What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Irish Wolfhound?

FCI, Male: over 79 cm; AKC, Male: 81.3–86.4 cm; KC, Male: over 79 cm; CKC, Male: 81.3–86.3 cm; FCI, Female: over 71 cm; KC, Female: over 71 cm; UKC, Height at the withers: 81.3–86.4 cm.

Irish Wolfhound breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers, male	over 79 cm	81.3–86.4 cmunder 81.3 cmDisqualifying	under 78.7 cmDisqualifying	over 79 cm81–86 cm	81.3–86.3 cmunder 81.3 cmDisqualifying
Height at the withers, female	over 71 cm	under 76.2 cmDisqualifying	under 71.1 cmDisqualifying	over 71 cm	under 76.3 cmDisqualifying
Height at the withers	No ruling	No ruling	81.3–86.4 cm	No ruling	No ruling
Weight, male	over 54.5 kg	under 54.4 kgDisqualifying	under 54.4 kgDisqualifying	over 54.5 kg	under 54.5 kgDisqualifying
Weight, female	over 40.5 kg	under 47.6 kgDisqualifying	under 40.8 kgDisqualifying	over 40.9 kg	under 47.5 kgDisqualifying

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“Complete Dentition, scissor bite ideal”)	No ruling	Standard (“teeth that meet in a scissors bite”)	Standard (“perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	No ruling
BiteLevel bite	Alternate (“level acceptable”)	No ruling	Alternate (“A level bite is acceptable”)	Fault (“Level bite undesirable”)	No ruling
DentitionFull dentition	Standard (“Complete Dentition”)	No ruling	Standard (“a complete set of strong, white teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling
Eye shapeOval	Standard (“EYES: Dark and oval”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Elliptical (regular oval) and full”)	No ruling
Ear carriageRose	Standard (“EARS: Small, rose ears set on high”)	No ruling	Standard (“The small, rose ears are Greyhound-like”)	Standard (“Small, rose shaped, of fine velvet texture”)	No ruling
Ear setHigh	Standard (“rose ears set on high”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Neck lengthLong	Standard (“NECK: Rather long, very strong and muscular”)	Standard (“Neck: Rather long, very strong and muscular”)	Standard (“neck is rather long and well arched”)	Standard (“Rather long, very strong and muscular”)	Standard (“Rather long, very strong and muscular”)
Neck lengthShort	Fault (“Short neck”)	Fault (“short neck”)	Fault (“Faults: Short neck”)	No ruling	Fault (“Short neck”)
DewlapNone (clean throat)	Standard (“without dewlap or loose skin about the throat”)	Standard (“without dewlap or loose skin about the throat”)	Standard (“There is no dewlap or loose skin about the throat”)	Standard (“without dewlap or loose skin about throat”)	Standard (“without dewlap or loose skin about the throat”)
DewlapPronounced	Fault (“Short neck; full dewlap”)	Fault (“full dewlap”)	Fault (“Full dewlaps”)	No ruling	Fault (“Full dewlap”)
ToplineSwayback	Fault (“Back sunken or hollow or quite straight”)	Fault (“sunken or hollow or quite straight back”)	Fault (“Sunken or hollow back”)	No ruling	Fault (“Sunken or hollow or quite straight back”)
ChestDeep	Standard (“Chest: Very deep, moderately broad”)	Standard (“Chest: Very deep”)	Standard (“The chest is very deep, and moderately broad”)	Standard (“Chest very deep”)	Standard (“Chest very deep”)
Tuck-upPronounced	Standard (“Belly: Well drawn up”)	Standard (“Belly: Well drawn up”)	Standard (“The belly is well drawn up”)	Standard (“Belly well drawn up”)	Standard (“Belly well drawn up”)
HocksWell let down	Standard (“Hock joint: Well let down”)	Standard (“hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out”)	Standard (“The hocks are well let down”)	Standard (“hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out”)	Standard (“hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out”)
FeetSplayed	Fault (“Spreading toes”)	Fault (“spreading toes”)	Fault (“Faults: Twisted feet. Splay feet”)	No ruling	Fault (“Twisted feet, spreading toes”)
Tail lengthLong	Standard (“TAIL: Long and slightly curved at extremity”)	Standard (“Tail: Long and slightly curved”)	Standard (“The tail is long and slightly curved”)	Standard (“Long and slightly curved”)	Standard (“Long and slightly curved”)
Tail carriageLow (hanging)	Standard (“the tail should be carried low standing”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“carried low with an upward sweep towards the extremity”)	No ruling
Tail carriageRaised (gay)	Fault (“Tail excessively curled or carried too high”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling

Markings

Markings
Marking	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Chest patch	Alternate (“White markings are only acceptable on fore-chest”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Socks	Alternate (“White markings are only acceptable on fore-chest, toes, (not full foot)”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
White tail tip	Alternate (“White markings are only acceptable on fore-chest, toes, (not full foot) and tip of tail”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling

Irish Wolfhound colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Irish Wolfhound color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Irish Wolfhound in Black, White, Gray, Blue, Silver, Red, Cream, Fawn, and Wheaten. Standard patterns: Solid, Brindle, and Reverse brindle.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“Black”)
White	Standard (“Pure White”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“pure white”)	Standard (“pure white”)	Standard (“Pure White”)
Gray	Standard (“Grey”)	Standard (“Gray”)	Standard (“gray”)	Standard (“grey ... and steel grey”)	Standard (“Grey”)
Blue	Not recognized	Standard (“Blue”)	Standard (“any other color that is found in the Deerhound”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Silver	Not recognized	Standard (“Silver”)	Standard (“any other color that is found in the Deerhound”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Red	Standard (“Red”)	Standard (“Red”)	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“Red”)
Cream	Not recognized	Standard (“Cream”)	No ruling	Standard (“Cream”)	Not recognized
Fawn	Standard (“Fawn”)	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“Fawn”)
Wheaten	Standard (“Wheaten”)	Standard (“Wheaten”)	Standard (“any other color that is found in the Deerhound”)	Standard (“wheaten”)	Standard (“Wheaten”)
Albino	Not recognized	Not recognized	Disqualifying (“Albinism”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“Grey, Red, Black, Pure White, Fawn, and Wheaten”)	Standard (“gray, red, black, pure white, fawn”)	Standard (“gray, red, black, pure white, fawn”)	Standard (“grey, red, black, pure white, fawn, wheaten”)	Standard (“Grey, Red, Black, Pure White, Fawn, and Wheaten”)
Brindle	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“brindle”)	Standard (“brindle”)	Standard (“Brindle”)
Reverse brindle	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“brindle”)	Standard (“brindle”)	Standard (“Brindle”)

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Dark brown	Standard (“Dark”)	Standard (“Eyes, dark”)	Standard (“The eyes are dark”)	Standard (“Dark”)	Standard (“Dark”)
Light brown	Fault (“Very light eyes”)	No ruling	Fault (“Very light eyes”)	No ruling	Fault (“Very light eyes”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“black”)	No ruling	Standard (“The nose is dark”)	Standard (“Nose and lips black”)	Standard (“black”)
Liver	Fault	Fault (“Lips or nose liver-colored”)	Fault	No ruling	Fault
Pink	Fault	Fault (“Lips or nose ... lacking pigmentation”)	Fault	No ruling	Fault

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault: Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalized.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Irish Wolfhound's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Irish Wolfhound guide Grooming styles for the Irish Wolfhound