Irish Wolfhound
The tallest breed there is, bred to pull a wolf down, then bred back from near extinction. Gentle to a fault, and its years are far too few.
Overview
The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest breed in the world, thirty inches and up at the shoulder, and it was bred to course and pull down wolves in Ireland. When the wolves were gone the breed nearly went with them, and it was rebuilt in the nineteenth century by Captain George Augustus Graham using Scottish Deerhound and Great Dane.
The hard fact is the lifespan. Six to eight years is the realistic expectation, which is among the shortest of any breed.
Temperament
Gentle, quiet and famously unaggressive. The old description is a lamb at home and a lion in the chase, and the first half is what owners experience: Wolfhounds are calm, tolerant and undemanding indoors.
They are not guard dogs. They are sensitive and respond badly to harsh handling. They are also enormous, and a puppy that grows to a hundred and twenty pounds in a year is a serious management job in the meantime.
Care and grooming
A rough harsh coat that needs brushing weekly and hand stripping occasionally. Moderate shedding and low maintenance.
Dilated cardiomyopathy, bone cancer and bloat are the three leading causes of death, and all three are common. Liver shunt has a screening test. Prophylactic gastropexy is worth discussing with a vet.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes to an hour a day as an adult, and strictly limited exercise while growing, because a giant puppy's joints do not tolerate impact.
They need a soft bed, a large car and a household prepared for a short relationship. Everyone who owns them says the same thing about the lifespan, and it is worth hearing before rather than after.
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