August 14, 2007 6:00 AM
Colleen Brown says she could fill a book with the questions folks have asked about her gigantic dogs.
A Swansea resident who owns and exhibits Irish wolfhounds, Mr. Brown says the dogs are a magnet for curious spectators. People always ask her how much the dogs weigh, how tall they are and what it’s like to live with the gentle giants.
The Irish wolfhound is the world’s tallest dog. Standing up on its hind legs, it can reach 7 feet, according to Britain’s National Army Museum. The wolfhound is the mascot of the Irish Guards.
According to the official breed standard, males should measure 32 to 35 inches at the shoulders, while females reach 30 to 32 inches. The standard weight for males is a 145 pounds, while most females tip the scales at 125 pounds.
“They are big dogs,” Ms. Brown acknowledges with a smile.
The 51-year-old town conservation officer says that while she’s always had a soft spot for the legendary Irish breed, she had other pets, including lots of cats. She finally decided to get a wolfhound about 10 years ago.
Ms. Brown adopted her first, Bailey, through a rescue program. The previous owners relinquished the dog because it couldn’t fit into their canoe.
“She wasn’t socialized, because as a puppy, she was a kennel dog,” Ms. Brown remembers. “I worked with her and six months later, we marched in Fall River’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.”
Bailey, who became her owner’s pride and joy as well as a familiar sight in Swansea village, died a few years ago.
Ms. Brown and her sister Jeanne, a medical researcher, also adopted Riley, who died in February at the age of 9. That’s considered old for a wolfhound. The average lifespan of the rough-coated breed is between five and seven years.
Right now, there’s just Abby, a 6-year-old red brindle wolfhound, purchased from a South Shore kennel and trained in obedience and rally.
Abby, formally known as O’Lugh’s Abigail O’Swansea, has earned a companion dog degree and is a certified therapy dog. The brainy Abby has also earned a Canine Good Citizen title and three rally titles.
“She’s the first wolfhound in New England to earn a rally excellent title,” Ms. Brown says proudly. “It requires a lot of work to train a wolfhound.”
Wolfhounds are easily bored, she says, and don’t like repetition. They’d rather curl up on the living room floor than practice obedience routines.
“These dogs are stubborn, but they are intelligent,” Mr. Brown says, pointing out that Irish wolfhounds weren’t bred to please humans, like many of the sporting breeds.
“Wolfhounds are not high-energy dogs,” she emphasizes. “You have to work with them.”
Known as the “Great Hound of Ireland,” the Irish wolfhound was developed more than 2,000 years ago by wealthy landowners and the nobility to patrol large estates and to assist hunters in locating wild boar, elk and wolves.
In battle, the giant canines knocked invading soldiers from their horses.
With the disappearance of elk and wolves, and because the wolfhound was heavily exported, the breed almost became extinct. Rescued by canine preservationists in the 19th century, the Irish wolfhound today enjoys a small yet ambitious following in this country, Canada, England, Australia and in its native land.
Despite its intimidating size, the nature and temperament of the modern Irish wolfhound make these dogs unsuitable as a guard or patrol dog. They are courageous, but neither aggressive nor suspicious. They love people and thrive on attention.
Ms. Brown says that potential owners should be prepared to deal with health issues. While great strides have been made in recent decades to improve the quality of these dogs’ lives and increase their lifespan, wolfhounds are still prone to cancer, seizures, heart abnormalities and hip dysplasia.
“More than 60 percent of Irish wolfhounds die from osteosarcoma,” Ms. Brown reveals, adding that two of her dogs have donated blood to ongoing research projects being conducted at MIT.
The dog owner, who plans to add a wolfhound puppy to the household at the end of this month, is often asked about the massive hound’s appetite.
“A wolfhound eats less than an adult Labrador retriever,” she says. “I feed Abby two cups of kibble and a quarter can of wet food every day and she’s fine. They are low-energy dogs, so they don’t require a lot of food.”
So what’s it like to share a home with a dog almost as big as a pony?
Ms. Brown laughs. You have to get used to it, she says.
“Once you do, every other breed seems so small.”
Swansea resident Brian J. Lowney has been writing about pets for more than a decade. He is a past president of the Wampanoag Kennel Club, an active dog show judge and shares his home with two shelter-adopted cats. All of Brian’s columns are available online in our new pet section. Visit http://pets.SouthCoastToday.com.
