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Irish Wolfhound |
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FCI standard Nº 160 |
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Origin |
Ireland | |
Group |
Group 10 Sighthounds | |
Section |
Section 2 Rough-haired Sighthounds | |
Working |
Without working trial | |
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI |
Tuesday 26 April 1955 | |
Publication of the official valid standard |
Friday 10 April 2026 | |
Last update |
Friday 17 April 2026 | |
En français, cette race se dit |
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Lévrier irlandais |
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar |
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Irischer Wolfshund |
En español, esta raza se dice |
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Lebrel irlandés |
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd |
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Ierse Wolfshond |
Usage |
| Up to the end of the 17th century Irish wolfhounds were used for hunting wolves, wild boar and deer in Ireland. |
Brief historical summary |
| Irish Wolfhounds were already well established in Ireland in the first century A.D. The first written account of the breed appears in 391 AD. Irish Wolfhounds are mentioned throughout history intertwined with the great kings of Ireland. The first breed standard was written in 1885 and a breed club formed. In Dublin at the kennel club show in 1879 the first classes were given to the Irish Wolfhound. The Irish Wolfhound is a living symbol of Irish culture and is one of the five official symbols of Ireland and has been granted heritage status by the Government of Ireland. |
General appearance |
| The largest and tallest of the sighthounds is a rough coated hound of great size and commanding appearance, including height at shoulder and proportionate length of body, very strong and muscular though gracefully built. Easy and active movement, head and neck proudly carried, long tail and carried lower with a slight curve towards the extremity. A smaller, lighter, parallel type (so called "of sport") is in no way either accepted or compliant with the breed standard. It is desired to firmly establish a breed that shall have a minimum average height of 86 cm in the male, showing the required power, activity, courage and symmetry |
Important proportions |
| - A good length of leg is required, but the back should be longer than the height. - The height at withers approximately equal the height at loins. - Head: the distance from the tip of the nose to the stop should be at least equal to the distance between the stop and the occiput. |
Behaviour / temperament |
| A Gentle kind loyal hound with a friendly nature towards people and other dogs. “A Lamb in the Home and Lion in the Chase”. A loyal companion. |
Head |
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| Long and level, carried high; the frontal bones of the forehead very slightly raised and very little indentation between the eyes. | ||
Cranial region |
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Skull |
Not too broad. | |
Facial region |
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Muzzle |
Long and moderately pointed. | |
Jaws and teeth |
Scissor bite ideal, level acceptable. | |
Eyes |
Dark. | |
Ears |
Small, rose ears (Greyhound like in carriage). | |
Neck |
| Rather long, very strong and muscular, well arched, without dewlap or loose skin about the throat. |
Body |
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Body |
Long, well ribbed up. | |
Back |
Rather long than short. | |
Loin |
Slightly arched. | |
Croup |
Great breadth across hips. | |
Chest |
Very deep, moderately broad, breast wide. | |
Ribs |
Well sprung. | |
Underline and belly |
Well drawn up. | |
Tail |
| Long and slightly curved, of moderate thickness, and well covered with hair. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Shoulders |
Muscular, giving breadth of chest, set sloping. | |
Elbows |
Well under, neither turned inwards nor outwards. | |
Forearm |
Muscular, heavily boned, quite straight. | |
Hindquarters |
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Upper thigh |
Long and muscular. | |
Stifle |
Nicely bent. | |
Lower thigh |
Well muscled, long and strong. | |
Hock |
Well let down and turning neither in nor out. | |
Feet |
| Moderately large and round, neither turned inward nor outwards. Toes, well arched and closed. Nails, very strong and curved. |
Gait and movement |
| Movements easy and active. |
Coat |
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Hair |
Rough and hard on body, legs and head; especially wiry. Hair over eyes and beard especially wiry. | |
Colour |
