Irish Wolfhound
The Irish Wolfhound is a hound breed from Ireland, standing males 31–34 in · females 28 in at the withers, weighing 90–150 lb. Recorded lifespan is 6–10 yrs.
- Breed group
- Hound
- Origin
- Ireland
- Height
- males 31–34 in · females 28 in
- Weight
- 90–150 lb
- Lifespan
- 6–10 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Irish Wolfhound is taller than 99% of the measured breeds, heavier than 93%, one of 33 in the Hound group, one of 9 from Ireland.
Living with the Irish Wolfhound
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Irish Wolfhound’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 4 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 5 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 2 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 4 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 1 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 3 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 2 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Irish Wolfhound on AKCIrish Wolfhound on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Irish Wolfhound
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Irish Wolfhound.
German Roughhaired Pointer
American Shepherd (Miniature)
Otterhound
Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
Český Fousek
Silken Windhound
Height 0–38 in
- Irish Wolfhound31–34 in
- German Roughhaired Pointer24–28 in
- American Shepherd (Miniature)14–18 in
- Otterhound27 in
- Griffon Bleu de Gascogne20–22 in
- Český Fousek24–26 in
- Silken Windhound18.5–23.5 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Irish Wolfhound90–150 lb
- German Roughhaired Pointer59.5–70.5 lb
- American Shepherd (Miniature)20–40 lb
- Otterhound66–115 lb
- Griffon Bleu de Gascogne35–53 lb
- Český Fousek62–75 lb
- Silken Windhound22–44 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Irish Wolfhound6–10 yrs
- German Roughhaired Pointer10–12 yrs
- American Shepherd (Miniature)13–15 yrs
- Otterhound10–13 yrs
- Griffon Bleu de Gascogne10–12 yrs
- Český Fousek12–15 yrs
- Silken Windhound14–18 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.