Fun Scottish Wolfhound Facts For Kids

According to the American Kennel Club, the Irish Wolfhound is known for its deep and intriguing medieval history. It is one of the historic sighthounds.

The hound dog breed traces its origin in the country of Ireland. Owing to their sharp sense of sight and speed, these sighthounds were used mainly to pursue games in the 18th century. The Irish Wolfhound was also raised as a guardian dog to keep wolves at bay.

They were also bred to hunt wolves. They were presumed extinct in the 19th century by many authors and knowledgeable personalities of the field.

The Irish Wolfhound was created again by cross-breeding large British dogs with hounds from the Middle East. These dogs gained recognition for their great size and hunting skills, much like the Scottish Wolfhound. In the Middle ages, the Irish even used this hound dog breed as war dogs on the battlefield.

They are gentle with their owner but fiercely aggressive when they hunt or while working. They were used widely to control the rampant population of wolves in the 1700s. Thereafter, they gained the name of Irish Wolfhound.

In Ireland, there are nine breeds that were native to the land. Irish Wolfhound is the best breed among the nine breeds. It requires regular exercise, dog sports, and training very much like it's crossbreed with Scottish Deerhound known as Scottish Wolfhound.

You may also check out the fact files on Bohemian shepherd and German longhaired pointer from Kidadl. 

Scottish Wolfhound Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Scottish Wolfhound?

The modern-day Scottish Wolfhound is a cross between the historic breed club of Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound and the Great Dane. The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog in the world. They are known for their great size, speed, and strength.

What class of animal does a Scottish Wolfhound belong to?

Scottish Wolfhounds give birth and feed their puppies. So they belong to the class of mammals. 

How many Scottish Wolfhounds are there in the world?

Scottish Wolfhounds were bred again after they were presumed extinct in the 19th century since they were used extensively on the battlefields and to hunt wolves. The dog breed could not survive this for a long time and nearly became extinct.

Captain George Graham intended to bring back the glorious dog breed. Today, Scottish Wolfhounds exist as a mixed breed of Irish Wolfhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, the Great Dane, and Borzois.

The exact number of Scottish Wolfhounds left in the world cannot be accurately ascertained but the dog breed is not endangered anymore.

Where does a Scottish Wolfhound live?

Both the dog breeds of Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound may prefer colder regions. They like to sprawl against cold surfaces or rocks during warmer seasons. So, Scottish Wolfhounds are mostly spotted in colder regions, especially the countryside. 

What is a Scottish Wolfhound habitat?

Irish Wolfhound, although domesticated, was used for hunting and guarding properties. Therefore, it lived with its owners. It requires ample room to stretch, exercise, and dog sports around because of its massive size. Not much is known about the Scottish Wolfhound but it must live in the same habitat as its parent breed-Irish Wolfhound.

Who do Scottish Wolfhound live with?

Scottish Wolfhounds live with people since they are domesticated and kept as pet dogs. 

How long does a Scottish Wolfhound live?

Scottish Wolfhounds have relatively shorter life expectancies compared to other dog breeds. It has been seen that typically a Scottish Wolfhound has a life expectancy of about six - ten years. 

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction process is similar across breeds. Therefore, Scottish Wolfhounds reproduce in the same manner.

Post copulation, the female dog breed nourishes the young ones of Irish Wolfhounds in the uterus. The gestation period of Scottish Wolfhounds is about nine weeks. After the period is complete, the female dog gives birth to live puppies and feeds them from her own udders.

What is their conservation status?

Throughout a number of centuries, the Irish Wolfhound was known for its body stature, built, strength, size, speed, and utility value. They are still the tallest dogs in the world. Irish Wolfhounds were bred to hunt and kill wolves before the nineteenth century.

Their formidable and exceptional hunting skills proved to work in favor of getting rid of the rampant population of wolves in olden Ireland. People turned towards Irish Wolfhounds to protect their farms and produce from wolves. They derived their name due to this incident.

But, by the end of the century, Irish Wolfhounds were poached to such an extent that they alarmingly neared extinction. The wolves were almost gone but the population of Irish Wolfhounds was affected severely too.

But in 1863, an official of the British Army named Captain George Augustus Graham intended to bring back the dog breed. He believed there were some specimens still left of the species.

The only way he had was to crossbreed Irish Wolfhound with other dogs who carried similar physical features, skills, and other attributes.

Those breeds included Scottish Deerhound, Borzoi (known for its hunting skills), Tibetan Mastiff, and The Great Dane. The mixed-breed allowed him to retain the primary features of the dog as well as enhancing a few of the characteristics too.

Hence, what we have today is not the original Irish Wolfhound but a crossbreed. This dog's species was conserved on time and is not endangered today.

According to IUCN, it is of 'Least Concern'. The breeds that exist today are: Scottish Wolfhound (Irish Wolfhound x Scottish Deerhound), Irish Mastiff (Irish Wolfhound x Tibetan Mastiff), Irish Dane (Irish Wolfhound x The Great Dane). Great Wolfhound (Irish Wolfhound x Great Pyrenees).

Scottish Wolfhound Fun Facts

What does a Scottish Wolfhound look like?