The only recognized colours are Grey, Brindle, Red, Black, Pure White, Fawn, and Wheaten. White markings are only acceptable on fore-chest, toes, (not full foot) and tip of tail. |
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Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Desired height : averaging 32 inches (81cm) to 34 inches (86cm) in dogs. Minimum height : Dogs 31 inches (79 cm). Minimum height : Bitches 28 inches (71 cm). |
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Weight |
Minimum weight : Dogs 120 pounds (54.5kg). Minimum weight : Bitches 90 pounds (40.5 kg). |
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Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
General faults |
 Too light or too heavy a head. Too highly arched frontal bone. Crooked forelegs; weak pasterns. Weak hindquarters and a general want of muscle. Too short in body. Back sunken or hollow or quite straight. Large ears and hanging flat to the face. Twisted feet. Spreading toes. Short neck; full dewlap. Chest too narrow or too broad. Tail excessively curled. Nose of any colour other than black. Lips of any colour other than black. Very light eyes. Pink or liver coloured eyelids. |
Disqualifying faults |
| Aggressive or overly shy dogs. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
Bibliography |
| https://www.fci.be/ |
Additional information from visitors |
| This magnificient breed is of ancient origin, descended from Molossian hounds and Asian mastiffs introduced to Ireland by the Celts and Romans well over 2000 years ago. In the past the Irish Wolfhound was owned only by the royalty, but this doesn't mean that only a few of these hounds existed. In fact, there were hundreds upon hundreds, seing how old Ireland was divided among 150 kingdoms. Employed as a hunter of wild boars, elk and other game, as well as the exterminator of wolves, the mighty Cu Faoil also made an excellent war dog, used for knocking the enemy horsemen to the ground and mauling them. This breed was also a capable herder and watchdog. The Irish Wolfhound is mentioned in a number of Celtic myths and historical stories of Ireland. One of the most famous ones is of course the story of Gelert, a dog given to Llewellyn, the King of Wales in 1210 by Prince John of England. This practice of giving dogs away as gifts to foreign nobilty, coupled with the disappearance of wolves from Ireland greatly contributed to the breed's decline in numbers from the mid-1700's to the early 19th century, even though the exportation of Irish Wolfhounds was officially banned as early as 1652. Reduced to the role of a companion animal and property guardian, the Irish Wolfhound was nearing extinction when a number of fanciers decided to save the breed in the 1800's. While living in Dublin, a Scottish Major H.D.Richardson wrote a book about dogs called "The Dog: Its Origin, Natural History and Varieties". In this book he claims that the Irish Wolfhound is a heavier variety of the Scottish Deerhound breed. Richardson started a breeding programme to save the great Irish Hound by using the Glengarry type of Scottish Deerhounds, Spanish Hounds, Pyrenean Mountain Dogs, Serbian Greyhounds and a number of other breeds. Another noteworthy breeder was the Earl of Caledon, who crossed his Irish Hounds with Great Danes. However, it is Captain George Augustus Graham who is credited as the saviour of the Irish Wolfhound. He was successful in reviving the breed in the 1860's by crossing Richardson's hounds with dogs of Earl of Caledon and introducing Russian Wolfhounds, Tibetan Mastiffs, Greyhounds and other breeds into the breeding programme. This incarnation of the Irish Wolfhound was first shown in 1870's and the official breed Standard was written in 1885, although crossings with Scottish Deerhounds and Great Danes continued for the next 40 years. Both World Wars had a devastating effect on the Irish Wolfhound, but efforts of dedicated breeders and the sheer popularity of the breed ensured its survival. This is presently one of the most popular dogs worldwide, thanks to its calm and sensitive personality and noble good looks. Tall, deep-chested and powerful, the Irish Wolfhound is one of the largest breeds in the world and makes an intimidating watchdog. It is devoted to its owner and generally gets along with people, but some specimens can be overly reserved and suspicious around strangers, needing early socialization and obedience training. This is an intelligent and reliable breed, playful and gentle with children, making a good family pet. However, it needs plentiful excercise and a fair amount of grooming. The coat is rough and dense, coming in shades of white, gray, fawn, red and brindle. Average height is around 33 inches, but taller examples can be encountered. |
English (United Kingdom) 
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