Majestic Tree Hound vs Irish Wolfhound - Breed Comparison

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 Majestic Tree Hound is a fairly new crossbreed dog. While the actual breed is very recent, the stem stock goes way back to medieval times.

The dog’s heritage goes back to the St. Hubert Hound named after Francois Hubert. He bred the best scenting hounds in Southern France.

In fact when France experienced political unrest that resulted in emigration to the United States, they brought their dogs, among them hound dogs which were then crossed with other dogs. Bloodhounds, English Foxhounds, American Coon and Big Game Hounds have all contributed to the Majestic Tree Hound after a long time of breeding to bring forth a hound that had sharp scenting abilities as well as a balanced temperament.

The origin of the Majestic Tree Hound is the United States.

Today they are not seen much outside the United States. The first Majestic's were registered with the National Kennel Club in April 1980.

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.

The Majestic Treehound is a large sized working dog. This dog is a cross between the Bloodhound and the Black and Tan Coonhound. Both male and female stand at roughly 61-76 cm in height and weighs in at about 33 – 50kg.

If you want your dog to become a parent, you can expect between 2 to 6 of the cutest puppies.

The coat is smooth, short and dense and comes in a number of colors such as black, black and tan grey and white as well as red and blue ticking.

The dog has sunken brown or yellow eyes, particularly long, floppy ears, a deep chest and a long tail. The tail is set high and is thick at the base and is essentially carried in accordance with the dog’s mood. The tail is never carried over the back. There was a time when the tail of the Majestic was docked, giving him an attractive, compact look. They are powerfully built dogs with a dignified look to them.

Temperament:

The Majestic Treehound has always been a most fearless and adept hunter and he is a dog that just loves being busy. They are also loyal and devoted companions for their human families.

He is a huge dog but he is gentle, good natured and kind with children and is also willing to get on well with pets in the home. You won’t find him being much of a guard dog though because he is just too friendly for this.

He is a dog that is going to need regular exercise, and his sheer size and exercise requirements will make it that he is better off living in the countryside than in the city.

He is an intelligent dog who will be easy to train. Training and socialization will be good for him as he knows exactly how to behave in different situations. He doesn’t want to be left on his own for too long because he bonds closely with his owners and wants to be around them constantly.

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.

This large attractive dog has a gentle nature and is loving and affectionate towards his human family, getting on well with children and other pets in the family.

As with most little dogs, this big dog doesn’t like to be left alone for a long time. With training and socialization he becomes obedient and amicable, knowing how to behave well so that he can be taken anywhere.

Treat this loving dog with love and care and he is guaranteed to make you a splendid family pet.

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.

The Majestic is a robust breed, and with good food and exercise he can live to be between 10 and 13 years of age.

It has been discovered that like many other dogs, he can battle with hip dysplasia. Large dogs are more prone to hip dysplasia. It is an abnormal formation of the hip socket. It’s a serious condition that can cause arthritis and lameness.

Hip dysplasia often begins when a dog is still a puppy. One of the symptoms is difficulty with getting up after lying down, pain in hip joints and even loss of muscle mass. You will need to get your pet to the vet. The vet will perform a complete physical exam on your dog and then talk to you about treatment.

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.

Grooming:

Occasional brushing, perhaps twice a week, will be enough to maintain this dog’s short coat. The long ears tend to drag on the ground, collecting dirt and moisture, and the ears particularly will need to be washed or wiped down and checked inside for infection.

Exercise:

This is a dog with high exercise requirements. A walk a day for him is a good thing but it won’t be enough – he will need some rough and tumble games and want to join you on hikes, swimming and jogs.

Diet:

Majestic Tree Hounds require nutritious food. If you want to use commercially manufactured food, make sure its the better one as some of the cheaper brands put fillers, preservatives and colorants in and this can cause a whole lot of damage for your dog.

Buy quality food for your pet. The idea is to keep things simple for your big dog so that he doesn’t succumb to digestive problems. Apart from top quality kibble, homemade food will be excellent for him. Boiled chicken cooked in some coconut oil with some brown rice and pasta and some cooked or raw vegetables will be delicious for your dog. You can add it to his dry kibble. Remember to ensure he always has cool, fresh water.