Family Photos Show Great Dane Puppy Hilariously Outgrow All His Siblings In A Year

When Maximus joined Caleb and Ashlyn Mellstrom’s family, the pup could almost fit in the palm of their hands. But the Great Dane didn’t stay that way for long. 

Now, at 3 years old and just shy of 200 pounds, Maximus still thinks he’s the same size as his “big” Pomeranian sister, Dahlia. “He has no idea how big he is, and he’s Dahlia’s right-paw dog,” Ashlyn Mellstrom told The Dodo. “Those two are constantly causing trouble together.”

Maximus is the youngest of four dogs at the Mellstrom house, and when he first arrived, not everyone was happy to share their parents’ attention with a new member of the family.

“Cheyenne and Charlie weren’t 100 percent sold on him right away,” Mellstrom said. “Cheyenne is still not so thrilled about him. She’s very much a daddy’s girl and doesn’t like anyone else taking his attention from her.”

Charlie, a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix, has grown to accept Max — as long as he doesn’t interrupt his strict napping routine. But Max’s best friend is Dahlia. The two were about the same size when Max first arrived, and even though Max now towers over her, they still see themselves as equals and happily wrestle and play.

To document Max’s growth spurt, Ashlyn Mellstrom began taking weekly photos of her dog pack. Luckily, her other pups are pros at sitting for the camera — especially when there are treats on the line — and Max quickly caught on.

“When I got Maximus, I knew immediately that I had to take growth photos or I wouldn’t believe that he used to be small,” Mellstrom said. “I was kind of obsessed with seeing the change every week.”

“Everybody has to sit, which some days can be a struggle depending on who wants to cooperate,” she added. “Once they’re lined up, I’d yell silly words that they like just to get them to look, and snap tons of photos.”

Even though she has photographic evidence, Mellstrom is still surprised that Maximus could’ve ever started so small. “Due to unclear instructions, the gray potato may have been watered a little too much …” Mellstrom wrote in a post on Facebook. 

Though Max now towers over everyone, including his parents, no one holds his size against him. While each dog has their own unique personality and look, they all know they're part of the same family.

“They all fit very nicely as a pack now,” Mellstrom said. “They have their routine and a pretty good understanding of each other.”