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Irish Wolfhound

dignified / courageous / calm
Hound Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

32 inches minimum (male)

30 inches minimum (female)

Weight

120 pounds (male)

105 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

6-8 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    80% 80%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

Wolfhounds, formerly fearsome big-game hunters capable of eliminating a wolf in a single fight, are now the most calm and pleasant of companions. The friendly Irish Wolfhound is a large, powerful dog with gracefully constructed classic Greyhound lines that can gallop quickly. A male might be up to 180 pounds and about 3 feet tall at the shoulders. Despite running less vigorously, female hounds are nonetheless very powerful. The stiff, coarse coat is available in a variety of hues, including fawn, white, gray, brindle, red, and black. IWs are too calm to be aggressive guard dogs, but their very presence deters burglars. IWs are typically patient with children, however, it is advisable to keep an eye on larger animals when near young children. Owning an Irish Wolfhound is a special and gratifying experience, but getting one requires a dedication that rivals that of the dog.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Irish Wolfhound

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Like other large and deep-chested breeds, Wolfhounds can experience bloat, and sudden and life-threatening swelling of the abdomen, and owners should educate themselves about its symptoms and what to do should bloat occur. Responsible breeders will screen their breeding stock for health and genetic conditions such as pneumonia, heart disease, certain cancers, and liver shunt. An annual examination, preferably by a veterinarian familiar with sighthounds, is recommended and should include an EKG.

Grooming

Irish Wolfhounds have a double coat made up of a soft undercoat underneath a rough, wiry outer coat. They shed periodically throughout the year, but not excessively. A thorough brushing once a week or so will assist to keep the dog looking his best by removing dirt and loose hair. Irish Wolfhounds don't 'blow out' their coats during an annual or semi-annual shedding season, in contrast to many double-coated breeds. As with all breeds, the nails should be periodically cut because excessively long nails can hurt the dog and make it difficult for it to run and walk.        

Exercise

All of a wolfhound's life, exercise is required. They should only be let wild in places that are properly fenced, and any walks must be taken on a leash, as they still have a strong instinct to hunt and chase prey. Irish Wolfhounds are prone to becoming couch potatoes as adults if given the chance, but frequent exercise, such as long walks or playtime, will keep them physically and psychologically healthy. To give them the kind of habitat they need to thrive, a home with a sizable enclosed yard is required. Through engagement in canine sports like tracking, agility, and lure coursing, the breed can also benefit from mental and physical training.        

Training

When left alone for extended periods of time, wolfhound puppies—which require at least 18 months to mature—can be exceedingly disruptive and possibly prone to hurting themselves. Puppies shouldn't be pushed to exercise and should have reasonable access to age-appropriate free play, but not with older dogs. Early socialization and puppy training programs are advised (using only positive training techniques). Irish Wolfhounds are intelligent dogs that learn quickly. Because of their sensitivity to people and need for human interaction, wolfhounds make ideal therapy dogs.              

Nutrition

A high-quality dog food appropriate for the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior) and ideally formulated for large breeds should have all the nutrients the Irish Wolfhound needs. Because of the risk of bloat, strenuous exercise is not recommended before or after feeding time. Check with the dog's breeder and your vet if you have any questions or concerns about your dog's weight, diet, or feeding schedule.

History

The Wolfhound has a rich history that dates back to antiquity and has grown more mythical and legendary through the years. However, it may be firmly claimed that they were developed by the mating of Middle Eastern coursing hounds, which were traded over the known world in the earliest days of international trade, with the native giant dogs of Britain.

The enormous hounds of Ireland were well established by the time the Roman Empire had a foothold in the British Isles. These majestic hunters, whose motto was “Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked,” were used on such prey as the now-extinct Irish elk, a massive, ferocious beast said to stand six feet at the shoulder, and were gifted to the Roman consul in the year 391 that “all Rome viewed with wonder.”

Ireland’s countryside was overrun by wolves in the fifteenth century. The Irish hounds, who were already well-known for taking down large animals, started to concentrate on wolves. When wolves and other big-game creatures in Ireland were hunted to extinction in the late 1700s, IWs lost their jobs and almost perished themselves. In this instance, a breed performed its duties too competently for its own good.

British army captain George Augustus Graham started searching the nation in 1862 in search of any living examples of Ireland’s national dog. Graham dedicated his life to preserving, promoting, and standardizing the breed, and IW enthusiasts still speak well of him wherever they congregate.

Irish legends based on the breed include the somber story of loyalty and regret in “Gelert, the Dog.”