The Irish Wolfhound is the tallest of all dog breeds, an ancient Irish sighthound bred to hunt wolves and elk and to stand as a noble companion to kings. Standing taller than a person when on its hind legs, this is a dog of immense size and presence, yet its temperament is the opposite of intimidating: the Irish Wolfhound is famously gentle, calm, dignified, and sweet-natured, a true gentle giant. The old breed saying captures it perfectly, that it is "gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked," though in modern homes the gentleness is overwhelmingly what you will see.
Two things define training an Irish Wolfhound: its sheer size and its sighthound heritage. As a sighthound it is independent and carries a prey drive, so recall around fast-moving animals is unreliable and it is not a reflexively obedient breed. As a giant, everything it learns must be installed early, while it is still manageable, and its slow-growing joints need careful protection. It is also a sensitive, soft dog, and sadly one of the shorter-lived breeds, which makes early, gentle training all the more precious. Train kindly, install manners young, protect those joints, and manage the prey drive, and you get a serene, devoted, magnificent companion.
This guide covers what works with an Irish Wolfhound, week by week, built around how a gentle giant sighthound actually learns.
What Makes Training an Irish Wolfhound Different
Four breed traits shape your approach.
1. Size makes manners urgent. An Irish Wolfhound puppy grows into the tallest dog there is, easily able to reach a countertop or knock someone over by accident. Polite greetings, loose-leash walking, and calm behavior must be installed early, while the dog is still manageable, because there is no out-muscling an adult.
2. A sighthound's independence and prey drive. Bred to chase and dispatch game on its own, the Wolfhound is independent and will pursue fast-moving animals. Recall around prey is unreliable, off-leash freedom in unfenced areas is risky, and secure space matters, though the breed is generally more laid-back than smaller sighthounds.
3. Gentle and sensitive. Behind the immense size is a soft, tender temperament. Harsh corrections, raised voices, or pressure shut a Wolfhound down and damage trust. Calm, patient, reward-based training is the only approach that works, and the breed dislikes being isolated from its family.
4. Slow-growing joints that need protecting. Giant breeds grow for a long time, and their joints and growth plates are vulnerable. High-impact exercise, jumping, and stairs should be strictly limited until the dog matures, to protect long-term soundness in a body this large.
Week-by-Week Training Plan for Your Irish Wolfhound
Below is the framework we use at TailorPup for an Irish Wolfhound-specific 12-week plan. Run it at home; the order and emphasis are the point.
Weeks 1 and 2 : Foundation and Socialization
Build engagement with high-value, gentle rewards and socialize broadly while the puppy is small and impressionable. Run three to four short sessions a day: name, mark eye contact, reward warmly. Introduce calm handling early, because a giant dog must accept being touched and examined. Our puppy basics guide covers the foundations.
Weeks 3 and 4 : Core Commands
Lure sit and down, mark, reward, and add cues once reliable, expecting an independent learner who needs a genuine reason to comply. Prioritize a reliable settle and a polite greeting, the manners that matter most in a future giant. Keep sessions short, gentle, and upbeat.
Weeks 5 and 6 : Loose Leash Walking (While It Is Easy)
Teach loose-leash walking now, while you can still physically manage the dog, because an adult Wolfhound is immensely strong. Use stop-and-stand: stop the instant the leash tightens, advance only when it loosens. A front-clip harness helps, and keep walks low-impact to protect growing joints.
Weeks 7 and 8 : Recall (Manage Expectations)
Build recall on a long line in low-distraction areas, jackpot every success, and never call the dog for anything it dislikes. Be realistic about the sighthound prey drive: even a trained Wolfhound is not reliable off-leash around running game. Treat the long line and secure fencing as standard tools.
Weeks 9 and 10 : Gentle Exercise and Joint Care
Give the breed gentle outlets suited to a growing giant: flat, steady walks and, for adults, the occasional chance to lope in a securely fenced space. Keep exercise low-impact, avoiding jumping and stairs while the dog is young, to protect the joints. The Wolfhound is a calm, low-demand dog once its modest needs are met.
Weeks 11 and 12 : Generalization
Prove the skills in the real world: loose-leash walking past distractions, recall in a fenced area, calm greetings with visitors, and settling in busier places. A Wolfhound that is polite at home but not in public is only partly trained, and these last two weeks lock in the manners that keep a giant welcome everywhere.
Common Irish Wolfhound Training Mistakes
Three mistakes show up repeatedly with this breed.
Mistake 1 : Delaying manners because the puppy is sweet. The honeymoon ends fast in a giant breed. Owners who postpone leash and greeting training find themselves with the tallest dog in the world that never learned the rules. Start while the dog is small.
Mistake 2 : Over-exercising a growing giant. Hard running, jumping, and stairs stress immature joints and can cause lasting damage in such a large, fast-growing body. Keep exercise low-impact and moderate until the dog is mature.
Mistake 3 : Using harsh handling or trusting off-leash recall. The gentle Wolfhound shuts down under corrections, and the sighthound prey drive makes off-leash recall unreliable around game. Keep training kind and use long lines and fencing. The full list is in our Irish Wolfhound training mistakes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Irish Wolfhounds easy to train ? Moderately, with a gentle approach. They are intelligent and willing for those they trust, but as sighthounds they are independent, so recall and reflexive obedience take patience. The bigger factor is the urgency of early manners created by their size.
How much exercise does an Irish Wolfhound need ? Moderate for an adult: daily walks plus occasional chances to lope in a safe space, kept low-impact while the dog is growing to protect the joints. The breed is calm and low-energy at home once its modest needs are met.
When should I start training my Irish Wolfhound ? The day you bring the puppy home. Manners like loose-leash walking and polite greetings are far easier to teach at 30 pounds than at 120, so early training is essential rather than optional with the tallest breed.
Can I let my Irish Wolfhound off-leash ? In a securely fenced area, yes. In open spaces it is risky, because the sighthound prey drive can override recall around fast-moving animals. Use a long line and secure fencing as standard.
Are Irish Wolfhounds good family dogs ? Yes, wonderful ones. They are gentle, calm, and devoted, and famously good with children, though their sheer size means supervision around small kids. They bond closely and dislike being left isolated.
Is positive reinforcement effective for Irish Wolfhounds ? It is the right approach. The gentle, sensitive breed thrives on calm, reward-based training and shuts down under harshness, which is both unnecessary and damaging with such a soft giant.
Do Irish Wolfhounds need a lot of grooming ? The harsh, rough coat needs regular brushing and occasional hand-stripping or tidying, which is moderate grooming. Building handling tolerance early makes it, and routine vet care for a giant breed, far easier.
Why TailorPup Was Built for Irish Wolfhounds
A generic plan ignores what defines this breed: the size that makes early manners non-negotiable, the need for joint protection, the sighthound prey drive, and the gentle sensitivity. That mismatch is why standard advice leaves owners with an unmanageable or anxious giant.
TailorPup builds a 12-week plan around your specific dog: its gentle-giant sighthound nature, its age, and the behaviors you are seeing. For an Irish Wolfhound that means front-loaded manners and leash work while the dog is small, gentle reward-based methods, low-impact exercise to protect joints, and a realistic, long-line-backed approach to recall.
Daily 12-minute sessions plus weekly adjustments based on your dog's progress. Free for 7 days, no card required.
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Related: Irish Wolfhound Training Mistakes · Recall Training · Leash Pulling · Puppy Training Basics