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[Music Plays]
>>Kate Pleasant: Coming up on
this edition of the Paw Report,
we're talking about
giant breed dogs.
This is Sully.
He's an Irish wolfhound,
and he's one of
those giant breeds.
So, we'll tell you more
about him coming up,
so stay tuned.
[Music Plays]
>>Kate: Production for
the Paw Report is made
possible by: Midas Auto
Service and Tire in
Charleston and Mattoon.
Midas repairs both cars
and light trucks.
Midas cares about our
community and thanks
you for being a
responsible pet owner.
You deserve the Midas touch.
Hello, and welcome to
the Paw Report.
I'm Kate Pleasant, your host.
And we're joined by Sully.
He's an Irish wolfhound,
you can see here.
And Sully's owner is
Jacqueline Hickman;
she's from Charleston.
And we're talking about
living with a giant breed dog.
And Sully, being an Irish
wolfhound, is obviously
a giant breed.
[Laughs] Oh, Sulley.
So, can you tell me first
of all what kind of drove
you to a giant breed dog?
>>Jacqueline Hickman: Well, I've
had two friends that
had giant breeds.
One had a mastiff, and one
had a giant schnauzer.
And I just really liked
both of those dogs, and
they were big dogs.
They have kind of a larger
than life personality.
And they both really loved
their owners and wanted to
be with their owners all
the time, so I wanted a
dog like that.
>>Kate: And what qualifies
as a giant breed?
Like, you named a couple
there, but you know, what
makes them a giant breed?
>>Jacqueline: It's dogs
that weigh over
a hundred pounds.
>>Kate: What does Sully
currently weigh?
>>Jacqueline: Oh, he is
127 pounds right
now, and he's 8 months old.
And his father weighed
180, so he should be
somewhere approaching 180.
>>Kate: So, he's not
going to be a little
dog, even though he's a puppy.
He's gotten up and taken a
walk now, but I'm sure
he'll be back at some point.
So, when considering a
giant breed dog like
Sully, you know, what
kinds of things did you
have to think about?
>>Jacqueline: Well, everything
costs a little bit more.
Dog food, he eats about as
much dog food as, like,
two normal sized labs would eat.
>>Kate: As to say,
a regular labrador maybe.
>>Jacqueline: Yeah.
>>Kate: How much is that
in a day?
>>Jacqueline: Right now,
Sully eats about 8
cups a day of a
premium dog food.
When he is full grown,
he'll eat a little
less than that.
They actually don't eat
quite as much when
they mature out.
>>Kate: So, I imagine
that can be kind of expensive.
>>Jacqueline: It is.
It approaches a hundred
dollars a month in dog food.
Other things that cost
more is his monthly heart
worm medicine and his
monthly flea and tick,
because the doses are
larger than you would
give other dogs.
So, every month that costs
a little bit more.
If you ever have to give
them medication or
anything like that, it
costs more usually because
the doses are higher.
>>Kate: Mmhmm, because he's
bigger, he weighs more;
therefore, there's more
actual medication that
the dog requires.
So, a couple of things
to consider there.
What about grooming needs?
Irish wolfhounds, I mean
they're large, and I
assume that they have some
special grooming needs.
>>Jacqueline: A little bit.
They are, well my friend
calls it wash and wear.
>>Kate: Yeah, I've heard
that term before.
>>Jacqueline: He just gets
brushed weekly, and they
have a puppy coat
that you remove once.
So, it's called stripping,
and I had to strip him one time.
It took a couple days to do
his whole body, about five
hours worth of hair plucking.
>>Kate: Because that's
essentially, you know, taking,
like, a butter knife, right, or
something and pulling out
some of that hair.
>>Jacqueline: Yeah, we just
use our fingers, and
you pull out the longest hairs.
And then, his adult coat
will come in nice and
harsh, which is what you
want for an Irish wolfhound.
And other than that, it's
just trimming up his face
the way you want it, and
normal care like nail
trimming and keeping
his ears clean.
>>Kate: So, that's kind
of similar to your
other breeds of dogs.
