Eaglescrag Kennels

Ruth Jenkins wrote two articles on feeding and care for the Irish Wolfhound Club Yearbook. The first, in the 1964-65-66 issue, was:

Hints on Rearing Irish Wolfhounds

It is important to note that the following paragraphs are supposed only to serve as a guide. Sensible deviations in the interest of the individual dog often will be required. It is proposed to deal briefly with the subjects of feeding, training, kenneling, and show preparation.

A puppy purchased at three months of age should have been vaccinated against Distemper, Hard Pad, Leptospirosis and Hepatitis. It is wise to insist on being given a certificate to this effect, for apart from the obvious reason, it will be used for recording annual booster injections, and will be required to be shown should it be necessary for him to stay in a boarding kennel. One assumes he would only be sent to a kennel which insisted on this precaution. Puppies purchased at an earlier age will not have been completely vaccinated and care should be taken to avoid infection until this has been done.

Feeding
After the age of ten weeks a puppy's daily meal may be reduced from five to four, and the following routine is suggested:-

One should keep to this pattern, gradually increasing the amount of meat and milk until at about 3½ months of age the puppy will be taking one pint of milk, and one pound of meat at the appropriate meals. At about 4 months the daily intake of carbohydrate may be increased by adding a handful or so of puppy meal to the second meat feed. This should be soaked in boiling gravy first.

Between six and seven months, depending as always on the progress of the individual, the daily food may be divided into three meals, possibly as follows:-

Probably around twelve months of age it will be found that two meals will suffice under ordinary circumstances. This is brought about by giving 2 lb. of meat plus the ½-1 lb. soaked meal for the evening feed. The cod liver oil and bone meal will also still be required.

Cod liver oil, bone meal, brown bread all contain important vitamins and minerals in a natural form, the same may be said of liver and raw beef suet. Accustom the puppy to the two latter from about nine months.

Sometimes being removed from the competition of litter mates, and being plunged into a strange environment may have an adverse effect on a pup's appetite. In such a situation it is best to give what is readily eaten. Try to avoid tempting a puppy to eat, they soon learn faddy habits.

Training
House training an Irish Wolfhound puppy should not present any great problem as they are usually co-operative in this respect. However, one must help a new young puppy by making his day follow a fairly regular pattern. Remember he must visit the garden the very moment the household stirs in the morning, just time to snatch a dressing gown before opening the door!

Early stages in lead training take the form of the puppy wearing a light collar for an ever-lenthening period each day. When he is quite comfortable with this, a lead may be attached to the collar, and the puppy familiarized gently with its restraint. Initially, do not insist on it going your way, just endeavour to proceed, if somewhat erratically, together!

Having achieved a reasonable measure of lead manners the question arises of how much exercise should be given to a young puppy. The answer is not much, mostly he needs freedom to romp and sleep at will. However, a twenty minute excursion once, and later twice, a day will help to develop the mind and keep limbs growing straight and strong. During these outings there should be time both on the lead and freely galloping. Later on, at 6 months or so, galloping will play an even greater part in the proper development of the puppy. This should therefore not be denied to a young dog. I must stress the word 'free' in relation to this galloping; on no account should a young, very-rapidly growing Wolfhound be subjected to following a bicycle.

Kennelling
If your Wolfhound is to sleep in an outhouse make sure he is able to conserve and make use of his body warmth. A false roof and higher sides to his bed may be necessary during the colder months in order to ensure his comfort. He will only lie and shiver if his premises are lofty and draughty, such a pity to waste thuse the energy from the good food you give him, far better to keep it for growing. He will appreciate a deep mattress of straw, and a constant supply of clean water.

Indoors, in the interest of all the household, himself included, he will need his own corner where he may retire for peace and quiet. There a wooden bed furnished with a couple of thick blankets may be kept. No indigestible foam mattress until the chewing stage is well behind him! The bed should be large enough to allow him to lie stretched out, say around 4 ft. x 2 ft. 6 ins. or 3 ft.

Show Preparation
Train your hound to lead smartly alongside with his head carried high. Accustom him to stand across quietly in front of you as you hold his head in your left hand. Practice trotting him briskly for twenty paces or so, halt, turn about right handed and trot back. He will learn to expect the abrupt turn, especially if you give his hind quarters a little push with the right hand from behind your back. If the sight of his lead excites him, arrange for the lesson to follow his walk.

If you are uncertain of his behaviour under show conditions, I suggest you take him to Novice Obedience Training Classes where he will learn to mix with other dogs. It would, however, be advisable to explain to the instructor your purpose, asking also to be allowed to stand your dog during the "sit" exercises.

At first you may not feel competent actually to trim your hound for show. This process is not absolutely vital; concentrate therefore as a novice exhibitor on getting him really fit and muscular. This, combined with daily brushing, will make him look and feel spruce and well cared for. In addition, present him looking really clean, paying particular attention to the inside of ears, beard, and under the tail. Toe nails too should be cut or filed short and neat.

