Most dogs deserve the name they end up with. A dog that’s named Scruffy is usually pretty scruffy. Canines named "Killer" are… well, let’s just say you might want to watch out for your fingers when you’re around one of these ferocious pups. And of course a dog named after a Greek god, like Zeus, is probably going to be pretty impressive.

Zeus, a three-year-old Great Dane living in Michigan, really fits the size of his name. He is now officially the world’s tallest dog, according to Guinness World Records.

Just how tall is this bounding pooch? When Zeus is down on all four paws, he measures in at 44 inches. When he’s standing on his hind legs (human style), he clocks in at 7 feet and 4 inches. That’s taller than most NBA players. Yao Ming, in comparison, is just a bit taller than Zeus, at 7 feet and 6 inches.

If you have a fear of dogs, and large dogs in particular, you don’t have to fret about any aggressive behavior when you’re around this good-natured Great Dane. “Zeus has a very laidback, gentle personality,” his owner, Denise Doorlag, explains. Since he’s a therapy dog, he’s comfortable around other animals, and extremely calm and friendly with the people he meets on the street.

Zeus eats a ton of dog food, and needs to be driven around in van because of his enormous size. He enjoys sleeping on the bed of his owners at night, which makes you wonder how much room is left for them once he hops onto the mattress. And when he needs a drink, forget about filling his water dish. Zeus simply laps up water from the kitchen faucet. Sometimes people jokingly confuse Zeus with a small horse, but his owners don’t seem to mind that at all. They're very proud of having a record-holding big dog.

More From TheFW