Adopting a dog into your life and home is one of the greatest things a person can do, not just for the dog but for themselves as well. Made up of endless amounts of love, owning a dog is like having constant access to your best friend in the world. No matter what kind of day you’ve had or what’s on your mind, if you’ve got a dog that loves you then you can rest assured that the weight of the world will suddenly drop from your shoulders the moment you walk in your house to be greeted by your four-legged bestie.
For a lot of first-time doggy adopters, there is a good deal of research that goes into picking out your best forever friend. What kind of dogs are good for families? Will my house and my daily life suit their needs? Are they costly to take care of? The list of questions when narrowing down your choices to the perfect furbaby can literally just go on an on.
Regardless of how much effort you pour into your search for answers, though, there are a plethora of other factors that can influence just exactly how your dog will turn out to be, especially regarding their growth. You might THINK that you adopted a medium-sized dog that prefers to run around and play more than he likes to snooze on the couch and cuddle but, sure enough, and all too often, it doesn’t turn out that way. Here are 25+ examples of times that people thought they were adopting a dog only to end up with a small house bear!
1. Colossal Shaggy Dog or Small Shaggy Bear?
At first glance it’s hard to tell just
what we are looking at here. Has someone finally caught indisputable evidence of a Yeti on camera? No. As it turns out, this is just a massive dog taking a peaceful snow shower…and scaring the living daylights out of anyone who happens to walk by and see him shake that colossal head.
2. “when your dog thinks he is a lap dog…..”
You might notice that your dog had a hell of a growth spurt and now he is the size of a small horse, but don’t expect the dog to be as hyper-aware of this fact as you are. Even though a dog can grow to a gargantuan size, it doesn’t mean they’ve stopped needing all the loves and cuddles they can get. It looks like this dog-dad has resigned himself to the fact that he now has a high-maintenance couch-bear living with him, but he really doesn’t seem to mind too much.
3. “This good boye did a heck of a grow this year”
We all know that dogs can grow quite a bit in a small amount of time. Especially when they’re just puppies, dogs can grow at an almost exponential rate. Don’t believe us? Just ask this Reddit user who used to tote his best pupper friend along with him in his jacket.
While it was all cute and easy in the beginning, this pup is used to cuddling in Dad’s sweater when they’re outside and doesn’t seem to think that his now-enormous size should make any difference one way or the other.
4. “My English teacher’s huge boi named Havoc”
Well, this guy sure hit the nail on the head when he named his pup. While the not-so-little bugger looks like he might just be one of the most gentle dogs to thump around on the planet, we’re guessing that when he’s excited
Havoc is the perfect word to describe what ensues.
We can’t hold it against him, though, because big dogs need love too, Craig!
It’s easy to get caught up in our daily lives and forget to stop and enjoy the sunshine. Even though our excitable doggo friends are always trying to pull us out of our heads and work back into reality where we can laugh and play with them, it can be hard to break through our focus and demand our attention.
Unless, of course, your dog is the size of a small bear like this dog is. Then it’s simply a matter of standing up and demanding a dance with their hoomans!
6. Enormous Plush Teddy Bear?
We still aren’t totally convinced that this woman has a dog sitting on her lap. Look at that sweet smooshed face and all of that gorgeous fluffy fur. She’s not fooling anyone, though. We can all clearly see that this woman has adopted a bear that she’s trying to pass off as a dog. No worries though; her secret’s totally safe with us!
7. “You’re Never Too Big For A Bear Hug”
No matter how much space you might have in your house, full of comfy spots for your dog to plop down and make himself at home, there is no place so comfy as their hooman’s lap. Thankfully, they can become the size of a mountain and this need to snuggle up on their best friend never seems to go away. So, just be prepared ahead of time to have dead legs anytime your pooch wants a snuggle because really, who needs to walk when you can cuddle your house bear all day?!
8. He Almost Blends Right In
You would think that if you’re walking around with a dog the size of a small bear, you would turn a lot of heads. This guy found out that past a certain point of growth, though, his intimidatingly massive dog actually blends right into the crowd. With a head the size of a horse and legs so long he has to sit in a chair like a human, he almost blends right into the crowd of unaware bus riders…
almost.
9. “If I am extra big, I get extra BIG loves, right?!”
Just because your dog grows up to be the size of a monumental statue doesn’t mean they aren’t still a big ol’ softy. In fact, the bigger they are the more love they need, and it kind of makes sense. Little dogs get all sorts of loves from every angle, but a lot of people are intimidated by large dogs, let alone gargantuan ones.
