Good Books, Websites,
Clubs and Societies
Long before you bring your puppy home, set the scene for his/her arrival. Sort out a suitable sleeping area bearing in mind that you may need to separate the puppy from any other pets if you are out e.g. with a baby gate. It's always wise that the puppy can see and hear the household around him. You may need to put newspaper down for the first few nights, make sure there is room enough to do this.
Your puppy may be very unsettled when you first have him. We have found that a radio on low in the puppy's room, together with a small night light help comfort him into a quiet nights sleep. Also remember to leave with him the things we will provide which smell of home.
Judicious use of play toys can also help, see the notes on playing with your puppy below.
Your hound will require a large sleeping area of his own where he can retire, keep his toys and know it is his own area. However, always ensure that you can move or sit on his bed and remove the toys so that he does not become territorial. A single mattress is recommended when he is an adult but in the meantime you need to ensure the bedding is a good 2 /3" thick.. An area for newspaper for toilet training will also be needed for a puppy in the early stages.
Vetbed fleece is ideal for your puppy to sleep in plus it is washable and lasts a long time. Initially, old blankets may be better until your puppy gets over its chewing stage when many a brand new expensive bed has been shredded.
Wolfhounds make wonderful companions for children. However, we are usually cautious of selling a puppy to a home with young children.
It is essential that the puppy is allowed to sleep when required (which will be a lot) without being pestered by children wanting him to play. Play times MUST be supervised as puppy can play rough and he has very sharp teeth.
Until you have taught him the rules of play i.e. not mouthing and jumping up, care must be taken as the puppy does not know that he is hurting you or the child. DO NOT allow a child to pick up a puppy, let the child go down to his level.
DO NOT allow too much tug of war and NO jumping up games, as whilst it is fun with a small puppy, within a couple of months this puppy will be bigger than the average 3 year old and such behaviour would cause problems.
NEVER leave a child alone with a puppy.
Please ensure that your commitments to children are not going to prevent you giving sufficient time to devote to your puppy. Shutting puppy away because he is a nuisance is no answer and will lead to problems.
Although you can't wrap your puppy in cotton wool, exercise and general activity does need to be watched.
Most problems in a growing giant breed like the Wolfhound stems from trauma to the growth plates in the long bones of the forelegs. This can happen when a young puppy continually jumps downwards thus putting undue stress on the joints.
It's worth knowing that at the end of the long bones in the forelegs there an area between the ends of the bones that remains soft until the hound is about 12 months old (see section on lameness). Until then you must caution against your puppy jumping down steps, stairs or off furniture. Obviously jumping up people should be discouraged anyway.
You do want your pup to gallop around in order to strengthen and start to develop muscles but this should be only as much as he wants to do as puppies tire very easily therefore up to the age of 6 months the back garden of your property will suffice for the puppy to run free in.
DO NOT encourage the puppy to run around with other dogs that may knock him or bowl him over.
You must begin to lead train your puppy as soon as you get him, and take him out to socialise with people and other animals, but not to walk him very far, 5/10 minutes is enough down the street with the intention of meeting traffic and people.
Once vaccinated, do drive him to the park to meet other dogs and people but do it as a social exercise not with the intention of walking him. Let him sit and watch his surroundings, get him used to travelling with you in the car. A local dog training class for ringcraft is a good idea, beware of strict obedience classes as Wolfhounds are NOT like working breeds who take to this easily.
It has been proven that the first 20 weeks of your puppy's life are the most important in its development to being a balanced sociable dog.
We suggest that after 6 months, lead walk the puppy, 20 minutes is enough, and allow only 5 - 10 minutes free off the lead - on his own, fully supervised. Build this up, after 12 months your hound should be able to exercise freely - about 1 hour per day is recommended combined lead walking and free running will keep your hound in good muscular condition.
When you take your puppy you will need to make an appointment at your veterinary surgeon for the inoculations to be carried out. It is advisable to leave it a few days after puppy's arrival as vaccinations straight after the stress of a home change can often upset a puppy quite badly. If the puppy is collected from me later than 10 weeks it will need to have the first part of its vaccination, we can arrange this for you, and a certificate will be provided which you should show to your vet.
