Dogs make great pets: it’s so nice to snuggle that big, furry bundle. But it’s hard to hug a dog who’s as small as your hand! The world’s smallest dog by length is a Chihuahua named Heaven Sent Brandy. She’s only 6 inches long even though she’s fully grown. Then there’s the world’s smallest dog by height, Milly. She’s a Chihuahua too, and is only 3.8 inches tall. She weighs only 1 pound. Just to compare, the longest tongue on a dog is over 7 inches long, belonging to a St. Bernard named Mochi. Maybe Milly and Brandy want to stay out of his way!
Wee ones: If Heaven Sent Brandy is 6 inches long and Milly is 1 inch longer, how long is Milly?
Little kids: How many legs do Heaven Sent Brandy and Milly have together? Bonus: Which weighs more, Milly at 16 ounces, or 4 iphones at 5 ounces each? Count up by 5s!
Big kids: Milly was born in 2011, while Heaven Sent Brandy was born 8 years earlier. How old was Heaven Sent Brandy when she set the world record in 2005? Bonus: If Mochi’s tongue is 7 1/4 inches long and Milly is just 6 inches, how much longer is Mochi’s tongue?
Answers:
Wee ones: 7 inches.
Little kids: 8 legs. Bonus: The 4 iPhones are heavier, at 20 ounces.
Big kids: 2 years old, since she was born in 2003. Bonus: 1 1/4 inches longer.
Laura Bilodeau Overdeck is founder and president of Bedtime Math Foundation. Her goal is to make math as playful for kids as it was for her when she was a child. Her mom had Laura baking before she could walk, and her dad had her using power tools at a very unsafe age, measuring lengths, widths and angles in the process. Armed with this early love of numbers, Laura went on to get a BA in astrophysics from Princeton University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business; she continues to star-gaze today. Laura’s other interests include her three lively children, chocolate, extreme vehicles, and Lego Mindstorms.