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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
