Irish Wolfhounds

LeotheLion

Hey
Does anyone know where to buy a Irish wolfhound pup,is there anywhere in Dublin?
And how much would it cost to feed one per week(when fully grown)

echo17

Is that your only consideration??? :(

LeotheLion

echo17 wrote: »

Is that your only consideration??? :(

its not for me,its for a family member,do you not think its better off for someone to plan if they could afford the animal rather than getting one and then not being able to afford it and letting it starve

star-pants

LeotheLion -- have you tried researching via google etc? (I personally don't know about them so I can't help I'm afraid).
You could try ringing the IKC and see if they have any wolfhound breeders listed here.

LeotheLion

star-pants wrote: »

LeotheLion -- have you tried researching via google etc? (I personally don't know about them so I can't help I'm afraid).
You could try ringing the IKC and see if they have any wolfhound breeders listed here.

yeah google was tried,thanks
I taught someone here might know

star-pants

Aye hopefully someone will come along who does know/have one but do try the IKC for breeder lists or you could even ring around some of the pounds and see if they have any wolfhounds for rehoming.

LeotheLion

star-pants wrote: »

Aye hopefully someone will come along who does know/have one but do try the IKC for breeder lists or you could even ring around some of the pounds and see if they have any wolfhounds for rehoming.

thanks will try them!

andreac

As they are a giant breed, they would prob take a 15kg bag of good quality food every 3 weeks or so, these can range in price from 40-70 euro depemding what food it is, so you are looking about 60 a month on food alone i would say.

LeotheLion

andreac wrote: »

As they are a giant breed, they would prob take a 15kg bag of good quality food every 3 weeks or so, these can range in price from 40-70 euro depemding what food it is, so you are looking about 60 a month on food alone i would say.

Thanks,that sounds reasonable for such a big doggy

hadook

LeotheLion wrote: »

Thanks,that sounds reasonable for such a big doggy

Please don't base it just on food In most cases a giant breed will cost you more than a standard sized dog.

Basic care like worming is more expensive (the tablets work by weight), vet trips are more common as they are genetically predisposed to more illnesses and most giant breeds are big wussy clumsy oafs, antibiotics/painkillers etc are more expensive (again, works by weight). Collars cost more in larger sizes. Dog beds, houses, crates cost more in larger sizes. Pet insurance (which is vital with any giant breed, trust me on that one!) costs more. These are some of the factors that you need to take into account, not just food.

I've seen Danes in the vet having their tails amputated after wagging them through a glass cabinet. I've seen wolfhounds with wounds that took weeks to heal. I've seen dogs with arthritis and heart conditions at two, dogs with immune system and digestive systems problems from birth. You need to prepare for worst case scenario when you get a giant breed (especially wolfhounds as they have a very small gene pool) and hope for the best.

When teething they have the ability to destroy your home. Don't think I'm making light of this or exaggerating in any way - they can rip your house apart and they don't mean it. Have you seen the damage a small puppy can do a chair leg when teething? Now imagine where a waist high dog can reach to chew. And think of the size of those teeth and the power in those jaws.:rolleyes: I know a dog who pulled the doors off a very expensive range to get to the dinner cooking inside. Don't think you're safe by putting them outside either - there's plenty to chew on out there too. I met a dog once who decided to sleep on top of the owners car and dented the roof, bonnet and scratched front and back windscreens to the tune of several hundred quid. And if you think that's bad - imagine the damage a bored dog can do inside the lovely squishy interior of the car while you pop into the shop for 5 minutes!

I wouldn't swap my giant breed for the world, she's an amazing dog but she cost a fortune in hidden costs in the first two years. And I'm not in a minority here, if anything I got one of the better behaved ones! I was home 24/7 with her until she was 9 months old so it wasn't lack of company/ training/ manners either. She's just big so the damage is amplified.

Don't take this as me trying to discourage you from getting a wolfhound but please do consider the rest of the costs of keeping one. They're an amazing breed but they're not without problems, not for the faint hearted and most definitely not for a novice dog owner

Incheerocket

I have wolfhounds, 4 at one point down to 2 now, please please be aware that all giant breeds need particular care when growing as their bones are so soft and they grow at such a rapid pace that permanent long term damage can be caused when young, and that vet care is always going to be more expensive, like someone has already said the amount on antibiotic needed for a wolfhound is a lot more than for a spaniel say. If your friends are really interested I suggest you speak to the Kellys in north Co. Dublin, Kathleen is president of the Irish wolfhound club of ireland..google them, I'm sure they would be happy for you/your friend to call them and have a chat, maybe even go and see them, as for food costs, they eat approx 1kg dry food a day, more when growing, they are very fast runners and need a fair bit of exercise when grown, and don't expect to keep anything on the kitchen counter top for more than a second, or it will be gone. They are also not the sharpest tools in the box, so be patient! and good luck, oh, as far as lifespan goes I lost one aged 18months and one aged 10years, if you get to 10 thats considered good, in the states the average age is now just around 6yrs.

Vas_Guy

There is a wolfhound breeder in Navan, who can give you advice on care, etc

LeotheLion

Thanks for all the info everyone