Plate 044 · British Isles
Irish Wolfhound
爱尔兰猎狼犬
“Ireland's old wolf hunter, re-created as a gentle giant.”
- Origin
- Ireland
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Old Irish hound type; modern breed re-created in the 19th century
- Today
- Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Then · 1900Ch. Sheelah, owned by Captain George Graham, who rebuilt the breed from the 1860s.
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowHistory
01 · Origin
Ireland
A giant sighthound re-created in the 19th century in the image of the hounds of early Ireland, which appear in Irish legend and literature.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunted wolves and other big game; many were sent abroad to European royal houses.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
After wolves disappeared from Ireland the hounds declined sharply. In the 19th century Captain George Augustus Graham led an effort to restore the type, using surviving dogs and crosses with other large breeds.
04 · Today
Companion
A calm, gentle giant companion.
Personality
- Gentle
- Calm
- Dignified
- Patient
- Friendly
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Giant
- Lifespan
- 6–8 years
- Coat
- Rough, wiry coat
Field note
The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest breed recognised by the AKC.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Hound Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, Irish Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC registrations: ranked 75 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- Irish Wolfhound — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/irish-wolfhound/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1897 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- Irish Wolfhound (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Wolfhound
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
