The Irish wolfhound was originally a war dog, used to drag men out of chariots or off horseback, but was also used as a hunting hound and as a guard. There are numerous references in Irish mythology to its prowess in all these fields. The Irish wolfhound was used to hunt the Irish elk and the wolf and was used singly or in pairs rather than in a pack, hence the need for great size. When the last of the wolves in Ireland was killed (the elk had become extinct long before), the breed dwindled and almost died out. The process was not helped by the demand for this magnificent hound around the world. It was given as a gift to kings and princes.
Irish Wolfhounds are sweet-tempered, patient, generous, thoughtful and can be trusted with children. Dignified and willing, they are unconditionally loyal to their owner and family. Not a guard dog by nature, but may be a deterrent simply due to his/her size. They tend to greet everyone as a friend, a big dog with a gentle heart.
Just as a matter of interest even before I came across this very eye opening report I never did feed Katriona commerical food.. She was given a rice based casserole with natural gravy and raw chicken feet, fish and occassionally some Kangaroo.. But this report is be warned horrific and what I do not like is that some of the commerical foods and biscuits are now commonly found to be actually promoted by the local Vet, this may offend some but what a way to get business at the expense of an animal.