So, if you’ve got a furry giant living with you make sure to lay the pets and snuggles on extra-thick, so they know that their massive bodies are nowhere near as big as the mountain of love you have for them.
10. “big boye (270 lbs of love) with 5’2 human for scale”
You definitely know you’ve got a house bear on your hands when your dog outweighs you by over 100 pounds! Not only that, but we think this bear in a dog’s body might actually be taller than his hooman, too. Regardless, this doggo definitely fits the bill for qualifying as a canine giant!
11. “Big pupper: ‘Why u so smol?’ Little pupper: ‘Am sausage.'”
Telling an enormous dog that you’re a sausage when you’re really just a small dog might not be the best idea. This colossal pup looks like he happens to
love him some tasty sausage. We aren’t too worried about it, though. The smug look on the Weiner dog’s face says that he’s probably a little too spicy for the curious gentle giant in front of him…
12. “My doodle was out cold for 20 min like this. Not a move.”
Sometimes when you’re exhausted, it really doesn’t matter if your bed is big enough to hold you. This doodle dog must have had quite the day because when he got home he crashed on an ottoman that could barely hold his torso, let alone his legs. It looks like it’s time for this curly-cued pup to get a spot on one of his hooman’s beds. He’ll be the perfect snuggler!
13. “Floofy pupper doin a heckin grow into a big ol’ woofer”
If your puppy once fit right into your arms for a photo-op without a problem, but now you can barely fit both of you in the frame at the same time, you
might have accidentally gotten yourself a house bear. When buying a dog at a young age, especially if they’re known for growing into a medium-to-full sized dog, you’d be surprised at how fast they can grow…or the fact that they never seem to
stop growing at all.
14. “He looks like a puppy to me”
People just need to know that if they are adopting a Great Dane into their lives, they’re actually adopting a medium sized horse! Not just any horse, though. They are adopting a super cocky, playful, overly-adoring horse who just so happens to want to sit right on your lap at every opportunity,
especially when it looks like they won’t fit. What can we say? They just like a challenge.
15. “The Size of this Alaskan Malamute’s Head”
Sometimes you don’t realize how big a dog really is until you sit right next to them for comparison. Like this Alaskan Malamute who has a head nearly twice the size of his mamma’s! That’s okay though; his heart is even bigger and his mamma just can’t seem to get enough of it!
16. Danger; This Guard Dog WILL Cuddle You To Death
Word to the wise; if you are trying to guard something valuable that you don’t want messed with, maybe don’t use a huge, floofy, poofy house bear to do it. Sure, the dog is massive and
could potentially cause harm to whoever comes his way…but by the look on his face we somehow seriously doubt that he will. Rather, it’s more likely he will distract them with demands for pets and cuddles.
17. “Really Big Doggo cuddles. 180lbs and 165lbs respectively, but think they’re smol puppers”
You may be fully aware that your dog is actually just a bear in disguise, but your
dog generally isn’t. Either that or they just don’t really care if they’re too big to act like a pup. Why should they? Everyone knows that you’re never too big for a morning time cuddle puddle!
18. “From pupper to woofer in just 1 year!”
Sometimes people adopt a dog they know will grow to be the size of a small mountain. They are okay with it because they know they’ll get plenty of puppy time with them before they reach their full height. What they don’t always understand, though, is that sometimes dogs rocket toward maturity faster than the speed of light and in under a year you can go from devoted dog owner to devoted bear snuggler just like that.
19. They Might As Well Give Up…
Every dog owner knows that the classic treat-hiding place has always been the fridge. What every
bear owner soon finds out, however, is that this sneaky trick won’t work a bit once their furbaby sniffs out those tasty snacks. There is a simple workaround, though; dog treats=top of fridge and
bear treats=cabinet on lockdown!
20. “Rare 216 lb pupper! (not the hooman, the PUPPER!)”
Just for clarification, the human is a 216-pound
pooper. The enormous wrinkled bear trying to take over the bed is the pupper! It’s totally clear to us whose bed this really is, but we’re not so sure the human has caught on yet. That’s okay. He’ll know once he hits the floor.
21. The Friendliest Bear In The World
Sometimes bears get a bad rep for being a bit cranky towards people, but this bear isn’t one of them. Disguised as a gorgeous furry dog, this bear gets along with his hooman just fine and just
loves it when she snuggles on him. That is, so long as he gets the couch and she takes the floor. It just makes more sense that way.
