The Irish Wolfhound has long been celebrated in the art and literature of Ireland, but one of the following was not an early Irish name given to the breed – can you guess which one? a) Greyhound of Ireland; b) Wolfdog of Ireland, or c) Great Irish Bloodhound?

Before we get to the answer, we want to share a bit of news that came out of South Africa last year. In the course of delivering seven Irish wolfhound puppies via a cesarean section, two of the pups stopped veterinarian, Kurt de Cramer, in his proverbial tracks. In 26 years of practice, Dr. de Cramer had never seen puppies share the same placenta, but two male puppies did.  He had his suspicions, but only blood work could confirm what Dr. de Cramer was thinking, and indeed, blood samples tested by reproductive specialists confirmed it. The two male puppies were genetically identical twins. The boys may not have been the world’s first, and had the mother not needed a C-section, no one might have even noticed, but it’s a certainty that the littermates, “Romulus” and “Cullen” are the first documented and DNA proved identical twin puppies. You can read more about them and see their picture here.

Now for our answer: The Irish Wolfhound was never known as the Great Irish Bloodhound, but it was referred to as the Greyhound of Ireland and the Wolfdog of Ireland.

Image of Irish Wolfhound (circa 1920) by Thomas Frederick Daws (1878-1956)