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GiantHound Group

Irish Wolfhound

The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest AKC breed by height, reaching 32-35 inches at the shoulder.

Calculate Irish Wolfhound age
Lifespan9.9 yrrange 9–11
SizeGiantHound Group
Weight105–120 lb47.6–54.4 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Irish Wolfhound

The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest AKC breed by height, reaching 32-35 inches at the shoulder. The modern breed was reconstructed in the 19th century by Captain George Graham from near-extinct native stock crossed with Scottish Deerhound and Great Dane.

Aging

How Irish Wolfhounds age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 9.9 years (n=719) — among the shortest-lived AKC breeds. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the single largest late-life killer; osteosarcoma, GDV, and portosystemic shunts round out the major mortality causes.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 9.9 yr · range 9–11Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues5 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
105–120 lb(47.6–54.4 kg)
Height
30–32 in(76.2–81.3 cm)
Coat type
Double
Colors
BlackBrindleCreamGrayGray & BrindleRedRed & BrindleRed WheatenSilverWheatenWheaten & BrindleBlue
Temperament

Temperament

How Irish Wolfhounds tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

dignifiedcourageouscalmpatient
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Irish Wolfhounds are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.