Your puppy will have been wormed at 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks
of age (and 11 weeks if still with us) using Panacur. Continue worming monthly
until the puppy is 6 months old. Then, twice yearly as an adult, using Drontal
Plus. Speak to your vet about obtaining suitable worming tablets.
At the time of purchasing your puppy you need insurance cover. This is usually
for Third Party cover, Veterinary Fees and the Value of the puppy. The puppy
will leave us with 6 weeks insurance cover but you must sort out your own
insurance quickly.
Things to consider when taking out insurance:
Watch out for the companies who exclude illnesses after a 12-month period.
Ask if the policy is 'Time Capped' which means that if your hound has a heart condition, they will not pay out any more vet fees 12 months after the onset of the illness, or is it 'Finance Capped' meaning that they pay out a fixed amount per condition over an undetermined period. This latter option is OK as long as it is a substantial amount such as £4000 plus per condition.
Watch out for companies who exclude Wolfhounds after the age of 5 years. Make sure that the Insurance Company insures the dog until its eventual death. Some companies will insure the hound for vets' fees for its lifetime but will not pay out the value after a certain age, often 7 years. Make sure you enquire about this before taking insurance out. Most companies now charge an extra fee for a giant breed.
Check what the excess is. Most companies put£50 excess on the policy but some are £35.00. Often this means that it is not worth claming for most veterinary visits, but if the dog has a major illness that can run into thousands of pounds, £50 excess is a small price to pay.
Watch out for companies who exclude what they see as hereditary or congenital conditions (Asda insurance do this). Select a company who do not exclude specific conditions.
You can pay your dog insurance premium monthly.
Some popular companies.
Marks and Spencer 0800 0720119 - These actually do a policy which has no excess.
Petplan : Telephone: 0845 071 8000.
Pet Pals Telephone 0870 240 1913
The Kennel Club: This insurance can be taken out when you transfer the puppy into your name.
Most general insurance companies offer pet insurance now. It is worth ringing around for best quotes, bearing in mind the criteria we have suggested above.
Wolfhounds are generally easy to housetrain and are naturally clean dogs.
It is important to remember that the dog is a creature 'of the moment' so if you walk into a room and find the puppy actually peeing on the carpet and you shout 'NO', it will occur to him that peeing on the carpet displeases you.
If however, you shout 'NO' as he is walking away having finished his pee, or just upon finding a puddle on the floor while the puppy is lying on his bed, then he believes that walking away or lying on his bed is what displeases you.
Its quite simple psychology, but something that is invariably neglected because of our tendency to react to situations without thinking first.
Mess in the house can be avoided if you follow some basic rules.
For the first few nights leaving newspaper down overnight only for the puppy to use is a good idea.
When you are with him, take him outside to where you wish him to perform his toilet IMMEDIATELY after: -
He has been fed
He wakes up from a sleep
He has been playing for a while
He starts mooching around as if he is looking for somewhere to 'go'.
DO NOT LEAVE HIM OUTSIDE THERE TO GET ON WITH IT. Stay with him because it is important that upon performing the required function you are there to praise, praise and praise gleefully telling him how clever and wonderful he was for doing it.
Timing is everything, and the puppy will soon learn that he goes outside to the toilet but you must be vigilant to watch for the signs of his wanting to 'go', or his beginning to ask to go outside. NEVER, rough handle your puppy for making a mistake indoors. If he has an accident in the house it is not his fault that you were too brainless to look at your watch and open the door.
Tip - The scent of urine is very difficult to eradicate completely no matter how much disinfectant you use. This remaining scent can be a signal to a puppy to continue weeing in the same place. Bleach can clear the smell and if you can use a mild solution of bleach to clean areas where 'accidents' have occurred it will help.
Not all toys are suitable for a puppy to play with. We would warn you against toys called 'ragger chews'. They are made up of hundreds of lengths of cotton twisted together and knotted. We know of several hounds that managed to chew through this and ended up with the cotton twisted round the intestines, resulting in major surgery and one hound actually died.
Kongs are great for puppies because they can be filled with interesting food like fruit, biscuits or canned meat and it will keep them occupied for hours while they lick the food out. They can also be frozen which makes them last longer. We suggest that the Kong is kept as a special treat and given when you are going out so that the puppy is occupied and doesn't miss you too much.
