Irish wolfhounds

[kaydl]

Hi am iterested in getting an Irish wolfhound but first would like to know exactly what its diet and food intake and costs would be ,had a look on net but cannot find anything thanks KAYDL

[Robinia]

I don't have one but I do love irish Wolfhounds...this looks like an informative site to read until someone with experience comes along to help you more
http://www.irishwolfhoundclub.org.uk/living.html

[jules77]

I dont have one myself, but have a friend that has had several. Lovely dogs, with great temperaments, but they dont have a long life span, think average is between 7 and 10. Not only are they prone to bloat which is life threatening, but can, at an early age, be prone to joint and bone disorders, heart disease and cancer.

[kita1]

Costs:

Estate car (or large 4 wheel drive) just for the dog - you don't want a wet/muddy wolfhound in your average saloon car!!!

Secure tall fencing around your garden.

Insurance is a must - giant breeds cost a lot more in vet bills when they have to go to the vets.

It is a good idea to make sure your contents insurance is OK - everything is within range of a Wolfhound and their tails can knock most ornaments over.

You may need to buy another sofa, it is not much fun trying to fit in alongside a dog as big as this!!

Oh and forget leaving any food out on the cooker/work surface etc. these are nose height for a Wolfhound.

[fredpuli47]

I've got two at the moment, one a puppy, and have had the breed before .Diet. The adult bitch eats 2 x 1.2 kilo 'big' tins of Butcher's loaf [NOT the stuff in jelly] every day plus some biscuit. She's ten years old. A dog, being bigger, would eat more.
The pup has to have special food for large breed puppies. You must not feed a wolfhound pup ordinary dog or puppy food, because they grow so fast and so big that they need what only the special food contains.I feed my puppy Pro-Plan Puppy Large Protection Athletic, mixed with a little tinned meat to make it a bit moist. He drinks two or even three litres of goat's milk most days, too (not cow's milk. Cow';s milk is a too rich for a pup).He's now 15 weeks.
The advice on having a pup, given in the Irish Wolfhound Club link above, is very sound. They are quite clumsy when growing,, at least to a year. And it's important to understand that they can reach a lot higher than ordinary dogs yet are still juvenile far older than other breeds. They can chew furniture to quite a height! A bitch isn't fully grown until two years or so and a dog nearly three years.
Temperamentally they are a soft breed, very affectionate. They'd never make guard dogs ! They need far less exercise than you'd think but when they do run they make it really worthwhile.You have to keep an eye on them because if they see a hare you'll need a helicopter!