The Irish Wolfhound breed dates back as far as the first century, with some speculating that it may go back even further. Irish Wolfhounds were exhibited in Ancient Rome where they amazed and terrified Romans such that the dogs could only be transported in cages.
Their great size, speed and intelligence made them excellent boar hunting dogs. The breed was likely to have been introduced to Ireland by the Celts, who referred to them as the "Cu Faoil." The Celts bred them as war dogs to knock armored knights from their horses and they were also trained to be highly skilled wolf hunters. The training of the breed for that purpose was so successful that the wolf no longer exists in Ireland today.
During the nineteenth century, the breed's numbers dwindled. Captain Graham, a Scottish officer, is credited with a breeding effort that saved the Irish Wolfhound from extinction in the late nineteenth century, and the modern traits of the breed were established at about that time. The Irish Wolfhound was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1897.
