​Captain Graham’s conclusions on the general appearance of the Irish Wolfhound.

 

Originally compiled in1879. Revised and completed May1885.

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FORM: That of a very tall, heavy, Scotch Deerhound, much more massive, and very majestic-looking; active and fast, perhaps somewhat less so than the present breed of Deerhound; neck thick in comparison to his form, and very muscular; body and frame lengthy.

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HEAD:  Long, but not narrow, coming to a comparative point towards the nose; nose rather large, and head gradually getting broader from the same, evenly up to the back of the skull—not sharp up to the eyes, and then suddenly broad and lumpy, as is often the case with dogs bred between Greyhound and Mastiff.

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COAT:  There can be little doubt that from the very nature of the work the dog was called upon to do this would be of a rough, and probably somewhat shaggy nature, and to this end points the evidence gained from Arian—second century—who leaves no doubt in our mind that the great Greyhound of his day was rough in coat; also from the ancient Irish harp, now preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, which is ornamented with a figure of the Irish Wolfhound, rough-coated. Sir J. Browne’s dogs were rough and shaggy; Mr. O’Toole’s dog was rough; also Hamilton Rowan’s. The former Earls of Caledon owned Irish Wolfdogs, which were rough; added to which, in former days all Greyhounds were, we have every reason to believe, rough; certainly the larger variety, as is now without exception the case. So it is with justice concluded that the coat was thoroughly rough; hard and long all over body, head, legs, and tail; hair on head long, and rather softer than that on body, standing out boldly over eyes; beard under jaws being also very marked and wiry.

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COLOUR:  Black, grey, brindle, red, and fawn, though, white dogs were esteemed in former times, as is several times shown us—indeed they were often preferred—but for beauty the dark colours should be cultivated.

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EARS:  Small in proportion to size of head, and half erect as in the smooth Greyhound. If dark in colour it is to be preferred.

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The TAIL should be carried with an upward curve only, and not be curled, as is the case with many Greyhounds.

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SIZE:  It will be seen that the Deerhound dog had considerable trouble in despatching the she-wolf, as narrated before, she being his inferior in size; so putting the matter on the grounds of simple necessity, we cannot but conclude that the dog should be less than from 2 to 3 inches taller than the wolf. Now, the usual height of the wolf would range about 30 inches, therefore, we get the height of from 32 to 33 inches in the dog. Also arguing from the skulls, the dog would have stood 32 to 34 inches. We may, therefore, safely deduce that the height of these dogs varied from 32 to 34 inches, and even 35 inches in the dogs, probably from 29 to 31 inches in the bitches. The other dimensions would naturally be about as follows for well-shaped and true-formed dogs. Girth of chest—Dogs, 38 to 44 inches; bitches, 32 to 34 inches. Weight in lbs.—Dogs, 115 to 140; bitches, 90 to 115. Girth of fore-arm—Dogs, 10 to 12 inches; bitches, 8 1/2 to 10 inches. Length of head—Dogs, 12 1/2 to 14 inches; bitches, 11 to 12 inches.

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Most modern authors and all practical lovers of the canine race whom the writer has consulted are agreed that the foregoing is the correct type of dog beyond question; and although some differ slightly as to the comparative bulk and power of the dog, the difference is small when dispassionately looked at. To anyone who has well considered the subject such conclusions are inevitable, and this impression has been manifestly handed down to us for generations.

 

Graham, George Augustus. The Irish Wolfhound. (pp. 31-33)​​​

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