Irish Wolfhound

Spencer Tomlinson

History
Mentions of the Irish Wolfhound date back to 273 B.C. Used at gifts for kings and nobles. Used to hunt elk, wild boar, and wolves. Killed out all wolves and almost became extinct.

Breed
Wolfhounds are very unique because of their size. Most are around 7 tall. Tallest dog breed in the world. Bred to hunt and still have those instincts. Have a strong history of disease.

Group
The Irish Wolfhound is in the hound group. Largest member of the hound group.

It has many of the characteristics of other hounds.

Long muscular neck Deep and wide chest Long backs with arched lions Drawn up stomachs

 One of the tallest breeds of all dogs.

Appearance

Over 30 inches at the shoulder When standing on back legs can be 7 tall. They should weigh at least 120lbs for males and 105lbs for females. Coat is short, wiry, and rough looking and comes in a few different colors such asgray, red, black, white, or brindle. Wolfhounds are completely natural breeds with undocked tails and uncropped ears.

Social/Media Influence
The Wolfhound has been in a couple older movies/advertisements.
Jeffery the Wolfhound played a main role in the 1962 movie Tristie Wolfhounds have been in books since the early 19th century when they were talked about in the book The Natural History of Quadrupeds and Glorious Animals.

Irish Wolfhounds are the official mascot of the Irish National Army. In olden times from 500 B.C. and on only nobles were allowed to own them so they were looked upon with ahh from the citizens.

Temperament
Wolfhounds are very laid back and kind. Even with their massive size they are very good with children, other people, and also pets. Wolfhounds like to greet everybody as a friend so they arent good guard dogs. Because of their size they are slow in maturing both mentally and physically. It takes about 2 years to fully develop even though their lifespan is around 8 years. They are relatively easy to train with firm but gentle discipline.

Is this the breed for you?

Because of their size Wolfhounds need to have more space, a bigger car to transport them, and more exercise. Their coat can get very snarly so it needs regular brushing. Wolfhounds are good with children and other pets so that should not be a problem.

Wolfhounds eat a lot of food so that can get pricy and they are also prone to a few diseases.

Young
The average price for a baby Wolfhound is around $1500 base price. The average litter size of an Irish Wolfhound is 3-4 puppies. As puppies Wolfhounds need high quality large dog food because of their growth they need to have proper nutrients to allow bones to grow fully in. They should be fed several meals throughout the day and only be allowed 10 minutes to eat and then pick up excess food. Free-feeding a Wolfhound is not a good idea because of their past as hunters they will eat more than needed.

Grooming
Wolfhounds have a medium-long hair length that needs regular brushing and combing. About once or twice a year you need to pluck their coat to remove dead hairs. Their wiry coat can trap hair in their coats. Even with their coats being that way the are still average shedders. Wolfhounds do not need to be bathed often unless they get extra dirty or get into something very smelly.

Diseases
Because of their big size Wolfhounds generally get more diseases than smaller dogs. The three main diseases that affect Wolfhounds are Bone Cancer, Heart Disease, and Bloat/Torsion. A new disease that has recently been discovered in Irish Wolfhounds is Startle Disease.

Startle Disease The graph at the right shows a study of epilepsy in Wolfhounds. The study was conducted on 796 Wolfhounds from 120 litters. < During the study 146 of them ended up having seizures and the graph shows when they got their first one.

Problems
Because of their size Wolfhounds encounter a few problems on average throughout their lives. One major problem is that because their paws are so far away from their heart, if their heart isnt pumping hard enough they will start to get a buildup in their paws. If Wolfhounds are biting their back paws that is a big sign that they have a buildup. Wolfhounds also suffer from Hip Dysplasia and Chronic Pneumonia.

References
"Irish Wolfhound Information and Pictures, Irish Wolfhounds." Irish Wolfhound Information and Pictures, Irish Wolfhounds. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/irishwolfhound.htm>. "Irish Wolfhound Club of America. Inc." Irish Wolfhound Club of America. Inc. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.iwclubofamerica.org/welcome.htm>. "AKC MEET THE BREEDS: Irish Wolfhound." American Kennel Club. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.akc.org/breeds/irish_wolfhound/>. "Welcome!" Irish Wolfhounds. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/>. "Longevity and Morbidity in the Irish Wolfhound in the United States - 1966 to 1986." IRISH WOLFHOUND LONGEVITY-MORBIDITY. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.wolfhoundweb.com/breedinfo/health/longevity/bernardi.html>. "Health Issues." Health. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.irishwolfhoundsociety.co.uk/health.htm>.