Tug of war games are all well and good but you must remember to ALWAYS win the game. You must end up taking the toy away from the puppy. This prevents possessiveness over toys and the puppy will learn that you are the boss when it comes to games.
Plastic bottles (minus the cap) are great for puppies to play with, they are crackly and lightweight, they enjoy crunching and throwing them around. Also cereal boxes are good fun.
Games involving the puppy jumping up must STOP. While the puppy is small it is not so noticeable but when he is 6 months old and 100lb in weight you will not want him jumping at people, stop the behaviour from the beginning while the puppy is small by gently placing his feet back on the ground with a firm NO
This is quite easy to do with patience. None of this is instant, it may take you several days to get your pup used to a lead. Only train for short periods, 5 minutes twice a day is better than 10 minutes in one go. Remember your puppy has a very short attention span. Do not attempt to train your puppy if you are in a hurry.
Firstly, get him used to having a collar on, just put it on him for 5 - 10 minutes per day to begin with until he is happy and starts not to notice it.
When he is happy with the collar. Take him in the garden and attach a long lead, at least 4 foot long.
Do not hold the lead straight away but let the puppy trail it behind him until he gets used to it being there.
When you pick up the lead the puppy may pull away from you, pull backwards or stop dead. When the puppy is pulling DO NOT pull in the direction YOU want to go.
Instead, do nothing. When the puppy is pulling, stop dead and wait, eventually the puppy will stop wondering why he can't move forward, the lead will slacken and he will turn towards you. AT THIS POINT mark that as good behaviour either with a treat, or enthusiastic praise e.g. Whoopee, Yeees Good boy (or both is good).
As soon as the lead slackens, begin to walk forward. If the pup pulls, stop dead until the lead slackens again, pup looks towards you - mark this with praise or treat.
Continue like this, i.e. waiting until the lead slackens and the pup turns to you (wondering why you are not moving, and hence neither can he), mark the slackening of the lead and then begin to walk
Eventually the puppy realises that if he pulls, he gets nowhere. If he walks steadily you both get to lots of interesting places with lots of praise and treats.
DO NOT SHOUT AT YOUR PUPPY IN ANNOYANCE. If behaviour is not what you want, the best thing to do is to IGNORE IT
If the puppy mouths you the best thing to do is to withdraw your hand quickly with a loud "AH AH" so that the puppy knows it has hurt you. If it persists :
Hold the puppy's muzzle gently and say a loud "NO".
Be consistent with this and the pup will quickly learn that it is not to mouth
people. Also, when you stop him mouthing you, give him something he CAN chew
on.
If he really persists then shout OW loudly so he knows
it hurts and then WALK AWAY - ignore this bad behaviour. He will realise that
if he bites you won't play or fuss him.
Chewing
Now the fact is that all puppies will chew, particularly when they are teething. The main issue is what they chew.
If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing something it you do not want it to chew, shout "AH AH" or "NO" and gently stop the puppy from chewing. Have something else to offer the puppy i.e. one of his toys, basically you are saying "Don't chew that, and chew this".
Wolfhounds are not a difficult breed to care for - coat wise.
Ensure that you groom your puppy at least weekly, handling his face ears and feet so that he does not bother about this when he is older.
He will grow quite a shaggy coat but by 6 months this longish puppy coat will start to come out and you can gradually groom it out or pull it out gently with finger and thumb leaving just his undercoat, which is quite smooth. Then his adult coarse coat will grow in.
Keep his ears tidy and free from long hair also trim under the tail where faeces can accumulate and in males around the sheath area.
Keep nails short but only trim a millimetre or two at a time as the quick is quite near to the edge of the nail and can bleed if nicked.
Never touch facial hair, only cheeks and neck ever
need to be tidied up on the head.
You began training the pup the moment you brought it into your life, even if you didn't realise it. How you reacted and guided the pup through all those "first times" laid the groundwork for all future learning and training. It's important to allow a curious pup to investigate, but with supervision so it doesn't get into trouble. ASK YOUR VET TO RECOMMEND A GOOD PUPPY SOCIALIZATION GROUP LOCALLY.
Never punish or verbally chastise after the event. It is too late!! So if your dog will not come when it is called, it's no use telling it off when it finally turns up as it will think it's being told off for coming! Remember to use titbits, toys and praise to reward good results.
