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Toay's IW has a much softer temperament than the original IW's that were used to hunt wolves in Ireland.
First, wolves hunting deer is part of nature. Deer and other prey animals such as rabbits are their natural prey and the wolf has a perfect right to hunt and eat those animals. If you want to keep wolves out of your yard or away from your livestock and pets your best bet would be to get a working lines livestock guard dog such as an Anatolian Shepherd.
1: todays irish wolfhounds are NOT bred to hunt or tke down wolves or anything for that matter, the temperment has been softend their build been changed...
2: if you plan to EVER hike with your dog off leash do NOT EVER get a Orvcharka...a central asian sheperd MIGHT work for you, assuming from a good breeder AND very well trained and socilized, the CAS are still protective and amazing dogs but not as sharp as their orvcharka cousins...
(let me know if youd be interested in talking to some GOOD CAS breeders!)
3: a SINGLE dog doesnt stand a chance against a pack of wolves, plain and simple...theres a reason why famrers generally have multiple LGD's, a pack hunting together is going to tear even a mosnter of a dog apart...
4: WOLVES HUNT DEER, (and will take livestock and of course pets as easy prey) but it would have to be one VERY VERY hungry or VERY VERY sick wolf for one (or a pack) to even risk more than a passing visual contact with a human, coyotes are MUCH more dangerous to humans than a wolfe ever could be...
I wouldnt let your kids go wandering in the woods alone...but assuming you dont have livestock to protect you are seriously NOT LIKELY to be at risk of a wolf attack...Bring your pets in (or secure them in a chainlink kennel ect) at dusk and youl be fine.
5: if youve got livestock to protect...id personally suggest a pair or trio of CAS (IF your willing to seriously work with them, if not properly trained cas like orvcharka can be KILLERS...) or anatolian sheperds, again at least 2, preferably 3. maremas and akbsh are also on my favorite for livestock dogs, pyrs in my experience wander too much and back just a much (its how they are bred) if your looking for a good home dog to be a pet, a ridgeback, a CAS (if you dont mind hair), rotty, any kind of the bully x mastif mixes (just dont pay a small ortune for "bandogges" they are just mutts you can ind them in shelters all the time) ect...
The problem is no dog can take on multiple wolves. Keep your dogs indoors at night. Keep your dogs on leases for walks. They may be able to hep protect you if wolves ever try to attack you.
Scarey....that is some really close quarters for wolves and you. What are the laws in your area to protect yourselves against these wolves?
The problem is no dog can take on multiple wolves. Keep your dogs indoors at night. Keep your dogs on leases for walks. They may be able to hep protect you if wolves ever try to attack you.
Scarey....that is some really close quarters for wolves and you. What are the laws in your area to protect yourselves against these wolves?
The same as many places...shoot, shovel, shut up.
Not really, we do have a season in our area (open till March), and I believe you can shoot to protect your animals and certainly yourself. If not, I don't really care, they are still assuming room temp if they are attacking our pets.
Flip side, the dogs might bring the wolves to us. A while back one our dogs got out and wanted to play with a mother moose and calf. She kept getting down on her front legs and barking at the calf trying to get it to play. I'm out there trying to call the dog away. Finally mama charges the dog...who promptly takes cover behind ME! Mans best friend my azz!
There have been a good number of cases in the area where guys hunting bears with dogs have had their packs attacked and multiple dogs killed. Sad seeing that, what's left isn't pretty. One guy was out training and was attacked, his dog went after the wolf and gave him time to get away, but the dog was killed. (training and didn't have his gun on him).
Best bet still might be to get a call and go and try to take care of the wolf problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by foxywench
1: todays irish wolfhounds are NOT bred to hunt or tke down wolves or anything for that matter, the temperment has been softend their build been changed...
2: if you plan to EVER hike with your dog off leash do NOT EVER get a Orvcharka...a central asian sheperd MIGHT work for you, assuming from a good breeder AND very well trained and socilized, the CAS are still protective and amazing dogs but not as sharp as their orvcharka cousins...
(let me know if youd be interested in talking to some GOOD CAS breeders!)
3: a SINGLE dog doesnt stand a chance against a pack of wolves, plain and simple...theres a reason why famrers generally have multiple LGD's, a pack hunting together is going to tear even a mosnter of a dog apart...
4: WOLVES HUNT DEER, (and will take livestock and of course pets as easy prey) but it would have to be one VERY VERY hungry or VERY VERY sick wolf for one (or a pack) to even risk more than a passing visual contact with a human, coyotes are MUCH more dangerous to humans than a wolfe ever could be...
I wouldnt let your kids go wandering in the woods alone...but assuming you dont have livestock to protect you are seriously NOT LIKELY to be at risk of a wolf attack...Bring your pets in (or secure them in a chainlink kennel ect) at dusk and youl be fine.
