Irish Wolfhound Type Here and There BY TIM FINNEY, GULLIAGH IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
I have been asked before if there are any notable differences between Irish-bred and Ameri- can-bred Irish Wolfhounds. What makes this a not-so-easy question is that within both populations there is a fair degree of variety in type, and in judg- ing any sizable entry there will be the shorter-legged, angulated, usually lon- ger-backed ones and the leggier, more definitely sighthound type, and then a variety of heads, degrees of substance and coat. I approach this article from the per- spective of an Irish Wolfhound breed- er-exhibitor going back more than 50 years, and a breed judge in Ireland since 1974 who has also judged the breed in the USA on several occasions since 1992, on the East and West Coasts. I should say that, given the mix in both countries, there is very little dif- ference. Wolfhounds in one country
would fit seamlessly into the breed ring in the other. Happily, in general, there is no distinguishing American type vs the Irish. Just a couple of items often get mentioned. Coats on this damp and cool side of the Atlantic are generally good in density and harsh texture whereas coats in the warmer parts of America not so; also, the American teeth have been let go for generations, since the AKC standard, unaccountably, omits any mention. The result is that judges ignore some with very bad mouths; misplaced lower canines penetrating into the upper gum (or even palate) and some with tiny, worn teeth, inevitably dirty. Generally, your visiting Irish/FCI judges are dentally aware by education, and just can’t place these hounds. Our own Gulliagh Kennel has not been afraid to go into American lines. We were first (I believe) to breed a lit- ter by AI, using Dr. Lyn Simon’s US Ch. Stoneybrook Konjur in 2000 and Ms Glynis Littlewood’s US Ch. Rosslare’s Sandor in 2005. Both males melded beautifully with our lines, producing several champions at home and abroad, in Ireland, France and America. There have been many other exchanges of blood into and out of America in recent times, mostly involving Europe and Scandinavia rather than Ireland. I have seen or heard of nothing in the ring in any of these countries signalling a sig- nificant shift in type. BREED STANDARDS We have three standards operating worldwide, those of the AKC, the FCI and the Kennel Club (London). The AKC and the FCI standards are both derived from the original composed by Captain Augustus Graham and the Irish Wolfhound Club in the 1880s. The main departures in the case of the AKC standard have been the dropping of references to other specific breeds— the Scottish Deerhound and the Great Dane—and an increase in minimum heights and weights, in line with the greater size now long established in the modern breed. The Irish Wolfhound Club of Ireland, as country of origin, is currently negotiating with the FCI to effect similar changes. Very important- ly, in the introductory General Appear- ance section the AKC standard has included, “The largest and tallest of the galloping hounds, in general type he is a rough-coated, Greyhound-like breed”; similarly, the Irish Wolfhound Club of Ireland proposes to have “The largest
Two well known winners of the late 70s. Both had super balance, super heads, perfect harsh coats. Merlin, Crufts DCC 1979, BOB 1981.
Gulliagh Boom Bang a Bang 2014. 18 month old bitch, exuding overall houndy type, long legs and great head and eye
Inch Beach, Co. Kerry, Commanding appearance par excellence. A noble, bold, very special boy.
and tallest of the sighthounds, he is a rough-coated, Greyhound-like breed.” So, at the outset in both standards, the Wolfhound remains firmly established within the Greyhound/sighthound family—which is what Graham insist- ed on. I mention this as the Kennel Club (London) standard has seen fit to drop any such reference, and the Gen- eral Appearance description therein could in fact refer to any big dog that is strong, muscular and graceful. There is no typical picture created for anyone new coming into the breed and there is always a danger that the essential sight- hound elements of the Wolfhound will be allowed to gradually fade, at least in that country. Happily, the US and Ireland/FCI stan- dards are both well grounded in the breed’s history and are largely in accord with each other. All being well, this gives some assurance that our judges will retain the Irish Wolfhound breed as we have known it, on both sides of the Atlantic. Ir Ch Gulliagh Zamora. Taken against backdrop of the Killarney mountains. Plenty of angulation and curves and all in balance.
A wonderful mover with all the necessary curves in moderation. Proportions length of height spot-on. Went BIS at Blackpool Ch Show and Belfast in 1965.
Flowing set of curves—arched neck, smooth neck into shoulder, moderate arch over loin, right depth with tuckup, length of leg right for sighthound about 50:50 to withers. A great hound.
258 • S how S ight M agazine , M arch 2018
Powered by FlippingBook