Irish Wolfhounds Wolf Hounds Facts Information Pictures Irish Wolfhound Dogs Puppies

The Irish Wolfhound Dog Breed in Brief:

Irish Wolfhounds Irish Wolf Hounds Irish Wolfhound Puppies Dogs

Origin: Ireland

Height: Minimum of 30 inches at the shoulder for females, 32 for males

Weight: 105 pounds for females, 120 for males

Exercise Needs: High

Grooming Needs: Low

Life Expectancy: 8-10 years

Good With Kids: Yes

Trainability: Easy

Common Misspellings: Irishwolfhound, Irish wolf hound

Alternate Names:

Easily recognizable as the tallest breed of dog in the world, the Irish Wolfhound has been respected and cherished for centuries. While intimidating to behold, the Great Hound of Ireland is actually known for being extremely gentle, loyal, and friendly. While he is known to be a very courageous dog, the Irish Wolfhound is anything but aggressive.

The History of the Irish Wolfhound

Like many old breeds of dog, the origins of the Irish Wolfhound have long been obscured by the sands of time. An ancient breed, the “Great dogs of Ireland”” are known to have predated Christianity (ancient Irish laws referred to them as cú) and that they were spoken of, and admired, by the ancient Roman people. Only kings and the Irish nobility were allowed to own one of the great Irish hounds, and the number of dogs allowed was in direct relation to said person’s rank or position.

During the ancient times, the Irish Wolfhound was used to hunt the great Irish stag, known to stand 6 feet high at the shoulder, as well as boar and wolves. Fiercely loyal, these beautiful animals were recorded in tales as also having been used as war dogs and as guard animals. In fact, it was said that many a battle was fought over these noble canines. According to Irish legend, the greatest of the Irish chiefs, known as Fionn mac Cumhall, owned 300 adult hounds and 200 Irish Wolfhound puppies. His favorite of the hounds was one named Bran who supposedly “killed more men or beasts,” than his owner. If one is to believe the old tales, the original “Great Irish hounds” were ferocious creatures, quite different from the modern day variety. For this, there is a very good reason:

As modern times approached, the Great Stag of Ireland became extinct and as more people spread across the beautiful Emerald Isle, the wild boar and wolf also became a thing of the past. This large and ferocious hound was no longer needed to go to war and, by 1877, the Encyclopaedia Britannica declared that the “Irish greyhound or wolfdog” was now extinct. Major H.D. Richardson, a Scotsman who had made his home in Ireland, sought to save this magnificent breed; when no one followed his attempts to rally support for the breed, he took it upon himself to gather what dogs he could find that seemed to carry traces or characteristics of the old bloodlines and, from there, he attempted to save this magnificent breed of dog.

Today, there is still much controversy as to whether or not the Irish Wolfhound is a reliable representative of the Great Irish hounds. It is known that other breeds, such as the Scottish Deerhound and Great Dane have been used as outcrosses in the restoration attempts, and this raises much speculation. Is today’s Irish Wolfhound a reliable representation or merely one man’s concept on how the Wolfhounds should look. The world may never know.

Irish Wolfhound Appearance

The Irish Wolfhound is known as the world’s tallest dog and with good reason. With some specimens standing well over 32 inches tall at the shoulder, they are large enough to rest their front legs over the shoulders of a grown man and can easily steal food off the kitchen counters. But just because the Irish Wolfhound is tall, don’t think he’s a flimsy, reedy dog. Quite the opposite actually.

While he was once known as the Irish Greyhound, the Irish Wolfhound is similar in appearance, but not as slightly built as those sleek racing dogs. Powerfully muscled, he is not only built for speed, but he was also used to hunt large and dangerous game. For this, the Irish Wolfhound had to not only possess speed but endurance, allowing him to follow his prey and hunt it down. Then, once he had brought the prey to a standstill, he had to be hardy enough to withstand being trampled, gored and slashed, while using his own brute force to bring the prey down. The modern representation of the breed appears to be a dog capable of doing just that.

The Irish Wolfhound’s coat is tough and wiry, providing him with protection from the elements as well as from the brambles and briar that he may have to chase the prey through. Their recognized colors include brindle, black, grey, fawn, red, white, wheaten or any other color that appears in the Scottish Deerhound breed standard.

Irish Wolfhound Temperament

The Irish Wolfhound is known for his extremely loyal and gentle temperament. Born with a very strong desire to please his owner, he is an excellent companion animal and, while not suited for employ as a guard or attack dog, he is very willing to help you hold down the sofa or hog the bed. Important to note, however, is that the Irish Wolfhound is notorious for remaining a puppy, well into his first to second year and, considering these puppies can easily reach 100 pounds, obedience training is essential. They don’t mean to be so destructive or clumsy, but they are just very gangly and energetic young dogs, and it’s important to take this into consideration.

Irish Wolfhound Exercise Needs

While many Irish Wolfhound breeders will say that the Irish Wolfhound just needs three quarters of the couch to be happy, the truth is that these dogs were originally bred as sight hounds. Built to gallop after their fleet-footed prey, the Great Dogs of Ireland were well-known for their speed and endurance. Today’s modern Wolfhound is no exception - while he may very well enjoy laying around, he still needs a place where he has room to gambol and stretch those long legs of his. For this reason, it’s advised that the Irish Wolfhound have access to a large fenced-in yard or, at the very least, that he have daily access to a dog park.

