Irish Wolfhound vs Dorkie - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Dorkie Terriers originate from the United States of America. The small Dorkie, a cross between the Dachshund and the Yorkshire Terrier has a short history, unlike the two dog breeds that were bred to bring him about.

These dog breeds were both used for hunting small animals but the Dorkie today is essentially a companion dog. The International Designer Canine Association started recording registration of the Dorkie from 2009.

It is believed that the Irish Wolfhound is an ancient breed and that it was brought to Ireland as early as 7000 BC.

These dogs were bred as hunting dogs as well as guard dogs. There was a time when these huge canines were only allowed to be owned by the nobility. The breed died out somewhat, but Scotsman Captain George Augustus Graham made efforts to restore the breed’s numbers.

Captain Graham devoted his life to making sure the Irish Wolfhound’s numbers were built up, and the breeding program included Great Danes, Borzois, English Mastiffs and Scottish Deerhounds.

The Dorkie is a small hybrid breed standing at 13 – 23cm in height and weighing 2 – 6kg. The Dorkie mostly comes with long, straight hair but there are however Dorkies who have the short hair of the Dachshund.

The Dorkie is hypoallergenic, making them the ideal pet for allergy sufferers. They have floppy ears, a long body and short legs. The tail is long and furry. Most times they come in the Yorkshire Terrier colors of black and tan, but this can also vary.

Temperament:

The Dorkie is a loving, loyal, happy little dog who makes an excellent family dog. Although he isn’t looked upon as your typical lap dog, it is what he is really, as he loves nothing more than to be curling up on your lap or as close to you as he can get.

He loves spending time with his human family and is a social, extrovert kind of dog. Because he is also alert, he will do a good job of alerting his family to danger. He is good with children, but because of his smallness, rough children will need to be careful in rough and tumble games as he could get injured.

Even with a small dog like this, he will need training and socialization otherwise he can become a yapper, which comes from the Dachshund side. Training makes him obedient and relaxed around visitors in the home, and because he is an intelligent breed, he is easy to train and is a great dog for first time dog owners.

The tallest of the sighthounds, the Irish Wolfhound looks like a large Greyhound, only he has a rough, wiry type of coat.

He is also gracefully built and known as a gentle giant. The double coat which can be fawn, red, white, grey, black or brindle is straight to wavy.

He stands at about 81 to 86cm and weighs roughly 48 to 54kg. This is one of the few dog breeds that you can’t really call social. He loves his own human family, and becomes unhappy and ‘down-in-the-dumps’ when separated from his family members for too long. He is a quiet dog who tends to be somewhat introverted and reserved, while being highly intelligent.

He will require being trained and socialized to make him obedient as he is an independent dog. He takes his role as family protector seriously and even though he is quiet, he is ready to take on anyone who threatens his property.

Temperament:

The Irish Wolfhound is a gentle, quiet, soft-natured, easy-going dog and even though it is such a large dog, it doesn’t throw it’s weight around but is calm and patient around the elderly and children in the home. It can tend to be aggressive with animals he isn’t familiar with.

He is an intelligent dog, but even so he may be quite resistant to training as he is strong-willed and determined to have his own way. These dogs need to be trained and socialized otherwise they just do their own thing.

Dorkies are easy going little dogs and adapt easily to life in the city or in the country.

Ideally they are inside dogs, feeling happy and content around their human family. They love adults and children and will get on well with other pets in the home too.

They are quite active little dogs and will thrive on games inside the home or outside in the garden. He may be small, but you can put him on a leash and take him for walks.

They make excellent pets and are only too happy to become a devoted and loyal family member of yours.

The most notable aspect of the Irish Wolfhound is his amazing height. The legs are long, the body narrow. He is gentle and easy-going but because he is a sighthound he loves to give chase after animals.

He is capable of living in the city or countryside, but your home will need to cater to his size. He isn’t particularly energetic, enjoying a quiet life but he will absolutely need to be exercised.

Provide your gentle giant with everything needed to make him content, and you’ll have a faithful, loving friend for about 10 years.

