Irish Wolfhound as livestock guardian?

[georgialee]

Does anyone have any idea if that would work? He's pretty huge - like his nose can reach my ear when he stretches his neck up. He's been around the chickens and will chase them but doesn't try to eat them or anything.

He wasn't even a year old in this picture:

 

[RiverOtter]

He is insanely gorgeous!
But I wouldn't think an Irish Wolfhound as a guardian for anything. They are so sweet and mellow and people oriented. Just big cuddlers really. They might scare off a human thief who doesn't know anything about dogs just from sheer size, but that's about it.

Did I mention he's gorgeous?

:
I called DH over to the computer and told him if I ever get a chance to drag one home I WILL!

 

[cmjust0]

I think it depends first on the level of prey drive he's demonstrated, and then upon whether or not he's a 'wary' type..

Will he chase a ball if you throw it? If you run around, does he get excited and want to play with you? How does he react to strange people? Strange dogs? Strange things in general? Is he overall pretty laid back, or does he get upset over things and situations being the slightest bit out of the ordinary?

 

[dutchhollow]

Being a sighthound anything that moves is going to get his attention, and the chasing will turn to killing when he realizes he can grab them and they are defensless. If you plan on him being a pet with outings with you to the yard, might work. But as and lgd, I would guess not, most will chase anything that moves be it deer, rabbit, or coyote and chase it down, and unless you have a ton of land away from roads it doesn't usually end well. Yes, they can and will kill yotes, but they are hunted, dog in truck and turned loose when the prey is spotted, not left on their own to guard other prey animals.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Nope. Not a good idea.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

No, he won't ever be a TRUE LGD

That term refers to specific breeds with hundreds if not thousands of years of selective breeding to produce the necessary traits.

Your dog is a HUNTER, not a Guardian

http://www.lgd.org/

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Chasing very often turns into eating, sooner or later.

Just sayin',

Pat

 

[georgialee]

Thanks guys! I was kind of figuring that but of course a lot of websites say that they've been bred to guard livestock... but I'm guessing that's for cattle, etc.

 

[Equus5O]

I have no response to your question, but I will have to show your photo to my mother. We had an Irish Wolfhound when I was in high school; Rumpole Knight O' the Moors (aka Clyde).

 

[slightlyscrambled]

What a beautiful dog!!!

I have always been enamored by Irish wolf hounds!!