J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Now I am sure this is idle musing but the wife keeps going on about getting one of these lovely dogs, there are a couple that get walked on the common locally and they are fantastic, gentle and dignified Dogs, genuinely captivating but that is never a reason to get one, we have a little Poodle/Terrier (Rambo) cross who is great but she has this thing for the Wolf Hound.

Anyone had one, what are the downsides ?

We have a decent sized house but I am not sure its Wolf Hound Scale ! garden is pretty big but again not sure ow much a Wolf Hound needs, appreciate they need a decent run ad that again isnt an option as will get walked like Rambo does.

Are they demanding, I appreciate they can be destructive but has anyone had one, would a 5 ft 2 woman be able to control one, would a 6ft, 17 st bloke control one for that matter !

What worries me is they dont live so long, seems tragic, something so noble only lives to seven or so.

Anyone had one ?

Mrfastbaz

lovely dogs never had one but if we had the space i would love one

RA Dunk

I would imagine feeding the big barsteward would be a big downside, big dogs can put away big food!

CREWJ

I don't know much about owning one but my dad's friend had one. I remember he brought it round one day when I was only a nipper. I distinctly remember it walking into the living room then backed up to the settee and sat down, it was unbelievable! It was over 5 foot tall on all fours and over 7 foot on it's hind. Bloody massive!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Dunk, yes I did suggest that may be an issue, Rambo is pretty cheap to run !

I think its only her wishing and will probably never happen but to be honest, if she did want one more than her highly pragmatic inner self could cope with then so be it, I love Dogs and would say go for it and just deal with it.

bigsinky

taken from another site.

Largest dog breed at 32-34 inches. B*tches can be 30 inches, but the higher average is desirable.

3. They eat approx 1500 kcal twice daily. This varies depending on individual activity level, size, metabolic rate, and age. Puppies (less than 2 y.o.) eat more and geriatrics (over 5 y.o.) eat less. Dog foods and homemade diets' calorie content varies, so telling your cups, ounces, grams, or kg to feed is inaccurate and impossible.

4. If raised and trained around them, many dogs are "good" around livestock. As large sighthounds, IWs are meant to track and hunt large game. Instinctively, they have drive to chase prey. Horses and cattle are flight or fight prey animals. Keep this in mind.

IWs need to run daily with supervision, but also need to be kept indoors, in a home environment, as they are loving, 'soft' tempered dogs, not guard/protection dogs. They can be big lumbering clumsy dogs, especially when developing (1st 2 years of life), and a broken toe or tibia is not uncommon, at least once in their lives.

I've seen IWs that are gentle lambs with chicks, hens, and tiny indignant toy breeds with which they share home and hearth. A leading b*tch in diestrus or an intact male have both wrapped their mouths around their juvenile male kennelmates' necks in breeding and boarding operations, which I've treated for extensive wounds and bruising at a minimum. All dogs can only succeed with the tools we give them. If we don't effectively control the environment or don't effectively train our dogs, chaos can rule.

A wounded or resistant IW cannot be moved or carried by a single person. Keep this in mind if you live alone. We usually have 2 large people, or 3 average folk transfer sedated IWs.

IWs are a short-lived giant breed. You are blessed to get 8 years longevity from an individual.

Reconsider. Think of your environment first. Hot throughout a large portion of the year. Any giant breed is going to have difficulty in such an environment, especially daytime in the summer. Consider an Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, English Shepherd, Pyrenean Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, or Collie if you need a herding dog to help you move stock field to field, or into the barn. When considering Aussie and Border Collie, look for working lines, from stock bred for performance and herding, not for the show ring. As long as they're still CERF, OFA knees/elbows/thyroid, PennHIP, BAER, and Cardiac normal, they don't need to be comformation beauty champions, so to speak. If you want a good family/guardian type dog that doesn't need to "work" the critters but can use the land for exercise, consider the Boxer, English Shepherd (good well rounded breed!), Pyr Shepherd (again), Pointer, English Setter, Vizsla, or other working/herding breed that is not double coated (i.e. no lab, GSD, husky, great pyr, newf, etc) as more coat yields more misery in a Texan climate. Training is paramount. Give your dog clear directives, praise, and a job, and you both will be happier and more bonded.

