Overview:

The Irish Wolfhound is a giant dog with wolf-like features. It is a hunter by sight and ideal for a family that is close to nature if not your pets will be converted to prey. They demand lots of exercise but will not complain if the family doesn’t have time for its exercise needs. They are not suitable for life in a kennel and will pine away if not close to their family.

Country of origin:

Ireland.

Size type:

Giant dog breeds

Breed group:

Hounds dog breeds (AKC)

Character:

These are friendly, gentle-natured, dogs that are kind to children, unconditionally loyal to their owner and family, pliable though not slavishly so, calm, and not yappy.

Height:

The shoulder-height is a minimum of 79cm (31 ½ 2in) to 90cm for dogs and 71cm (28in) to 79cm for bitches.

Weight:

45-55kg for dogs and 40-50kg for bitches

Temperament:

This breed normally gets on well with children and there should be no difficulty with other dogs. This is also true for other animals if the dog has got to know them when it was young. They need to be at the Centre of a family and will pine away in kennel. They are not usually vigilant, giving a friendly greeting to all comers.

Coat:

The coat consist of rough, coarse, hard, and rather unkempt-looking hair. They can be grey, grey roan, black, roe deer coloured, and plain white. Grey is the most common colour. 

Care:

Regular and thorough grooming with brush and comb will keep the coat in good condition. About once or twice a year the coat will need to be plucked to remove excess hair

Training:

The Irish Wolfhound is relatively easy to train. A gentle approach with plenty of understanding will go a long way, because this quickly grasp what you intend. Ensure that the young dog is giving as much self-confidence as possible and make sure you are always consistent with it, so that it can develop into an equable, confident dog. Do not forget to teach it not to pull on its lead-preferable before it gets big and strong. These dogs grow rapidly and during this stage high-quality food is essential. During this time let the dog decide for itself how much exercise it wants. Forced exercise and long-distance walks are too taxing for their bodies during this time. It takes two whole year before they are fully grown.

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