>>Jacqueline Hickman: Yeah.
>>Kate: So, what have you
discovered that's different
about living with a giant breed?
>>Jacqueline: He takes up
more room. Everything's bigger.
His dog bed is bigger.
He outgrew his crate, and
the only crates that fit
these big dogs are
colossal sized crates,
which take up a lot of
room in your house.
So, we found that using an
ex pen, which is just a
short fence thing that you
can put in any shape you
want, works better than a
crate because it's more
moveable, and if you are
going to travel with your
dog, that holds up
easier and quicker.
So, it makes it easier to
travel and still have a
way to confine him if
you need to.
A car is something you
really need to think about.
>>Kate: That was one
of my questions.
How, what if you had to
move that animal somewhere?
>>Jacqueline: Right.
So, you have to make sure
that you have a vehicle
large enough that you
could fit one.
We have a hatchback type
car where all the seats
fold down, and he fits in there.
If we had more than one,
that wouldn't work.
A lot of people that have
large breed dogs have
large vans, and you can
get all the seats put down
in it, and then you can
have more than one back there.
>>Kate: Yeah, I think you
mentioned that once
to me when I spoke to
you before we went on the show.
You said that some people
that have multiple Irish
wolfhounds just have the
big white vans with no
seats in the back.
>>Jacqueline: Yep, and they
just put dog beds in there.
>>Kate Pleasant: Okay.
Well, I imagine, you know,
120 pounds, 150 pound dog,
that would be necessary.
So, another thing to
consider would be
transporting them.
So, what is it like, as
far as sleeping
arrangements at your house?
I assume he doesn't sleep
in your bed.
>>Jacqueline: He tries to
get in the bed,
but he doesn't really fit.
So, we have a dog bed
right next to our bed
that is cushioned.
That is something you do
need to consider with the
large breeds is their joints.
When they lay on the hard
ground, they can get
hygromas or bursae,
they're also called, which
is a swelling on the joint
to protect it.
But you do want to try
to prevent that.
They often still get them;
Sulley actually has a
small one on his elbow
already because he likes
to lay on the hard, cool floor.
>>Kate: Of course, because
they're big, hot
dogs, so that would make sense.
So, definitely something
soft for them to lay on then.
And I assume those things
have to be bigger, too.
Like, large dog beds are
probably more expensive.
>>Jacqueline: Right.
So, if you have a small
house, they take up a
lot of room.
So, big open floor plan
houses are also a good idea.
>>Kate Pleasant: And so,
with Sully, you know,
being 120 pounds, and I
don't know how tall he
stands, he's pretty tall,
he's at least to my, I
don't know, hips or so, do
you have to worry about
knocking things over?
Did you have to move
things around in your home?
>>Jacqueline: He hasn't knocked
too many things over, except for
drinks with his tail as he
wagged by the coffee table,
and the drink went flying.
But he is surprisingly
aware of his surroundings,
but he his big, so
sometimes he bumps into things.
>>Kate: Mmhmm. So, is there
anything with big dogs that,
you know, you mentioned the
bursae and things like that you
have to watch out for on
their joints, is there
other kinds of veterinary
care that they have to
have that smaller dogs don't?
>>Jacqueline: Well, no, but with
any breed of dog
you should research what
health problems that breed has.
And in my case, cancer is
a high running risk in
them, and also heart
problems, and then bloat,
which is where their
stomach can twist.
Any deep chested dog, that
could happen to, so you
have to be aware of that.
And for us, like to
prevent that, we don't feed
him before or after exercise.
He has to calm down before
he can eat, and be rested.
So, if they've been
running and exercising, they're
higher risk for that bloat.
>>Kate: What are exercise needs
like for a giant breed dog?
>>Jacqueline: Well, surprisingly
they are not that energetic.
He does like to exercise
and run around for
a little while.
Since he's a puppy, we
don't force exercise; he's
just free in a yard.
And then, they come inside
and sleep the rest of the day.
>>Kate: Kind of like a
typical puppy, right?
Will he be the kind of dog
that requires more walks
and things like that
down the road?
