Canis lupus familiaris
Irish Wolfhound
Featured photoirish-wolfhound.jpgThe Irish Wolfhound is a ancient Celtic Irish wolf-coursing sighthound — tallest AKC breed, rebuilt 1862. The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest of the AKC-registered breeds and was kept by the Celtic Irish from at least the 1st century BCE as a wolf-coursing sighthound — the breed is described in Roman accounts of the 391 CE Roman consul Quintus Aurelius Symmachus thanking his brother for seven 'Irish dogs' that fought lions in the Roman games.
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Hound
- Origin country
- Ireland
- Origin period
- Antiquity (modern type rebuilt 1862)
- Coat type
- Wirehaired
- Coat colors
- Grey, Brindle, Red, Black, White, Fawn, Wheaten
- Average lifespan
- 6-10 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1897 · FCI 1955 · UKC 1948 · Group 10 — Sighthounds (Section 2: Rough-haired Sighthounds)
Origin
The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest of the AKC-registered breeds and was kept by the Celtic Irish from at least the 1st century BCE as a wolf-coursing sighthound. The breed is described in Roman accounts: in 391 CE, the Roman consul Quintus Aurelius Symmachus wrote to his brother thanking him for seven 'Irish dogs' (canes Scottici — meaning Irish, since the Romans called Ireland Scotia) that fought lions and bears in the Roman games. The breed was kept by the Irish nobility through the medieval and early-modern periods, where Cú Faoil ('hound of the wolf') was a high-status gift between Irish, English, French, Spanish, and Imperial courts. The last wolf in Ireland was killed in 1786, removing the breed's working role; by the mid-19th century the Irish Wolfhound was nearly extinct. Captain George Augustus Graham of Dursley rebuilt the breed from 1862 onward, using surviving Wolfhound stock crossed with Scottish Deerhound, Great Dane, and Borzoi. The Irish Wolfhound Club was founded in 1885 and the AKC admitted the breed in 1897.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1897, the United Kennel Club followed in 1948, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 160) in 1955. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 10 — Sighthounds (Section 2: Rough-haired Sighthounds).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a giant, rough-coated, Greyhound-like sighthound of great size and commanding appearance, very muscular, strongly though gracefully built. The defining feature is the great size — the breed has the highest minimum height of any AKC breed (males 81 cm minimum, females 76 cm minimum), with no upper limit. The harsh, wiry, rough double coat is short on the body, with longer hair on the eyebrows, beard, and underside. Recognized colours are grey, brindle, red, black, white, fawn, and wheaten. Males stand 81-94 cm at the withers, females 76-84 cm.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What is the Irish Wolfhound's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the Irish Wolfhound in the Hound Group. The Hound Group gathers breeds developed for the hunt, broadly split into scent hounds (Bloodhound, Beagle, Coonhounds) and sight hounds (Greyhound, Whippet, Borzoi). The breed's foundation working role was as a ancient Celtic Irish wolf-coursing sighthound — tallest AKC breed, rebuilt 1862.
When was the Irish Wolfhound officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1897; the United Kennel Club followed in 1948; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 160) in 1955.
What is the average lifespan of a Irish Wolfhound?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the Irish Wolfhound's average lifespan in the 6-10 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
