IRISH WOLFHOUND Very appreciated by the Irish nobility for wolf hunting, there were lots of them until more or less the end of the XVII century, when it was about to disappear due to the famine that devastated Ireland and the excessive exploitation. However, the breed was recovered by the end of the XIX century, to perform rescue duties. GENERAL DESCRIPTION Due to its sweet and kind character, it gets along extraordinarily well with children, It is very easy to train and despite its gigantic size, it needs to exercise a little more than a medium sized dog, but it needs wide spaces to live. It gets well adapted to the home environment, but it keeps its hunting instincts. It is impossible to force it to do something it doesn't want to do; it will successfully answer to the training if you are kind and understanding with it because it is always hoping to please you, but it will never obey someone who tries to make his authority by force. PHYSICAL ASPECT Rustic hair, rough at touch; dark and rounded eyes with back eyelids. Its little ears shouldn't hang too close to the face. The tail should be long, slightly curved and taken low. Straight feet with very joint and arched fingers. The thoraxes line should be more prolonged than the back line. PRACTICAL DATA LIFE EXPECTANCY: 7 years. PHYSICAL EXERCISE: Moderate. MAINTENANCE: Moderate. LEVEL OF NOISE: Very Silent. HEALTH PROBLEMS: Tendency to have liver and heart problems; susceptible to bone cancer. HEIGHT: 71 – 79 cm. Dog Collars BREED RECOGNIZED BY THE CANINE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION (CIF)