Irish Wolfhounds.

[Dwyran_gold]

My husband has always wanted one. I’ve researched a lot about the breed and they do seem like a great family dog! I was planning on getting another dog and looking around to find the best fit for our family. Anybody have any experience with them? We have a littleish cottage but with plenty of grounds and dog proofed fields. We have a pointer and a jackapoo at the moment, along with a teenager and a toddler. How are they with smaller dogs? I read they are great with children and that’s important.
Thanks in advance

 

[GSD Woman]

What little I know about them is that in the USA at least, they tend to be very short lived. 7-8 years is pretty normal. Also, the few I've known personally, are slugs. That might be perfect for your situation though.

 

[palo1]

Wonderful but huge, short lived and hard to stay clean with!! Generally lovely, lovely characters but actually so huge that they aren't really like a pet dog. We had several Newfoundlands at home at one point and I had to say that actually living with such large dogs is very different to life with the average sort of dog!! In some ways you really do need to consider how you are going to feel about sharing your home-space. Especially when you have a wet dog/dirty dog/ill dog and may find it hard to keep them sensibly or comfortably confined. One of my first jobs was to care for 3 Wolfhounds and they were delightful but had a sofa in their very own outbuilding as effectively too large to be comfortable in the house. You also need to consider your vehicle etc a little bit. They are beautiful BUT if you like the look of them how about a wiry sort of lurcher ? You are likely to find an equally charming character though maybe a little bit more exercise tolerant and much much more manageable. Wolfhounds are a bit of a specialist breed in my view and their health/longevity is simply heart-breaking.

 

[blackcob]

The last breed health survey had the average age at death as 6.5 years. I have always had a soft spot for them, as I grew up an army brat under a regiment that had them as a mascot and remember meeting great galumphing hounds often, but if I were to choose that sort of dog now I'd go for a fuzzy lurcher on health and longevity grounds.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I've not known of any to live longer than 7. You would have to consider your transport for vet visits, holidays etc.
I also knew a man who bred show deerhounds, they were delightful and very gentle around humans, but *would* take on a fox if they had to and one very carefully removed the neighbour's child's rabbit and kept it in his kennel. It was popped back through the hedge when discovered, a little shell shocked......

 

[Dwyran_gold]

The last breed health survey had the average age at death as 6.5 years. I have always had a soft spot for them, as I grew up an army brat under a regiment that had them as a mascot and remember meeting great galumphing hounds often, but if I were to choose that sort of dog now I'd go for a fuzzy lurcher on health and longevity grounds.

Ah gosh, 6.5 years isn’t very long at all. I was under the impression they would live 8-10 years like other large dog breeds. I’ll have to have a look more in to the health problems. My husband has fond memories of them as a child too which is why he’s always wanted one. Xx

 

[palo1]

It's lateral thinking but if your OH likes Irish dogs there are others of course!!! (Irish terrier convert here... )

 

[Dwyran_gold]

I've not known of any to live longer than 7. You would have to consider your transport for vet visits, holidays etc.
I also knew a man who bred show deerhounds, they were delightful and very gentle around humans, but *would* take on a fox if they had to and one very carefully removed the neighbour's child's rabbit and kept it in his kennel. It was popped back through the hedge when discovered, a little shell shocked......

ahh Scottish deerhounds are lovely dogs! I love a scruffy looking pooch.
We have a large 4x4 with the boot converted for our dogs so that wouldn’t be a problem. We are normally a 3 dog family but lost one last year. It’s been a process but I think we are ready to add back to the brood. Xx

 

[splashgirl45]

if you are on facebook there is a group who frequently have deerhound crosses who look like a lighter irish wolfhound, called lurchers,whippets,greyhounds in rescue or there is another group called hairy sighthounds and lurchers which has rescues on as well.

i had a deerhound many years ago and lost her just before she was 10, so a little longer than irish wolfhounds but lurchers seem to live longer

 

[Dwyran_gold]

if you are on facebook there is a group who frequently have deerhound crosses who look like a lighter irish wolfhound, called lurchers,whippets,greyhounds in rescue or there is another group called hairy sighthounds and lurchers which has rescues on as well.

Thank you, I’ve joint a few wolfhound pages on Feb. when the kids are older we’d love to rescue dogs as we are such a doggy family. At the moment with the kids been young we like to bring a puppy up with the family, with a knowledge of its life experience and training. I know some people would disagree but it’s just with the family dynamic is at the moment. Xx

 

[oldie48]

A friend has had two, the first lived longer but the second died very young. She has just got another but it is their only dog and they have a big house and no longer have children at home. They are huge!

 

[Dwyran_gold]

Wonderful but huge, short lived and hard to stay clean with!! Generally lovely, lovely characters but actually so huge that they aren't really like a pet dog. We had several Newfoundlands at home at one point and I had to say that actually living with such large dogs is very different to life with the average sort of dog!! In some ways you really do need to consider how you are going to feel about sharing your home-space. Especially when you have a wet dog/dirty dog/ill dog and may find it hard to keep them sensibly or comfortably confined. One of my first jobs was to care for 3 Wolfhounds and they were delightful but had a sofa in their very own outbuilding as effectively too large to be comfortable in the house. You also need to consider your vehicle etc a little bit. They are beautiful BUT if you like the look of them how about a wiry sort of lurcher ? You are likely to find an equally charming character though maybe a little bit more exercise tolerant and much much more manageable. Wolfhounds are a bit of a specialist breed in my view and their health/longevity is simply heart-breaking.

