Irish wolfhounds have been one of my dream dogs for nearly as a long as I can remember. I’m not even sure when or why I got the idea that I would love a wolfhound, but since I was fairly young when I started to picture my future life a wolfhound was always in it. They just seemed like the ideal companion. Big and scruffy, but gentle giants, as they are commonly called. I’d see a few wolfhounds over the years and they always were exactly as the breed is described to be; gentle and friendly. Solomon has been everything I expected a wolfhound to be—and more! It's hard to believe that he's only just turned two and hasn't been in my life for much longer because he's such an integral part of the family now. I did a lot of research on this breed before we ever got Solomon so I knew what to expect in some aspects, but there’s still some things that have been a surprise. For example…
One: Wolfhounds are BIG head-turners. I’ve liked wolfhounds for ages; I think they’re handsome dogs and I feel safe around a big dog. I know they’re big (they’re a giant breed) and not everyone is used to that, but I didn’t expect how much of a reaction Solomon would get. I can barely take him on a walk without someone stopping me to ask about him, his breed, or just proclaiming “that’s a big dog!” There’s near-constant saddle and pony jokes and I don’t even walk him around hugely populated areas. Whenever we do end up with him in a crowded area the effect is even more extreme, sometimes it feels like he’s part of parade or something. I imagine it’s similar for tall people who have to listen to everyone whisper “did you see the height of him?!” as they walk past. Solomon gets commentary nearly every time he goes outside. It’s not a terrible thing, but I definitely didn’t think he would get as big of a reaction as he does.
Two: He makes every other breed look tiny. Again, I knew wolfhounds were large, but I never thought being around Solomon would distort my sense of size, but it really has! Since I’m so used to Solomon’s size other dogs look small and almost fragile in comparison to me now. When I visited family and saw their dogs for the first time after getting Solomon I felt like their dogs had shrunk! The black Labrador I had always seen as a big dog just seemed medium sized now and the Cavalier King Charles spaniel looked positively diminutive. I’m not even fazed by the Great Dane we see in the park occasionally, as he now just looks a normal sized to me and even ponies seem a bit smaller than they used to. When you’re around Solomon all the time you forget about his size; he just seems normal and there’s nothing startling about him running towards you or his head reaching your shoulder, so his size warps your perception of what "normal" is. 
Three: He’s very affectionate. Wolfhounds are great family dogs as they bond closely with their owners. Even though I knew wolfhounds were sweet dogs (part of the appeal) I’m still surprised by how affectionate Solomon is. When he’s off lead he always stays nearby and if I stop to stand or sit, he’ll come lean against my side or sit beside me without direction—he likes being near us. I didn’t expect him to be quite so endearing, because it honestly is so sweet when you’re walking through a field and you pause to look at a flock of birds or something, and you suddenly feel this furry dog leaning against your side, butting your hand for pets. Even at home when he’s sleeping on the floor he usually stretches out so his head rests against your foot. He loves getting belly rubs or sitting beside you on the porch while you scratch his head and he’ll demand more pets anytime you stop. Wolfhounds do like some space to stretch out—he doesn’t like sharing the couch!—but overall he loves to stay close. 
Four: He’s surprisingly good in small spaces. There’s this myth that big dogs need big spaces, but actually many large breeds are lower energy than smaller breeds. Because he is relatively low energy Solomon has no issues in our tiny house. Smaller breeds tend to need more space and exercise because of their energy levels; it's more important to know the breeds energy levels and need for attention/direction than looking at size alone. I definitely did my research before we got Solomon as you can't just consider the look of a dog when choosing a pet; I was well read on their personalities, dietary needs, space needs, etc. He gets several walks a day and plenty of off lead time, but inside he’s very chill. Even from a young age we could trust him inside alone; he never once ripped up anything in the house, or even showed much interest in chewing (which can be a sign of boredom/too much energy) and he never even knocks things off shelves. Honestly, he’s a big couch potato. He lies around a lot, loves getting brushed, or sitting somewhere he can people watch and is generally very easy-going. Even on accident he hasn’t broken anything with his tail. 
Five: Stairs are an issue. While I would say that small spaces are okay for wolfhounds if they have plenty of space outside to roam and enough space inside to stretch out comfortably, I would say they would not do well in apartments or generally in houses that require them to go up or down stairs. I had read that it's best to not make your wolfhound walk up/down stairs often because it puts strain on them, but I hadn't anticipated Solomon's own reaction to stairs. Solomon hates stairs. He rarely goes up any because he doesn’t need to in our house, but any situation with stairs he avoids like the plague. Even a very large stile over a field with four big, wide steps is a challenge, so we have to factor this into all of our trips and the places we take him. If it requires him going up (or down) a flight of stairs it really isn’t happening and there’s no forcing or carrying a giant wolfhound when they’re unwilling! No walks or hikes that require him to climb a stile. When we go on a ferry, we have to check the tides so we know that when he boards and exits a ferry he can stay on one level without any stairs and if we book a dog friendly airbnb again we need one without stairs for him. I’m not sure how he’d like elevators because we’ve never tried! There's definitely a few aspects to their size that you don't really anticipate until you have them, like stairs! I also don't know how he'd do in a dog-friendly cafe because there's this sense that those aren't really meant for large dogs even if they do say they are dog friendly. Basically it feels like there's dog friendly and then there's giant dog friendly.
Overall having Solomon in my life is everything I imagined it would be and more. He’s a perfect companion; sweet and loyal and affectionate. I also love how safe I feel with Solomon by my side; I can explore rural areas even in late hours without feeling worried because although wolfhounds aren’t the best guard dogs, no one is going to mess with you if you have a wolfhound by your side. He cuts a very intimidating figure when he trots out of the woods at night. His size does make him a bit unique and also means he needs special consideration sometimes, but overall he’s very easy to look after and a delight to have around. 
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