It is important that you take advantage of the early stages of your puppy's life (especially up to 20 weeks) when he is at his most receptive to learning about new situations, experiences during this period will have a lasting impression on the puppy.
Although it is important the get the vaccination program over before taking him out in to the wide world properly, there is no reason why you can't start taking your puppy for short car journeys straight away. Take him in the car to meet the children from school.
Ask friends and relatives to visit, ask them to be gentle and positive with the puppy. If the puppy is not keen to meet them at first, don't force the issue. Ignore the puppy but give visitors treats that can be used to encourage the pup to come forward in his own time.
Don't let children chase, poke or pick the puppy up, let them go down to his level and always supervise any contact as any bad frightening experiences are likely to stay in the pups memory and influence how he perceives situations in the future.
Your puppy will love to be with you as much as possible but there are times when he will need to be alone and he needs to learn that this is OK. Begin by leaving him just for a few minutes at a time. It is a good idea to have certain special toys i.e. a filled Kong which he will only have when you leave him alone and which on your return are taken up until the next time he is left.
Start examining your puppy's eyes, ears, feet and mouth. Make this part of your daily routine, so you can spot problems early. This will also make it easier for your vet to examine your puppy in the future.
Introduce your puppy to common household appliances, such as the vacuum cleaner, lawnmower and washing machine. However, NEVER FORCE A PUPPY TO FACE SOMETHING HE IS FRIGHTENED OF. It will only compound the fear. The best method is to ignore behaviour you do not want and reward behaviour you do want. If the puppy sees that you are not afraid of the vacuum, then he will realise its not so bad, if you sit with him saying 'there there never mind' when the vacuum is on and he is scared of it, you are basically reassuring him that his fear was justified and it is a bad monster. Just get on with your daily jobs and talk to your puppy in a light jovial positive manner, encourage him to come and take a biscuit from you or sit and be stroked while the washing machine or vacuum or such like is on in the background. Above all be patient, take time to ensure your puppy has the positive experiences he needs to make him a sociable member of your family.
Two Puppies Together - A Good Idea? Well actually No.
Two Puppies together may seem a good idea, well in theory it might be.
However, we prefer not to sell two pups at the same time to one home. The reason for this may be selfish on our part but we want our pups to have the best from the word go and that means all of the attention.
When you have two puppies together it is easy to leave them to play and occupy each other but this can lead to their being more dependent on each other and not you.
You want to be the centre of your pup's world, and to ensure this you need to spend time with it. With the best of intentions it soon proves difficult to do everything twice when you have two puppies together.
You can't take them both in the car to the supermarket and leave one alone while you go and socialise the other, you need to make the whole exercise an individual experience from the word go.
If you want two, and most people eventually end up
with a second hound, 18 months is an ideal gap to have between youngsters.
You will be given a full diet sheet with recommended food and feeding times. Please adhere to this, particularly in the early days of having your puppy to minimise the stress of changing homes. At 10 weeks a puppy will eat 4 meals per day. This will continue until 6 months when it can reduce to three meals. It is recommended if possible that three meals should be fed until the puppy is at least 9 months old. After which two meals must be given, morning and evening for the rest of his life. A Wolfhound is NEVER fed just one meal a day. At no time in its life will your hound require a protein level in its diet of more than 26%, less if possible. There are many complete foods on the market, and we suggest that if you choose to change his diet from our recommendations, you select a well-known brand. It is essential the fresh drinking water be available at all times, a bucket is a suitable receptacle.
Always feed your hound at head height, as he grows raise the feeding stand to suit his height. Ready made stands are available for purchase and advice can be given on this aspect.
We tend to feed to appetite. If the puppy looks for more food when he has finished his meal, then increase the amount next meal by a couple of ounces. They will usually only eat what they need, if he leaves food in the bowl then THROW IT AWAY. Do not keep it on one side and feed it next meal - how would you like your breakfast leftovers served up for your dinner.
DO NOT LET YOUR PUPPY GET FAT. Keep him lean and healthy - not thin. Giant breeds can suffer from bone growth disorders and these are commonly connected to overweight.
Look at your puppy, you should be able to feel his ribs but not see them, he should have plenty of loose skin and appear in healthy condition.
