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Cuddly Family Pup Is So Ginormous People Don’t Believe He’s Real 

Written by: Stephanie Maguire
Stephanie Maguire is a writer for iHeartdogs.com. She loves animals so much that she started her own pet-sitting business in 2017, and goes out of her way to point-out and pet every single dog she sees.Read more
| Published on June 13, 2022

It’s not surprising that the photos of an enormous dog and his two younger sisters have recently gone viral. The gentle giant towers over his family in the images, which have already amassed thousands of likes. 

For some, the photos are quite comical. To others, they’re completely unbelievable. Some people are even speculating whether or not he’s actually a dog or if something so large and loveable could even be real!

Barney
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Meet Barney The Boerboel

While it may be hard for some to believe, Barney is neither part horse nor a huge stuffed animal. He’s a breed of canine called the Boerboel. They’re also known as South African Mastiffs, and despite being supersized, this giant breed can be quite quick and agile.

As you can imagine, they make excellent guard dogs which could come in handy if you’re looking to keep yourself safe.

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Originally bred by farmers to protect remote villages from ferocious predators, male Boerbals can grow to be 27 inches tall and weigh anywhere from 150-200 pounds. At two years old, Barney weighs a whopping 176 pounds (or 80 kilograms, as they use in his home country of Australia). Though, despite being so large, Barney’s dad explained that he’s particular about what he eats.

“Barney is a fussy eater and surprisingly doesn’t eat all that much, as you can see from his lean muscle,” shared Phil, Barney’s dad.

His family absolutely adores this big, handsome boy, and he can frequently be spotted cuddling on the couch with his human sisters. But bed-sharing can be a bit difficult, as Barney is so huge that he practically takes up both sides by himself.

bed cuddles
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 Thousands Of Likes And Shares

Once the world laid their eyes on Barney’s sweet face, they fell head over heels for him. The internet reacted with 17,400 likes to the photos and made their appreciation known in the comments section below. 

Barney with sister
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It’s obvious that this handsome hunk has made quite the impression on tons of social media users, along with his human sisters. You can see in the photos that they share quite a deep connection and love their sweet, gentle boy so much. It’s no wonder why these adorable photos have delighted thousands across the internet. 

Barney truly is the “goodest boy,” as his dad called him on Facebook, and we’re so glad he decided to share his photos with the world. 

Barney with sister
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Featured Photo: Facebook