Scottish Wolfhounds are one of the humongous dog breeds, who are renowned for their size, height, and stature. They are the tallest dogs in the world. They have an imposing and muscular body structure. Their graceful and athletic body leaves no doubt that they are one of the legendary sighthounds of all time. 

Scottish Wolfhounds are deep-chested with a drawn-up belly. They have muscular and strong hind legs, thighs, shoulders. Their backs and loins are arched. Scottish Wolfhounds have an elongated face, neck, and a broad skull. The frontal part of the head is slightly raised. They also have a light indentation between their eyes.

The wiry coat of Scottish Wolfhounds comes in a variety of colors like fawn, cream, grey, brindle, black, white, and red. The texture is hard and rough.

The wiry fur along the jawline and eyes is usually long since they are used to sustaining in rough terrains with extreme weather. Their wiry coat enables them to live in such climates without any problems.

The ears of Scottish Wolfhounds are surprisingly small. Long ears are usually an indication of faulty breeding or genetic defect. The tail, like the rest of the body, is built similarly. It is curved and long, containing a rough and wiry coat. They require regular grooming. These characteristics constitute classical features of an Irish Wolfhound.    

*Please note that this is an image of an Irish Wolfhound, not a Scottish Wolfhound. If you have an image of a Scottish Wolfhound please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

Scottish Wolfhounds do not possess physical attributes that could be considered adorable or cute. The dog breed was used for hunting wolves and in wars. They have a rugged and commanding aura that could easily instill fear. But they are domesticated as pets, not for their appearance but their utility. 

How do they communicate?

Scottish Wolfhound communicates by barking. This large dog could be given the training to communicate with its owners more efficiently. 

How big is a Scottish Wolfhound?

Scottish Wolfhounds can grow up to 32 in (81.3 cm) tall, i.e. at least 10 in (25.4 cm) tall more than that of a fully developed German Shepherd.

Scottish Wolfhounds weigh up to 180 lb (81.6 kg) which is double the maximum size of a German Shepherd. An average male Scottish Wolfhound weighs around 120 lb (54.4 kg) and an average female Scottish Wolfhound weighs around 110 lb (49.9 kg).

How fast can a Scottish Wolfhound run?

Scottish Wolfhounds are known for their swiftness due to their hunting and guarding ancestry. They were bred to retain this quality of the breed. They can run at an impressive speed. 

How much does a Scottish Wolfhound weigh?

A fully grown Scottish Wolfhound can weigh between 90-180 lb (40.8-81.6 kg). Females can weigh slightly more than that. 

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no different terms for males and females of this dog breed. 

What would you call a baby Scottish Wolfhound?

There is no dog breed information regarding a distinct name for the young ones. The term for the young ones of any dog breed is the same, pup or puppy. 

What do they eat?

Scottish Wolfhounds that are domesticated and raised by humans are supposed to be fed at least four to six cups of high-quality dry dog food. They also eat pearled barley, chicken. 

Are they slobbery?

Scottish Wolfhounds have a low tendency to drool or slobber. 

Would they make a good pet?

Scottish Wolfhounds were bred to hunt and given training to kill wolves. So the killer instinct could still be present in them.

But they have a calm temperament, they are loyal and protective towards their owners, and they are friendly. If you want to keep a Scottish Wolfhound as pet, ensure the following to maintain the dog health: a large backyard or fenced area for the dog since they require physical exercise due to their energy level.

They need room because of their great size. They could be stubborn and slow to learn. While training Scottish Wolfhound patience is a must.

No smaller pets are present in the house since they have a prey drive. Regular grooming needs since they shed like any other dog.

Did you know...

Some of the hound dog breed facts include the Irish and Scottish Wolfhounds go well by the old saying, 'gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked.' It describes their prey drive. Irish Wolfhounds are one of the oldest breeds of dogs in the world.

Their origin dates back to 700 B.C. Although being excellent at chasing and hunting, Scottish Wolfhounds make terrible guard dogs or watchdogs. They are not always suspicious of strangers. They have a high and raging prey drive.

Irish Wolfhounds are quieter and laid back. Romans used Irish Wolfhounds for blood dog sport. The Scottish Deerhound is known as the dog of Scotland.

Are Scottish deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds the same?

The physical appearances of Scottish Deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds are almost the same except the former is taller and bigger than the latter. Also, Irish Wolfhounds have a curved and long-tail whereas the tail of Scottish Deerhounds could touch the ground. The Royal Dog of Scotland is the Scottish Deerhound.  

Are Scottish deerhounds easy to train?

Although they are an intelligent breed, Scottish Deerhounds could take time to grasp and get trained. It is important that their training begins at an early age. They should be made to socialize with other dogs from an early phase. They have a gentle and stubborn temperament. This could be a hindrance in their training.

Reward-based training could work in the case of Scottish Deerhounds. The breed requires the presence of people or other dogs since they are social in nature. In spite of their imposing persona, the breed is not aggressive and violent. In fact, they could get aggressive if left alone for a long time. 

 Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Irish Wolfhound facts and bulldog facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable hound dog coloring pages.