22. Drogon The Great: Keeper of the Couch of Dreams
When your Great Dane outgrows your loveseat, you might have a house bear on your hands. If you can’t afford a larger couch at the moment, it’s no worries. They might take up
all the space, but you’re more than welcome to come snuggle up on them. Just be sure to give them treats when they wake up for keeping the sofa so safe from any other hapless butts that might want to sit there.
23. “Ridiculously massive doggo spotted on the underground”
We’re not sure what’s more impressive; this dog’s huge, solid frame, or those enormous, round, human looking eyeballs. One thing is for certain; this woman has nothing to worry about on her journey through the underground. Her bear-dog is making plenty sure of that!
24. “The elusive 180lb lap pupper”
If you own a St. Bernard and they feel like sneaking in some snuggles you should just know that you will never really have a say in the matter. Thought you were going to get up and get ready for bed?
Wrong! The Bernard says it’s time for floor snuggles and you can only get out of it if you can get him off of you. From the look on this Bernie-bear’s face, the dog won.
25. The Rare Bear Species Massive Mastiff
Mastiffs of all kinds are known for growing to be massive dogs. Some of them, though, even manage to outdo the other Mastiffs in terms of size. One thing that doesn’t change for any dog in this colossal-sized breed, though, is their love of cozying up next to their hoomans. Their love for that will always be gargantuan!
26. “An absolute unit, 238 lbs.”
If you try to lift your dog into a standing position for a photo and he completely eclipses your entire body, then you know you might have a house bear on your hands. Don’t be alarmed by this though. They make excellent blankets and fantastic dancing partners…so long as you lead, of course.
27. “thought I was dogsitting a pupper but instead ended up with this (very dirty) polar bear”
Is your dog massive? Does he love to play and get all dirty in the snow whenever he sees it? Does he have white fur (most of the time) if he hasn’t been rolling around in the weather? Then it’s official, you’ve accidentally adopted yourself a polar bear. Word to the wise; you should always inform your dog-sitter if they will be bear-sitting instead.
28. “Pupper just wants to play”
If you wake up in the morning to a gigantic bear standing over you on top of your bed and he wants to play, you better play dammit! Just watch out where you move that hand under the blankets. If you don’t you just might end up losing your ability to produce human children!
29. The Goofy Newfie Bear
If you’ve been told you adopted a Newfoundland pup, you should know that you actually just purchased a bear with a fancy name. Not to worry, though. Their goofy antics and love of trapping you beneath the weight of their humongous bear-body will have you feeling like you’re the most important person in the world. Unless you’re on the couch. If you’re on the couch you’re going to feel like chopped liver when they try to kick you off of it.
30. “Military Grade Chonk”
Even the military can sometimes end up with a bear rather than a dog. In these cases, though, it is generally seen as a
very good thing. Particularly with Tibetan Mastiffs like this one. Not only are these dogs faithful, loyal, and loving to their hoomans, but they are also insanely strong adept fighters.
Bred throughout Tibet, China, and Mongolia, these beasties were bred to be able to fight off any bears, tigers, lions, and wolves that might be thinking of having some tasty sheep for dinner. Now, these countries frequently employ these house-sized dogs in military service, protecting bases from any unwanted intruders. From the looks of them, we can totally see why!
If the people in these photos have taught you anything, it should be that even though you might have wanted a dog and ended up with a house bear, it is always SO worth it! Please SHARE this with your friends and family, and let us know of any house bears you might be familiar with!
Adopting a dog into your life and home is one of the greatest things a person can do, not just for the dog but for themselves as well. Made up of endless amounts of love, owning a dog is like having constant access to your best friend in the world. No matter what kind of day you’ve had or what’s on your mind, if you’ve got a dog that loves you then you can rest assured that the weight of the world will suddenly drop from your shoulders the moment you walk in your house to be greeted by your four-legged bestie.
For a lot of first-time doggy adopters, there is a good deal of research that goes into picking out your best forever friend. What kind of dogs are good for families? Will my house and my daily life suit their needs? Are they costly to take care of? The list of questions when narrowing down your choices to the perfect furbaby can literally just go on an on.
Regardless of how much effort you pour into your search for answers, though, there are a plethora of other factors that can influence just exactly how your dog will turn out to be, especially regarding their growth. You might THINK that you adopted a medium-sized dog that prefers to run around and play more than he likes to snooze on the couch and cuddle but, sure enough, and all too often, it doesn’t turn out that way. Here are 25+ examples of times that people thought they were adopting a dog only to end up with a small house bear!
