Mary Allen
Irish Wolfhound: One of the Oldest Dog Breeds
The Irish Wolfhound is a very old breed of dog. Archaeologists have found skeletons of these large dogs as early as around 7000 BC. However, the exact origin is not known. It has been proven that it is a very old breed, which was already mentioned by the ancient Romans.
There are wondrous stories about these Irish dogs in old sagas, including the Icelandic Njáls Saga from the year 1000.
Quote: “I want to give you a male dog that I got from Ireland. He has huge limbs and, as a companion, is equivalent to a man ready to fight. In addition, he has the mind of a human and he will bark at your enemies, but never at your friends. He will be able to tell from the face of every person whether he is up to something good or bad against you. And he will give his life for you.”
The breed of the Irish Wolfhound goes back to the Deerhound – a sighthound that was used as a hound for hunting deer in the Middle Ages, especially by the Scottish nobility.
Height & Weight
The established standard size is 79 cm for males and 71 cm for females. However, the aim of breeding is higher and is 81-86 cm and it also happens that an Irish Wolfhound reaches over 100 cm in height. The Irish Wolfhound is the largest dog in the world.
He reaches a weight of about 40 kg in bitches and 55 kg in males.
Coat, Colors & Care
Its fur is rough and shaggy, its ears are small and softly angled. They are referred to as rose ears. No special grooming is required other than a thorough comb through once a week. Dogs of this breed shed very little hair. It is available in grey, brindle, red, black, pure white, or fawn.
The Irish Wolfhound is a hound and has the corresponding body shape.
In terms of quantity, the Wolfhound eats no more than other large dogs.
Nature, Temperament
Its nature is open and friendly. The wolfhound of Ireland has the appropriate epithet, Gentle Giant. It is too.
As tall as it is, it is also gentle and kind. Very affectionate, loyal, and faithful – an ideal family dog.
The Irish Wolfhound barks very little. However, when it barks – for example, to protect the family from bad guys – it is very impressive. In the worst case, it can also lead to a snarl.
Towards children, it is gentle in person or in the animal. Kids can do just about anything with him, so he’s the perfect playmate who’s more likely to put up with too much than too little.
It does have a sweet tooth though – don’t leave your Sunday roast unattended on the table, it might tempt him too much.
Upbringing
The Irish Wolfhound breed tends to act on its own and independently. Training should begin with puppies.
It is important with this dog breed that you are very consistent and set clear rules, from which you make no exceptions. You won’t achieve anything with strictness and coercion, but rather with forbearance.
If you want to leash him in nature, you should definitely work on his hunting instinct. It must not happen that he hunts game in the forest (that’s what he was bred for).
Posture & Outlet
Outside, the Irish wolfhound can be quite wild: he likes to live out his sighthound side to the full and literally dashes through the countryside.
Overall, however, he does not need an above-average amount of exercise, as is often assumed, because as a sighthound he is a sprinter, ie a short-distance runner.
But even if you don’t trust him – in the apartment he is a cozy dog. It is important to him to be part of everything. Since they are very people-oriented, you should never want to keep these large dogs outside in the garden.
There are certain things to consider. Despite this, the Irish Wolfhound is a real treasure and an all-around ideal family dog. These dogs are not really enthusiastic about dog sports and agility.
Suitability
The name Irish Wolfhound has nothing to do with the fact that this dog still has a lot to do with the wolf – it is rather a reference to its original use, which was to hunt and also protect against wolves.
Being part of the hound family makes him fast and this speed has brought him success in cross-country racing.
In any case, he is not suitable as a guard dog, as he would rather greet strangers curiously than attack them. At most, its imposing size acts as a deterrent to potential burglars.
Typical Diseases
Unfortunately, there is a lot to be said on this subject. The first is age. Like many large dogs, the Irish Wolfhound does not live very long, with a life expectancy of between 6 and 10 years.
Irish wolfhounds are tough. Diseases are often only recognized when it is almost too late. They have a stoic way of suppressing their pain for a very long time, with the result that healing is often no longer possible. There are some hereditary diseases – unfortunately.
These include dilated cardiomyopathy – enlargement of the heart muscle, osteosarcoma – bone cancer, gastric torsion, portosystemic shunt – a diseased vascular connection, and osteochondrosis – the conversion of cartilage to bone.
Epilepsy, spinal cord embolism, progressive retinal atrophy, and von Willebrand disease are also inherited diseases.
But as with all inherited diseases, they can largely be avoided through good breeding and the disease-free condition of the ancestors. You just have to be careful.
However, a rare problem can be hypothyroidism – the underactive thyroid gland. However, really in very rare cases.