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Irish Wolfhound Dog Breed Introduction
Irish Wolfhound ( also referred to as Irish Greyhound) is a Large-sized dog that hunts by sight and speed ( sighthound). It was bred in Ireland to pursue quarry by speed. Irish Wolfounds were also popular as guard dogs specializing in protection against wolves. Of all AKC breeds, Irish wolfhounds are the tallest.
This breed is known for its reserved, intelligent, and introverted temperament. For this reason, it is rare to find an Irish Wolfhound boisterous or destructive in house despite its large size. Although they have a deterrent size, Irish Wolfhounds don’t make great watchdogs since they are friendly and independent. However, they display a fearless nature when their family are in any perceived danger.
Irish Wolfhound History | Origin
The progenitors of Giant Hounds of Ireland are believed to have been created by breeding the Middle Eastern coursing hounds and the indigenous large dogs of Britain. The offspring created were battered around the known world around in the earliest days of International trade. In 391, a Roman Consul received seven Giant Irish Hounds as a gift used for fighting bears and lions. His response to the gift was that Rome viewed the dogs in awe.
The Giant Irish Hounds were also used for pursuing the now-extinct Irish elk which was double its height. During the 15th century, wolves were overrunning the countryside in Ireland. Therefore, the Giant Hounds well-known for specializing in large games were used to chase and hunt the wolves. By the late 18th century, when big games of Ireland and Wolves were hunted to extinction, Irish Hounds lost their jobs nearly going to extinction. These hounds were also popular oversees and were exported to European royal houses also leaving the numbers in Ireland depleted.
In 1862, George Augustus Graham, a British army captain began searching the Country for the remaining specimen of Irish Hounds. He resuscitated the breed using Borzoi, Glengarry Deerhounds, Tibetan Mastiff as well as Irish Hounds that were crossed with Great Danes. Graham made his life work to standardize, protect, and promote the breed. He founded the Irish Wolfhound Club in 1885. Many Irish Legends were inspired by Irish wolfhounds due to the tale of Loyalty and remorse “Gelert, the Faithful Hound.”
Gelert was hound gifted to the Prince of Wales, Llewellyn by the King of England in 1210. During his hunt routine, he tasked Gelert with guarding his baby son while he was off. Upon his return, he found the crib of the baby was overtuned and Gelert was soaked in blood. Mad with grief, he slew the Irish Wolfhound. However, as the dog lay dying, Llewellyn heard the baby crying. After searching, he found his son was alive, next to the wolf’s body that Gelert had killed. Llewellyn mourned his dog forever and erected a tomb in honor of Gelert which is still present in Caernarvon, Wales.
Irish Wolfhound Lifespan
Like other dog breeds of its size, Irish Wolfhounds have a relatively short lifespan of 6 to 8 years. However, some live up to the age of 10 years. According to the UK Kennel Club, the average age of death for Irish Wolfhounds is 7 years.
Irish Wolfhound Grooming
An Irish Wolfhound has a double-layered wiry medium-length coat that sheds all-year round at low to moderate levels. Through brushing at least once a week using a metal comb and a large bristle brush will help to remove the loose hair, dirt, and keep the coat looking at its best. Unlike many double-coated breeds, Irish Greyhounds don’t blow off their coats during the seasonal change in Spring or Fall. The wiry coat should be hand stripped twice or thrice a year.
Irish Wolfhounds need a bath every 6 to 8 weeks. Use a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products to prevent skin irritation. Instead of using soapy water to clean the face, use a clean damp washcloth or canine wipes to remove the visible dirt on the face. Dog’s eyes also get irritated by soapy water.
Trim the nails twice a month using a grinder or nail clippers. Overly grown nails make walking and running painful for your dog. Brush the teeth at least twice a week if not daily using a tasty canine toothpaste and toothbrush. Remember to clean the ears once a week with cotton balls soaked in an ear cleanser solution. While wiping the ears, look out for redness, odor, and dark discharge since they are signs of dog’s ear infection.
Irish Wolfhound Shedding
Unlike other double coated breeds, Irish Wolfhounds don’t experience heavy shedding season. However, they shed their fur all-year round at low to moderate levels.
Irish Wolfhound Coat
An Irish Wolfhound has a double coat made up of a harsh wiry top coat and a soft undercoat.
