Here are some fun and fascinating facts about the Irish Wolfhounds that will surely surprise a lot of people!
When these tall pooches first came into existence, they were heavily used for hunting purposes. And, their main targets were various large-sized animals like elks, boars and especially the wolves. And, because they originated in Ireland and were used as wolf hunters, these canines were rightly named as Irish Wolfhounds.
Irish Wolfhounds are extremely tall pooches that have an average height of 30-35 inches (at the shoulders), which is just mind-blowing. When these canines stand on their back legs, they can easily reach a height of 7 feet. And, because of this, the Irish Wolfhounds are considered to be one of the tallest dogs in the entire world. Some even say that they are the tallest of all dog breeds.
The canines that use their sense of vision and direction for hunting down their preys are known as the Sighthounds. And, the Irish Wolfhounds are one of those pooches that use their excellent sight to find the location of their targets. And, as they are humungous in size, they are considered to be the largest sighthounds of the canine world.
In the past, the color blue was considered to be impermissible in the Irish Wolfhounds and the puppies whose coats started to turn blue were immediately put down by the breeders. But today, things are a bit different as Blue colored Irish Wolfhounds are now recognized by most Kennel Clubs and these pooches are gradually becoming more and more common.
It is believed by many people that the Irish Wolfhounds probably came into existence as early as 393 A.D. These early Irish Wolfdogs were extremely large in size and they possessed such great power and strength that they were unmatched by any other breed at the time. These pooches had an average height of 6 feet at the shoulders and because they were immensely well-built and highly sturdy, they were mainly used for hunting purposes and were also employed to fight humans in various Irish wars and battles.
The need for the Irish Wolfhounds decreased drastically when most of the wolves and elks in Ireland were already hunted and there were almost no more targets left for the Irish Wolfhounds to hunt. Gradually, their numbers took a massive hit and situation was so bad, that the Irish Wolfhound breed was very close to becoming extinct. At that time, Captain George Augustus Graham came forward to help out these canines and in 1862, he started breeding the remaining Irish Wolfhounds with various other breeds like the Great Dane, the Pyrenean wolfhound, the Tibetan Borzoi, and the Scottish Deerhounds. And, this breeding program, which nearly took 23 years to fully solidify the breed, proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Irish Wolfhounds as the aggressive and ferocious traits of the previous canines got removed and characteristics like gentleness, kindness, and tenderness were now introduced in the newly formed Irish Wolfhounds. The only downside (if you can say so) of the breeding program was that the Irish Wolfhounds lost their gargantuan height and immense strength and power.
Both the 31st and 35th U.S. President, Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy, respectively had an Irish Wolfhound with them who they loved a lot. Hoover’s Wolfhound was called Cragwood Padraic and Kennedy’s Wolfhound was named as Wolf.
The modern-day Irish Wolfhounds are highly kind and careful with small kids. These canines may have a domineering appearance but they are immensely tender and playful with kids of all ages and thus they are considered to be a perfect breed for those families who have small kids present in their homes.
Due to their size and built, many people consider the Irish Wolfhounds to be excellent guard dogs. But this cannot be further from the truth as these pooches don’t have the aggressive side or the alertness that is required for a canine to be a decent guard dog. The Irish Wolfhound is a sweet-tempered and gentle breed that shouldn’t be confused for a great guarding breed just because these pooches have a well-built body and are gigantic in size.
Cormac mac Airt, a King in Ireland, had an army of around 300 Irish Wolfhounds. These pooches were used to knock down the enemy soldiers of their horses and they prove to be a great help in various wars that took place in Ireland.
The Royal Irish Regiment which is an infantry regiment of the British Army still uses an Irish Wolfhound as its mascot. This regiment was founded in the year 1992 and its motto was “Faugh A Ballagh” which means “Clear the Way.”