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An Irish Wolfhound is a very large breed of dog originally from Ireland. The breed is the highest dog breed in the world, as the males are approximately 90 cm tall on average. The breed originated in the 15th century, where it was used to guard sheep and as a hunting dog.
The Irish Wolfhound was developed in Ireland in the 15th century, where many sheep farmers struggled to get their sheep taken by wolves. For that reason, they needed a strong and large dog that could guard the sheep and take up the fight against the wolves. A law was even passed, which said that as a farmer you had a duty to have at least 24 Irish wolfhounds to protect the animals from wolves. In addition to herding sheep, the breed has also been used for big game hunting, as well as used as a gift to the royal houses in Europe.
However, the number of Irish Wolfhounds dropped drastically in Ireland, as the wolf disappeared more and more. The breed was therefore close to extinction, but was fortunately rescued and recreated by crossing some of the remaining specimens with the Scottish Deerhound and Great Dane. In 1879, the breed was admitted to the Irish Kennel Club. It was not until 1930, however, that we first saw the Irish Wolfhound in Scandinavia.
The Irish Wolfhound is a huge dog with a height of at least 79 cm for males and at least 71 cm for females. In addition, males weigh at least 54.5 kg and females at least 40.5 kg. However, the Irish Wolfhound can easily get significantly larger. The coat is medium and stride and will typically be gray, black, golden red, white or wheat colored. Despite its semi-long coat, the breed requires virtually no fur care. The coat is known to hold itself to a great extent.
Despite its enormous size, the Irish Wolfhound is a gentle and loving dog. It is said to be as nice as it is big. Therefore, the breed also works really well as a family dog, where it is both affectionate and indulgent towards small children.
Some owners of Irish Wolfhounds even claim that the breed can be a bit fussy when it has to have its nails cut or to the vet, for example. It's a little fun to experience such a great dog, to be that afraid. The breed may well be a bit reserved towards strangers. The Irish Wolfhound can therefore also easily be used as a watchdog in the home. Here, the size of the dog alone will probably scare most thieves away. At a short distance, the Irish Wolfhound is relatively responsive and docile, but at a long distance, it may be a little difficult to call back to you. In addition, the hunting instincts are still too deep in the dog. Therefore, be careful about releasing it in larger areas ,if you do not have 100% control over it.
The Irish Wolfhound has a strong and dense coat, which protects it from virtually all kinds of weather. The rough structure of the coat also means that it does not need to be brushed very often. Once a week is long enough. On the other hand, when acquiring an Irish Wolfhound, you must be prepared for the fact that the dog, due to its size, consumes quite large amounts of food every single day. It can quickly turn into a big monthly expense. A large, adult male can easily eat up to 1 kg of food a day.
First and foremost, it is important that you avoid physically overloading the breed, while it is a puppy. This can damage the dog's bones and muscles. Therefore, avoid prolonged play and exercise before the dog is fully developed. In addition, the Irish Wolfhound can have the following congenital diseases: bone cancer, stomach upset and heart problems. However, it is worth mentioning that it is very rare for the dog to suffer from these diseases. You can also test for them.
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