Irish Wolfhound Hypoallergenic
Although Irish Wolfhounds shed at low to minimal levels all-year round, they are not considered hypoallergenic. Shedding spreads dander and hair around the house. Dog’s dander, hair, urine, saliva, and mucus contain a protein allergen that triggers allergic reaction in people who suffer from dog allergies.
Irish Wolfhound Training
It is relatively easy to train an Irish Wolfhound. They respond well to gentle, firm, and consistent training. The training sessions should be short, fun, and challenging for a span of 5 to 10 minutes. Irish Wolfhound puppies take 18 months to mature. Therefore, they can be easily distracted, get destructive, and will also be prone to injuries if they are left alone for extended periods. Crate training will help to keep this dog safe when the owner is not closely monitoring the pet. It also reduces the severity of separation anxiety since the dog learns to be confident in staying alone for a few hours. A Crate is also indispensable when it comes to potty training. It helps the pet owner to easily monitor the pup for signs that it wants to eliminate such as whining, circling, sniffing, restlessness, and squatting.
To raise a well-mannered, friendly, and well-adjusted dog, an Irish Wolfhound should be socialized and enrolled in a puppy class. Socialization training starts when the puppy is with the breeder at the age of 3 weeks until the age of 16 weeks while the puppy is with the owner. Puppies usually leave the shelter to their new homes from the age of 8 weeks. To socialize Irish Wolfhounds, expose your pet to a wide variety of situations, places, animals, surfaces, sight, smell, experiences, and sounds such as lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, baby crying sounds, sirens, and whistles. Enrolling Irish Wolfhounds in puppy classes help them to interact with other breeds in a controlled setting. It also enables pet parents to identify and correct bad habits such as growling while resource guarding.
Remember to use positive reinforcement methods while training such as treats, petting, playing, verbal praise, and use of favorite toys. Avoid use of harsh correction methods since this is a sensitive breed that will shut down during training. However, their sensitivity to humans makes them excellent pets for therapy work. Initially bred to work at greater distances from their masters, Irish Greyhounds are highly independent breed which may make obedience training a bit difficult. They also get easily bored with repetition and start making up variants on the training methods. However, use of positive reinforcement methods such as clicker training makes anything possible even with an Irish Wolfhound. Clicker training utilizes a clicking sound immediately the dog completes the command in question. It is normally followed with a treat.
Pet parents may teach their Irish wolfhounds basic command words such as come, sit, heel, stay, down, leave it, one at a time before proceeding to the next command word. At no time should you utter a command word while too frustrated or excited since it won’t sound the same for your pooch. For effective housebreaking, creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training is key. For positive outcome while potty training, take the pet to the designated potty area every 2 to 3 hours, immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, following naptime, after an exciting activity such as a car ride & playtime, and before bed time. The designated potty area should be far from the patio deck and BBQ spot.
Irish Wolfhound Temperament | Traits
- Independent.
- Friendly.
- Loyal.
- Patient.
- Devoted.
- Affectionate.
- Sensitive.
- Noble.
- Gentle.
- Easygoing.
- Intelligent.
- Quiet.
Irish Wolfhound Exercise
Due to their instinct prey drive, Wolfhounds should be exercised in a secured fenced yard. They should go for walks while on a leash. If allowed to, adult Irish Wolfhounds can become couch potatoes. However, play sessions or long walks will keep them mentally and physically healthy. This breed may also exercise mind and body by participating in canine activities such as lure coursing, agility, and tracking. For Irish Wolfhounds to thrive, they need a home with a fairly large fenced yard. However, puppies that are below the age of 18 months should not be exercised vigorously since the growth plates have not closed.
Irish Wolfhound Barking
When compared to other breeds, Irish Wolfhounds are not vocal. They will not bark to alert the owner of an intruder due to their friendly temperament. Excessive barking may be due separation anxiety when left alone for long hours.
Irish Wolfhound Growling
Growling is a form of pooch’s communication. Irish Wolfhounds may growl while playing, when in pain, and when resource guarding things like food bowl and toys.
Irish Wolfhound Height
According to AKC, a Female Irish Wolfhound should have a minimum height of 30 inches ( approx. 76 cm) while its male counterpart should have a minimum height of 32 inches ( approx. 81 cm). While starting on its hind legs, Irish Hounds may have a height of 7-feet tall.
Irish Wolfhound Weight
The minimum weight that female Irish Wolfhounds should have is 105 pounds ( approx. 48 kg ) while they male counterparts should have a minimum weight of 120 pounds ( approx. 54.5 Kg).
