How much experience does your dad have with dogs in general? Could he simply want a big dog to look impressive? I don't mean to be rude or insinuate anything here but adopting a dog for selfish reasons is just that, selfish. I had a huge St Bernard/lab mix that lived to be 14 and a huge Akita mix that was 14 as well. Please don't be offended by my remarks. Sometimes I get nervous and worry about motives when it comes to pet owners.