>>Jacqueline: No, if they get
out and run a little bit
everyday on their own, they
don't require long walks.
And they're calm, gentle
giants; they're very calm
when they come inside.
It's nice.
>>Kate: As far as
Irish wolfhounds go, what
was his breed, you know,
kind of the breed history?
You know, what were
they bred for?
>>Jacqueline: Well, as their
name suggests, they were bred
to hunt wolves in Ireland.
And over the years, they
hunted wolves to extinction.
And so, the kings that
owned them would then hunt
deer and elk.
>>Kate: Okay, so they
had a purpose.
>>Jacqueline: Yep, and they
were, they'd go out
with the horses and
kings, and they would take
down the deer and elk.
>>Kate: Okay, so they, you know,
they were working dogs.
Do you see that Sulley is
still wanting to be a
working type of breed now?
>>Jacqueline: Well, he's such
a puppy still,
he hasn't shown a lot.
But he's a sight hound,
which means they see their
prey at long distances.
Like, he would be at risk
if he saw a rabbit to run
very fast to go get it. [Laughs]
>>Kate: Okay, so I imagine he
takes you for a walk sometimes.
>>Jacqueline: Yes, and that's
another good point.
I knew, since he would be
such a large dog, that I
needed to leash train him
as soon as I got him.
He was already 37 pounds
at 10 weeks old, and so I
made sure to teach him to
walk nicely on a leash
right when I first got him.
Because, he's so big he
could pull you over.
>>Kate: So, maybe looking into
your local dog training classes
would not be a bad idea.
>>Jacqueline: Exactly, which
is exactly what we did.
We went to the local puppy
kindergarten and got him
started with that, and
then we'll continue in a
basic obedience class
because I think it's
important that he's well
behaved since he's such
a big dog.
>>Kate: Right. I mean, he could
easily knock somebody over or
things like that, if he
behaves like most puppies do,
which is jumping up on people.
>>Jacqueline: And he's so
big, if he jumped on you...
>>Kate: He could take you down.
>>Jacqueline: Yep. [Laughs]
>>Kate: For sure.
What's his, you know,
temperament wise, are
giant breeds just, you
know, kind fo like other dogs?
>>Jacqueline: Yep, they
generally are calm,
and he's very friendly.
They're not a guard dog.
Some people might be
scared of them because
they're so large, but
they're very friendly.
And they really love to be
with their people, which
is one reason why I chose him.
I wanted to get a dog that
wanted to be around me
all the time.
>>Kate: Sure, the kind of
typical loyalty, the people
person kind of thing.
I can imagine that he even
tries to be a lap dog sometimes.
>>Jacqueline: He tries to
crawl in your lap,
which is funny.
>>Kate: Yeah, because he's
a little bit big for a lap.
I mean, no way could he
fit in a lap.
So, where did you get all
your information when you
decided, I'm going to get
this giant breed dog.
Where did you go, you know?
>>Jacqueline: Well, I first
started, I was taking
my small dog to dog
training class, and I
mentioned to the teacher
there that I wanted a large dog.
And she had kind of asked
me what traits I wanted in
a large dog, like I didn't
want a really thick, heavy
coat that shed a lot,
things like that.
So, she gave me a list of
about 10 dogs, 10 breeds.
And I went home, and I
researched them on my computer.
And then, I went back to
her, and I said this is
the ones I think I like.
And she said, okay, let's
go to a dog show.
And I went and saw them.
>>Kate: So, you got to actually,
physically see them at work.
>>Jacqueline: And then,
I met them, and loved them.
And then, I went to
several dog shows, and I
talked to the breeders of
Irish wolfhounds, several
different breeders.
Some of them gave me their
phone numbers, and I
called them again and
talked to them on the
phone about all the
different things: what you
feed them, health problems,
all that kind of stuff.
And then, I got on a
waiting list for a litter
of puppies, and I ended up
waiting about a year and a
half before I got one.
>>Kate: So, it's not
a quick process if you
want a good dog from a
good line, I assume.
>>Jacqueline: Right.
