Breed History

The Irish Wolfhound has always been a highly valued dog in all of its history. They originated from Ireland and were originally allowed to be owned by only the rich and noble Irish men. The breed was used as a war dog for the purpose of pulling riders off their war chariots and horses.

They were also used as hunting dogs, and they hunted games as big as boars, elks, and wolves. At a time, the breed started to reduce in number and would have gone to extinction, but for the activities of Major H. D. Richardson who started to breed Irish Wolfhounds in the 1800s with breeding programs based on Glengarry Deerhounds.

In 1885, the Irish Wolfhound Club was founded by Captain George Augustus Graham, who was another Irish Wolfhound advocate. The breed was recognized by England’s Kennel Club in 1925 and 1927, the Irish Wolfhound Club of America was established. Today, the breed is recognized as number 77th in AKC’s list of 155 breeds and varieties in America.

Temperament

Although they come in huge sizes and have a history of violence, the Irish wolfhound is a calm, gentle and dignified breed with high intelligence and a huge passion for human company. They are also very sensitive to their owners’ attitude towards them.

For this, it is important to consciously train the breed with constant positive reinforcements like rewards and praises.

Harsh treatment towards this breed often makes them shut off. You might want to spend a lot of your time with the Irish Wolfhound if you own one, seeing that they value this kind of relationship.

Environment

Not minding their huge size, the Irish Wolfhound is mostly a house dog. They are more relaxed and enjoy better health in a yard with enough space to run, alongside firmly built fence to stop them from chasing other animals.

They also enjoy staying indoors, especially in the company of their owners and family. However, it is not advisable to live with them in houses that have stairs as they might damage their joints while running the stairs, plus, it could be difficult to carry them down the stairs in cases of emergency because of their huge size and weight.

Space, where they can easily run around, is crucial to their mental and physical health, and they might be negatively affected if they do not have this space.

Exercise

Irish Wolfhounds do well with about 20 minutes of playtime every day in an open space where they can be free to run around.

It is, however, important to keep this playtime an hour before, or two hours after their mealtime. This is to help them minimize the risk of having bloats or gastric torsions.

Daily walks to nearby destinations, about an hour or two is also recommended, but while at it, it is a must to use leeches, so as to prevent the dog from chasing other animals and injuring them or itself.

Irish Wolfhounds are naturally a huge breed and they require frequent exercise to keep fit. It is however advised not to overdo exercises so that it does not lead to joint-related conditions.

Grooming

The Irish Wolfhound needs frequent grooming to keep it healthy and in good shape at all times. It has a rough and hard coat and sheds consistently round the year calendar.

You need to brush them weekly to help keep the coat clean and healthy. They do not require baths too frequently and can go for one year with just two to three baths.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions About the Irish Wolfhound