Your hound must be fed twice daily, never once as too much food in one meal can lead to :
All giant breeds are susceptible to bloat i.e. the twisting of the stomach. This can kill a hound and can be caused by food swelling after eating, causing the stomach to twist so the gasses cannot escape. You must never feed your hound at least 1 hour before and 2 hours after exercise. Do not feed food which expands too much on soaking - it is recommended that whatever type of food you give, you always soak it in warm water first so that any swelling takes place before the hound eats it.
Lameness
In common with other giant breeds with fast growth rates, Wolfhounds are prone
to bone and joint problems if not carefully reared. Sometimes, even with the
most attentive rearing they can still have problems occur, but we can do a
lot while they are puppies to try and prevent this.
Joint problems in giant dogs is often caused by:
a) Overfeeding. Getting your puppy too fat, or feeding
a diet too high in protein.
b) High-impact and long duration exercises, especially on hard surfaces like
concrete.
Wolfhounds have long bones, while they are growing there is an area at the end of each bone (the epiphyses - The heads of the long bones that are separated from the shaft of the bone until the bone stops growing) that is very fragile and easily damaged by trauma.
PLEASE DO NOT allow your puppy to pound up and down on its front legs; this is responsible for quite a lot of lameness in pups.
DO NOT allow your puppy to go down steps on his own, always hold his collar to ensure that he WALKS and doesn't jump.
DO NOT allow your puppy to jump on and off furniture, up until the age of 6 months
DO NOT take your puppy for long enforced lead walks (this does not mean you do not socialise him, see the section on socialisation.
DO NOT allow your puppy to play with other dogs in rough and tumble before 6 months old, even then only under strict supervision.
IF YOUR PUPPY BECOMES LAME - then you must REST him. This means that he is confined to the kitchen and even put on the lead to go to the garden to relieve himself. Take the puppy to the vet if you are worried and CALL YOUR BREEDER.
No-one can guarantee that you will never have joint problems with your hound but hope that by following some basic rules in caring for the long limbs of a growing Wolfhound you can avoid many potential problems.
These are fluid filled lumps which appear on the joints of young hounds, they are usually caused by a bang, commonly when pups tend to drop heavily onto a concrete surface (hence the need for soft bedding).
DO NOTHING ABOUT THESE. DO NOT LET YOUR VET SURGICALLY INTERVENE. In rare circumstances bursas can become hot and inflamed, then get the vet to treat that, but draining it surgically is not the answer.
Bursas go in time by themselves within a few months. They may be unsightly but allowing surgical intervention causes untold trouble and is unnecessary.
You can help things along by daily massage with oil and there are some homeopathic treatments such as Apis.Mel, which are known to help. Otherwise, let nature take its course.
Stool formation is a good indication of how the puppy is coping with his diet. Loose motions can indication a diet that is too rich; it can indicate a period of stress or an infection.
If the puppy has diarrhoea, particularly if it has a strong smell then this is likely an infection and you need to see the vet who will probably give some antibiotics. A product called Pro-Texin is also excellent for calming an upset stomach; you can get this from the vet.
If the puppy has loose or cow pat motions, firstly reduce the amount of food for a day or so to see if this helps. Also, think about whether he is getting titbits that might be upsetting him.
Milk is often the cause of loose motions in an older puppy, if you are still giving milk then try cutting it out and replacing it with Bonio biscuits or Farleys Rusks.
If the puppy has diarrhoea then go to the vet as you may need antibiotics.
If the motions are just sloppy then the usual routine is to withhold food for 24 hours, however it is now thought that this is drastic for a young puppy and you can instead give much smaller feeds of cooked chicken, porridge (oats are good for unsettled stomach), yoghurt. If by the next day it has not begun to clear then see the vet.
Replace the complete feed with a meal of boiled potato (just cubed and boiled until soft), with chicken or fish. Try this for a couple of days until the motions firm up.
Rice is also good but is not so easily digestible as potato.
Puppy bitches often get this, sometimes dog puppies can but its less common. If you see the puppy repeatedly trying to pass water but only a few drops, or sometimes nothing comes - then you need to see the vet for antibiotics.
Can we emphasis at this point that this is generic information, your puppy will not follow it exactly but may be more or less than the weights and heights shown, it is a guide only.
