Different breeds of dogs.

IRISH WOLFHOUND

by Dennis Fisher.

This article is one of a great many articles written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning different  dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health matters, training problems and other subjects.  All these articles appear on Dennis Fisher's websites.   Visit  http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or http://www.freedogadvice.com  if you interested in a breed   other than German Shepherd Dogs

The Irish Wolfhound is a huge dog, similar in size to the Great Dane.  Males can be as high as 34 inches at the shoulder and females a little smaller.

A feature of the dog is its heavy coat, which is rough with a tendency to be longer over the jaw.

In color  it is usually a grayish brown, but it can be  more reddish than gray and even, on occasions, black.

Because the coat is quite dense regular grooming is necessary. But it is process that the dog can be trained to enjoy. If the dog feels that  the grooming is not a punishment but  an indication of  special attention and affection, it will welcome  and enjoy the process.

The Irish Wolfhound, in spite of it’s size, is graceful, not clumsy in its movement.  

The head is large and in proportion to the rest of the body, with rather small ears and strong jaws.

In temperament the Irish Wolfhound is good-natured and friendly. Because of its commanding presence and imposing size it can be a very good watchdog.

Although it does need a fair amount of exercise, this is not as necessary as one would think.   In any event, because of the rapid growth while in the puppy stage, excess exercise should not be encouraged.