Observing how the more experienced exhibitors prepare their hounds is the easiest method of learning where to trim the coat, and upon enquiry you will learn that their intention is to display a graceful animal to best advantage, revealing the flowing lines and powerful curves of a coursing hound. This trimming is required to be done by stripping out the hair with finger and thumb only (Kennel Club Rule).

One final word. Thankfully, our breed retains a fine hunting instinct, possessing a keen eye and a fair turn of speed. Thus, whilst naturally amiable towards other livestock, Wolfhounds have a strong inborn desire to investigate that which moves. Bring him up, therefore, to enjoy being obedient. If you haven't the time to train him to be fully reliable with other livestock, don't make the mistake of expecting too much of him - he is only a dog. In the event of trouble you will be to blame, but he will have to suffer.

The second article appeared in the 1970-1-2 Year Book:

Half the Pedigree

That pricey precious manuscript written partly in red but mostly in black is but a small part of the Wolfhound-owning story.

True, from the pedigree you now have some idea of the animal's potential, but to realise this you must study the other half of the story. Plan and put into effect the "half of the pedigree that goes in at the mouth."

In buying a nine-week old puppy, the owner has taken on the task of growing a 20-25 lb. puppy into a sound active 120-135 lb. twelve months old dog. Clearly not only must the diet be good and ample, but the routine of feeding, rest and exercise needs to follow a fairly regular pattern.

Happily, a Wolfhound pup has the voracity of a refuse disposal unit so the bowls of good food which you dutifully produce at the prescribed intervals are downed in a fraction of the time taken in their preparation. However, some owners will experience the exception to this normal greed. These picky feeders should be studied carefully for signs of irregular health, then, if all appears well, less may be fed in the hope that the pup will become keen and hungry again. I sympathise with the anxious new owner, resolved to do the best possible, going to endless effort to get the last crumb eaten. However, the feeder will only succeed in communicating his or her anxiety to the dog and the problem may be exaggerated and prolonged.

Food should be balanced roughly, not faddily but balanced none the less. Half protein, half carbohydrate, i.e. half meat, half biscuit. In looking at the following menu you will see that by weight there appears to be more meat than biscuit, this is because the biscuit is dry and the meat contains water.

Most people like to feed their puppy additional vitamins and minerals. This isn't a bad idea, but perhaps it would be as well to mention that it is wise to feed preparations manufactured specially for dogs and in which the ingredients have been carefully balanced for their particular needs. Please don't pop into the chemist and purchase all of his stock of, let us say, calcium lactate tablets and let the pup gobble them up willy nilly. We ourselves prefer what one might term the "good food" approach to additives, thus milk straight from the cow, codliver oil, bone meal and liver are believed to be important, especially the untreated milk. However in these days of astronomical prices and non-availability one cannot be too dogmatic and perfectly satisfactory results may be obtained with the use of other kinds of milk.

Healthy Wolfhound puppies spend a lot of time thinking of food and how empty they feel. Perhaps their food passes out of the stomach fairly quickly. In order to deal with this aching void they gnaw the wrong things, swallow stones and eat the most revolting rubbish. They will do this even when they may not be having to share with the equally greedy worm or two. So let him have a modest collection of large, safe marrow bones, they will be greatly treasured.

I must point out that the following feeding routine is no more than a guide or perhaps a row of pegs upon which you hang some good ideas yourself, and your own dog's individual needs.

Ten weeks of age

These quantities are increased gradually until the puppy is around 3 months old when it will need at least a pound of meat at each meal and a pint of milk at breakfast and at tea. It will also take about 1 lb. puppy meal spread over the four meals.

Bearing in mind the title of this article, keep on with the four meals per day for as long as possible, say until about nine months. During this period change to Terrier meal and increase the quantity given until about 1½ lbs. are taken at breakfast, lunch and supper. Tea having been reduced to a drink of milk and an egg.

At about 9 months try a three meal routine by giving two eggs and two pints of milk and ½ lb. Terrier meal for breakfast.

Now to achieve a two meal a day routine at about 12 months start reducing the mid-day meal and increasing supper ending up with a meal around 1 lb. biscuit and 2 lbs. meat in quantity.

The foregoing does rather indicate that the ownership of an Irish Wolfhound may work out to be a somewhat costly enterprise if done decently. For this reason it is advisable to secure good sources of supply of the vital foods before taking delivery of the pup. Prices differ, and much can be saved by shopping around.

So now, your dog having reached the age of about 15 months via fair few cwts. and gallons of food, you may relax content in the knowledge that you haven't left many stones unturned in your efforts on his behalf.

