Wolfhounds

[Calvinator]

Does anyone use wolfhounds to hunt coyotes?? Can anyone refer a certain breeder or line of wolfhounds that may be better than the typical "show" lines? Also interested in info on training a sighthound for this purpose.

Calvinator

[Calvinator]

The girlfriend wants a wolfhound. She doesn't care if it hunts, but I would like to use it for something. In all honestly, it may be difficult to use one to hunt coyotes in OH. Not enough wide open spaces. I just want to investigate the potential. We will not be getting another dog soon. The Pudelpointer is only 9 months old.

[Calvinator]

We both had rescue Greyhounds before meeting each other. She would settle for a Greyhound, but I just can't get over the tragic loss of my Greyhound, Vincent. She wants a big dog. She doesn't like the look of mastiff types and prefers the sleek build of sighthounds. Having owner GWP and now a PP, I prefer bearded types. We have looked at Deerhounds, but prefer the heavier build of the Wolfhound.

Calvinator

[blathens]

Calvinator, I had wolfhounds in the late 60's and early 70's. At that time most all breeders were show breeders. Today some breeders are entering into the sport of "coursing" which I think is the step in the right direction. The show people seemed to prefer the bigger blockier hounds that weren't, in my opinion, built for their intended job. The old pictures of wolfhounds were much racier, more like Scottish Deerhound conformation, just bigger. I went to a Wolfhound specialty show in Kansas back then and met some guys up from Texas looking for breeding stock to cross their greyhounds to for running coyotes. They said the greyhounds could catch the coyotes easy enough but didn't have enough fight in them to dipatch them.
Greyhounds are big dogs but are not even close in size and weight of the IW. My male was 34 inches at the shoulder, weighed 175 pounds and could reach 7 feet with his front legs on my shoulders. When I saw my first one in person I could hardly believe my eyes. They are awesome dogs. However, as with all giant size dogs their life spans are short. Something usually gets them before they are 10 years old. Mine died of cancer of the spleen at 91/2. He was active and strong almost to the end though.
I wouldn't mine another someday myself if you could use them on coyotes. Maybe you could take your PP bitch out when she is in heat and stake her out to lure male coyotes in, then just release the wolfhound just BEFORE he mounts her:).....or EATS her:(.

Bill

[orhunter]

Bill, you're a hoot.......

[joey198914]

How you ever thaught of a poodle, there as big as wolfhounds ! and, i think there more intelligent

Wolfhounds and massifs arent the only ones that are big you know...

[blathens]

Joey, have you ever seen an Irish Wolfhound? They are 3 times the size of a standard poodle. Do some homework.

Bill

[joey198914]

OOps haha, emmmmmmmmm oopsy lol yap, emmmmm i did a little research and emmmm yeah oops they are much bigger lol

BUT, poodles are still big dogs. And as an opinion I think they are more of a companion thene a wolfhound. Why ? Well, its simply my opinion, Wolfhounds are really lovely but I like better the poodle, because they dont loose there hair, ............

Heres some pics of my dog :









Him as a pup, lol, not even 1 month old. (His name : Tao, french name)





And here are my 2 other dogs :

Tica :



and Max :

[drfatguy]

A wolfhound can't catch a coyote. I have lure chased a bit (I can't call it coursing because the dog isn't controlling the race, just following). I have also done some open field coursing. I haven't ever seen a an IW which double suspension galloped. I had pointers which were faster than any wolfhound I have ever seen. I haven't seen an IW I felt could catch a fox or coyote. The true Irish went extinct and the breed we call an IW is an artificial breed. Coursing hounds evolved to perform a task. A captain in the british military bred the IW to recreate the breed. Find a staghound some old coyote hunter has and you will like the dog and it can actually catch something.

Dr Fatguy

[blathens]

Dr Fatguy, with the build on todays wolfhound you are probably right for most dogs. The original wolfhound was much racier than the lumbering IW's that win in AKC shows today. If there was a purpose for the IW other than shows, however, maybe there will be some that breed for proper conformation.
I don't quite understand the term "artifcial" in your description of the todays wolfhound, however. All breeds are "artificial."

Bill

[DrahtsundBraats]

Fatguy,
You are absolutely right-I suspect that the Scottish Deerhound could still be a coursing dog and I have met a few that certainly have the kill instinct intact.

[drfatguy]

Blathens,
All breeds are artificial but sighthounds are the closest to the original. What I mean by the IW being artificial is the breed was cobbled together by some Captain in the British Army to look like the ancient breed. Performance wasn't an issue. This means an IW wasn't judged for ability only what it looked like (re: show dog). The rest of the coursing breeds were bred for speed first then looks.

Dr Fatguy

[Idaho Steve]

Does anyone use wolfhounds to hunt coyotes?? Can anyone refer a certain breeder or line of wolfhounds that may be better than the typical "show" lines? Also interested in info on training a sighthound for this purpose.

Calvinator

Try Larry Bull in Jerome, Idaho @ www.geneticspecialies.com/geneticspecialties.html
He'll fix you up.

[mrsb73122]

I had a bad experience with Irish Wolfhounds in St. Louis at the Purina Farms two years ago. They were having a show and our group was having a test. A lot of us were staying in the same hotel. While I was taking my dog out to do his business at the hotel in the morning, a male attacked my 8 month old DK. The IW was being walked with three females by one person. (These are very large dogs. While walking by one of them, his head was even with mine -- I’m 5’4â€

[SeventhSon]

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