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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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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.
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 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!
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 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:
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!
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