The following is from an article printed under the heading SpOtlight by Canina in the Irish Wolfhound Magazine, vol. 11, No. 1, Spring 1989:-

Eaglescrag hounds have for many years been regarded as Wolfhounds of great distinction, excelling in type and substance. Ruth and Leslie Jenkins have carefully bred many British and International champions and Ruth has also given much time to the breed by serving on the committee of the Irish Wolfhound Club in official capacities for many years. In addition, her wise judgement and counselling has always been a great asset to the Rescue Trust.

We are indeed fortunate that Ruth agreed to recall some of her memories and observations over the years of her beloved Wolfhounds. Here in her own words is her story:

"The animals around when I was young were quite wide ranging, from my unpopular (not with me) mice to a handsome horse. In between came a pony which pulled a trap and quite liked being ridden, and a small rabble of terriers known as our Sealyham kennel. We children did the feeding, exercising and cleaning out chores whenever we could. My first pet was a rabbit who lived for nine years. The dandelions were fast dying out in our neighbourhood by the time he no longer needed them.

My second was a Sealyham bitch who looked more like one of her ancestors, the Dandie Dinmont. Her nose was pink, it was a feature which went very well with the rest of her jolly and rather tramp-like appearance.

The Sealyhams were occasionally shown, and we learned to prepare them for these outings - quite a tricky job! Thank goodness Wolfhounds don't need so much barbering for the show ring.

In my eleventh year, the horse-drawn Railway dray delivered to our house a huge wicker hamper containing a rather small and somewhat travel stained Irish Wolfhound bitch puppy - a grey brindle, all tail and knobbly knees. She scrambled out from the cavernous depths, but liked not what she saw around her. However, a lot of fuss worked wonders and a couple of days saw a complete acceptance of her new home. She became a most loving family pet. We called her Droonagh and she was bred by Mr. Everett of Felixstowe fame.

Thus it was in 1950, when Leslie and I considered we were in a proper position to add a dog to our family and, after glowing accounts from me, we decided we would like to continue the Wolfhound tradition. We had sufficient space to make the keeping of a giant dog quite feasible. Post-war Wolfhounds were extremely thin on the ground, but we managed to find Develin Molly, a four months old grey brindle and well able to live up to the standard set by Droonagh. She grew into a fine family dog.

Our first excursion into the show ring with her was at Crufts, 1952. There must have been no more than a dozen hounds present - if that - and Susanne Hudson's father, Capt. T. Hudson, was the judge. We were third in a class of four and fourth in a class of five. Best of Breed was Ch. Sulhamstead Majenta. An exciting day! I remember meeting Elsie James for the first time. What a kind person she was!

It was a stroke of great good fortune when Kilfenora of Ouborough came our way - this happened through the kindness of Margaret Harrison and May Atfield. We look upon 'Biddy', as she was called, as our foundation bitch. She had plenty of type, soundness and quality and an excellent temperament - all the attributes one should look for in a brood bitch. I can remember now her great bone, well arched feet, and her lovely coat.

When mated to Ch. Sanctuary Rory of Kihone, she produced our Song of Eaglescrag, Sanctuary Sonnet of Eaglescrag, and my sister's (Noreen Twyman - Nendrum) Ch. and Ir. Ch. Carol of Eaglescrag. These three bitches when mated to the Sulhamstead dogs produced quality offspring - Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight, Ch. Moira of Eaglescrag, Saragh of Eaglescrag (dam of Ch. Clindhu of Eaglescrag and Ch. Sulhamstead Morna of Eaglescrag), Ir. Ch. Corrie of Nendrum, and Ch. Eaglescrag Clonroe of Nendrum. Interbreeding amongst the descendants also proved to be quite worthwhile.

It took me a good while of actual practice in breeding and showing before I felt I could interpret and apply the Breed Standard with sufficient confidence to accept any invitation to judge the breed. I believe my first appointment was at an Open Show in Worthing in the early sixties. Wolfhound classes were mercifully small in those days; even so it was a great relief when the ordeal was over. It was the practice of judges to visit the benches when judging was finished, to talk with the exhibitors. I suppose that sort of thing does not fit very well into today's hectic pattern, which is a pity. With experience, judging can become quite enjoyable and applying the Breed Standard to a large class is something of a mental challenge. To my mind, the type of hound described in the Breed Standard of the Irish Wolfhound Club is the only type we should seek to breed. This Standard must remain the guiding star.

Specialty shows are the most interesting to judge, both here and abroad. They are unique opportunities for acquiring a view of the state of the breed. One is reassured to learn that the Wolfhound is held in very high esteem not only in Great Britain and Ireland but also in North America and Europe, where I have judged. The judging I found most interesting was in 1987, for after having judged our own Club Championship Show in April, I then did the same for the Irish Wolfhound Club of America's National Specialty. There it was interesting to observe the marked improvement that had taken place in the hounds since I first judged this show in 1976. The good in America now compare favourably with our own good hounds.

