As noted in the breed standard, males should
be at least 32 inches tall at the shoulder and at least 120 pounds; bitches should be at
least 30 inches and 105 pounds. These minimum height and weights apply only to adult
hounds over 18 months of age. Males usually "average" around 34-35 inches and
140-180 pounds, bitches around 32-34 inches and 115-140 lbs.
BIGGER IS NOT NECESSARILY
BETTER! There is a lot more to the breed than "XX inches" or "XXX"
pounds.
A tall hound might be tall due only to incorrect
straight bone structure and may well develop corresponding problems later on -
arthritic changes due
to excessive wear and tear on the joints, for instance.
In the same vein, do not encourage your hound to
stand on his/her hind legs - this especially applies to young puppies. Aside from behavior problems later on (no one wants to be jumped on by a 100-plus pound dog), it can also
cause stress on bones and muscles and possible injury.
Puppies can eat quite a lot while growing up, in several
daily meals. Some are picky eaters, others are chow hounds. It is important not to
overfeed, which might cause loose bowels and stomach upsets. Follow the diet recommended
by your breeder (this assumes you will purchase a puppy from a responsible breeder, who will know
proper diet and feeding methods).
Adult hounds usually are fed two meals a day. Most
breeders recommend feeding from an elevated (shoulder height) stand - this is thought to
aid in digestion, and is especially recommended for deep-chested breeds.
The average lifespan of an Irish Wolfhound is 6-8 years.
For the average purchase price of
an IW puppy, check with a contact
person(s) in your
area. Be wary of prices far above or far below the average.
On average, the IW is a fairly expensive dog to properly
maintain. Any medications required (including heartworm preventative) will be two to three
times as much in quantity as for the average dog, and the diet should be a quality one
(what you think you would save buying cheap kibble you'll pay over and over again with an
unhealthy hound and vet bills). And of course there will be the bigger vehicle, the
oversized sofa ....
IWs have a dual coat - a harsh wiry outercoat and a softer
undercoat. They shed year-round, but do not "blow coat" as do longer-coated
breeds. Weekly or bi-weekly brushing and combing will keep the coat in good shape.
Note: If
your veterinarian hasn't much sighthound or IW experience, most experienced IW veterinarians
are happy to share their knowledge. Ask your breeder and/or the
local club for a reference to such a veterinarian.
Experienced IW people are also a valuable resource for
breed-related health information.
While the internet can be a good source of information, it can also
provide a great deal of mis-information - whether outdated, anecdotal, hysterical,
misinterpreted, or just plain wrong. Always discuss medical concerns with your
veterinarian.
Heart Disease - Heart failure is one of the major
causes of death in the IW. Studies on both sides of the ocean are ongoing; in the US, Neil
Harpster VMD, Diplomate ACVIM, Chief of Cardiology at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital,
Boston, MA, has been collecting data at IWCA National Specialties for the past several
years - see "Electrocardiographic
Screening Statistics at the 1997 IWCA Specialty, Lake Placid, NY".
Also see the OFA Cardiac
Database.
Bloat and Gastric Torsion
-
A
Dog Owner's Guide To Bloat
, Bloat
(Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus)
, Gastric
Torsion In Dogs, Bloat:
Is Nutrition A Factor?. Also see
these links.
Cancer - Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is one of the
most common cancers in the IW. It most often occurs in the leg bones, but can occur
elsewhere. Another cancer seen in the IW is lymphosarcoma (lymphoma), which is the third
most common cancer diagnosed in dogs.
For more on different types of canine cancer, see the
Veterinary Oncology Menu at OncoLink, at
the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center website.
Also see Managing
the Cancer Patient.
Liver
shunt - Liver shunts are abnormal blood vessels which cause the blood
supply to bypass the liver. They are usually present at birth. Also see Portal
Caval Shunts,
Portosystemic
Shunt (PSS) In the Irish Wolfhound,
Portosystemic Shunt (PEI University) and the University of
Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine
liver shunt
information.
Hypothyroidism - Low circulating thyroid level,
which can result in skin, coat and weight abnormalities, behavior changes,
and fertility problems.
More links:
Hypothyroidism
, the OFA's Canine
Thyroid Registry, and
Canine Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Also see
Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
in Irish Wolfhounds. See more links
here.
Von Willebrands Disease - A bleeding disorder
which is an inherited blood coagulation/platelet function disorder. See Von
Willebrands Disease
Less common medical problems in the breed can include:
Osteochondrosis and
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) - Osteochondrosis is a painful malformation
of the joint cartilage which can affect puppies of rapidly growing large breeds.
Osteochondrosis dissecans occurs when the affected area is further traumatized and a
cartilage "flap" develops, resulting in acute pain. Also see
Canine Osteochondrosis.
Hypertrophic
Osteodystrophy (HOD) - a
frustrating and painful disease. Hyper- means excessive, and
-trophy or -trophic refers to growth, so the name describes an abnormal
and excessive growth of bone (os-) in certain locations.
Also see
Let's Talk About HOD and
Hypertrophic
Osteodystrophy.
Hip dysplasia
-
affects the hip joints - one or both (usually both) become loose, partially dislocated
and become subject to severe arthritic changes. Symptoms can vary from no outward signs to
a total inability to function.
