'Gentle Giant' Great Dane in Iowa Officially Recognized as World's Tallest Living Dog

Guinness World Records made the announcement on Thursday, June 13, crowning a pup named Kevin

It sounds im-paw-sible, but it's not!

Kevin, a three-year-old Great Dane from West Des Moines, Iowa, has officially earned the title of the world's tallest living dog from Guinness World Records. He stands on four paws — from "his feet to his withers" — at an impressive 3 feet and 2 inches.

Guinness announced Kevin's new title on Thursday, June 13. The organization also shared that the canine, named after the protagonist in the Home Alone franchise, is the average height of a three-year-old human.

The Great Dane was officially verified in Iowa by Guinness on March 20, per a release. Kevin's family consists of owners Tracy and Roger Wolfe, their young children Alexander and Ava, and a few other animals.

Related: Bobi, the Oldest Dog Ever, Stripped of Title by Guinness World Records After Evidence Review

Tracy, who works at a veterinary clinic, told Guinness that Kevin is a "big baby" who often acts like he's not as big as he is.

"I don't think he's aware he is as big as he is. He's continuously trying to squeeze into small beds and sit on top of us and do everything that the smaller dogs do," the dog's mom said.

Tracy added that Kevin is a large dog with a big heart.

"Kevin is the epitome of a gentle giant," Tracy told Guinness. "He is scared of most things ... He is terrified of the vacuum. He won't let it come within 6 feet of him! He will jump and run to get away from it."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Unlike vacuums, the Great Dane gets along well with other dogs, too — although they sometimes need time to get used to Kevin's stature.

The Wolfe family decided to get Kevin after the death of their Great Dane before him, Cora. He was the last available of a litter posted to the internet by a family friend.

Related: Woman with a Tongue That’s Wider Than a Soda Can Nabs World Record: 'It’s Pretty Weird Looking'

"The timing was just perfect for us," Tracy said. "I wouldn't have looked at getting a Great Dane for a while after losing our previous. But the kids were little, and I thought a puppy would be great for them."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The family soon realized Kevin was already one of the tallest dogs they'd seen before he turned a year old. Today, he's about 10 times the size of the world's smallest living dog, Pearl (9.14 cm tall). Kevin's current title was held by fellow Great Dane Zeus, who died of cancer last year after standing at 3 feet 5.18 inches tall.

The tallest dog ever was also a Great Dane named Zeus, who died at age five in 2014 and stood at 44 inches (3 feet, 6 inches) from foot to withers in life.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.