These are some figures from four puppies whose growth was monitored up to the age of 6 months. They were differently bred and different in appearance.
A puppy can gain on average 3 - 5 lbs in weight per week.
If you are at all concerned about the weight or growth rate of your puppy, please get in touch with your breeder.
NB - These weights were from puppies from various litters and are fairly typical to use as a guideHowever, THIS LITTER that your puppy comes from are particularly heavy and at 9 weeks made the weight that these examples were at 12 weeks.
Because they are heavy boned puppies, please take particular care with their rearing paying special attention to the sections on diet and exercise.
Use this table simply to get an idea of the amount
of weight a puppy can put on during a month.
On collection your puppy weighs ……………………..
| Puppy at 12 weeks | Height at shoulder | Weight | Adult Height | Adult Weight |
| Freya | 18" | 32lb | 33" | 140lb |
| Pepsi | 20" | 35lb | 23.25" | 153lb |
| Fern | 20.5" | 40lb | 22.25" | 135lb |
| Holly | 17.75" | 28lb | 36" | 170lb |
| Morgan | 21.5" | 38lb | 37" | 180lb |
| Deamus | 20.5" | 37lb | - | - |
| 4 months | ||||
| Freya | 24.25" | 55lb | ||
| Pepsi | 24.35" | 57lb | ||
| Fern | 24.75" | 62lb | ||
| Morgan | 26" | 65lb | ||
| Deamus | 25" | 63lb | ||
| 5 months | ||||
| Freya | 27" | 77lb | ||
| Pepsi | 27.5" | 82lb | ||
| Fern | 28" | 80lb | ||
| Holly | 28" | 86lb | ||
| Morgan | 30" | 85lb | ||
| Deamus | 29" | 88lb | ||
| 6 months | ||||
| Freya | 29.25" | 91lb | ||
| Pepsi | 28.75" | 90lb | ||
| Fern | 29.75" | 94lb | ||
| Morgan | 34" | 98lb |
Statistics courtesy of Caroline Shephard - Goldswift
Irish Wolfhounds.©
Based on a puppy aged 10-12 weeks. Obviously these amounts will increase over the forthcoming weeks and months.
This diet is based on a complete feed of Laughing Dog Adult Complete. There are other complete feeds available such as Royal Canine Giant Breed, Arden Grange Adult or Giant Breed.
We do not recommend you feed supermarket foods or the cheaper brands as quality of the ingredients matter.
NO ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION OF CALCIUM BASED PRODUCTS.
EXCEPT THAT WE RECOMMEND
1x 500mg VITAMIN C TABLET
1x 1000 mg GLUCOSAMINE/MSM TABLET PER DAY.
ALWAYS FEED A FOOD THAT IS NOT MORE THAN 26% PROTEIN - LOWER IS PREFERABLE - FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE HOUND.
Please ensure that food is soaked prior to feeding. That water is available at all times.
Soak the feed in hot water for 5 - 10 minutes before adding the meat (which should be room temperature).
The Tinned Butchers Tripe or Fresh Tripe is a TASTER only and not a main part of the meal. Don't overdo adding this.
Increase your puppy's food every three or four days
by an ounce or two, use your eyes to judge how he is looking weight wise and
how good his motions are. If the puppy still seems hungry after eating his
meal, increase by an ounce or two at the next meal.
Your breeder will also have kept puppies from that litter so you can always
ring them and compare feeding amounts.
| Starter Diet for 12 week old puppy | |||
| 8 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 11 p.m. |
| 6 - 8 oz Soaked Laughing
Dog.
2 Tablespoons of 1 Vitamin C tablet |
6 - 8 oz Soaked Laughing
Dog.
2 Tablespoons of |
Same as 1 p.m. meal. |
½ Pint of warm
milk with a farleys rusk.
Afterwards leave puppy If the puppy is milk intolerant then replace this milk meal with a repeat of the 1 p.m. meal instead. |
Do not be surprised by the amount of food your puppy can consume as he is growing up to the age of 12 months. A growing hound will eat around twice the amount as a grown adult hound.