Elbow dysplasia -
a
malformation of the elbow joint, usually affecting both elbows, leading to pain and
lameness of varying degrees. As in hip dysplasia, severe arthritic changes usually
develop.
Megaesophagus -
Weakness of the esophagus, can be
congenital or develop secondary to other diseases. Regurgitation (not
vomiting) is usually the first symptom noticed. See
Congenital
Megaesophagus in the Dog and
Canine Megaesophagus.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy - A hereditary, blinding disease of the retina of the eye.
Also see the Canine Eye Registry
Foundation (CERF).
Fibrocartilaginous Embolic Myelopathy (FCE) - Pieces of cartilage-like material lodge in blood vessels supplying
the spinal cord, causing mild to severe forms of paralysis. Most prevalent
in large and giant breed dogs of 3-5 years, but can happen at any
age, even to puppies. Related subject: Lumbosacral
Stenosis (Cauda Equina Syndrome)
Seizures -
Seizures can be epileptic in nature or non-epileptic (organic causes, disease, trauma,
toxicities). More resources: the Canine
Epilepsy Network, and the EPI
Support Group.
For additional canine
health information: The Canine
Health Foundation
A yearly health check
is most important. When you acquire your IW, get a recommendation from
your breeder or other experienced IW people who live in your area as to a good
veterinarian. Be sure to find out what services are offered (24 hour emergency coverage,
what surgeries are/are not performed, to whom and where does the veterinarian refer,
etc.).
The Irish Wolfhound Club of
America is a member of the
Canine Health
Information Center (CHIC).
Irish Wolfhounds need a secure, above-ground
fence. They are sighthounds, fast and strong, and accounts involving dogs going through
invisible fences with tragic results are heard all too often. A sighthound looks across
the horizon to see its boundaries: they should see their fence.
In addition, an invisible
fence will not keep other animals or people out of your yard and can result in your dog
being attacked or stolen.
An Irish Wolfhound should never be tied or staked
out, ever. They are a large, agile hound and tie-out methods are completely unsuitable,
giving them only the most restricted of exercise, and can cause injury as well.
Irish Wolfhounds want to be with their people.
Some breeders with multiple hounds may have a kennel establishment, of
course (and probably spend more time there than in their own home); but in speaking of one or two
(but sometimes even more!) hounds, inside with you is where they should
be. For some thoughts on outside dogs, see "Outside Dogs"
by Dennis Fetko, PhD.
IWs love to romp freely, especially when puppies. They
should have a secure, above-ground fenced area for this activity. Puppies should not be
subjected to forced exercise, even long walks, until at least a year or more of age.
Adults can become couch potatoes, especially if you are
one yourself - they adapt quite well to your schedule! They love long walks with their
people; don't let them become soft and prone to injury/illness.
Some puppies can be very destructive, some aren't. All
puppies need to be watched; if a puppy must be left alone, it should be provided with a safe place to stay (perhaps a crate) and safe toys to chew.
IW puppies housebreak rather quickly; a crate can be
helpful, especially overnight. However, while crating can be a useful housebreaking tool, they should never be crated routinely for long periods of time (such as during work
hours), which can be detrimental to muscles and joints, and encourage formation of bursas. Long hours of crating or kenneling with little opportunity for
socialization can foster timidity in a hound and leave their personalities undeveloped.
IWs are fast learners. They respond best to
positive training methods.
Basic obedience and socialization are very important for a
growing puppy.
There is no such thing! "Rare" implies some sort
of value placed on a particular color, but no color in the IW is valued above another (except possibly
to a seller trying to provoke a sale at inflated prices to the
uninformed). Some colors
appear less frequently than others, is all.
Dogs - In general, IWs get along fine with other
dogs, but should not be raised with aggressive breeds.
Cats, rabbits, etc. - This is a sighthound, bred
for centuries to chase, hunt and bring down game, so do not assume small animals won't be
chased (which could result in the smaller animal being injured or even killed). Some IWs
are fine with cats, especially if raised with them; others are not.
It is wise to evaluate
each IW on an individual basis.
Horses - Hounds should be taught when small pups to
respect the horse.
Do not assume the hound will not chase the horse, which can result in
grave injury to the hound.
IWs are good with children, but of course, use
common sense - even a puppy is large enough to knock down a small child in play. Children
and dogs should always be monitored when together.
IWs are not horses - back injuries could result
even with a seemingly light weight.
IWs are also not draft dogs; they are not
structured for weight-pulling. Just because they can do it, doesn't mean they should.
No. In itself, their size can be a deterrent, but
by nature, they are companion dogs and do not have the "guard dog" temperament. Aggression in any form should never be encouraged.
Hygromas (also called bursas) are a fluid-filled
swelling over any bony prominence (elbows, hocks, etc.) which frequently comes into
contact with a hard area, such as floors. Puppies, especially, often throw
themselves down
with great abandon. The swelling is nature's way of protecting the joint. Unless the bursa
becomes infected, it is best to treat conservatively and not invasively. Provide plenty of
soft bedding areas, and you can also bandage the bursa with padding, being careful not to
restrict blood flow. The majority of bursas will slowly disappear on their own with this
conservative treatment.
Copyright © The Irish Wolfhound Club of America,
Inc. All rights reserved.
Revised:
April 22, 2011.
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