Collars and leashes

Occasionally we get emails from people who are having problems with their wolfhounds development. Why is that? Because a) they are not using the food recommended by their breeder, who in some cases have years of experience, and instead listen to some well meaning friend, vet or so called "dog expert". So of course, who is to be blamed for the dog being cow-hocked, lame etc. You've got it - the breeder. b) Their puppy is being allowed to play with adult dogs who rough and tumble, and of course damage the puppy, sometimes with long term effects.

We urge you to listen to the people who have cared for and raised a puppy for you to enjoy, not destroy!! They have started your puppy on the best food available, which has also been fed to the generations of dogs behind them. Not because they get paid to promote it, but because they have had great results from using that food and want their puppies to be raised to the best of your ability. We have used Chicken Soup of the Dog Lovers Soul (Adult) with great success, and truly believe it is the best food for our hounds. It is an excellent food and our dogs love it. It is enriched with antioxidants Vitamin E & Selenium, helps to clean teeth and reduce plaque and is naturally preserved.

Ingredients: Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, oatmeal, millet, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevesiae fermentation solubles, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Taken from Bribiba Irish Wolfhounds: High protein food and supplements forces bone in wolfhounds causing hot painful joints, twisted legs and possibly bloat, vets then want to (and do) x-ray and all sorts of weird and wonderful diagnoses are made including hip displasia. I know of a case where a wolfhound of 8 months had his front legs broken by a vet and reset straight! The joints were of course ruined and the dog was PTS at 3 years old. I have heard of 3 cases where a young wolfhound not fully grown was x-rayed and diagnosed with hip displasia, you cannot x-ray a pup who is still growing, his joints will be all over the place and I have never heard of HD in a wolfhound. All those puppies were soon sorted out by a change of diet using a lower protein food, so be warned.

We also do not promote high protein puppy food at any stage of your puppies life, any breeder recommending this for your puppy is inexperienced, and you should walk away.

** We strongly advise that you do not allow your puppy to play with older dogs for the first 6-7 months of his/her life. After this time it is important to supervise play with adult dogs until at least a year old and growth has stopped. Because of an adults strength, weight and size they could very easily damage a puppy by accident. Also, an adult, even those smaller than your puppy will be able to maneuver much faster than a puppy, who will then over-exert in order to try and keep up. Collisions with adult dogs also tend to be very damaging to a puppy whose skeleton is still largely made of soft cartilage, not hard bone. Try to anticipate and prevent situations where the puppy could get knocked or banged on legs or joints. Even a minor knock on a growth plate can lead to pain and problems with their growth which may hinder them forever.

** After the puppy is a year old you should be able to relax and enjoy watching two Irish Wolfhounds (or adult dogs) running and playing together. Just as too much exercise will cause growth and joint problems, not enough can also be a problem. Which is why it is so important to listen to your breeder and heed their advise.

Giving your puppy the correct amount of exercise during the growth phase is probably the hardest thing to get right for the novice wolfhound owner, and it only gets a bit easier with experience. Every puppy is a unique individual and this makes it difficult to lay down any hard and fast rules. Here are some guidelines that will help you, please stick to them. Playtime should be limited to 20 minutes until the pup is around 10 months old, and shorter for really young puppies. Make sure your play area is not too large, as fast galloping can severely damage tender growth plates and joints. Never encourage the puppy to turn quickly or stop suddenly, either action can cause damage to growth plates and joints, and sprain ligaments and tendons. Never permit your puppy to jump off things, like the bed, couch, car, steps. And do not allow they to navigate stairs. Stairs must be out of bounds until they are over a year old. The same goes for jumping and no standing upright on their hind legs until a year old. Short walks can begin at 4 months old, but they should be gentle and not more than 10 minutes. Do not allow them to pull on the leash, this will encourage distortions of the front legs and may damage the spinal column. Galloping in large spaces should not be allowed until past 6 months of age, and only with great caution and a couple of times a week until 12 months old. If you have a tall, heavy boned male, do not let him gallop until at least 13 months of age, once the growth plates are closed. Please read above paragraphs **

My vet has recommended high protein puppy kibble for my wolfhound pup, what should I do?

