|The Irish Wolfhound| Pre-dating the Christian Era This giant
dog breed was held in such high esteem that for a long time, its
ownership was restricted to kings, nobles and poets. The dog's
great prowess as a hunter of the immense Irish elk, wolves, and
wild boar are legend. When the numbers of large game fell
however, the Irish Wolfhounds nearly disappeared. In 1862, a
Scottish officer, in the British army, named Captain George A.
Graham endeavored to collect what few remaining specimens he
could find and over the next 20 plus years of selective
breeding, tried to restore the breed. In 1885, Captain Graham
guided the writing of the first breed standard. While early
attempts were not wholly favorable, by the end of the century
both size and type had been restored. The Irish Wolfhound is a
rough coated Greyhound-like breed, the tallest of the coursing
hounds and remarkable in combining power and swiftness. Having
great intelligence, this dog breed is highly trainable,
considered very gentle, and excellent with