I actually know where your coming from with the staying clean. My pointers like a bull in a china shop! And the fur is amazing, I sometimes think I could knit a new dog from the fur she’s shed! It is all about the character and that’s what really matters to us and offering a good life to a great pooch.
We had a Newfoundland but we lost him last year the house has seemed quite big without him. xx

 

[palo1]

Of course!! I must say that trying to live in a house with 3 newfies - even though they had their own 'room' and a large garden was something of an exercise in toleration even though they were the most wonderful friends. You are right - the character of your dog is all important - the right dog and almost anything is tolerable. Sighthounds are just wonderful dogs too.

 

[{97702}]

I meet 3 wolfhounds quite regularly when I walk my lot in the woods - I find it interesting that the owners actively avoid meeting other people and keep their dogs away from everyone. I’m assuming that’s because a lot of people are traumatised by the size of the dogs, I think they are gorgeous! I could never have a giant breed because they are so short lived ? - greyhounds are bad enough and they manage to get to 12!

 

[CorvusCorax]

There were a pair living on the estate where my dad lived when I was a kid and they used to escape periodically, all the children would run away shreiking 'THE DONKEYS! THE DONKEYS!'

 

[LaurenBay]

my friend had them growing up. She had 4 and I remember all of them, all 4 very nice natured with people and other animals. Easily trained and all went off lead. The only thing I noted is they all died quite young with various different health issues.

 

[blackcob]

I take back the galumphing hound(s) comment, turns out it was just the one galumphing hound I remember - this giant hairy bugger!

 

[Rowreach]

It is like living with a quiet but clumsy pony in the house.

 

[Dwyran_gold]

I take back the galumphing hound(s) comment, turns out it was just the one galumphing hound I remember - this giant hairy bugger!

oh my goodness! He is gorgeous ?

 

[Dwyran_gold]

It is like living with a quiet but clumsy pony in the house.

it sounds like you speak from experience haha xx

 

[{97702}]

Out of curiosity I’ve just googled how big they are - they are the same size as Ace greyhound. That’s easy to live with ?

 

[Dwyran_gold]

Out of curiosity I’ve just googled how big they are - they are the same size as Ace greyhound. That’s easy to live with ?

sometimes I don’t think it’s the size that makes them easier to live with. My friend has two boxers and it’s exhausting just visiting Lol xx

 

[Rowreach]

it sounds like you speak from experience haha xx

Oh yes. I had a live in job with a couple ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

I take back the galumphing hound(s) comment, turns out it was just the one galumphing hound I remember - this giant hairy bugger!

Brian Boru the eleventy billionth?!

ETA, whoops, wrong regiment

 

[Rowreach]

Brian Boru the eleventy billionth?!

The people I worked for had a succession of them, all called Finn McCool.

 

[Goldenstar]

we had friends who where emigrating who had two they came to stay with us for a couple of months after their house was sold .
Their heads where exactly work top height they could walk past and swipe things without appearing to move at all .They are huge dogs .

 

[Dwyran_gold]

we had friends who where emigrating who had two they came to stay with us for a couple of months after their house was sold .
Their heads where exactly work top height they could walk past and swipe things without appearing to move at all .They are huge dogs .

lol that’s something we have had to learn to watch out for with our pointer, she once eat a whole roast chicken in the time it took me to get the roasts out of the oven! Xx

 

[{97702}]

sometimes I don’t think it’s the size that makes them easier to live with. My friend has two boxers and it’s exhausting just visiting Lol xx

Oh yes I used to live with boxers.... it was always interesting.... ?

My greyhound boys are bigger and are really chilled, the lurcher girls are smaller and manic ??

 

[Blazingsaddles]

if you are on facebook there is a group who frequently have deerhound crosses who look like a lighter irish wolfhound, called lurchers,whippets,greyhounds in rescue or there is another group called hairy sighthounds and lurchers which has rescues on as well.

i had a deerhound many years ago and lost her just before she was 10, so a little longer than irish wolfhounds but lurchers seem to live longer

MIl owned & bred a litter of deerhounds, many years ago, later on she owned a Deerhound/greyhound x, sweetest natured, gentle giant (excusing small furries?). She lived until 12, which is pretty good going for such a tall dog. ?

 

[paisley]

It is like living with a quiet but clumsy pony in the house.

Once they've grown up a bit. Imagine the exuberance of a puppy's mad session combined with a juggernaut and what that can do indoors
But they are glorious, you'll need a T-shirt that says 'we have put a saddle on it, thanks' and accept all cups of tea are fair game.
One I knew lived to 11 years old, but she was a proper stubborn old wench