Irish Wolfhound

History of the Irish Wolfhound breed

It is assumed that Irish wolfhounds descended from Egyptian greyhound dogs brought to Ireland by Celtic tribes more than two thousand years ago. And since the Celts themselves needed animals to protect livestock from wolves, the bet on their breeding was made on outstanding dimensions. As a result: at the junction of the III and IV centuries AD, huge, similar to greyhounds dogs that have successfully dealt with any large predator.

As befits working breeds, the progenitors of Irish wolfhounds did not shine with beauty, but they thrilled with their formidable appearance and hunting grip. For example, at the end of the III century AD, the "Irish" performed in the arena of the Roman circus, where they demonstrated extraordinary prowess in the battle with the lion. As for the success in the hunting field, by 1780, by the forces of these shaggy giants, wolves in Ireland were completely exterminated, passing into the category of living exotics.

Note: for several centuries, dogs of the Irish Wolfhound breed have existed in two types: smooth– and wire-haired. Subsequently, individuals with coarse, wire-like hair supplanted their counterparts as less adapted to the changeable island climate.

Since the Middle Ages and up to the XVII century, Irish wolfhounds have been on a wave of popularity. They were presented to ambassadors and eastern nobles, presented as a living payment for services rendered, sending dogs to all corners of Western Europe and even Asia. Cromwell put an end to this hype in 1652. The Lord General imposed an official ban on the export of wolfhounds from Ireland, after which they found themselves in forced isolation, which provoked the degeneration and almost complete extinction of the breed.

Since the middle of the XIX century, interest in this type of greyhounds has been gradually revived. In particular, in 1885, the first breed lovers club was opened in Ireland under the leadership of Captain G. A. Graham. Here, a year later, the annual Graham Transitional Shield award was approved for dogs that have preserved the maximum breed characteristics of their ancestors. By the way, Graham himself, in his attempts to bring back to the world the disappearing genus of Irish wolfhounds, did not hesitate to mix the genes of Great Danes and deerhounds into the blood of his representatives.

In the USSR, they started talking about the "Irish" in the late 80s, when several purebred producers were imported from the Polish nursery "Sagittarius". At the same time, animals began to be exhibited in Russian rings since the early 90s, after the domestic pedigree gene pool was enriched with breeding individuals from Hungary, Germany and other Western countries.

Video: Irish Wolfhound

Irish Wolfhound Breed Standard

The Irish Wolfhound is a big–breasted giant, much like a deerhound, but at the same time more dense and strong. The minimum permissible height of an adult male is 79 cm . Despite its impressive size, the "Irishman" does not look heavy and clumsy. On the contrary, the dog shows such lightness and plasticity in movement that it was absolutely impossible to suspect in it.

Head

The skull of the "Irishman" is elongated, with an almost flat forehead and a narrowed, elongated muzzle.

Bite

The Irish Wolfhound may have scissor and straight bite types, but the first option is preferable.

Eyes

The dog's eyes should have the darkest possible color.

Ears

The ears of the Irish wolfhound are small, laid, pink-shaped.

Neck

Purebred "Irishman" – the owner of a long, well-muscled and somewhat arched neck with tightly stretched skin.

Housing

The dog's body is elongated, noticeably expanding in the groin part. The loin of the Irish Wolfhound is convex. The chest is developed, moderately deep, the abdomen is picked up.

Limbs

The legs of the "Irishman" are long and bony with sloping shoulder blades, elongated, muscular thighs and low hocks. The animal's paws are rounded, set straight, with well-arched fingers and claws.

Tail

The tail is long, of good thickness, with a slight bend.

Wool

The dog's coat is quite tough, and the hair on the eyebrows and muzzle is wire-like.

Color

For Irish wolfhounds, the same types of colors are typical as for deerhounds, that is, white, red, tiger, pale brown, gray, black, etc .

Possible vices

Not every Irish wolfhound fits 100% into the standard fixed by the breed standard, and deviations from the ideal can be both insignificant and threatening the animal with disqualification. Most often , the score at competitions is reduced for the presence of the following defects:

• light or too massive head;
• convex forehead;
• short body of square format;
• curvature of the front legs;
• sagging or straight back;
• large or hanging ears;
• club-footed or with a leg spread;
• short neck and suspension on it;
• excessively narrowed or enlarged chest;
• steep bend of the tail;
• any color of the iris, except black;
• light lobe;
• lips and eyelids of any shade except black;
• fragile hind legs;
• widely spaced fingers.

