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The Irish
Wolfhound breed is very old, possibly from the first century BCE or
earlier, bred as war dogs by the ancient Celts, who called them C'aoil.
The Irish continued to breed them for this purpose, as well as to
course for deer and wolves, hence the name of the breed. Their
astonishing size, speed, intelligence and amiable nature made them
ideal hunting animals for large game or too ideal, as the wolf is now
extinct in Ireland. The Irish Wolfhound has been recorded as being
exhibited in Ancient Rome to some excitement, and greek vases from the
same period depict hoplites battling war dogs that are unmistakably
Irish Wolfhounds.
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