walking. It’s really cute because sometimes Jake will take his skateboard so Zeke can run fast.

It’s pretty great because he can really match our energy for the day! If it’s an activity day he is up for going and going. If it’s a chill day working on the computer, Zeke is fine sprawling out on the floor sleeping all day. Large dogs can have really great demeanors.

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Do you have a cute dog you love to spend time with?! What do you love about them?! If you don’t have a dog and want one, what is your dream dog?!!? We would love to hear all about it in the comments below 🙂

To see more of Zeke you can check out some of his vlogs or his Instagram. Thanks for stopping by today, hope you have a great day!

HER LOOK- Jacket: Lululemon | Sweater: Forever 21 | Jeans: Good American | Beanie: Anthropologie | Sneakers: Nike | Lipstick: Mac-Blanketty

HIS LOOK- Coat: All Saints | Shirt: Jcrew | Jeans: All Saints | Beanie: Joules USA | Boots: Vael (similar)