Irish Wolfhound Size
Irish Wolfhounds are large-sized sighthounds. However, a male Irish Wolfhound is slightly larger in size as compared to its female counterpart in terms of weight and height. A Female Wolfhound has a minimum height of 30 inches ( approx. 76 cm) and minimum weight of 105 pounds ( approx. 48 kg ) whereas a Male Irish Wolfhound has a minimum height and weight of 32 inches ( approx. 81 cm) and 120 pounds ( approx. 54.5 Kg) respectively.
Irish Wolfhound Aggressive
Although the Irish Wolfhounds have deterrent size, these dogs are friendly towards strangers. They are not aggressive dogs. Irish Wolfhounds are favored for their devotion, patience, affection, and loyalty. However, they display a fearless nature when they perceive the family members are in any form of danger. Therefore, Irish Wolfhounds are brave and not aggressive.
Irish Wolfhound Bite Force
Reportedly, Irish Wolfhounds have a bite force of between 250 to 400 PSI.
Irish Wolfhound Health Issues
An Irish Wolfhound is a relatively healthy breed that suffers from certain health issues including bloat, bone cancer, Dilated cardiomyopathy, portosystemic shunt, and pneumonia. Neutering has been associated with higher risk of bone cancer especially with male Irish Wolfhounds before the age of one year.
Apart from Irish Wolfhounds, other breeds of dogs include:
Pug.
Irish Wolfhound Litter Size
The Irish Wolfhounds dams have a gestation period of 63 days before whelping a litter size of 4 to 10 puppies.
Irish Wolfhound Speed
An Irish Greyhound may run up to a speed of 35 to 40 miles per hour ( approx. 56 to 64 km/h ).
Irish Wolfhound Collar
An Irish Wolfhound has a high-prey drive and should go for walks on a leash. Therefore, it is likely to pull when it spots a quarry. Pulling exerts pressure on the neck if the dog is on leash with a collar. A harness is the preferred choice for large-sized dogs that are likely to pull and chase after a prey. This device gives the parent a better control over the dog.
Irish Wolfhound Food
The amount of food that an Irish Wolfhound feeds on depends on its age, metabolism, activity level, size, and body build. Puppies have high metabolism rate as compared to adults and seniors. Therefore, Irish Wolfhounds puppies should be fed 3 or 4 times a day when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, puppies should be feed twice a day for the rest of their lives.
An Irish Wolfhound is a large-sized dog that has a rapid growth rate. Pet owners should ensure that the puppies are fed with the right amount of food to prevent damage to the growth plates in the joints. Consult with the Vet on the proper amount of food that your pet should feed on depending on its weight.
This is also a large-sized breed with a deep chest. Therefore, Irish Wolfhounds are prone to bloat or gastric torsion. To avoid bloat, Irish Wolfhounds should not feed one large meal a day, drink large amounts of water after eating, and exercise vigorously an hour before or after a meal. Bloat is a life threatening condition that can claim the life of your dog. AKC recommends owners to familiarize with signs of bloat and what to do in such situations.
Irish Wolfhounds may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, parents should ensure that the pooch feeds on a balanced diet to maintain good health and to allow it to develop cognitively and physically. If the pooch parent decides to feed a pet on the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial pet food should not contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, and fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for large-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of your Irish Hound. The best way to know whether you are overfeeding or underfeeding your dog is to take it to the vet to be informed about its weight and health. However, you can also tell by checking the physique of Irish Wolfhounds. If you can see an Irish Wolfhound’s ribs, chances are they are being underfed. If the Wolfhound parent cannot feel the ribs of the pet under the coat, then chances are that it is being overfeed.
When you get a puppy from a responsible breeder, chances are that you will want to switch to another quality of food than the one it was previous feeding on. Gradually do this by mixing 3/4 old food with a 1/4 new food for the first week. During the second week, feed your Irish Wolfhound pup with the same amount of the new food and old food. On the third week feed your pet with 3/4 of the new food and 1/4 of old food. Totally switch to new food during the fourth week.
Irish Wolfhound Colors
An Irish Wolfhound may have any coat color that appears in the Deerhound including fawn, brindle, gray, black, red, or pure white.