And then, my breeder asked
me if I wanted to show or
just have a pet, and she
tried to help pick out the
right dog for me.
>>Kate: Okay, so you
would recommend getting
around dog people maybe, then?
>>Jacqueline: Definitely,
and go meet them,
because you need to
make sure that you really
want a dog that big.
>>Kate: Because he's big.
>>Jacqueline: Yeah, and that
they really are what you want.
I think meeting them is
a huge factor.
Know some before you
decide to get one.
>>Kate Pleasant: Mmhmm.
So, like you said, maybe those
dog shows, maybe get in touch.
Are there groups, like are
there Irish wolfhound groups?
>>Jacqueline Hickman: Yep,
there's the Irish Wolfhound
Club of America,
and then there's local
divisions of that, and
they are always very
welcoming to talk to
people who think they
might want one.
I did talk to some people
in those groups, and they want
to give you as much information
as possible and steer
you in the right direction.
>>Kate: I've come to know, too,
that dog people love their dogs,
so they're never shy to talk
about their breeds.
So, probably researching
any breed is easy if you
get with a group of people
that likes that breed.
>>Jacqueline: Yeah, and I think
it's important. Don't just pick
a dog out by what they look
like. So, meet them, and see if
you really like it.
>>Kate: Through your kind
of research and whatnot,
have you found
that dogs, giant breed
dogs especially, are they
okay with children?
>>Jacqueline: Yes, they are.
The big concern is that
they could bump a kid and
knock them down, but if
you get one as a puppy,
and the kids grow up with
it, I think that helps.
But yeah, they're very
good around children,
and other dogs,
they're generally good.
If you get one as a puppy,
if you have cats, that's,
you need to be careful
because they like to chase
furry, quick things.
So, you'd want to make
sure they were okay with cats
before you brought one home.
>>Kate: Right.
>>Jacqueline: Because cats are
like rabbits and things.
>>Kate: Sure, and when they're
trained to chase and hunt and
work, that might be something
definitely of concern.
Are there other things you
have to consider with
giant breeds?
Are there other things
that are maybe concerning
that you have to think about?
>>Jacqueline: Well, one thing
is a fence.
You would want an above
ground fence that they can
really see, because you
don't want them to go
crashing through it if
they saw a deer or
something that they wanted
to chase on the other side.
>>Kate: So, I assume
you have a big fence
at your house. [Laughs]
>>Jacqueline: Yes, and they're,
he's not a big jumper yet,
so it's not super tall,
but you can see it.
It's very visible.
I would think that you'd
be at risk with the
electric fence that they
could go through it.
>>Kate: Like the underground
type of fences.
>>Jacqueline: Yhe underground
one, yeah. So, I would
like a solid fence.
>>Kate: We hear a
lot of people say that,
you know, they like the
solid fences because A)
you don't get people
sticking fingers through
them when they're walking
by, and sometimes the dog
can't see out of them,
which is better that way,
they don't have the
tendency to want to run
and jump, you know, and in
that case that's a big
dog, he could make a fence
if he was really trying.
>>Jacqueline: And another thing
is that it protects anything
from coming in your yard.
>>Kate: Exactly.
We have the same thing with us.
We kind of live in the
country, so what we've
done is put up a fence to
keep animals from coming
into the yard, really.
So, keep the dog safe.
>>Jacqueline: We have horses,
so it's important to me
that he doesn't run out behind
them and bark at them, or
try to bite at them.
So, we just keep him
separate from the horses.
I wouldn't want him to get
kicked or anything.
>>Kate: Sure.
Even though he might be
the size of a small pony,
he's still smaller than a horse.
So, believe it or not,
he really is.
But do you find that he is
harder to train or
different to train than
other dogs you've had
that are smaller?
>>Jacqueline: I've found
that he is pretty easy to train.
However, he's a breed that
was developed to go out
and work on their own, go
chase the deer on their
own, so sometimes they act
aloof to you, which...
So, you don't see a lot of
them in the obedience
rings, because they're
not, what do you want, I want
to do it right now for you.
But he's very obedient.
