There are a lot of ways that a puppy can bring joy into anyone’s life. They are loving, playful, adorable, and very loyal. After all, a dog is not given the title of man’s best friend for no reason.
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When this married couple agreed on adopting a puppy, the husband had conditions. He wanted a dog that came from a small breed so that it could be manageable. With these conditions in mind, the search for the perfect dog began. But the couple’s adoption came with a lot of surprises.
Finally getting a pet
Robert and Sue Markham were a married couple from England. Sue had been wanting to get a dog for so long and when Robert finally agreed, she was ecstatic. Sue could not wait to have a pet in the house.
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Since Robert had to be at work all day, Sue was assigned the task to look for the perfect dog for their home. Robert reminded her that he just wanted a small dog so that taking care of it would not be so overwhelming.
Picking out a puppy
Sue happened to work at the local dog kennel so picking out a puppy would not be that hard of a task for her. Robert was sure that with her knowledge and work experience, Sue would pick out a dog that was small and easy to handle.
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In Sue’s line of work, she knew a lot of people came to the kennel to leave puppies for other people to adopt. It does not happen every day but it does happen a lot. Sue can easily find the right puppy to be the new addition to their family while she was working.
Finding the one
Days had passed and tons of adorable puppies went in and out of the kennel. But none of them really caught Sue’s eye. She wanted something special – a puppy that would unexpectedly steal her attention.
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Then, one day, someone left a puppy for adoption. When Sue looked into those puppy eyes, she instantly felt a connection. Sue knew right then and there that she had to bring this puppy home.
The perfect puppy
Sue made up her mind and took the puppy home. She decided to name the puppy Yogi Bear. When Robert came home, he immediately took a liking to the new dog. The puppy was so little and cute that he loved it immediately.
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Sue told Robert that the puppy was a Jack Russell Terrier – definitely a small dog breed. She assured Robert that even when Yogi Bear will be fully grown, he won’t be too big. Yogi Bear happened to be a very small puppy when Sue took him home. In fact, he only weighed about a pound.
Jack Russell Terriers
A Jack Russell Terrier is a small terrier dog. They usually only weigh as heavy as 17 pounds when they are fully grown. A full-grown Jack Russell Terrier is only 38 cm tall. For sure, they were a perfect fit for their small home.
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Despite their small size, Jack Russell Terriers are actually an intelligent and energetic breed. They come in white, white, and tan, black and white, and tricolor white, tan, and black. In this case, the puppy was black and white.
Big dogs meant hard work
Robert was glad that Sue found a small dog. He did not want a big dog because he thinks it would take a lot of work and time to take care of it. Plus a big dog would also mean bigger messes in the house. Robert and Sue lived in a small house and getting a huge dog would make it feel more cramped.
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There was no doubt that big dogs do not only take a lot of effort, they were also expensive to maintain. They eat more, which means they would have to spend more on dog food. They also would need bigger items, which costs more. Robert did not want all that complications.
Something was wrong
A few months had passed and Robert noticed something about their puppy. It seemed that the dog was growing up too fast. Yogi Bear had already grown bigger than an adult-sized Jack Russell.
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Robert had been taking Yogi Bear to the park and at 5 months old, he could tell that he was definitely bigger than any of the Jack Russells they encountered. Robert noticed that Yogi Bear’s build was larger, his tail was longer, and that he had a bigger tongue compared to the other Jack Russells in the park.
Suspicions arise
Robert started to worry about the spike in Yogi Bear’s growth. Could something be wrong with their puppy? He has heard of gigantism happening in animals. Could Yogi Bear have the same condition?
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And then, he became suspicious. Sue did not seem to be concerned about Yogi Bear’s size. Sue worked in the kennel so she should know more than a thing or two about dogs. Had Sue tricked him to get a big dog instead?
Sue’s secret
And it turned out that Sue had a secret all along! “I knew Robert didn’t want a big dog so I told a little fib and said he was a Jack Russell.” Sue knew that if Robert knew Yogi Bear’s real breed, she would be asked to return the adorable pooch to the kennel.
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She was too in love with the puppy to miss out on the chance of being his fur parent. So, she decided to pass off the puppy as a black and white Jack Russell. She knew that she would eventually get caught but she just could not help it.