FIND ANOTHER VET!!!! One who understands large breed puppies, I can not stress this enough. As mentioned above, puppy food for a wolfhound pup is an absolute NO, NO. There is evidence to show that high protein foods over-accelerate the growth of giant breed puppies, leading to bone-weakness and joint malformations. Feeding a wolfhound puppy between 18-24 percent protein will not result in a smaller adult, instead it will extend the growth period to allow better development and consolidation of bones and joints.

My wolfhound has diarrhea every once in a while. Could it be the food I am feeding?

Diarrhea or soft stools is a common complaint. Dietary intolerances can certainly cause digestive upset, leading to vomiting and or/diarrhea. However, if your pet is not tolerating something in their regular diet, you would expect to see signs of digestive upset everyday, not every once in a while.

Do I need to brush my pet's teeth?

Brushing is the best way to remove plaque from the surface before it can become hardened into tartar. Plaque is a soft substance that is made up of food particles and bacteria. When the minerals in the saliva bind to the surface of this plaque, it becomes hard. This is called tartar and should be scraped off the surface of the teeth, usually under general anesthesia during a procedure called a dental prophylaxis. As anesthesia is not good for wolfhounds, we would recommend brushing to avoid this unless absolutely necessary.

Most pets age 2 or older have some degree of dental disease. If left it can become irreversible and can lead to illness, mouth pain and tooth loss. Therefore it is advisable to start brushing your pets teeth when they are young. There are doggie toothbrushes available, or you could use a gauze pad or small piece of cloth, apply a pea sized amount of pet friendly paste and rub the surface gently. Do this when they are calm and relaxed, not at play time. They will soon become used to brushing and you can switch to a soft brush. There are also dental treats to consider, but ensure they are endorsed by the VOHC. We do not recommend greenies. Using the dental treats mainly with a weekly brushing session is a good rule to adhere to. Diamond Pet Foods manufactures one such treat, under the brand name Bright Bites.

My wolfhound is eating grass. Why?

Dogs often "graze" as a normal behavior. However, if your wolfhound is grazing excessively to the point where he/she is vomiting, you may want to contact your veterinarian, they may well be suffering from an upset stomach.

Do I need to supplement my pet's diet?

NO. As long as you are feeding a natural, good quality food as recommended by your breeder their food will be complete and balanced. Adding supplements will upset the balance and can be harmful. Always check with your breeder prior to using any supplements for your wolfhound.

My Wolfhound has bursas, what should I do?

Although they look ugly, they are much better left alone, unless they get so large you fear they could rupture the skin (grapefruit sized). Reduce the trauma to the affected joints by providing plenty of deep soft bedding. Draining is not recommended because you risk infection, and they usually reappear anyway. It is better to have a fluid lump than a chipped bone. The swelling is the body's way of protecting a joint which is being bruised when the puppy flops on a hard surface. They can also be caused by a puppy that will drag itself over a slippery surface to maneuver because it can not get up easily on this surface, in that case help your young puppy to stand up by carefully lifting them to avoid this. Rub antiseptic cream onto the bursa, they will eventually go, but can take months to disappear.

How do you know you have chosen a reputable breeder?

Your selected breeder should be asking questions or sent you a questionnaire asking numerous questions, if they have asked you to come and visit their home, if they have a history, and are not new, first time breeders, if they require that the puppy be returned to them should you have any personal difficulties, if they request progress reports throughout the puppy's life, if they provide a puppy guide fully of instructions to help you raise your puppy, if their hounds live in their home and not in a kennel, if they have asked about family, other pets, fencing and your vet references, if you feel like you are adopting a human child, if they happily give other references for you to contact upon request, then maybe, just maybe, you have found a caring, concerned, reputable breeder.

What is a Mentor?

A mentor cares that you find the best information available, that you know who and where resource material can be obtained. A mentor answers all your questions and is "there for you" at strange and often inconvenient hours of the day and night. Yes, there is much more to it -- more like a guardian who helps you not make those silly mistakes or do harm to our breed. A mentor will more often than not give you all the reasons why "thou shalt not breed"... then, will chatter away at you till you finally give way. Look for a breeder willing to give you this support and concern.