For your first dog alone, best to steer clear of more dominant, independent breeds, giant breeds, short-lived breeds (age quickly), and sighthounds, which are notorious for running away from owners, even after many years with their owner, because a moving target is impossible to ignore.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Youll need tesco bags to pick up its poo! unlike a sandwhich bags at the minute.

bigsinky

had a quick look at this seemingly excellent study done some years ago. nearly 600 in study. IWs. average age at death just 6.5 years. biggest cause (33%) was cancer, followed by heart disease. the addendum to the study makes interesting reading.

http://www.wolfhoundweb.com/breedinf.../bernardi.html

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I know, tragic, like the Alfa Romeo of the Dog World

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

I have never owned one... Do have a friend who has 2 wolf hound crosses and they are stunning animals...

But like any large dog be prepared to put time and effort into the dogs training..If he/she starts to show dominant traits it can be hard to break.. The Wolfhound isnt as headstrong as say a GSD,but shear size and strength can make up for it.

As for the "control" question.... Then NO,neither of you would be able to control it if it went ballistic..
Hopefully though with a sound upbringing and good training the need will never arise..

Are there any other dogs you would consider ?? Why a Wolfhound ?

gravy88

Lovely dogs, a chap who lives in my town has one! Dont see them about often, they've got such a nice nature, there not bothered if there chilling in the sun or going for long walks, they're happy either way. I have a rescue greyhound, love him to bits! Got all his old racing history and what a great temproment they have!

David Lock

Why not get a long haired goat? Look about the same and much cheaper to run? dl


(But a dog that only lives for 6 years - too heartbreaking for me I'm afraid)

what would scooby do

Why not buy a horse and teach it to lick its baws

urban

iTrader: (1)

Actually when our Irish wolfhound army mascot died, he was replaced with a long haired goat.

David Lock

See - I'm full of good ideas

d

dpb

Very Wilmslow

billythekid

A friend of mine has two of them. His house sits in about 1/2 acre and I think thats about right. They live in a converted out building. They are MASSIVE. He is a big guy, 6ft+ and if one of them tries to pull him he cant stop it. They are very powerful.

They EAT! A LOT! I would budget £100+ a month just for food.

He also has issues in getting them to the vets / shows etc so he uses a transit van to move them about. You wont fit one in a normal car! Also consider things like how will you dispose of the waste - what goes in has to come out... not a major problem but these are small issues you have to consider.

He works from home as he runs his own business and they are semi security dogs / show dogs / mascot dogs. He is an Irish chap and takes them to various Irish events etc.

Unless you are serious about one, and have a lot of time then I would consider something smaller. You would be better getting something medium sized which the small dog you already have can play with etc.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Like I said, probably idle musing but sounds like a big, if a bit too short commitment.

I wouldnt say they are Wilmslow, Weims, Dalmations nd various designer Dogs but not so many of these, but I suppose in the big and impressive stakes they are way up there, generally she isnt impressed by big Dogs but has been put under the spell of the two she sees on the common, so dignified and gentle but I guess owning one and seeing one in the park or whatever are two vastly different things.

bigsinky

yep you got it. big dog = big responsibility. food, exercise, grooming, vet bills. an IW is not going to get his exercise running around an average house. not like say a toy breed would anyway. i used to own a couple of standard poodles. our big lad was 29" at the shoulder. he was a big softy, but i can tell you he could shift some food and he was a handful on a lead even for me and I'm not small. he and the bitch we had took more work than any other breed we ever had, including irish water spaniels, labs, boxers.

RobJenks

There are many stories and myths regarding this noble breed . Worth a read ,

http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/ballyshannon.htm

Leslie

Certainly a lovely dog in all respects, but expensive to maintain. The thing that would worry me most is the short lifespan and the heartache if he developed cancer or something like that.

Les

richieh

Heres one that used to belong to a friend-for comparison I'm 6 foot and 13 stone-beautiful dog with great temperament

cheers richie