Irish Wolfhound Allergies
This breed is susceptible to various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Food allergies – Although rare, Irish Wolfhounds are also affected by food allergies that are accompanied with a wide range of symptoms including skin issues and gastrointestinal stress. A legit food allergy causes an immune response. Some of the signs of food allergies include hives, facial swelling, crusting lesions, dermatitis, pruritus, sores, acute vomiting and diarrhea as well as weight loss. Apart from food allergies, an Irish Wolfhound is also affected by food sensitivity(intolerance). This is due to a gradual response to an offending ingredient in the diet of the dog. Some of the food ingredients that cause food intolerance include fillers, soy, corn, wheat, chemicals, preservatives, additives, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, etc.
Contact allergies – This inflammation occurs once the skin of Irish Wolfhounds comes in contact with an allergen. Some of the contact allergies that affect an irish Wolfhound include plastics, bed linens, nylon carpets, lawn chemicals, grooming products like conditioner and shampoo, latex, medication, certain clothes, and carpet cleaning detergents. Commonly affected body parts include paws, feet, and around the muzzle. Contact allergies cause excess scratching, licking, and biting which may lead to secondary skin infections.
Skin allergies – Irish Wolfhounds are predisposed to skin allergies due to food, contact, and environmental allergies. Food allergies cause skin issues symptoms such as crusting lesions, hives, hot spots, dermatitis, facial swelling, and pruritus. On the other hand, environmental allergies cause atopic dermatitis. This is inflammation to the skin which causes redness, lesions, rash, and itchiness. Commonly affected body parts by skin allergies include paws, belly sides, ears, eyes, groin, and feet. Signs of skin allergies in Irish Wolfhounds include dry flaky skin, hair loss, itchiness, redness, lesions, and hot spots.
Environmental allergies – One of the environmental allergens that affect an Irish Wolfhound include fleas. The saliva of this insect cause flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas usually bite the back legs and underneath the tail resulting to excessive biting, scratching, and licking until the skin around the bite area is raw. If the wound is left untreated, it may result to yeast and bacterial skin infections. Other environmental allergens include ragweed, grass, trees, pollen, house molds, and as well as dust and dust mites. Signs of environmental allergies congestion, sneezing, nasal discharge, and itchiness on various body parts including paws, groin, muzzle, belly sides, feet, underarms, around the eyes, and between the toes.
Irish Wolfhound Eyes
An Irish Wolfhound has dark colored eyes that are rounded in shape.
Irish Wolfhound Ears
This dog has greyhound-like ears that are small in size.
Irish Wolfhound Tail
An Irish Wolfhound has a long, moderate thick, slightly curved, and hairy tail.
Irish Wolfhound Teeth
At birth, Irish Wolfhounds puppies are born with no teeth. However, the deciduous teeth start growing in from the age of 2 to 3 weeks until the pet has a total of 28 milk teeth at the age of 6 to 8 weeks. However, the deciduous teeth will start falling off from the age of 12 weeks as permanent teeth starts erupting underneath the milk teeth. From the age of 6 to 8 months Irish Wolfhounds puppies should have a total of 42 permanent teeth. Once the adult teeth starts erupting, pet parents are urged to start brushing the teeth of the pooch at least twice a week if not daily to maintain a good oral breathe, remove excess tartar, and prevent gum inflammation.
Are Irish Wolfhounds Hypoallergenic
No. Irish Wolfhounds shed all-year round at low to moderate levels. Shedding allows the spread of hair and dander that triggers allergic reactions in people who suffer from dog allergies. Apart from Irish Wolfhounds’ dander and hair, urine, mucus, and, saliva also trigger allergic reactions in people.
Are Irish Wolfhounds Aggressive
No. Irish Wolfhounds are brave but not aggressive dogs. They will not hesitate to display a fearless nature when they perceive the family is in danger. However, they don’t make great guard dogs due to their friendly nature.
Are Irish Wolfhounds Easy To Train
Irish Wolfhounds are relatively easy to train. They are intelligent fast learners that respond well to positive consistent training. However, they were bred to work independently which may make obedience training a bit difficult.
Are Irish Wolfhounds Friendly
Yes. Despite their deterrent size, Irish Wolfhounds are friendly dogs even towards strangers.
Are Irish Wolfhounds Smart
Yes. They are smart dogs that learn fast.
Irish Wolfhounds Quick Facts
- They have been the regimental mascot of Irish Guards since 1902.
- While standing on their hind legs, an Irish Wolfhound may stand at seven-feet tall.
- Irish Wolfhounds easily become attached to both owners and other dogs when raised with them hence not the most adaptable of breeds.