Photo of an Irish wolfhound

Character of the Irish Wolfhound

At one glance at the Irish wolfhound, it begins to seem that in front of you is a typical tough nut to crack, which will not be easy to get along with. In reality, everything is exactly the opposite: any average "Irishman" is insanely attached to the owner. The dog does not cringe and does not humiliate himself, but this does not prevent the animal from cherishing communication with the person who took him into his house. In addition, dogs of the Irish Wolfhound breed masterfully manage their own aggression, reserving this quality for a serious opponent and never using it against someone who is obviously weaker. So feel free to leave the children in the care of a pet: he will approach the matter with all responsibility and caution.

Since the ancestors of the "Irish" have always hunted wolves and never humans, it will be problematic to turn these good-natured giants into suspicious bodyguards. Even with outsiders, Irish wolfhounds are quite peaceful, if they do not radiate too obvious a threat. But shaggy "goons" manage to establish contacts with other animals with difficulty. And if the wolfhound still agrees to tolerate the presence of a medium-sized dog, then with some papillon he will certainly start a conflict. And the point here is not so much in competition, as in natural instincts. The Irish Wolfhound does not feel the difference between a garbage rat, a stray cat and a miniature dog. For him, they are all prey, with which you can have a good time, and most importantly, have fun without risk to your health.

It is believed that the leadership habits of Irish wolfhounds are alien, therefore, dogs should not encroach on the authority of the owner in principle. Nevertheless, the breed is distinguished by independence and independence in decision-making, so it is better to behave seriously with its representatives, without flirting and lisping. Animals are not prone to jealousy and hiding from an Irish wolfhound to cuddle a cat or scratch another dog behind the ear is clearly not worth it. At the same time, shaggy giants can be offended very much, reacting especially painfully to unfair, as it seems to them, punishment.

With age, the character of the Irish Wolfhound begins to change, which is generally typical for large breeds. Usually the "oldies" are more capricious, touchy and irritable, and this will have to be put up with. The activity of an elderly animal is also decreasing, so the "Irish" who have overcome the 7-year milestone often lie in their corner, remaining undaunted wolf hunters, except somewhere deep in the soul.

Education and training

No matter how much I would like to, but the idea of recording an Irish wolfhound on the ZKS will have to be abandoned. A friendly, seasoned character is a trademark of the breed, and raising bodyguard dogs from its representatives is a meaningless occupation. After all, there is a reason for this rottweilers and caucasian shepherds . Agility, frisbee and weightpulling are more likely to provide the animal with problems with the spine than bring real pleasure, so it's better not to swing at such sports disciplines. But you can indulge in coursing and racing if your pet does not have heart pathologies.

OKD is vital for Irish wolfhounds, as the best method to instill in such a large dog the basics of obedience has not yet been invented. And it doesn't matter whether you take the mission of training a four-legged friend on yourself or entrust the matter to a specialist. The main thing is that the animal in the course of classes was set up for contact and interested in achieving the goal. The learning process itself should be based on mutual respect. Irish wolfhounds categorically do not accept rough treatment, so do not raise your voice when giving a command, and even more so do not switch to shouting. And of course, do not "rape" the animal with repeated repetitions of exercises: we did 2-3 sets and rested for an hour or two. Believe me, this method will give a better result than systematic chewing of the same thing.

It is possible to train an Irish wolfhound puppy to a leash from 4 months, and it is allowed to let the baby run freely only when he has clearly learned the meaning of the command "To me!". The first walks on a leash should be short: if the animal is trailing after you, then someone has overdone the load, and it's time for the pet to go home to rest. By the way, about overloads: they are extremely dangerous for a young "Irishman", and especially for his unformed backbone.

Irish Wolfhound puppies have a very pronounced biting reflex. Kids can practice their grip on toys, objects surrounding them and the owner's hands, so the owner's task is to explain to the pet what can be tried by tooth and what not. Just don't try to shake and beat the puppy that bit you or the child. You don't want to raise a nervous, angry dog with a chronic complex of distrust of a person, do you? The hugging game, which little Irish wolfhounds love so much, is also better to nip in the bud. If the friendly attacks of a puppy are fun and pleasant, then hugging an adult greyhound is a pleasure for an amateur, and for an amateur physically strong.

