Dogs emit two primary growls: one for play and one for all other times when dogs are angry, a study confirms.

About two weeks before Christmas, Deacon, an 85-pound German shepherd, went missing from his family home in rural Stuart, Va. As weeks passed, his family feared the worst — until a curious phone call from Florida in late February changed everything.

The 4-year-old Great Dane weighs 250-pounds and stands 3 feet, 7 inches tall from paw to shoulder — three-quarters of an inch taller than his closest rival, according to Guinness World Records.