Sighthound giant Large size 40-70 kg

Irish Wolfhound

A gentle giant and the tallest of breeds - calm and sweet-natured, but its very short lifespan and heavy health load are the hard trade-off.

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Find out how this breed matches your household

Quick overview

Large
Size
40-70 kg, 71-90 cm
Moderate
Activity
Moderate; a good walk plus play keeps it settled
Moderate
Alone-time tolerance
Handles a normal workday with routine
Moderate
Trainability
Trainable but independent-minded
Moderate
Coat care
Rough coat; regular brushing and hand-stripping
Good
Fit with kids
Good with kids given supervision
Moderate
Other pets
Sighthound chase instinct; careful introductions
Very heavy
Health burden
Heart disease, bone cancer, bloat

The Irish Wolfhound typically weighs 40-70 kg, stands 71-90 cm, and lives 6-9 years.

Consider this breed if…

you want a calm, gentle companion rather than a working dog,
you have a house, a tall car, and a securely fenced area to run,
you can absorb the food, medication, and vet costs of a 60+ kg dog,
you accept a short life and want to make those years count.

Do not consider this breed if…

losing a dog at 6-8 years old would break you - that is this breed's norm,
you live in an apartment or cannot fit a giant dog in your car and home,
you keep cats or small pets and cannot manage a chase instinct,
a five-figure lifetime vet budget is not realistic for you.

A typical day with a Irish Wolfhound

  1. 7:00 · Morning
    Unhurried 30-40 min walk on leash
  2. 9:30 · Midmorning
    Long nap; adult wolfhounds are couch dwellers
  3. 12:30 · Noon
    Garden break and a small meal, then rest before any activity
  4. 16:00 · Afternoon
    Free gallop in a securely fenced field
  5. 18:30 · Evening
    Second walk, calm family time
  6. 21:00 · Night
    Sleeps deeply on the biggest bed available

Temperament and training

Gentleness Very high
Calmness indoors Very high
Chase instinct High
Independence Moderate
Guarding tendency Low
Sensitivity High
Common owner mistakes
Running or roughhousing a giant puppy while its skeleton is still growing · Letting it off leash in open country and trusting recall over instinct · Feeding one large meal and exercising right after, raising bloat risk

Family and environment

Kids Good
Gentle and patient, but its size can flatten small children.
Dogs Good
Usually amiable; watch play with tiny dogs.
Cats Conditional
Can work when raised together; running cats trigger the chase.
Apartment Unsuitable
Sheer size; stairs are hard on giant joints.
House with a yard Ideal
Needs tall, secure fencing - it clears low ones.
City Manages
Calm on leash; finding sprint space is the challenge.
Countryside Ideal
Room to gallop safely is exactly what it needs.
Health data provided by RealVetCost
Overall health burden Very heavy

Detailed health data - inheritance, prevalence, course, and typical treatment costs - lives in a separate expert database. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice - confirm any decision with your vet.

View the full health profile
Top health concerns
Dilated cardiomyopathy Heart disease; regular cardiac checks advised
Osteosarcoma Bone cancer risk elevated in giant sighthounds
Bloat (GDV) Deep-chested build; learn the emergency signs
Hip and elbow dysplasia Screen breeding stock; manage weight and joint load

Similar breeds - by reason

Not visually similar - similar in what they mean for you.

Closest relative, slightly lighter
Scottish Deerhound
A gentle giant sighthound, calm and dignified indoors but needing space to gallop - the short lifespan is the main heartbreak.
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Another calm giant (Great Dane)
German Mastiff
A gentle giant that is calm and affectionate indoors, but its enormous size brings high costs, joint and heart problems, and one of the shortest lifespans in dogs.
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Elegant giant sighthound
Borzoi
An elegant, quiet sighthound that lounges indoors but sprints after anything that moves - independent, tall, and needing a secure area to run.
View profile →

Frequently asked questions

How much does an Irish Wolfhound cost in the US?
A puppy from a health-testing breeder typically runs $2,000-$3,500. Ongoing costs are giant-sized: large food bills, weight-based medication pricing, and higher surgical fees. Lifetime cost commonly lands at $20,000-$35,000+ even with the short lifespan, and one emergency such as bloat surgery can add $5,000-$10,000.
Why do Irish Wolfhounds live so short?
Giant size comes with a biological price. Most wolfhounds live 6-9 years, with heart disease and bone cancer the leading causes of death. No amount of care changes the fundamentals, though a breeder who screens hearts and a vet who checks the heart annually give you the best odds.
Are Irish Wolfhounds good family dogs?
Yes, temperamentally they are among the gentlest large breeds - calm, patient, and rarely aggressive. The practical caveats are size and cost: a dog that can stand 90 cm at the shoulder knocks over toddlers by accident, takes up a car, and eats a lot. They are companions, not guard dogs.
How much exercise does an Irish Wolfhound need?
Less than the size suggests. An adult wants a couple of daily walks plus regular chances to gallop flat-out in a securely fenced area, then sleeps most of the day. Puppies are the opposite problem: their fast-growing skeleton must not be over-exercised in the first 18 months or so.