I need help from anyone with big dogs

[Argonian alchemist]

I am planning on getting an Irish Wolfhound AKA the largest dog breed in the world. I've done a lot of research and study on them and now how to take care of one pretty well right now. I know what to do with training etc.

However I have one little question that I can't seem to get a clear answer to. How should I feed them? Not what kind of food but when/how? Larger dogs like this get "bloat" a lot. It normally occurs a lot more often when their stomach's are full. So most people feed their dogs half a meal in the morning and half a meal in the afternoon to avoid their stomach ever being completely full. But is that okay? Will it bother them to never get full? And are their any other methods of avoiding bloat?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

P.S. Does water intake of a dog also increase risk of bloat?

 

[Zombie Izzard]

Well reading this [utl]http://www.irishwolfhoundsociety.co.uk/care.htm[/url] it depends on how active your dog is going to be. The more active it seems the more protein it will need. I'm going to assume your getting one from a Breeder so they'll probably know more about what's right. Good luck.

 

[Rylot]

Personally I think it really depends on the dog itself. Growing up I had a golden retriever who would literally eat himself sick if we let him, now I have two dachshunds (wiener dogs) who we free feed. I don't know much about that breed but the disposition of the dog seems (at least to me) to be the biggest factor in how much and how often you feed your pet. Take this advice with a grain of salt since I'm not an expert, as Zombie suggested check with a breeder for better advice.

 

[Remus]

My pyranees actually required calcium supplements growing up so that his bones could keep up with his body. Keep that in mind. Just drop a pill with his food. He'll eat it so fast that he won't even notice it. We never had a real problem with bloat for that dog. Of course we had other dogs at the time as well, a lab and a border collie, which could easily have prevented the problem by feeding them all together. I have no idea how feeding would work for a dog that's bred to be more slim. Best advice - talk to the breeder. If you do need to restrict his diet, he will be growing incredibly fast so you'll be putting food down for him a lot regardless. Oh and never, ever let him sit on you if you plan to do anything that day. Once he's fully grown, he'll be impossible to shove off.

 

[Argonian alchemist]

Another question then. A bit unrelated but an Irish Wolfhound is incapable of being held in a kennel. At least a hand-kennel since they weigh up to 70+kg. However I see a lot of people take their dogs in kennels or on a leash (muzzled) through airports. What would you do with a Wolfhound? Just muzzle it and walk it through or get it checked in somewhere? Or would it all have to take place outside of the actual airport?

 

[IndomitableSam]

I'd warn carefully against a large pure-bred dog. There are tons and tons of problems with them. The bloat, especially, can mean the stomach actually twists itself up. It is incredibly serious and deadly. Please carefully read up on health issues.

Also... I don't know if you are aware.... But the average lifespan of a Wolfhound is only about 7 years. Most large dogs are 10-12+. Be aware you could be heartbroken sooner than you thought you might.

That said, they're my favourite dogs. Haven't had much experience with them though.

 

[Raikas]

One of my old neighbours had a wolfhound - beautiful dog, although we always joking referred to it as a horse (the owner was a very petite woman, so the dog outweighed her by a good margin).

Another question then. A bit unrelated but an Irish Wolfhound is incapable of being held in a kennel. At least a hand-kennel since they weigh up to 70+kg. However I see a lot of people take their dogs in kennels or on a leash (muzzled) through airports. What would you do with a Wolfhound? Just muzzle it and walk it through or get it checked in somewhere? Or would it all have to take place outside of the actual airport?

This will depend on the airline and the rules of the airports you're flying in/out of. I've flown with too-big-to-carry dogs (a 27kg American Staffordshire Terrier x and a 25kg German Shorthaired Pointer, so still quite a bit smaller than the one you're looking at) and we would usually strap their travel crate to the luggage buggy and then push them around in it.

I have let the dogs out on arrival (in both the Calgary and Toronto airports they unload the dogs on a raised platform and there was no way to get them down without taking them out first) but that was technically against the airport regulations in both places, so we were really supposed to reload the crate onto a buggy and make them get back in to get to the exit, but as long as you're clearly heading somewhere and not just hanging around with the dog I haven't had too many comments about it. Your airport/region/country may vary, of course.