It is not just a large dog - the Irish wolfhound is HUGE.

I suspect that if you could afford to rent a house and then got a wolfhound - unless you were in an area where you (and the dog) could hunt for meat the upkeep of the hound might soon be stretching the budget to breaking point.

They need a lot of exercise, they are intelligent animals and require diversion -they are very loyal and get upset if their very own god is absent, it might take some time for the dog to accept you and there could be some difficulties as he mourns his loss.

Try to be philosophical about this - if you were intended to take on this animal you would be in an ideal position to do so, as you are not, it was not meant to be.

I hope that somewhere there is the ideal new owner for the hound, someone with access to land, with all the spare time necessary and with the funds to keep the dog and pay the vets bills, for they are prone to various genetic faults and being so large they can develop damaged joints if not managed properly.

Anne the Pleater