Most people would think that three toddlers was enough to be getting on with for a young family. But one couple decided to add two giant dogs to the mix – and the results are adorable.
Joshua Fisher and his wife Bee, from California, have become an internet hit after sharing the incredible brotherhood between two bear-like dogs and their three small sons.
Joshua originally wanted to get a horse but settled for a big dog and after researching suitable breeds for children, decided on Newfoundlands.
Joshua and Bee Fisher, from California, decided to get two Newfoundlands after deciding against getting a horse – and there’s not much difference in size between the two animals
The family, who live in Long Beach, and post images of their clan on Instagram, adopted one-year-old dog Ralphie in 2014, but one large hound wasn’t enough and a year later one-year-old Boss joined them.
Newfoundlands can weigh more than 126lbs (nine stone) and measure six foot from nose to tail. And the couple confessed they got a shock the first time they met a Newfoundland in the flesh.
Bee said: ‘We didn’t realise how big they were in person until we went to get Ralphie from the breeders. When we first saw the older dogs, we were shocked and we were laughing.
‘Ralphie was this fluffy teddy bear and now he’s grown he’s not as giant as some can be – so Joshua wanted another and somehow convinced me.
Newfoundland Boss with three-year-old Cruz. Newfoundlands can weigh more than 126lbs and measure six foot from nose to tail
Dogs Ralphie and Boss with eight-month-old Tegan. Although Tegan isn’t crawling yet, his parents are confident that he’ll be exploring with the dogs soon
‘The kids are fascinated by their size. The oldest, Lenox, likes to relax with them and lie on them.
‘Three-year-old Cruz wants to play with them – they let him poke and prod.
‘And Tegan, he’s only eight-months and he’s not quite crawling yet but will be exploring with them soon.’
While Ralphie tips the scale at 125lb (8.9 stone), Boss is a hefty 160lb (11.4 stone) and expected to reach 190lb (13.5 stone) when fully grown.
Children, from left: Tegan, aged eight months, Cruz, aged three, and Lenox. Ralphie tips the scale at 125lb (8.9 stone) and Boss is a hefty 160lb (11.4 stone) and expected to reach 190lb (13.5 stone) when fully grown
The dogs are great with playing with young children and are sweet and loving with them
But the dogs are great when it comes to playing with the young children.
Joshua said: ‘They are sweet and loving, it shows in our photo they are truly lap dogs. They are gentle giants and we can take them anywhere.
‘But it’s like they’re celebrities. Everyone wants a photo or to pet them and we have crowds of people – you can’t do anything when you’re in a rush.’
The Fishers insist that they have a normal size home and have trained the dogs well.
Joshua and Bee Fisher say that their home is a normal size and that they’ve trained the dogs well to keep them controlled when at home
The couple say that the dogs are celebrities and that people frequently want to stroke and photograph them
However, the couple revealed the downside to having such large pets is all the drool.
Joshua added: ‘They slobber on work clothes – they shake their heads and it goes flying everywhere. We have to keep emergency towels around the house. And their hair gets everywhere. It can be crazy but it is worth it.’
Source: dailymail.co.uk