Maintenance and care

There is an opinion that large-sized Irish wolfhounds are uncomfortable and boring in apartments and houses. In fact, the comfort of the pet depends entirely on the efforts of the owner. If you provide the dog with a spacious couch in a corner, where the household members will not cling to it with their feet, and walk normally, there will be no difficulties with apartment maintenance. Keep in mind that the Irish Wolfhound breed is contraindicated lying on hard surfaces (sensitive joints + a very thin layer of subcutaneous fat), and therefore many owners allow animals to lie on their own bed or sofa. Keeping an Irish wolfhound in an aviary is an extreme measure, this dog does not tolerate loneliness and needs constant close contact with a person. If you still decide to take such a step, do not leave a four-legged friend to spend the winter in a doghouse, even if it is insulated, but still. Firstly, it is cruel, and secondly, it harms the health of the pet. Putting an Irish wolfhound on a chain is also unacceptable: he was not hired as a watchman.

Hygiene

The stiff coat of the Irish wolfhound is put in order with a metal comb and brush, which allows you to quickly and painlessly comb out dead hairs and garbage collected by the animal on a walk. Theoretically, the "Irishman" does not need a haircut, but in practice, most owners shorten their pets' hair in the most dirty places – on the paws and under the tail. It is not allowed to cut the hair on the muzzle, but it is necessary to take care of it, so as soon as the dog has eaten, the "mustache" and "beard" should be wiped with a clean rag.

In addition to the standard combing of Irish wolfhounds, trimming should be done, but in fact this is mainly done by the owners of show dogs. As a rule, not the whole animal is pinched, but only the head, and it is better to do it manually, armed with a silicone fingertip. Usually, trimming begins with the ears: the hair from the outer part of the ear cloth is plucked until the ear becomes relatively smooth. The wedge between the eyes, going from the forehead to the skull, is also neatly trimmed, and with it the lines of the neck and cheeks. It is better to treat the dog not the day before the exhibition, but about a month and a half so that the transitions between the plucked and untreated zones do not catch the eye. Individual breeders practice systematic weekly trimming, or rather its simplified version, when only the bristling hairs around the skull are removed. But if you are for the naturalness and brutality of the appearance with both hands, you can ignore this rule, as a good half of breeders do.

Irish wolfhounds are bathed infrequently – 2-3 times a year is quite enough, using moisturizing shampoos for wire-haired dogs such as No. 33 Coarse Coat Shampoo or Clean Coating Shampoo from "Isle of Dogs". Cleaning the ears of the "Irishman" does not differ in special subtleties. Once a week, the auricle is treated with veterinary lotion, fishing out sulfur and dirt from it with cotton pads and sticks. You need to watch your eyes more carefully, wiping them every 5-7 days with chamomile infusion. But it is better not to treat eye inflammation yourself: there is a risk of misdiagnosing and starting the disease.

The care of the claws and teeth of the Irish Wolfhound is classic: cutting the plate with a claw cutter as it grows and removing plaque with a cleaning nozzle 3-4 times a month. After walking, check the skin on the pads of the pet's paws. If there is no visible damage on it, rinse the paws with warm water and wipe them off. If the skin is cracked, which usually happens in winter, additionally lubricate it with oil or a greasy cream.

Paddock

It is more expedient to use a belt leash for walking an Irish wolfhound. Adult dogs are walked twice a day for an average of an hour (10-minute trips to the toilet do not count), puppies up to six months are taken out to "air out" every 3 hours for 10-15 minutes. Don't forget, Irish wolfhounds are energetic guys, but they are far from supermen, so overloads are harmful for them.

Give the dog plenty to run if you are not walking near the motorway and there are no live provocateurs in the form of stray cats in the field of view. Keep in mind that jumping is prohibited for Irish wolfhounds for up to a year, so you can start practicing acrobatic numbers in the fresh air only when the pet's bone system is strengthened. If you are walking an Irish wolfhound outside the city, in groves and copses, take care of protection from ectoparasites and do not be lazy when you come home to inspect the armpits, withers and groin areas of the pet. If an "enemy" is detected, remove it from the animal's body and observe the behavior of your ward for the next couple of days – it's easier for a dog to get infected with piroplasmosis from a tick.

Feeding

Considering that the basis of a large dog's diet should be lean meat or "drying" of super premium and holistic class, Irish wolfhounds do not cost their owners cheap. Of course, meat protein can be periodically replaced with fish, as well as by-products, but such experiments also provide for decent expenses. As for porridge, the best options for the "Irish" will be buckwheat, rice and oatmeal. At the same time, the share of cereals in the pet's bowl should not exceed ⅓ portions, the rest ⅔ is occupied by meat and its waste.

