A distraught, heartbroken family recently called the IWCA for breed information .... after the fact. 

Their Irish Wolfhound puppy is dead, possibly a heart-related problem.

Unfortunately, these tragedies can happen to anyone - but as with many other similar cases, the odds of buying a puppy with problems were increased due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the buyer. 

The purchasers did not contact any IW clubs or meet or call other IW people. They saw a newspaper classified advertising a litter and bought a puppy.

This puppy may or may not have had pre-existing problems - however, the puppy did not come with a health certificate and it appears that it was never seen by a veterinarian at any time before purchase.  Nor did the purchasers inquire of the breeder about genetic testing done on the sire and dam, or about longevity of the relatives, or any other health problems or considerations in the background - nor did the breeder inform them of familial medical history, or about any other breed-related concerns, such as anesthesia sensitivity, bloat, heart disease, cancer, and Von Willebrands Disease, among others. The breeder did not provide them with information on how to contact IW clubs or other IW owners.

No one can guarantee that your IW will never have any health problems, but there is much you can do to stack the odds in his or her favor, and it begins with your choice of a breeder.

From the IWCA's Standard of Ethical Conduct in reference to the breeder:

"The only justifiable reason to breed is to preserve the breed and improve one's dogs. One should never breed for personal profit or commercial exploitation of the breed."

In other words, the responsible breeder does not breed to supply a market.

The potential puppy purchaser might think, "That's just snobbish, what about the people who only want a pet!"

In fact, the majority of even the most well-bred litters contain only a small percentage of show-potential puppies. But all of the puppies in litters carefully bred by responsible breeders will have received the benefits of an informed, planned, well-thought-out breeding. The mother will have received the utmost care during her pregnancy, and the puppies will have received the same excellent care after their birth, including proper nutrition and socialization. 

Also, be realistic in your expectations and your situation. The Irish Wolfhound is not a breed for everyone. Neither is a Great Dane, a Collie, a Schnauzer, an Old English Sheepdog, a Chihuahua, a Poodle ... you get the idea. Even if you love a particular breed, it may not fit into your lifestyle - maybe just at present, maybe not ever. A responsible breeder will ask you many questions about your situation and lifestyle - and you should have many questions of your own to ask in return, after doing your research on the breed.  

Be aware that someone may call themselves a breeder, may have many years "in the breed", may expound on how much they "love the breed", may even produce championship certificates, show photos, and a lot of brightly colored ribbons - any or all of that does not necessarily mean they are a responsible breeder. Some may have picked up a lot of buzzwords in an attempt to sound knowledgeable. Some will advertise "eyes checked", "hips checked", etc., while it turns out that what was actually done was that a vet gave a brief physical. Ask to SEE copies of test results.

If the seller is advertising that the puppies are "show potential", "show quality", "coursing prospects", etc., ask why he/she feels these puppies will perform well in these endeavors. Does the parentage reflect show or performance event success? If advertised as "champion lines", ask to see the pedigree. Often it turns out that "champion lines" means 4 or 5 (or less) titles out of 30 dogs, and usually not recent.

Please be an educated buyer!  Not only for your sake, but for the sake of the puppy AND the breed as a whole. An educated buyer will not purchase an Irish Wolfhound puppy from a pet shop or from an irresponsible breeder. If irresponsible breeders cannot find a market they will cease producing Irish Wolfhounds; many unfortunate IWs of such breeding end up in other irresponsible hands for the sole purpose of producing more puppies. 

Read the following excerpts from the IWCA's Standard of Ethical Conduct - and ask yourself if the breeder you are contemplating buying from measures up (and then ask THEM).

Does the Irish Wolfhound deserve any less? 
In fact, does ANY dog deserve less?

The breeder is expected to:

1. Have a clear understanding and complete comprehension of the standard.

2. Have a basic knowledge of genetics.

3. Be informed about the pedigrees of both dog and bitch - understanding faults and strengths on both sides. There exists a constant danger that disreputable or ignorant breeders may, by improper practices, produce physically and mentally unsound specimens of the breed. In addition, a member who undertakes to breed or bitch or use their stud dog must:

a. Never breed for the pet market but only to preserve the breed and improve on one's breeding program.

b. Breed only those animals free from hereditary defects.

c. Breed only those animals which have attained the minimum height as specified by the breed standard.

d. Be prepared to provide the proper care for both the bitch and the litter and retain the puppies for as long as is necessary to find the proper homes.

Care and Sale of a Litter

Be prepared to give up 3 months of your life to care for the bitch and puppies. This bitch needs supervision and care while in the whelping and nursing phase and the puppies need constant care and socialization from birth until they leave at 10-12 weeks.

All puppies shall be provided with proper veterinary care and a clean and safe home environment. They should have dewclaws removed, be parasite free, have a good diet and the necessary immunizations.

Any puppy which is deformed or irreversibly ill shall be humanely destroyed.

Bearing in mind that all puppies and dogs should only be sold to loving homes, the litter may be graded as to quality but do not term them show quality as it is difficult to ascertain this prior to 10-12 weeks. Grading them as "promising", "better than average" or "pet quality" is preferable.

Any pet puppies should be sold on a non-breeding contract.

Only the most promising puppies should be sold without the non-breeding contract, and then only to homes after the breeder has carefully investigated the new owners' qualifications for becoming future breeders.

Prospective buyers should be screened on their desire and ultimate intent for each Wolfhound. Their interest and ability to provide a safe, adequate and loving home should be determined. Fenced yards and crates should be strongly recommended.

Give the prospective buyer an honest appraisal of cost management, as well as the physical, mental and nutritional needs peculiar to the breed.

No puppy should be released to its new home prior to 10 weeks.

Every puppy at the time of sale should be accompanied by the following:

              1. Feeding instructions.
              2. Medical records which include number and type of vaccines, dates of
                  vaccinations, date of dewormings.
              3. A 4-generation pedigree.
              4. An IWCA membership application.
              5. A copy of this Standard for Ethical Conduct.
              6. A bill of sale.
              7. A copy of the Breed Standard
              8. AKC registration specifying Breeding or Non-Breeding.

Breeding arrangements should never be established which would encourage the average buyer to undertake a breeding program. If a Breeder does not have the time, facility or desire to manage the mating, whelping and aftercare of a particular potential matron, that bitch should not be passed to another person, just to produce puppies. THIS PRACTICE IS CONSIDERED TO BORDER ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A "PUPPY MILL" AND IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED.

All new owners should be told to have their puppies checked by a veterinarian within 48 hours of delivery.

All new owners should be advised to keep the breeder informed about the development of the puppy and should be told to contact the breeder immediately concerning any health problems, physical abnormalities, and/or death of the dog.

The breeder should likewise keep in contact with the new owner for the life of the dog.

The contract of sale should include a stipulation whereby the breeder will be notified of any plan on the part of the owner to resell or otherwise dispose of the puppy. This stipulation would also require the buyer to either return the dog to the breeder or place it with new owners who have been approved by the breeder.

If a puppy is to be co-owned, a contract should be drawn covering all details of the co-ownership and signed by both owners.

Puppies under the age of 11 weeks should not be exported or imported.

Each breeder should be willing to replace a puppy that has been sold or to refund all or a portion of the purchase price if the puppy proves to have a structural defect. Such a problem should be confirmed by breeder and owner's veterinarians.