What is life like with an Irish Wolfhound?

[Shameus]

Day to day life, what do your walls look like? What’s your housing set up? How are the dogs at home? What are they like with other dogs/people?

Do they chase everything that moves?

Walks! Not walls

I don't have one. I walk my collie with one regularly. I'm not sure if he's the best example of the breed. He was bought for hunting so the owner wants him to chase (most of the lurchers and deerhounds I know are rabbit hunting dogs, its that kind of area). He is in fact thick as mince and virtually untrainable. He is very very sweet natured, prone to straying if he catches a scent, loves lolloping along with my dog, has patchy recall but is happy to be rounded up by my collie and brought back! I'd imagine in the house he's lovely company as he is very gentle and dopey. I'm told he gets a bit destructive if bored and he needs two decent walks a day. But I prefer a dog with a bit more going on between the ears.

My uncle has one, wonderful natured dog! He does at least 2x 2hour walks a day with plenty of offload chasing. My aunt was slightly upset when he got to full height because they didn’t take into account that when his tail wagged, it was at the same level as some ornaments so they got smashed. Have nothing expensive that’s smashable at the level of their tail!

Shameus ·I had 2. One lived until he was 9 and the other was 8. They're not a long lived breed, although I've known them occasionally reach 12. What Olly says is pretty accurate. They are gentle but one of mine was totally nuts. He never calmed down. Yes ornaments got broken but the biggest problem was that when they wagged their tails and the hit the counter tops it could be a blood bath! It used to take weeks to heal, I used to have to bandage it up. I know 9ther owners occasionally had to have part of the tail amputated when it wouldn't heal. The biggest health problem is bloat. It's nearly always fate, a bit like colic in horses. They had to be fed at shoulder height and never given large amounts of water after exercise. They are a lovely breed but it's heart breaking when they die so young. It's why I didn't have a 3rd. My cocker is 13 now and still looks as though she's a few years left 🤞

I’d absolutely love one, but the life expectancy isn’t something I can reconcile my self with. I think the are absolutely lovely though