5: if youve got livestock to protect...id personally suggest a pair or trio of CAS (IF your willing to seriously work with them, if not properly trained cas like orvcharka can be KILLERS...) or anatolian sheperds, again at least 2, preferably 3. maremas and akbsh are also on my favorite for livestock dogs, pyrs in my experience wander too much and back just a much (its how they are bred) if your looking for a good home dog to be a pet, a ridgeback, a CAS (if you dont mind hair), rotty, any kind of the bully x mastif mixes (just dont pay a small ortune for "bandogges" they are just mutts you can ind them in shelters all the time) ect...
I tended to think the same thing...but when they are coming within 20 yards of a house and making kills, I don't know if I still believe that. IMO they have been protected for so long that they no longer think of humans as a threat. That could be changing with the opening of a hunting season.
Speaking of coyotes, we have LOTS of them around. I've been woken up multiple times with them near the house. I always heard that they would get one yipping and calling to get domestic dogs to come to them, then the pack would tear them apart. First time I heard one pulling that, our dogs took off towards them. It's the middle of the night, I head out in my underwear with a .45 in my hand...must have been quite a sight. The dogs came back, no signs of a tussle. They have done so many times since, without incident. Now...the wolves have me much more concerned. I've noticed the dogs hanging around and barking from near the house much more lately, not running. They might be getting old...or maybe they are smart.
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 02-04-2013 at 11:51 AM..
An historic Irish Wolfhound could have probably handled a single wolf. Although he didn't run alone, his job was to catch and hold, and he had a small army of mounted human hunters behind him eager to do the killing.
The historic Irish Wolfhound is an extinct breed. Old woodcuts show a short haired, massive, high tailed, heavy jawed dog with a runner's build. The breed went completely extinct and was recreated using the Scottish Deerhound and assorted European Mastiffs.
I have hunted coyotes with Deerhounds and would run 3-5 hounds at a time. I did not allow them to follow the coyotes into heavy cover. They took them down in the open field or I called them off. The Deerhounds catch and hold and very rarely do they kill. They were bred to not damage the meat. They will hold by the neck and lay on top of their prey until the hunter arrives. I would expect much the same behavior from their close cousin, the Irish Wolfhound.
If you want a dog who can fight a wolf, you need a breed that is blistering quick and has a very heavy coat. There is no breed that can fight a pack. They can only fight one animal at a time and wolves work in a coordinbated unit, attacking from all sides. So you would need at least 4 of your wolf fighters in a pack of their own, and 5-6 would be a lot better.
Perhaps a pack of 6 mature trained stag hounds would do the job for you. The coyote hunters in the plains states breed them to hunt and kill coyotes. Although even they keep a slower breed that will kill because most stag hounds will catch but not kill. The hounds catch and hold until the mastiff, or pit bull, or whatever breed does the killing gets there to finish the coyote off.
Did you read those links I provided? There's good information in them!
Yes, and thank you for that. So far I only had time to skim them...unfortunately it sounds like Great Pyrenees aren't fairing too well. Too bad, they were on the short list. I need to study up on the other breeds.
Woodsmoke, thank you for your info as well. I'm not interested in a pack for hunting them (yet, that might change!). I can stake a little yippie dog out for bait and shoot them as they come in. (I kid, I kid...like dogs too much for that). I mostly want a dog that has a decent chance of survival in wolf territory, hopefully one that will stick around the house and be good with other pets. We may be better simply looking for a dog with little tendency to wander and with sense enough to come in the doggie door if things get tough. As long as he stays with us and perhaps gives a little warning, I should be able to deal with the wolves.
if pyrs ere on your short list look into akbash and maremmas, a little harder to find, similar look but not as prone to the behavioural downfalls as the pyrs (not as much into the wndering and barking lol)
a couple anatolians might fit you perfectly, great "homestead" dogs.
I live in north Idaho as well and ran sheep for years guarded by Pyrs with no problems. And in a more heavily populated wolf area than Toyman. No problems whatsoever. Pyrs do wander while they are young but we are in the middle of public lands so no one to bother. The whole wolf thing is incredibly overblown in my experience. We've had no trouble even in lambing season with all kinds of rich scents on the air and wolves in the area.
I'd much rather have them here than the coyotes and cougars which do tend to stay clear of wolves.
As far as them being Canadian wolves, this has been discussed ad nauseum. We live about 40 miles from the Canadian border as the crow flies and as far as I know., they aren't checking passports at the border. Wolves have huge ranges and BC wolves easily become American wolves. Same kind of wolf just have a lot of hyped up stories from people afraid of the wildlife and the hunting and ranching lobbies.
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