The Dorkie, being a cross-breed, is a healthy dog and with good care can live t be 10 – 13 years of age. Nonetheless he is still prone to genetic problems and he can inherit traits from both parents.

Diet and Obesity:

A healthy diet will be needed to maintain the Dorkie’s health. You don’t want to overfeed your Dorkie, more so because he is a small dog.

The way you feed a dog can have a massive impact on his health and longevity. Just remember that a dog that is obese will battle to exercise, but also obesity can result in serious health problems, putting strain on the bones and joints too.

You don’t want to feed your dog day after day with kibble, and adding in some cooked rice, vegetables and chicken can just give him a more varied diet. Raw meat can also be included from time to time. Always ensure that there is fresh, cool water available to him.

Skin Allergies:

The most common symptoms of an allergy is skin irritation – your pet will be constantly scratching and licking. Some skin conditions with your Dorkie can be cleared up quickly while some might be so severe as to require lifelong treatment.

One wonders why breeders seem so bent on breeding such large dogs when they have health issues and they don't live particularly long. Not only do they cost a fortune to feed, but large dogs like this are more prone to illnesses and won’t live as long as small dog breeds. This big dog can live up to 10 years of age or so.

For starters, just because he is a deep chested dog, bloat or gastric torsion can be a threat. Other illnesses to look out for are dilated cardiomyopathy and bone cancer.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy:

This is a disease of the heart muscle where the enlarged heart won’t function properly. The upper- and lower chambers of the heart are enlarged and the heart isn’t able to pump blood out properly. When the heart’s ventricle doesn’t pump enough blood into the lungs, fluid accumulates in the lungs and this ultimately leads to congestive heart failure.

Older dogs battle more with this heart disease and it is also more common in some dog breeds of which the Irish Wolfhound is one. Your dog will have shortness of breath, coughing and abdominal distension. He will need to get to the vet for medical tests.

Bone Cancer:

Bone cancer can strike any dog, but you’ll find in more commonly with larger dog breeds. It can spread quickly and the long term prognosis isn’t good. It’s not easy to pick the disease up and it can mean joint pain for your pet and even lameness.

Your dog will be tired too. Your vet will do X-rays and other tests, but unfortunately the prognosis isn’t usually good. Big-dog breeders should take this into consideration.

Diet:

What you feed your pet can play an important role in managing health and skin conditions. Speak to your vet about special quality dog foods that can help reduce skin conditions and other nasty reactions to common, unhealthy food ingredients.

Grooming:

Dorkies are very low maintenance dogs, and they will require a brushing every 2 weeks. Those with longer coats may require some professional grooming. Check their teeth regularly and brush them 2 or 3 times a week. The occasional nail clipping may also be required.

Exercise:

This isn’t a particularly energetic dog and he can tend to become lazy. Don’t allow this as becoming unfit and overweight can be very bad for such large dog. Being so large already puts stress on the dog’s body, and the dog is already susceptible to cardiac and skeletal problems. Allowing him to become lazy and overweight will be a death sentence for this large dog. It is imperative to make sure you take him on walks and play games with him.

Grooming:

The coat of your dog is thick and medium length and he will require being brushed at least twice a week. You may want to also trim the longer hair you find around his face and legs.

When it comes to his ears, you can moisten some cotton wool and wipe the inside of his ears to remove dirt and excess wax. Remember not to probe too deeply to avoid damaging the ear. If you’re uncertain how to do this, your vet can explain to you how its done.

Check his teeth regularly as dental disease can affect other areas of the body too. Don’t allow his nails to get too long as they can cause paw problems and the nails can hook onto things and cause injury.

Diet:

Because this is a giant breed, the puppy will grow for a long time. Speak to your vet about how to ensure you feed your puppy in such a way that he doesn’t grow too quickly.

If you feed your dog a commercially manufactured food, make sure its one of the top quality brands. Include home-made cooked food such as chicken, rice and vegetables into his kibble from time to time, and also try to feed him some raw meat occasionally.

Fresh, cool water must be available to your Irish Wolfhound around the clock.