Irish Wolfhound Grooming Requirements

The care and upkeep of an Irish Wolfhound puppy is relatively simple. Possessing a dense and wiry coat, you will find that your Irish Wolfhound sheds the most in the spring and then, again, in the fall. In the meantime, a simple brushing once or twice a week will suffice, and will help to keep his coat in good condition, simply by stimulating the oils in his coat and helping to free and remove any dander. To brush him, use a stiff-bristled brush and go with the grain of hair, brushing in a gentle motion. Wire slicker brushes can also be used, though care must be taken to avoid scratching his skin and harming him. If you’re gentle, however, he will love the free back-scratching.

An Irish Wolfhound shouldn’t need to be bathed too often; once or twice a month is usually a good bet, unless you have an individual who really enjoys getting dirty. Aside from this, the only other major grooming needs that an Irish Wolfhound should require are keeping his nails clipped, his ears clean and, if he will let you, his teeth brushed. Should tooth-brushing prove difficult, however, there are a variety of toys and treats now available, which help to prevent canine tartar build up and tooth decay.

Training Your Irish Wolfhound

It is essential that the owner of a new Irish Wolfhound puppy enroll him in at least one obedience course. These incredible Irish Greyhounds are notorious for being slow to mature, not only physically, but mentally as well. For them to retain puppy-like antics into their second year is not unheard of and, when you’re dealing with a puppy that tips the scales at 100 pounds, it’s easy to understand why obedience is such an issue.

The Irish Wolfhound, while very large and gangly in his youth, is still very intelligent and has a natural born desire to please. Because of this, when shown proper direction, they can mature into very well-behaved adults and make you the envy of all the dog owners. Starting early is the key.

Irish Wolfhound Health Concerns

Irish Wolfhounds can be prone to a number of hereditary health problems. That is why choosing a responsible breeder from which to purchase your Irish Wolfhound puppy is very important. Responsible Irish Wolfhound breeders will be well educated about the breed and carefully screen their breeding dogs for disorders that can affect these dogs.

Due to the limited gene pool of the Irish Wolfhound, and the sheer size of this massive dog, they are not long-lived dogs and sadly, are often prone to a wide variety of health problems. Potential problems that can affect the Irish Wolfhound include:

Bloat or gastric torsion

Cancer

Elbow dysplasia

Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE)

Heart disease

Hip dysplasia

Hypothyroidism

Liver shunts

Megaesophagus

Osteochondrosis and osteochondrosis dissecans

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)

Seizures

Von Willebrand's disease

Again, a responsible breeder will be well educated about these problems that can occur in the Irish Wolfhound breed and have their breeding dogs undergo rigorous testing to help ensure that their puppies will not have these disorders. It is extremely important that you educate yourself about health conditions affecting the Irish Wolfhound so that you can be sure you are dealing with a breeder from whom you will acquire a healthy, well socialized puppy.

Is the Irish Wolfhound the Right Breed For You?

The Irish Wolfhound is a noble, courageous and romantic breed of dog. Well-known as a gentle giant, they are wonderful family animals, but it does not mean that every family is right for an Irish_Wolfhound. With their huge size, not only do they need a lot of room (a yard, yes, but also a lot of room in your house to move around) and they do eat an enormous amount of food. Additionally, while excellent with children, it is not advised that you mix young children with young Wolfhounds - an overly excited puppy can easily knock a child down and injure them without meaning to do so.

Irish Wolfhounds are also prone to a host of health problems and do not generally live as long as other breeds of dog. However, many Wolfhound breeders will tell you that a few years with these magnificent canines is worth far more than scores with other breeds. If you have the room, the money, and the love that it takes to own one of these Great dogs of Ireland, then perhaps the Irish Wolfhound is the right dog for you.

Additional Reading About Irish Wolfhounds

Online Irish Wolfhound Information Resources

There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn more about the Irish Wolfhound dog breed. We've compiled a list of Irish Wolfhound information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality information about the Irish Wolfhound dog breed, while avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know of a Irish Wolfhound information site that offers unique, quality information and photos of the Irish Wolfhound breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.

Irish Wolfhound Pictures

Irish Wolfhounds are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at Irish Wolfhound pictures, you can usually gain more insight into what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help you decide if you really want to become a Irish Wolfhound owner. The following sites below offer pictures of Irish Wolfhound dogs, Irish Wolfhound puppy photos, funny Irish Wolfhound photos and more. Enjoy!

Irish Wolfhound Dog Pictures

Buying an Irish Wolfhound Puppy

Now that you have decided that the Irish Wolfhound is the right breed for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible Irish Wolfhound breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Irish Wolfhound puppy you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a responsible Irish Wolfhound breeder, you may need to pay more and wait longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it. Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication - or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible, caring Irish Wolfhound breeder who home-raises their puppies with love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the Irish Wolfhound breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and companionship.

Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...

Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Irish Wolfhound puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the breeders whom they allow to advertise.

We Highly Recommend:

Irish Wolfhound Clubs and Rescues

Irish Wolfhound clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn even more about the Irish Wolfhound dog breed, help you locate a responsible Irish Wolfhound breeder, or help you find a Irish Wolfhound dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a loving, forever home. We've compiled the following list of Irish Wolfhound clubs and Irish Wolfhound rescues web sites for your convenience:

Irish Wolfhound Rescues

Naming Your Irish Wolfhound Puppy

Choosing a name for your Irish Wolfhound puppy can be a daunting task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot of thought and research to find just the right name for your Irish_Wolfhound. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side? A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new Irish Wolfhound puppy over the first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue about what type of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful information resources, while others, unfortunately, are just "garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in on visitor hits for this popular subject.

We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name for your new Irish Wolfhound puppy. These sites offer inventive, unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for their new baby!

Irish Wolfhounds (Irish Wolf Hounds)

Irish Wolfhound Puppies Dogs

Irish Wolfhounds : Gentlest of Giants

Irish Wolfhound Dog and Puppy Facts and Information Guide