The Irish Wolfhound, the largest of the sighthounds, traces its roots to antiquity in Ireland, where it was known as "Cu" (meaning brave). These gentle giants were great hunters of elk, wild boar and wolves. The Irish Wolfounds were considered royal dogs and were owned by the nobility; certainly the average peasant could not afford to feed such a large dog. Their numbers dwindled during the 1800's, but a Scottish officer, Captain Graham, undertook the restoration of the breed; he sought out the best specimens he could find and with judicious outcrossings to Deerhounds and Great Danes, he was able to save the Irish Wolfhound from extinction. By the end of the 19th century, size and type were breeding true.

Appearance
The Irish Wolfhounds are the tallest breed, with a swift pace and very keen eyesight. They have a rough coat a large arrow-shaped head, and a long, muscular neck. The Irish Wolfhounds have a somewhat greyhound shaped body, but larger. They average up to 90 cm (34 inches) at the withers, a fact that sometimes is its biggest disadvantage when attracting owners who have no concern for its special needs. As with all breeds, the ideal and accepted measurements vary somewhat from one standard to another, and there will always be individuals whose size falls outside these standards. However, generally breeders aim for a height averaging 33 to 36 inche) in dogs, 2 to 4 inches less for bitches. Acceptable weight minimums range from 105 lb for bitches to 120 lb for dogs.

Character
The Irish Wolfhound is a friendly and tolerant dog, gentle by nature, but don’t let him deceive you by his „Gentle Giant“ image. A young Irish Wolfhound puppy can have it’s distinct personality and be very boisterous. His friendly wagging tail can mean hurting blows and cause bruises for adults and children. Specially with small children one has to be careful, so quickly they can be overrun and hurt, even the puppy meant no harm. But fortunately Irish Wolfhound puppies soon learn to be careful of smaller beings, whether they have 2 or 4 legs. Irish Wolfhounds are friendly with other dogs and can be left alone with children. Irish Wolfhounds are very sociable dogs, they want to live with the family in the house, not locked away in a kennel. The sad howling of a lonely Irish Wolfhound could make you unpopular with the surrounding neighbours. In the same way as he loves humans, he also loves contact with other dogs. A Irish Wolfhound is a born hunter, he was bred for the chase of wolves and big prey.
 

Temperament
The Irish Wolfhound is a sweet gentle breed that is truly loyal to their owners. They require firm training and are friendly by nature therefore not making good watchdogs. His size could lead to think to use the Irish Wolfhound as watchdog and have him patrol a farm or a company yard. This would be contra productive and ridiculous, because a lonely and bored Irish Wolfhound would welcome any burglar as a friend to play.

Exercise/Training
The Irish Wolfhound enjoys a long walk and a chance to stretch its legs, so it needs daily exercise. At home the Irish Wolfhound needs ample room to stretch out on a soft surface and should not be required to live in cramped quarters. It can develop calluses if allowed to lie on hard surfaces too often. Playing and obedience are very good types of mental exercise. 20 minutes obedience and playing with your Irish Wolfhound will be more useful for the dogs exercise then an hour walk on the leash can provide.

Color
The most common colors for the Irish Wolfhounds are grey, wheaten, brindle, red, black, pure white, brown, or fawn, though wheaten and grey.

Grooming
The coat of the Irish Wolfhound needs to be brushed or combed once or twice weekly, plus occasional slight scissoring to neaten up straggly hairs. Dead hairs should be stripped twice a year. A good nutrition and regular brushing keeps the proper coat shine and the skin healthy. Bathing doesn’t harm the coat of the Irish Wolfhound as long as you use a good quality shampoo that doesn't dry the skin and coat and is formulated for a canine coat. The ears of the Irish Wolfhound should be kept clean and regularly inspected as well.

Any breed described as "good with children", the dog must be accustomed to children. Any dog that is not well socialized with children will not behave predictably around them. As with all dogs, they should never be left alone with young children.