A mum says her dog is repeatedly confused for a bear because of her size. Charlene Jones says Prescious is so large she had to spend two years researching her breed before taking the plunge.
Prescious, a Tibetan Mastiff, weighs more than an average woman in the UK - around 70kg or 11 stone. She stands at over five foot tall when on her back legs.
Charlene, 38, calls the pooch her "Scouse Lion" and says she is "brilliant" with other people and dogs. Charlene says Prescious is like another child after her daughter left home for university.
The mum-of-one told the ECHO: "I did a lot of research on her breed before getting her. The breeder told me straight away I need to research them because they're just not for everyone. I've seen so many breeds like this end up in shelters because people don't know how to treat them properly.
"She loves to lie down and chill by herself. She's so laid back and she does what she wants, when she wants - I don't mean she's aggressive but just stubborn."
Prescious shares Charlene's home with six-month-old French Bulldog Jurgen, who is dwarfed by his giant sister. She said Prescious was originally sceptical about Jurgen when he was first brought into the home, but has since learned to love him.
"I love her. To be honest my dogs are like my coping mechanism, they're my children. She has to be groomed properly once a week. She gets brushed every single day and we give her a shower once a week."
Charlene said she even had to take a course online on how to groom Prescious. She added: "We don't see how big she is because she's our own dog. But people will walk past and be shocked and go 'is that a bear?', 'is that a lion?'
"When she stands up she's just over five foot on her back legs. She weighs 75kg.
"She's very, very protective of her home but she's brilliant with people and she's brilliant with other dogs.
"I'm not promoting the breed, because I had to research the breed for two years before I got her. They are a stubborn breed. They're not a breed that you can just wrap your arms around and cuddle. They'll come to you when they want attention."
