Wolfhounds were used as hunting dogs by the Gaels, who called them Cú Faoil[16][17] (Irish: Cú Faoil, Irish pronunciation: [ˈkuː ˈfˠiːlʲ] "hound"[18] of "wolf"[19] or wolfhound). In summary, in this study of 582 Irish Wolfhounds (291 males, 274 females) in the United States that died between January 1, 1966, and January 1, 1986, the mean age at time of death for all dogs was 6.47 years (6.0 years for males, 6.55 years for females). It has been generally accepted that female Irish Wolfhounds live longer than males, but I believe that the difference was presumed to be greater than .55 years, just a little over six months. Of the 88 dogs that died of cardiovascular disease, 50 or 56.8% were dogs and 38 or 43.2% were bitches, which was another surprising figure. In fact, a significant number of the wolfhounds who died past the age of ten were euthanized because of age-related problems, primarily arthritis or spondylitis (inflammation of the intervertebral articulations). [39] They should not be territorially aggressive to other domestic dogs but are born with specialized skills and it is common for hounds at play to course another dog. [21][22], The early 18th century engraving (see picture) from Entwurf einiger Thiere by Johann Elias Ridinger is the oldest known image of the original wolfhound. The name of these domestic dogs are derived from the purpose of their past wolf-hunting skills, and not for their outward appearance. “Trauma is the number one killer of your breed.”. The leading cause of death was cancer, with osteogenic sarcoma being the principal type of cancer. He is a galloping breed by nature, though, and so it’s only fair to provide him with space to romp and play. The poet The Hon William Robert Spencer immortalized this hound in a poem. Considered by the American Kennel Club to be the tallest of all dog breeds, describing the breed as, "of great size and commanding appearance, the Irish Wolfhound is remarkable in combining power and swiftness with keen sight. It is probably going to be a larger dog. Today, they are mostly kept as house pets, though their size and maintenance requirements prevent them from becoming commonplace. It is also prone to minor health problems like cardiomyopathy, canine hip dysplasia (CHD), osteosarcoma, and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). Since the period of this study included those years in which canine parvoviral enteritis (parvo) caused such a panic in the dog world, peaking around 1979-1982, I expected it to be a frequently listed cause of death. The youngest wolfhound to die of cardiovascular disease was .83 months old at the time of death, a male. Deerhound, Schottischer Hirschhund, Lebrel Escoces. Mean lifespan estimates in Irish Wolfhounds vary between 4.95 and 8.75 years, but bias due to right censored data is common. [40], Irish Wolfhounds are often favored for their loyalty, affection, patience and devotion. The causes of death, the incidence of each and the percentage of the total number of dogs in this study are: *General Reference Source-Snedecor and Cochran: Statistical Methods (Seventh Edition). [citation needed][48], Irish Wolfhounds are the tallest of all dog breeds.They are well suited to rural life, but their medium energy profile allows them to adjust fairly well to suburban and urban life as well, provided they receive appropriate exercise. Osteogenic sarcoma accounted for 122 of those deaths, which is 61.9% of the cancer deaths and 21% of all deaths. It would be difficult to determine if attending veterinarians were seeing and diagnosing the same disease. ". In the 20 years I have been Loving, Breeding, and Caring for my personal line of English, Australian, and Irish Jack Russell Terriers, I have strived to breed Top Quality Jack Russell Terriers.My goal was to have Short Leg Jack Russell Terriers that would do all the antics that the original Standard Leg Jack Russell's do but they would do them with a calm temperament. In 1986 I interviewed a veterinary oncologist at the University of Illinois for an article I was writing on bone cancer for the Irish Wolfhound Quarterly, for which I was then a regular columnist. Most Wolfhounds are very gentle with children. As it turned out, the data which he used came from major emergency clinics throughout the United States and so the numbers were naturally skewed towards trauma. The tendency of the attending veterinarian to offer a reasonable guess in the case of a sudden, unexplained death and the tendency of the owner to take that guess as a definitive pronouncement. According to US breed survey, an average lifespan of Irish Wolfhound Dog is 6-10 years with some living 3 years more that what is expected. Additionally, I spoke with and was helped by several researchers and clinicians at both the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri Veterinary Schools. Without discussing in depth the remaining, less prevalent causes of death, I would nevertheless like to comment on a few of the more striking findings. And other diseases, particularly cancer, pose even larger problems due to the question of primary versus metastatic disease. In this sense the reliability of statistics on causes of death is higher than the individual accuracy would indicate." Several veterinary cardiologists have stated to me that the congestive heart failure of the earlier years was a form of cardiomyopathy, and that, in fact, the vast majority of all heart disease is cardiomyopathy in one form or another. ", M.A. Lombard: "Diabetes Epidemiology from Death Records. Dogs comprised 49.2% of the deaths from this disease and bitches comprised 50.8%. Graham included "a single outcross of Tibetan Wolf Dog". See puppy pictures, health information and reviews. [23], The last wolf in Ireland was killed in Co. Carlow in 1786. [17], In his Historie of Ireland completed 1571, Edmund Campion gives a description of the hounds used for hunting wolves in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. Published lifespan estimations vary between 6 and 10 years with 7 years being the average. Additionally, the exact name of the dog was not required in the study. The bitches fared better in this category, with a mean age at time of death of 9.9 years, compared to the dogs, who had a mean age of 8.4. I was heartened by the gratitude often expressed that this study had been undertaken, but far too many people expressed the hope that somehow Irish Wolfhounds would be guaranteed a longer life span as a result of these findings. Its colour may be