Group

Hounds

Origin

The Irish Wolfhound is thought to descend from the Cu - a shaggy dog. Cu were used for guarding, hunting boar, stag, elk and wolf. They were also companions of Kings and some were sent to the royal houses in Europe and Scandinavia. The Wolfhound disappeared from Ireland in 1766 after the last wolf was killed and was brought back to Ireland by the Romans. The Irish Wolfhound was first shown in the 1870's.

Description

The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest and largest breed of the hound group. They are muscular and powerful dogs with a large head with a long muzzle. Their jaw is strong in a complete scissor bite. They have a black nose, black lips and dark, oval eyes. They have small rose-shaped ears. Their chest is very deep and their back long. They have strong and muscular front and back. Their feet are large and round and they have a long, slightly curved tail. Their coat is harsh and rough looking. Their coat color varies from grey, steel grey, brindle, red, black, white, fawn and wheaten. They weigh betwee 50 and 72 kilos are between 76cm to 86.5cm high.

Temperament

Irish Wolfhounds are gentle giants. They are highly intelligent and love companionship. They are family dogs and are very good with children. They are affectionate and even tempered. They are not natural guard dogs but people are often wary of their size. Like most large dogs they can be slow to mature and are quite clumsy. They dont reach maturity for a couple of years but they are relatively easy to train and generally obedient. Because of their size, they should be discouraged from jumping up from day one.

Living conditions

Irish Wolfhounds need a fairly large garden as they dont do much indoors. The property has to be well secured and fenced as they like to chase things. They are definitely not apartment dogs. They also are not outdoor/kennel dogs however as they need to be around people

Exercise

Wolfhounds need a lot of space to exercise. They enjoy very long walks but as puppies the exercise should be kept to a minimum. Too much exercise is not good for their growth.

Health Problems

The most common causes of death in the Irish Wolfhound are bloat, cancer and heart disease. They can also get hip dysplasia like all large breed.

Grooming

They are an average shedder. They need regular grooming (at least once a week) with a brush and a comb to keep the coat in good condition. it may be necessary to hand pluck them twice a year when they start to shed the dead hair.

Life expectancy

The average life span is 7-10 years