General Information

Colors: Gray, brindle, red, black, pure white, fawn or wheaten, black

Coat: Rough and harsh.

Temperament: Irish Wolfhounds are gentle, friendly, intelligent

Great With Children: Yes, wonderful around children.

Great with Pets: Yes

Special Skills: HuVery gentle family pet, with a knack of picking out “different people”


Guard-dog: They are very intimidating and can attack when provoked, but are not catagorized as a guard dog.

Care and Training: They require regular grooming, of their hard, wiry coat or it can become matted. Brushing daily is recommended. Trim around the ears with blunt scissors. The Irish Wolfhound does not require as much exercise as one would think for their great size, but they do need daily walks or runs or they will be inclined to be lazy. Rearing of young Irish Wolfhound puppies is critical because of their rapid growth rate. Do not take them on long walks as this can damage their joints. Using baby wipes to clean their ears is suggested. Weekly nail clipping is a must. Left for long and they begin to argue about having it done. The bigger they are, the harder to do their nails. Get them use to it while young and easy to manage.

Learning Rate: Medium

Activity: Low -Moderate

Living Environment: fenced big backyard.

Health Issues: Heart problems, cancers such as lymphoma, and bone

Life Span average 6- 10 years

Litter Size average 1 - 8

Country of Origin: Ireland

History: Irish history has many references to the Wolfhound. It is said that the Celts took their hounds to Ireland around 1500 B.C. Known then as the "Cu" their name used to imply bravery and many warriors would prefixed their own names with the word. Other names they have been called by are the Irish Hound and Irish Wolfdog. Currently in Ireland they are called the Cu Faoil. They were used in battle to pull men off of horseback and at times to hunt wolves. The Irish Wolfhound breed was almost lost in 1845 when a famine nearly destroyed them. It is said that a British officer by the name of Captain Graham set out to revive the breed.
First Registered by AKC: 1897
AKC Group: Hound

Registries: AKC, ANKC, CKC, FCI (Group 10), KC (GB), UKC