Is an Irish Wolfhound the right dog for you?

Every dog breed has its positives and negatives, and the Irish Wolfhound is no exception. Adding an Irish Wolfhound puppy to your family is a long-term commitment. It is essential that you take your time and research the breed thoroughly before making a decision that will affect your life for years to come.

Wolfhounds are giant indoor family pets and not for everyone. They are unique dogs with special requirements. One of the breed’s strongest characteristics is its gentleness. As Phyllis Gardner put it, “they are intelligent and level-headed, with a sense of humour, and gifted with a magical ‘second sight.’” If bred and raised properly, the rewards are many for those with space and time. They make outstanding family members.

Dogs don’t care about muddy paw-prints, wet floors, or chewed corners. These things have to be expected while your puppy grows. So if you are very house proud, don’t buy a dog; it doesn’t care what condition its home is in.

Some never chew or have an accident in the house, while others can demolish a suite of furniture in five minutes, and take forever to house train. Some Wolfhounds dig and when they do, they don’t dig holes — they dig craters! So be warned, it is not all fun! Put your valuables away, and keep your shoes in the closet. Once past the puppy stage they are easy to live with.

Breeders have an obligation to produce puppies who will be stable, well-adjusted members of society. Temperament, the Irish wolfhound’s greatest asset, must be considered in selecting breeding stock. Physical perfection and beauty are worthless if the hound does not possess the intelligent and gentle nature for which the breed is known.

You get out of a relationship what you are willing to put into it, and this holds true for both dog and man. When you keep a giant breed, you have a responsibility as an owner to know its character and dependability, ensuring it will not be a danger to itself or the public. Things can happen in a split second resulting in a life changed forever.

They look so cute at this age …

but could you cope with this?

Reality Check

Owning an Irish Wolfhound requires significant time, money, and emotional commitment, and should not be entered into lightly. After that first romantic notion of living with an Irish Wolfhound, and before the decision to bring an Irish Wolfhound into your life is made, a reality check is necessary — for your sake and the dog’s sake. An IW requires more of everything and comes with more than just the challenges of a fenced yard, appropriate transport, and an open-minded approach to household tidiness. Before bringing an Irish Wolfhound into your life, weighing the financial requirements is essential. The heartbreak of bringing an Irish Wolfhound into your life, and then realizing, too late, that the financial responsibility is unfeasible, is something you can avoid by reading on.

Here are some of the basic costs to expect (These prices will only go up).

• Feeding and general vetting your hound can cost approximately $3000.00 CAD annually. This does not include emergency illness or accident.
• Please check pricing at your local and emergency clinic to see whether you can reasonably factor owning an Irish Wolfhound into your budget. The larger the animal the more the cost.\
• Pet insurance is worth investigating as there are several options, from full coverage to just accident insurance. Many clinics today offer savings payment plans that cover annual expenses. This is a monthly payment that banks forward for annual checkups, blood work and medications.

Purchasing an Irish Wolfhound (PDF 305 KB)