Irish wolfhounds, as a rule, are not allergic, so their table can be varied with turkey and chicken meat. The main thing is not to completely replace beef and lamb with poultry. It is useful to include low-fat cottage cheese and kefir, pumpkin and squash, as well as seasonal greens in the dog's menu. Potatoes in the diet of the Irish Wolfhound are acceptable, but occasionally and in small quantities. Be careful with bones as well: it is better not to give them to 4-month-old babies at all, so as not to spoil the teeth. But it will be useful for teenage yearlings to indulge in a piece of veal spine - they will receive a portion of natural collagen, and they will train the grip of the lower jaw. It is more expedient for adult and elderly dogs to replace bones with less solid treats from the pet store: they do not have such a detrimental effect on tooth enamel and do not provoke constipation.

Important: in order to avoid stomach inversion after a meal, the Irish wolfhound should lie down for 1.5-2 hours, although often the well-fed animal is eager to play. The task of the owner is to teach the dog to rest after each meal, without a reminder.

Irish wolfhound puppies grow very intensively, and therefore inexperienced owners often increase the baby's ration. This is fundamentally wrong. A young "Irishman" should eat strictly according to a grid designed for puppies of large breeds, otherwise you risk simply feeding him. Of course, a well-fed wolfhound looks much prettier than lean fellows, but his musculoskeletal system will definitely not be happy with extra kilograms.

Vitamin complexes and dietary supplements are a mandatory item on the menu of an Irish wolfhound that feeds on a "straight woman". Special attention is paid to preparations with glucosamine and chondroitin, which maintain the ligaments and joints of the animal in working condition. If you need to work hard to improve the dog's coat, take a closer look at complexes with Omega-3, 6 and 9.

Frequency of feedings:

• from 1 to 3 months – 4-5 times a day;
• from 3 to 6 months – 3 times, with an interval between feedings of 5 hours;
• from 6 months – 2 times a day, but if the puppy is weak, you can continue three meals a day for up to a year.

Health and diseases of Irish Wolfhounds

Indomitable from the outside, inside, Irish wolfhounds remain quite fragile creatures with a low life expectancy (only 6-8, rarely 10 years) and a predisposition to a wide range of diseases.

Ailments of representatives of this breed:

• dislocation of the kneecap;
• hypothyroidism;
• hip dysplasia;
• pyoderma (purulent skin lesion);
• cataract;
• entropy (inversion of the century);
• osteosarcoma;
• Wobbler syndrome (violation of the central nervous system, as a result of which the cervical spine is compressed);
• elbow joint hygroma;
• dilated cardiomyopathy;
• Willebrand's disease (pathology of blood clotting);
• osteochondrosis of the shoulder;
• bloating / inversion of the stomach.

How to choose a puppy

• Irish wolfhounds-males are open and straightforward, which cannot be said about bitches. So getting acquainted with the breed for the first time, stop at the "boy", it's easier to work with him.
• To study the character of a pet, choose a grown-up, not a two-month-old puppy. The personality of too young "Irish" is poorly expressed, so they are all equally cute and funny.
• Do not avoid getting to know the mother and father of the baby in order to see the prospects for the development of the pet.
• Appreciate the atmosphere prevailing in the nursery. Dirty, cramped cages, apathetic puppies with signs of rickets, the refusal of the breeder to demonstrate at least one of the producers indicate that money is simply being made on dogs here.
• Ask about the age of the bitch whose puppies are offered to you, and refuse to buy if a litter from a 7-year-old "grandmother" is for sale.
• Look at the vet passport of an Irish wolfhound puppy, where there should be marks about age-appropriate vaccinations.
• The responsible breeder always tests the litter for at least some of the genetic diseases, so if the kennel offers customers to look at the results of the examination of animals – this is a plus in the karma of the institution.
• Buy 6, or better, 12-week-old puppies and give up 5-week-old crumbs taken from the bitch too early.
• The cost of an Irish wolfhound puppy does not correlate in any way with its color. If the seller tries to inflate the price tag for a unique shade of wool, he is just being cunning.
• When purchasing a grown-up puppy, ask the breeder if the wolfhound is familiar with the leash, what commands he knows. Experienced specialists "teenagers" are socialized, obedient and respond to some commands.

Photos of Irish wolfhound puppies

The price of an Irish Wolfhound

In our country, Irish wolfhounds are relatively little advertised, so there are not so many registered kennels engaged in breeding the breed. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to buy a purebred "Irishman" in Russia, if you are willing to give an order for him $600 - $800 – it is in such amounts that the majority of domestic breeders assess their puppies.