This gentle dog was visiting at the mall last week. I’ve whited out his owner’s face for the sake of his anonymity.

I had never seen an Irish wolfhound up close like this, much less touched one, but this fellow didn’t mind at all that I touched his nose when we said hello.

I was amazed at his size, easily standing as high as his owner’s waist, and weighing over 200 lbs.

Irish wolfhounds were bred to guard against wolves in Ireland several hundred years ago. Although they must have been aggressive and tough to kill wolves, they are generally quite calm and gentle.  They are not bred to be guard dogs, lacking enough aggression for this job.

Still, if you would be the owner of an Irish wolfhound, it would be advisable to to train your dog early, before he gets too big to say no to.

Another thing I’ve learned about them is that Irish wolfhounds are susceptible to a heart condition called cardiomyopathy, so they do not usually have a long lifespan. Six to ten years seems to be the average lifespan.

It was a real treat to be able to meet this very large dog. He was seven years old, and very mild mannered.  As I went home from having met this dog, I kept thinking, “It must cost a small fortune to feed this dog, but I’m sure he would earn his keep by being such a loving companion.”