Sunday, March 13, 2011

What is the Tallest Breed of Dog? Find Out Today

Dog lovers never get tired of learning new Dog trivia. If you have been asking yourself or researching on what is tallest breed of dog, you will find the answer here.

The tallest breed of dog in the whole world is undoubtedly the Irish Wolfhound. This breed traces its roots from Ireland. Traditionally, these dogs were bred for hunting wolfs (hence, the name). Irish wolves have long been extinct in Ireland, as the last of the pack was said to have been hunted and killed about two centuries ago. But the Irish Wolfhound has outlived them to be the undisputed holder of the tallest dog breed title.

Going further back in history, however, it is said that Irish Wolfhounds were being bred in Ireland as early as the 500 BC, and were being used by the Celts for both hunting for wild animals and guarding their livestock, as well as for war and dog fights. Other historical accounts indicate that they were event transported to Rome to participate in the animal games. It is said that the Quintus Aurelius Summachus, consul of the Roman Empire, wrote a litter in 393 AD to his brother, to express his gratitude for sending a pack of Irish Wolfhounds to Rome, which the Romans found entertaining due to their size.

When it comes to warfare, the Irish Wolfhounds also boast of a colorful history. It is said that when England conquered Ireland, the Irish tried to repel them with trained Irish Wolfhounds to unseat armored knights off their galloping horses. After which, the infantry would come in to kill the knights that the dogs left off.

The male Irish Wolfhounds grow up to an average height of 33 to 36 inches (or almost three feet at shoulder) while the tallest dogs can tower up to 3.3 feet (over 1 meter). Their female counterparts, on the other hand, can grow up to an average height of 29 to 34 inches or typically one to three inches shorter than the makes. If you measure them from the edge of the snout down to the tail, they can be almost two meters or 6.6 feet.

As to their weight, the males usually grow to an average weight of 113 pounds while the females can grow as heavy as 106 pounds. But when the Irish Wolfhound puppies come out from their mother's womb, they usually weigh about 1.5 pounds only, and then grow fast into adulthood. When it comes to personality, Irish Wolfhounds are not called gentle giants for nothing. They are typically silent and calm but with power-packed body and bark.

Irish Wolfhounds come in gray, wheaten, brindled, and other coat colors like black, white, red, fawn and brown. Life expectancy however is shorter than average. While larger dogs typically live up to a ripe old age of 12 years, Irish Wolfhounds is expected to live up to five to nine years. They usually suffer from heart, stomach and bone problems.




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