If you enjoy living large, there’s nothing wrong with selecting a breed to match your lifestyle. Large dogs tend not to live as long as smaller ones do, and they are more expensive to feed, but their imposing size and tender affection more than make up for it. Only a few of the giant breeds on this list were intended as guard dogs, but that makes little difference since their size alone can be quite intimidating. Many of these breeds are quite safe around children and are especially tolerant of them, allowing the little tykes to dress them up with aplomb.

More equally fine large breeds: Anatolian Shepherd, Bullmastiff, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and Scottish Deerhound.
Big but not that big: Collie, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and Rottweiler.