Our adult hounds eat approximately 10 oz laughing Dog and 1 lb Trip at each meal. Laughing Dog on its own would be between 16 - 20 oz at each meal. Some hounds eat more some eat less, you judge it by their body condition and the consistency of their motions - too loose probably means too much cereal.Always watch the weight of your puppy, prior to 6 months
if he is getting fat, rather than cut a meal out it is better to reduce the
amount you are feeding by an ounce or two until his weight is more suitable.
As the puppy grows, say after 6 months, it is not necessary to soak the food
but always moisten it with warm water.
If the puppy does not eat straight away DO NOT WORRY, after a few minutes remove the left over food and throw it away. Carry on with the feeding schedule as usual, your puppy will not starve itself and should begin eating normally within a few days of arrival.
Increase the amount of food by a couple of ounces per day assuming that the puppy is clearing its dish and looking for more. A good rule to follow is that you should be able to feel the ribs but not see them. Also, stool formation should be firm.
Milk is allowed in limited amounts perhaps ¼ to ½ pint per day of full fat milk or Goats milk - but if this causes loose motions then cease to give it. In a good quality complete food your puppy will have ALL the nutrients its requires DO NOT be tempted to supplement with calcium tablets etc.
Remember that if you are offering your puppy scraps and titbits between meals you may spoil its appetite for its proper meal and may be providing an imbalanced diet. However, you can add some of your left over meats and vegetables to its normal meals.
Treats are allowed and Wolfhound do love fruit i.e. apples, bananas, etc in moderation. This together with dog biscuits can be used as an amusement when stuffed inside a toy like a Kong and the puppy will spent happy hours licking the food out of the toy.
The basic rules of rearing a Wolfhound are to do it
slowly but surely.
Remember to keep your puppy lean but not thin.
Remember you do not have to stuff him with food to make him grow - it is in
his genes that he will be the size and weight he is destined to be. Overdoing
on diet can hamper this growth process - always check with us if you are not
sure of how he is doing.
Watch the exercise until he is 9 - 10 months old.
We currently use Laughing Dog complete and Tripe but have in the past successfully used Arden Grange Adult Complete and know people who use Royal Canine Giant Breed very successfully. We find these some of the better complete ranges. However, if you elect to feed a different food at some point there are a few things to remember when choosing a brand.
AVOID FLAKED FOOD
AVOID ANYTHING OVER 26% PROTEIN
AVOID ANYTHING WHICH CONTAINS COLOURANTS OR PRESERVATIVES.
When selecting a new food, ALWAYS SOAK A SAMPLE OF IT to see how much it will swell. This is an indication of how it will swell in the dog's stomach. Ideally, it should absorb water but not change in size. This is because of the risk of BLOAT.
If the food is particularly cheap, ask yourself how the manufactures can afford to make the food so cheaply. Usually it comes down to the quality of the ingredients in them. Try to stick to a good quality middle range brand.
Mary McBryde - The Magnificent Irish Wolfhound. (Essential
Reading)
Available through - Our Dogs Publications www.ourdogs.co.uk or John Sharpe
- Irish Wolfhound Magazine Mail Order. Tel: 01223 262205
Elizabeth Murphy - The Irish Wolfhound.
Irish Wolfhound Picture History by Elizabeth Murphy.
Bedding Fleece - Heads and Tails. Telephone: 0113 2539635
A 60" x 40" piece of bedding costs around £15.00
Feeding Stands - Luxways Canine Supplies. Telephone: 01303 81 2440
By joining one of the Clubs you will get to know what events are happening through the year such as the Rally and Wolfhound Shows.
Irish Wolfhound Club
Secretary Mr Dave Malley -
Telephone : 01704 823532
Website - www.irishwolfhoundclub.org.uk/
Irish Wolfhound Society
Secretary Mrs Elizabeth Murray Telephone: 01302 722166:
Website - www.irishwolfhoundsociety.co.uk
Irish Wolfhound Lure Coursing Club www.iwlcc.com/
Weekly Dog Papers OUR DOGS www.ourdogs.co.uk and DOG
WORLD www.dogworld.co.uk
These papers are out every Friday and can be got through your Newsagent.
The Kennel Club www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/
I W Pedigree Website - www.iwpedigrees.com
This is a fascinating site with over 60,000 Irish Wolfhound pedigrees on it.
It is however subscription based.