Ch. Moira (Jumbo) was lovely to look at and was our house pet for 11¾ years. You could not have had a better or more loyal friend, but over the years there have been so many lovely hounds, it seems unfair to single just one out for mention. They all have had (and still have) that special Wolfhound character. There have been sixteen Eaglescrag champions since 1965 in Great Britain, and some abroad but we haven't kept count of them.

Iceflo is the eighth generation Eaglescrag. We recall the fun we had showing Clindhu; he stood out for his great ring presence and splendid temperament. He adored babies; one braced oneself for the passing of a pram! He was our first champion by a whisker, as Moira was made up on the same day. We also remember with affection Caio who ended his show career by winning BoB from the Veteran Class at the Club Show, then held in conjunction with the L.K.A., in 1974. He finally won the Hound Group at that show. Caio's son, Toby, was a fine dog to show, especially if his nose was pointing to the exit or car park where stood his link with home and supper! Caio's daughter, Kelt (huntress), won BoB at the Club Show and at Crufts in 1977. The companion par excellence, Red Wully, Clonroe and Moira's son, was Reserve in the Hound Group at Crufts and Reserve BIS at the S.K.C. in Edinburgh in 1970, and his son, Fintan (the clown), won BIS at Blackpool in 1973. We have been fortunate to have had such super companions, but we have had our share of disappointments, we hasten to add.

Winning BoB at Crufts for the first time in 1965 was quite a day to remember. Robert (still a schoolboy) and I thoroughly enjoyed the ballyhoo which is part of this event and, as usual, Clonroe gave of his best.

Showing is fun and it is useful to compare one's hounds with the others, but, from the dogs' point of view, don't we overdo it a bit these days?

It must be around 30 years that I have been on the Club Committee, seven of those as Chairman and now as Vice-President. I have watched the Club develop and expand from a cosy coterie when the A.G.M was a pleasant tea party in Miss Marion Clarke's London flat to the large active concern that it is today. It has managed to keep place with the increased interest in our breed. It is with satisfaction, too, that I have observed the way the Rescue Trust has developed over the years to meet the increased demand put upon it. When we brought up the idea for consideration twenty-two years' ago, it was not thought to be really necessary. Today, under the Chairmanship of Jean Taylor, it is hard worked but well able to cope with the increased work load.

On the subject of rearing and breeding, nothing but the best is good enough. Best quality food, whatever system is adopted; always fresh water, clean wholesome living conditions, fresh air, and exercise. One can find out most of what one needs to know from the wealth of good books, articles, and seminars, etc. which abound today. I still like to refresh my memory by going through my notes when dealing with whelping and rearing.

Perhaps books don't quite stress sufficiently that, for a Wolfhound mother, a constant twenty-four hour per day watch is necessary during whelping and for the first three weeks at least. If this careful observation is not undertaken, one could be faced with undetected whelping difficulties, injured and dead pups, and high vets bills. The litter should be much looked forward to and carefully planned, with improvement as the aim and therefore worth all the trouble entailed. In other words, sometimes it is better to buy a successor. It is also well to remember that mothers like to play with their puppies when they reach about six weeks of age. The pups are usually scared and mum can sometimes be far too rough.

The percentage of good to not-so-good quality in the breed is diminishing as compared with twenty years' ago. Our problem is universal in dogs; it is that of rising numbers. Wolfhounds joining the ranks of the unwanted was unheard of twenty-five years' ago. There is now an increased pet demand, but it does, indeed, have its limits. This is demonstrated clearly by the number of hounds being sold to unsuitable homes and who, for this reason, find their way through the Rescue Trust to a happier environment. Given attention and space, Wolfhounds are such nice, easy creatures, but they can become sad, depressed, and bedraggled if cramped and uncared for. When and if ever the number of hounds needing the care of the Rescue Trust starts on a downward trend, it is to be hoped that it is a sign of a more caring attitude towards breeding, and perhaps that the Wolfhound is sliding down the popularity poll at last! This can only be a good thing for the breed.

Life expectancy is a bit of a knotty problem. It is difficult to know how to go about improving it in the breeding programme. We may think we are breeding from healthy parents only to find that in middle age something has given way, but that there is too much at stake for one to be able to exclude the offspring from future breeding plans. My impression is that the breed has not improved in this respect over the last twenty years, but veterinary science has and vets are able to deal more effectively with conditions and diseases. A welcome prop, to be sure, but not an answer to the problem. Let us hope that the Heart Research people are able to come up with some guides and pointers as a result of their work in this important aspect of Wolfhound health.

A short life expectancy is not peculiar to the Wolfhound, and one wonders what got left out when the large breeds of dogs were evolved, and what it is that allows the larger species of mammal to have a life span related to their size. I am sure that all we would ask is for the Wolfhound to have a life expectancy more akin to that of the average dog."

Updated July 9th, 2005