grey, brindle, red, black, white, fawn, and wheaten. The mean age at time of death for Irish Wolfhounds that died of all forms of cancer was 6.6 years, while the mean age at time of death of those that died of osteogenic sarcoma was 6.6 years. They are fairly stoic, and even if they are in pain, they may be difficult to diagnose. The Irish Wolfhound is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency. [33] However, I am asked frequently how I think the results would differ if I were to do the study today. I knew that could not be the case, but who was I to argue with a top veterinary researcher at a major university? We can presume the sex of the dog is correct when given in almost all of the cases, and very few were unclear on the dates of birth and death. Herbert L. Lombard and Elliott P. Joslin, in an attempt to determine the degree of accuracy of human death certificates, traced health and death records of patients from the Joslin Clinic in Boston.2,3 In a group of over 2,000 diabetic patients, diabetes was not even mentioned on 23% to 25% of the death certificates. Sadly, the Irish wolfhound has a shorter lifespan than many other dog breeds as it only lives roughly for 6 to 8 years. Group: Sighthound & Pariah. Veterinary literature indicates that osteogenic sarcoma is more prevalent in dogs than in bitches, but this was not true of these Irish Wolfhounds. I just wanted to know the truth, or at least as close to the truth as I could get. This is not at all realistic. The third most prevalent cause of death in Irish Wolfhounds in this study was gastric dilitation volvulus (gastric torsion) with 68 reported deaths, evenly divided between dogs and bitches. Ireland. All I knew was I wanted an Irish Wolfhound and I just presumed that all dogs had about the same lifespan. [10][11], In 391, there is a reference to large dogs by Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, a Roman Consul who received seven "canes Scotici" as a gift to be used for fighting lions and bears, and who wrote "all Rome viewed (them) with wonder". The ancestral populations of dogs were very likely smaller than modern Gray wolves; almost the size of a medium-sized husky. Blue. Based on the writings of others, Graham had formed the opinion that a dog resembling the original wolfhound could be recreated through using the biggest and best examples of the Scottish Deerhound and the Great Dane, two breeds which he believed had been derived earlier from the wolfhound. [31] It is not rare to see modern day female hounds reaching the minimal height requirements of those of male hounds; most females are well over 30 inches (76 cm)[35] and in most AKC conformation shows a wolfhound's height is looked at with as much importance as the hound's head and face structure. The Irish Wolfhound should also appear to be longer than it is tall. I wanted my project to be as scientifically irrefutable as possible and to that end, I enlisted the help of epidemiologists, population geneticists, statisticians and medical researchers in two major teaching hospitals (human) in St. Louis, Missouri. When a study is undertaken to determine any condition of a segment of population, whether it is plant or mineral, dog or cat, human or non-human, it is necessary to examine data from a sample of that population. Realizing this, I am especially grateful to those who made the effort to do so. Patient. Gray. Generous. Irish Wolfhound: Other names: Cú Faoil: Origin: Belgium. This combination of speed, power and size enables the Irish wolfhound to run down and overpower large prey. It is believed that British sea traders brought the Middle Eastern sighthound to Ireland. The other forms of cancer listed as causes of death were, in decreasing order of incidence: 31 lymphosarcoma (15.7% of cancer deaths, 5.3% of all deaths); 28 cancers of unknown origin or whose diagnosis of origin were questionable or unsubstantiated (14.2% of cancer deaths, 4.8% of all deaths); 6 mammary cancers, 4 lung cancers, 2 stomach cancers and 1 each of skin, intestinal and uterine cancer. But those records were not at my disposal, due to American Kennel Club policy. This was in a sample group in which there was almost equal distribution of dogs and bitches. Writing in 1790, Bewick described it as the largest and most beautiful of the dog kind; about 36 inches high, generally of a white or cinnamon colour, somewhat like the Greyhound but more robust. Reluctance on the owners' part to allow autopsies. Origin: Scotland. Both of these are very friendly and sweet dogs. ... short life span, cancer, heart trouble, as well as issues over phenotype. Scottish Deerhounds are athletes a… The Irish Wolfhound is a breed that is often misrepresented as having an unnaturally short lifespan, with an expectation of 6-7 years. In the hoary past, they were used by their masters in hunting and guarding purposes. [20], Hunting dogs were coveted and were frequently given as gifts to important personages and foreign nobles. This study investigates lifespan, causes of death and genetic parameters in the Irish Wolfhound. Their rapid growth makes them prone to injury as puppies, and they suffer from the diseases common in giant breeds, some of which are serious. I therefore took as my sample the only available list of Irish Wolfhound owners in the United States, which was the combination of members of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America (the parent club) and members of all regional Irish Wolfhound clubs, whether or not they were sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. Wolfhounds often create a strong bond with their family and can become quite destructive or morose if left alone for long periods of time. The largest and tallest of the galloping hounds, in general type he is a rough-coated, Greyhound-like breed; very muscular, strong though gracefully built; movements easy and active; head and neck carried high, the tail carried with an upward sweep with a slight curve towards the extremity". It is divided into the following three parts: 1.1 Literature Review (chapter 3) There are an important number of publications dealing with lifespan and disease predispositions in the Irish Wolfhound in the veterinary literature. The Irish Wolfhound is properly called a giant hound. Whilst this may be true in some cases, many Wolfhound owners know that many hounds exceed this. The only practical solution was to make some compromises in the degree to which the cause of death can be accurate. 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