For us, the Irish Wolfhound is the best breed ever. Based on the almost daily inquiries we receive for a puppy, one would think that many people agree with this statement. We read about wolfhounds being “my childhood dream,” “my favorite breed ,” and “the love of my life” (all direct quotes from completed puppy questionnaires). Interestingly enough, when responding to these inquiries, offering a phone call to connect and to discuss the breed, more than half of them become unresponsive and we never hear from them again. And that’s mostly those whose experiences with dogs are minimal to begin with. While we try our outmost to do our hounds justice, even the most basic effort to learn about the breed seems to be too much for the majority of people who contact us, claiming “all that’s missing for happiness“ is an Irish Wolfhound.
The few people who do write back to set up a call are a mixture between folks who have never seen a real wolfhound, those who have no space whatsoever (not even mentioning the lack of safe fencing), and the ones with children where you would think a day has to have 48 hours to meet all their needs. Every now and then there is someone who actually has owned a giant breed, has acreage with fencing, and – if we are really lucky – there is the one person who does know wolfhounds, how to raise them, and how to care for them. This person has had their realty check – a wolfhound is NOT what you may think it is if all you have ever seen is “a cool picture.”
There is a question on our questionnaire inquiring about how the interested party has researched our breed. Some people give answers pertaining to the number of years they have been interested, others write “I searched the internet.” Only 5 prospective owners ever mentioned having been at a show, attended an Irish Festival, a parade, or anything along these lines which informed us that they went out of their way to actually look at this breed and learn about it. Nobody (really nobody) ever mentioned having read a book!
As a result, quite a large number of people submitting a puppy inquiry seem to have completely unrealistic thoughts and expectations about the Irish Wolfhound. It is supposed to be this “gargantuan beast with the shaggy hair,” a “super family dog” – without having rights, it seems. It should not cost much and should just fit in. It is supposed to raise itself in a crate, endure hours of being left alone by being looked at twice a day, and cause no trouble. Especially not to pee or poop in the house, destroy furniture, chase the house cat, and/or kill the chickens. It is also not to knock the kids over or slobber all over the new baby. The double layer coat is to take care of itself, “the shaggier the better.” No thought is wasted on purchasing grooming tools and learning about proper coat care. The wolfhound is supposed to be squeezed in the cargo area of the vehicle (which is most often unsuitable for transporting a wolfhound) without a pillow as the kids take up all the space – if the hound is taken with at all. A puppy is wanted when the youngest of 4 children is just 6 months old so “she can grow up with the puppy.” Or, even more questionable, a baby just arrived, there are 3 other dogs in the family, and one party works 50 hours a week outside the home. Seriously? A wolfhound puppy is, like one of of our puppy buyers stated so perfectly, “a newborn without the diaper change.” The majority of people interested in Irish Wolfhounds and new to this breed completely underestimate what it takes to raise a baby wolfhound, not only financially, but also emotionally and physically.
The fact that people are not interested in acquiring in-depth knowledge about this breed prior to purchase is scary enough as no breed can survive if there are no new fanciers and guardians to take over in a knowledgeable and mindful a manner. There are excellent books out on the breed, real classics, which provide an excellent introduction. Many of them are available used and at a low price. If measured by acquired knowledge after reading, the return of investment is better than the stock market! There are plenty of shows, especially Specialties for wolfhounds, where one can go and see large numbers of hounds and talk to owners and breeders. St. Patrick’s Day happens ever year. There are clubs to to contact across North America. Those who really want to learn will find a way and hopefully become ambassadors of this breed one day.
Below are some book suggestions for curious minds. If you want some “hands on” experience, please contact us – we are happy to host you for an educational visit.