Irish Wolfhound
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Irish Wolfhound. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Irish Wolfhound photos.
| Irish Wolfhound: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Training |  |
Explain rating |
| Intelligence | |
Explain rating |
| Shedding | |
Explain rating |
| Watchdog |  |
Explain rating |
| Guard Dog |  |
Explain rating |
| Popularity | |
Explain rating |
| Size |  |
Explain rating |
| Agility |  |
Explain rating |
| Good with Kids | |
Explain rating |
Irish Wolfhound Temperament
Do you want to bring a gentle giant into your home? I'm talking giant. He will be able to rest his head on the dining room table. And if you look away, he will steal the food off your plate! And did I mention that they eat a lot of food! They are eating-machines. Irish Wolfhounds are big sweethearts and will want (need) to be part of your family. They are affectionate, not as cuddly as some other breeds, but they still want to be with you. They do not do well if left alone for hours on end. These are active dogs who need daily exercise to be happy. They love to take long walks, but be prepared to bring large plastic bags with you! (To pick up his large messes). The Irish Wolfhound is a sight hound with a high prey drive and he will chase animals (and cars). And if he gets away, good luck catching him -- they are fast, and were bred to be endurance runners. A fenced-in yard is very important for this breed. Because the breed is so large, it is important to start obedience training as soon as possible. They are moderately quick learners! They are moderately obedient, and many of them do well in the obedience ring, as well as the agility ring. Irish Wolfhounds are usually quick to housetrain. Some Irish Wolfhounds do well with cats, but many do not. They do usually like to live with other dogs, but should not be raised with more aggressive breeds. Irish Wolfhounds do very well with well-behaved children. (Just make sure the children do not try to ride the dog -- he is not a horse even though he kind of looks like one!) Young children should be supervised because a Wolfhound can easily accidentally knock them over. Irish Wolfhounds may or may not bark at intruders which makes them a poor watchdog, but often their incredible size and deep bark is enough to thwart any criminals. They are generally aloof with strangers. Irish Wolfhound fanciers use an old Irish proverb to describe the breed: Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked. But overall, this is a loyal, happy, friendly breed who will climb into your bed, lie on his back with his feet in the air, and snore. You'll need a big car to transport him!
Irish Wolfhound Training
The Irish Wolfhound is moderately easy to train. He learns new commands at the average rate. He is neither difficult nor easy to train.
Irish Wolfhound Shedding
The Irish Wolfhound sheds a fair amount of hair. You'll find hair stuck to your couch, carpets, clothes and everything else in your home.
Irish Wolfhound Grooming
The medium-length coat of the Irish Wolfhound only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds you may find yourself brushing him once or twice a week to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)
Adopt an Irish Wolfhound
Irish Wolfhound Photos
Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.
