太... 了 (tài... le) vs 很(hěn) Are 太... 了 (tài... le) and 很(hěn) grammatically equivalent?

My feeling is that semantically 太... 了 (tài... le) is somehow "stronger" then 很(hěn), that is: 太... 了 (tài... le) seems "exceptionally, extremely", while 很(hěn) is just "very". Is it correct?

Summing up both questions with an example:


may I say (apart of changes in meaning):


我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà
我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le



?


Is the meaning of the second sentence is somehow "stronger" ?


我的狗很大 Wǒ de ɡǒu hěn dà -> my dog is very big)
我的狗太大了 Wǒ de ɡǒu tài dà le -> my dog is so big! / my dog is too big!
很 sometime may interchange with 太 . however,  很 mostly carry out and descriptive meaning. While 太 are mean to show something exaggerate

if you use   太....  了, it will add extra expressive complaining tones.
For example : 

# 很 versus 太
my dog is [very big](for the breed) 我的狗[个子*很*大] 
my dog is too big(for the house) 我的狗[个子*太*大]

# 太....  了
my dog is [just too big!] 我的狗[个子太大了!] or 我的狗[太大只了!] 


The word  大,  carry a few meaning : larger OR greater OR older

When describe with living subject, you must put additional care , i.e. put an extra description.  Thus : 

高大  : tall
肥大  : Fat and tall
强大  ：strong and powerful (more appropriate to use 强壮 for masculine） 
年纪大 ：old


我的狗很大, 我的狗太大了 is a confusing term.  Is it older? taller? Stronger? 

我的狗很高大 -&gt; my dog is tall
我的狗长大了 -&gt; my dog grow up (,at last)