The confrontation
When Robert confronted Sue about Yogi Bear, Sue knew that there was no point in continuing the lie. By that time, Yogi Bear had dwarfed all the other dogs in their village. She caved in immediately and confessed that she lied about Yogi Bear being a Jack Russell.
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Sue revealed that Yogi Bear was actually a Boston Great Dane, which is one of the biggest dog breeds. A Boston Great Dane can weigh as heavy as 150 pounds which is as heavy as a fully grown man! No wonder Yogi Bear was outgrowing everything at a fast rate.
The damage has been done
Robert was upset when the truth was revealed. He was annoyed that Sue had tricked him into this. However, the damage was already done. At this point, Robert knew that there was no way Sue would get rid of Yogi Bear.
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And to be honest, neither would he. Robert has fallen in love with the dog himself. At this point, he eventually focused on figuring out how to manage their growing dog in their small home instead of fighting with his wife. And Yogi Bear grew up to be larger than they expected.
Getting a field
Robert was at least assured with the fact that Yogi Bear was a good-natured and well-behaved dog. Yogi Bear was also very adorable – he found it hard to be angry with him. But as Yogi Bear reached full growth, Robert was not prepared for the overwhelming responsibility of managing a giant dog.
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At age 10, Yogi Bear was bigger than an average Boston Great Dane. He was 200 pounds heavy! Because of his large size, Robert had to build a three-acre field where Yogi Bear could run and play freely since their home was too cramped. Yogi Bear would not be getting enough exercise in their home.
Big appetite
Feeding Yogi Bear was expensive, too! It is no surprise that the giant dog had a huge appetite with this humongous size. Yogi Bear consumed three times more than what a normal-sized dog would eat.
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This meant Robert and Sue were spending more than $200 each month just for dog food! That’s quite a huge amount to take off from your paycheck. Sometimes, they would treat Yogi Bear with sausages and raw eggs.
Larger needs
The huge dog had greater needs than ordinary-sized dog items can not cover. Standing at 6’10”, it was obvious that he could not fit in a regular-sized dog bed. Sue and Robert had to buy a huge chaise lounge for him.
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And when it gets too cold outside, they bought a coat that was made for horses for him. This way, Yogi Bear can still go on walks and play at the field when the colder England weather comes in.
Like a human child
Yogi Bear remained to be as adorable as a puppy and seemed to be oblivious to his gigantic size. He loves attention and was very clingy towards Robert and Sue. It is no wonder this couple adored him.
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Sue said that she thinks sometimes Yogi Bear thinks he is human. He certainly loved watching TV with them in the living room, where his own chaise lounge was and he often made the room so that Sue or Robert could sit beside him.
Gentle giant
Most people would be intimidated and scared when faced with a huge dog. But do not let Yogi Bear’s size fool you! Even though he was definitely gigantic, Yogi Bear was very kind and loving. He was a gentle giant and was very friendly to anyone who dared to approach him.
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In fact, a Boston Great Dane is actually considered to be one of the gentlest large dog breeds in the world. They are known to be very friendly, calm, gentle, and kind despite their big size. The breed was originally used for hunting but eventually evolved into family pets.
Yogi Bear and Toffee
Yogi Bear’s good nature was put to a test when Sue decided to adopt a stray cat that frequented their home. She named the cat Toffee. At first, Sue hesitated to let Toffee in the house since she’s seen that dogs and cats do not usually get along well.
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But to her surprise, two actually became good friends. Sue said that Toffee liked to follow Yogi Bear around all the time and Yogi loves to lick on Toffee’s head. It is as if Yogi Bear actually considered Toffee as his own pet.
A celebrity dog
Yogi Bear was not only a well-loved pet in the house. He became very popular in their village and in the dog parks as well. His huge size made him stand out immediately. Children in the neighborhood would gather around him when he is out on walks and Yogi Bear enjoyed the attention.
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Robert and Sue often had to make a lot of stops every single time they take Yogi Bear out in public because of all the people who wanted to get a closer look or take a picture with him. They do not mind it though. They know that a dog as big as Yogi Bear’s size was hard to find.
A deception that ended on a happy note
Although Robert started out to be upset when he found out that Sue deceived him when she picked out the puppy, it is quite clear to see now that he would not trade Yogi Bear for a smaller dog no matter what.
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Life is definitely filled with surprises and sometimes, some deception is needed for you to recognize a good thing. Yogi Bear had definitely made a big impact in his life and now he sees why a dog is really man’s best friend.