What can I do to help my Irish Wolfhound live longer?

Question

I have a 2 and a half month old Irish Wolfhound. I know they average 6 to 8 years, but what are some ways to extend his life? I hate to think this sweet little, about to be massive guy, will have such a short life.
So what are some great ways to help a extra large breed dog live longer?
We are very active, and play a lot. He eats high quality puppy food for large dogs. Regular vet visits. Basically all the usual things. What else can I do to keep him in great healthy shape?
Or is this a no win situation, and only occasional exceptions to the norm?

Answer 1

Make sure you are feeding food with less than 25% protein, and low fat, otherwise your dog will grow too fast. Some foods designed for large breed pups are actually made to make them gorw too fast.. which was the old school of thought. Your pup will reach his adult size no matter what you feed, but the slower, the better. This will help with joint issues as he ages. Also, for the 1st year, you should not have him on long, tiring walks, and try to avoid any hard falls, as these dogs have very sensitive joints, as they grow like crazy. Other than that, there's not much else. I do recommend a raw diet, but that is a personal choice. Good luck!

PS: I'd recommend Innova Large Breed puppy food for your pup, as it has the right amounts of protein/fat, and is specifically designed to regulate growth properly.. plus it has no by-products, grains, etc.

Answer 2

I live in suburbia and I have my name down on a waiting list for a wolfhound pup! I live in an average 3 bedroom 2 bath My back yard is 60' by 30' not tiny but NOT enough room for a wolfie to really stretch his legs either. I HAVE however succesfully fostered Great Danes in this house.(That's basically the only reason my wolfie breeder is letting me get one - good reference from Great Dane rescue :)) I've also had Danes in an Apartment. A TINY apartment. It was tough - but we managed it. The ONLY furniture I had in my living room was a couch - everything else took up too much of the dog's space.I got some extra large throw pillows that could be used as extra seating when I had people over. No dining room table - just a couple of bar stools by the counter. More importantly though I jogged and/or biked with the dog every day so he could stretch his legs. Also atleast 4 times a week we went to the dog park so he could really stretch out and move around. I know space is an issue with big dogs - but I also feel that it can be worked out. As long as you can have access to a larger fenced in area (Must be fenced with the sighthounds ;))that you can go to several times a week, and you walk/jog regularly - it can work. I mean do you REALLY -need- two end tables? Would a smaller coffee table suffice? The lazy boys can be replaced with wing backed chairs. etc etc.

Answer 3

The larger the dog, the shorter the lifespan. However, Irish Wolfhounds don't have tons of genectic problems like many other big dogs i.e. Great Danes.
Feed a premium food like Innova, Canidae, Wellness or any food listed by the Whole Dog Journal as a premium food.
Take your dog to the vet for check-ups, but don't over vaccinate. Vaccinate only for things your dog may get in the area you live and only vaccinate for the DHPP once every 3 years.

Answer 4

Great diet of good food for your dog will help with a good healthy life. Innova Large Breed is an excellent food. If you want to learn more about it, click on www.naturapet.com. Once your puppy is six months, do pull him off puppy food. Puppy food will make your dog grow bigger than need to be. Always read labels on anything you feed him.

Answer 5

It depends. Yes that is their life expectancy, and there's not much you can do to extend it.
However, it is not always the case. We had a Great Dane mix (also supposed to live around 8 years) and he lived to be 14 years old. So you never know.

Answer 6

Although they do have shorter lifespans than most other dogs... they are not 6-8 years... more like 8 to 10 years... give your dog lots of love and plenty of exercise and who knows... you may defy the averages... it's not impossible for one to live 12 to 15 years either !!!

Answer 7

hi a friend of mine raises wolf hounds and one of her dogs weighed in at 240lbs and she was the tallest,longest dog i have ever seen.she was around 7 when she passed. its too bad that large breeds have a short life span. i know she always carries them up and down stairs because of their rapid growth and taking the weight off their joints and bones when they are growing helps to prevent injuries. i think she does the carring for up to 6mts or more. she also replaced stairs outside with ramps so there was no more steps to climb.i guess giving them the best first year of growth will help and keeping their weight normal so there is no extra to carry.check other wolf hound owners and get all the info you can to help your new pup have a longer life. love him and give him your best care and hopefully he will survive and have a long healthy life. best of luck

Answer 8

Aw, he sounds like a doll :)

Large dogs usually develop joint pain and arthritis, so maybe consider adding some glucosomine chondroitin to his diet in the future.

Sounds like you are on the right track with your pup!! High quality food, exercise and vet care are the right way to go. Congrats on your little one!!

Answer 9

Also just make sure that all the food and buscuits are weight control. That's the biggy. Keep his weight in check and you'll get the maximum life span.

Answer 10

Theres no way you can expand like things die when they die. Nothing lives forever only god can tell