A two-year-old dog who weighs over 250 pounds eats an entire chicken every day — costing his owner some $4,800 every year.
Dylan Shaw is a 33-year-old dog trainer from North Yorkshire, England, who owns a two-year-old Turkish Malakli dog (an Aksaray Malaklisi) named Abu.
Shaw told SWNS that his "gentle giant" canine can stand over seven feet tall and weighs about 252 pounds by eating an entire chicken daily.
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"He has raw meat, raw dog food and whole chickens as well — he gets one chicken per day," Shaw told SWNS, the British news service.
Shaw said Abu is a very energetic dog when he’s outside the house — but inside the home, he'll try to curl up on someone's lap.
"He thinks he’s a lot smaller than he is, and he tries to sit on your lap and crushes you, but he’s a big softy, really," he said.
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Abu’s diet costs Shaw about £4,000 a year, he said, or roughly $4,800 in U.S. dollars.
The dog won’t be fully grown until he’s three years old — so the horse-like animal still has growing to do.
Abu was brought to England from Turkey in Nov. 2021 when he was just four months old.
Shaw said when Abu arrived, he was already larger than his other dog — a Doberman.
"It’s ridiculous. I don’t know what I’m going to end up with — he’s already outgrown my expectations," Shaw said to SWNS.
Shaw said he and Abu are often asked to stop for photos while they're out on walks — and that some people even ask if they can take Abu for a ride.
"A couple of months ago, I [brought] him into my kids’ school for ‘Take a Pet to School Day’ and all the kids loved him," Shaw recalled.
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Abu is the dad of five-year-old India and four-year-old Reuben — and the kids love to snuggle with Abu on the couch, he said.
As big a responsibility as the dog is, Shaw said he wouldn’t change Abu for the world.
"He’s a really good family dog, he’s great with kids … He’s lovely."
A Turkish Malakli is known as a livestock guard or field security dog in Turkey.
The dog typically has a large body, serious strength and a large head, according to the American Dog Federation (ADF).
The breed is known for being connected to its owner and can be skeptical and aggressive toward strangers, the ADF also noted.
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