He will do commands and
sit down, and he listens
to all that.
>>Kate: Mmhmm.
Well, that's good, because
sometimes you might need
that, you know, with the
bigger breed dogs.
So, and we talked about,
you know, the eating
earlier; you said he eats
8 cups a day.
So, you're spending a
hundred dollars a month
on dog food.
Is there anything else
that you find you spend
a lot more on,
compared to small dogs?
I mean, even equipment.
Anything like that?
>>Jacqueline: Well, he is
so big that even the
non-destructible toys are
very destructible.
So, we have gone through a
lot of dog toys, and the cost
of that adds up pretty quick.
>>Kate: And I assume
they're just like any
other puppy; they need toys.
>>Jacqueline: And they
need to chew.
So, I've found that the
antlers last longer than
other things because
they're harder, and marrow
bones have worked well for
him to chew.
You know, when they go
through their teething,
their teeth fall out.
>>Kate: I bet those
are easy to spot.
>>Jacqueline: Because his
teeth are so
big, we actually found
about five of his teeth.
>>Kate: That's impressive.
Yeah, normally with
puppies, for people that
have smaller dogs, you
can't really find those
teeth a lot of times.
They're so little, or they
just get sucked up in a
vacuum or stuck to a shoe,
but I imagine with that
kind of dog, you can find
those teeth and probably
have to throw them away.
So, you know, what's kind
of a typical day with Sully?
Is it just like other dogs?
I mean, nothing special?
>>Jacqueline: Yep, they get
on, wolfhounds will get
on a routine very quickly.
He learned our routine.
He gets up and goes potty,
and we eat breakfast, and
then we go outside and
play for a little while,
and then he comes in and sleeps.
And then we repeat the
process a little while
later, but he's pretty
much on a routine.
>>Kate: Does he require
more sleep than
smaller breed dogs?
Because, I mean, they're
bigger; do they have to
conserve more energy, or
is it the same?
>>Jacqueline: I think it's
about the same,
except wolfhounds are
kind of lazy.
Yeah, large breed dogs are
generally lazier.
>>Kate: Okay. I wonder if
we could get him over
here to kind of
show the audience how
physically big that this
dog is, just so, here he comes.
He's been, for those
watching, he's been kind
of out and about
around our studio.
There he is.
Yeah, so this is Sulley
back in the picture.
So, I would say, you know,
how tall do you think he stands?
Is that 3 or 4 feet right
there to the top of his back?
>>Jacqueline: I think the
males can get up
to about 36 inches tall.
>>Kate: Okay, so they're
pretty big.
>>Jacqueline Hickman: Yep.
>>Kate Pleasant: [Laughs]
And so, do you find when,
you know, what's the
public perception when
you're out with Sulley?
Are people afraid of him?
>>Jacqueline: I took him
to a very big park
with a lot of people, and
90% of people were drawn
to him and wanted to come
up and pet him and play
with him, and then there
was a couple people that I
saw ahead on the path, and
they got off the path and left.
>>Kate: Okay, so not fans maybe.
>>Jacqueline: No, they saw
a big dog,
and they were scared of him.
But mostly, people are
drawn to you.
You'll find strangers
coming up trying to talk
to you about their dog
because they're so big.
>>Kate: I can even,
you know, the first time I
saw him I couldn't help
but notice that you just,
you want to, you want to
go up to him.
You're just not used to
seeing that size of an animal.
So, is it the same kind of
thing, you know, when
people do go up to him, should
they be cautious, as well?
Just like you are with
anyone, ask to pet?
>>Jacqueline: They should
treat these dogs just
like any other dog.
They should ask to
pet them first.
You know, they shouldn't
pet them on top of the head.
They should, you know, let
the dog sniff them first.
And you know, same rules
apply to being polite.
You know, you wouldn't
want a little kid to come
up and hug him.
>>Kate: Yeah, I mean
he may not know them,
and that may get him irritated.
>>Jacqueline: So, yes,
same rules apply for that.
>>Kate: Do you have
slobbers with dogs like this?
