When is an Irish Wolfhound fully grown?
Most Irish Wolfhounds reach their full height at around two years. However, they may gain another inch or two during their 2nd year of life. They typically don’t reach their full weight until they are 3 to 3.5 years old. For this reason, it isn’t uncommon for them to seem rather skinny during their 2nd year.
Much of their 2nd year is spend gaining muscle mass and fat. They will often bulk up quite a bit and reach their full weight at around 3-years-old. Females often finish growing before males, as they are smaller overall.
How fast does an Irish Wolfhound grow?
These dogs grow extremely fast. They start out at only a pound or so at birth. However, they grow extremely rapidly from birth to about six months of age. During this time, they can eat just as much food as an adult might, simply because they must put on so many pounds in such a short period of time. By one month, these dogs weigh about 8 pounds. That is eight times bigger than their starting weight in only a month – and much of that was gained on their mother’s milk alone.
At eight weeks, they’ll weigh about 23 pounds, and their weight only starts increasing from there. Because this is extremely fast growth requires extra attention, care and knowledge on the breeder’s part, Irish Wolfhounds are also quite expensive dogs.
While these dogs grow very quickly, they actually mature slower than most other breeds. For this reason, puppies usually aren’t placed in homes until they are 12 weeks old, which is equivalent developmentally to the eight weeks that is recommended with most other breeds.
Furthermore, your Irish Wolfhound can act very puppy-like until they are 3.5 years old. This is due to their slower development and longer growth period. Expect to deal with a slightly rambunctious puppy for years before the dog settles down.