"They are the tallest dogs with a commanding appearance”

OVERVIEW

They have originated from Ireland. They have a muscular built body. They are very tall dogs. They are taller than any other dog. They were used in wars to drag men off horses. These dogs are very adaptable and can hunt easily. They love tracking and chasing up the prey (because of their characteristic of being a hunting dog). They are not too fond of being outside. They are not suspicious (that doesn't mean that they are not alert). They are very sensitive to deal with. 

HEIGHT

• The height of female Irish wolfhound is from 32 inches to 34 inches.
• The height of male Irish wolfhound is from 33 to 35 inches.

WEIGHT

• The weight of female Irish wolfhound is from 115 pounds to 140 pounds.
• The weight of male Irish wolfhound is from 140 pounds to 180 pounds.

LIFESPAN

They will be with you for 6 to 10 years.

COAT

• Colour: black, red, brindle, grey, white, fawn and wheat.
• They have rough coat.
• Their coat is wiry and long as well.

FOOD HABITS

They don't need to eat in bulk. You cannot make them eat for the whole day, you have to stick to a schedule and divide the meal into two times. They need four to eight cup of high quality food.

But with this it won't be wrong to say that your dog's body varies from one to another and the quantity of food required for the dog depends completely on their physical needs. If your dog is sporty and an active one, then of course he will need more food than others. So it's important to watch out your dog and accordingly develop up their eating habits.

It's important to feed your pet with the right quantity and quality of food to help them grow in the best possible manner.

You should never share human food with your pets because, that may contain elements which can be toxic for your pet, for example potatoes, chocolates, etc.

TRAINING

Training them properly is very important and as a part of that training, it is important to socialize them as early as possible because in case if they are not social soon enough, then they may develop aggression towards other animals, especially of the same gender. One thing that we all have always known is, what you sow is what you get. So be aware while training them and focus over obedience training. Socializing them is very important. They need 20 minutes of exercise and minimum half an hour of play time. Physical exercise is important because that helps in burning stress and calories. Don't let them get bored because then they may get destructive.

CARING

First and the most important thing about their ears and faceis that they should be kept clean and dry always. You can clean them with baby wipes so as to keep them infection free. Always keep their ears moisture free because bacteria may attack them and they may face severe infection. Yes, another thing is you cannot make them overeat because overeating will spoil their health and behavior. You should bathe them after every two weeks. Their nails should be always trimmed. They are prone to joint damage so keep that in mind that their joints don't get hurt.

MEDICAL TIPS

HIP DYSPLASIA

• In this condition the bones doesn't fit into hip joint.
• Dog will have pain and will be low on rear legs.

ELBOW DYSPLASIA

• It is caused due to different growth rate of three bones that together makeup the dog's elbow causing joint laxity.

OBESITY

• Gaining weight can cause many problems to your dog. As you know your dog is a bit lazy one so doesn’t let them gain weight because cutting weight would become a big deal.

GASTRIC DILATATION VOLVULUS

• In this, bloating happens which can be a life threatening thing. In this the dog is not able to vomit out the extra air in his stomach.

OSTEOCHONDROSIS

• This is caused due to improper growth of cartilage in the joints. Basically it happens in the elbow.

PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA)

• This disease causes blindness in the dog.
• It is the habitat of a dog to catch sensations that compensate a bit to their blindness.

HOW TO SELECT YOUR IRISH WOLFHOUND

• There are two most important things you should keep in mind if you are planning to buy a Irish wolfhound :
• First and the most important thing is to approach a reputed breeder because if you are not doing that remember you are on the verge of getting trapped and will be fooled out with dogs of different breed. So choose your breeder wisely and smartly. Try not getting fooled up from the fake breeders. Last but not the least choose the breeder with your area of interest.
• Second thing I believe comes as being an important point of concern is the quality of pedigree and remember only a reputed or a good breeder will only know what pedigree Actually quality pedigree means what kind of parents, grandparents and ancestors that particular pet had, because through that only you will understand the abilities, temperament and health of that pet, as almost the same traits are passed as hereditary. Basically track record of a quality pup is very important.

Now what mostly happens is that at times we confuse the two important terms pedigree & puppy's registration but they are too different. Through pedigree a reputed breeder can tell you what qualities the pet must have inherited but through registration papers you identify who are the parents and ancestors of the pup but they will not tell you about the qualities.