I always just, you know, I
mean he has a big face
and a big mouth.
>>Jacqueline: That was on
my list of criteria.
I didn't want a dog that
constantly drooled.
But he does drink water
and get it everywhere.
And he comes over to you
and gets water all over
you ut he doesn't get the
drool the way some other
giant breeds get.
>>Kate: You know, like maybe,
I always think of
the Beethoven dogs,
the St. Bernards; they have
the, you know,
the dripping jowels.
>>Jacqueline: Yeah, so that
was on my list of
things that I talked about
with the teacher in class,
that I didn't want a dog
that constantly drooled,
and I didn't want a big
shedding type dog.
>>Kate: I assume they
go through a lot of
water in a day, though,
too, just because he's so big.
So, I mean, do you keep a
5 gallon bucket?
>>Jacqueline: In buckets
instead of dog bowls.
>>Kate: So, it's
not a dog bowl, because I
would think he would knock
one of those over, too.
I mean, he's just so
tall and big.
So, buckets inside and
outside, I would imagine.
So, alright, well, is
there anything else we
should know about Sully
or giant breed dogs?
I mean, do you enjoy your
life with a giant breed?
>>Jacqueline: I enjoy my
giant breed dog a lot.
He is a very good
companion, and he's funny
to be around.
>>Kate: Does he have
any downsides?
I mean, are there downsides?
>>Jacqueline: Not really.
[Laughs]
>>Kate: Not to you, right,
because you did all your
research first.
>>Jacqueline: Right.
He's big, so he takes up room.
So, sometimes I wish our
house was a little bigger.
But we really enjoy
having him, yep.
>>Kate Pleasant: Alright, great.
Well, Jacqueline Hickman
here from Charleston,
thanks for talking to us about
Sully and giant breed dogs.
It gives some people
something to consider if
they're thinking about
going out and getting one.
So, and thanks to you all
for watching the Paw Report.
We'll see you next time.
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More information about the
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[Music Plays]
>>Betty Hargis: Hi, I'm Betty
Hargis from the Charleston
Area Dog Club, and today
we're going to talk about
heeling or loose lead
walking, which is many
times what brings people
to puppy class or dog class.
They need to be able to
have their dog walk nicely
with them on lead, whether
they're going through a
crowd or whatever, just
simply taking a walk.
Micah, heel.
Nice, yes.
Okay.
Now, turn and go fast.
Micah, heel.
Yes.
What you were seeing here
was, the first was just a
regular in heel position,
which is with the dog
pretty much right here.
And this is heel position.
If the dogs are way out
ahead of you, you lose
your control.
And if you perhaps have a
balance problem, they
could pull you off of
balance, and you might fall.
So, if you can keep your
dog in this range, so that
you have a loose lead, not
one tight, the loose lead
teaches them with the treat.
And here's how we start it.
If you're going along in
this position, a little
awkward at first, but then, yes.
Yes, nice.
So that they learn where
you like for them to be,
opposed to out there
somewhere or behind you.
If they're here with you,
you're much more likely
to have control and not
trip or fall.
The second part was doing
a fast, which you will
never walk the same pace
all the time, so you need
to have the dog accustomed
to moving with you,
whether it be a fast,
slow, doing a circle.
And those are very
valuable little lessons
for them to get, because
you may need to turn.
You can teach them any
word, as long as it's
consistent, you have
patience, your body
language is extremely
important, and be sure to smile.
None of us likes to learn
when we're all stressed
out, and the dogs are
the same way.
It's very important, if
you are having a really
bad day, don't come home
and train your dog, at
least not right away,
because they're going to
get upset because you're upset.
Everything we feel goes
right down the leash.
Hopefully, those have
given you some hints and
some ideas about what you
can do, and some of the
fun things you can do.
We want training to be fun
for you and for your dog.
>>Kate: Production for the Paw
Report is made possible
by: Midas Auto Service and
Tire in Charleston and Mattoon.
Midas repairs both cars
and light trucks.
Midas cares about our
community and thanks you
for being a
responsible pet owner.
You deserve the Midas touch.
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