Dugan the Dog Eats!

It has been an amazing thing to see Dugan grow! He will be two years old on May 29, 2008, and when he was at the Vet about 3 weeks ago he weighed 150 lbs. As he matures he may get a little heavier, but we do not expect him to get any taller. He is 36 inches at the shoulder and can rest his chin on the kitchen counter. He could easily drink out of the kitchen sink standing flat footed. When he relaxes on the vinyl floor in the kitchen, you can count seven 12" squares from the tip of his tail to the tip of his nose. If I stand Dugan up on his hind legs and put his front paws on my shoulders, he is taller than I am even though he is leaning forward a bit and is not standing up perfectly straight.
Hey Master, you might want to cut back on your tooth brushing, I like to smell a little stronger breath!


How was Dugan the Dog able to attain his majestic stature? Quite simply put, he ingested massive volumes of organic materials (AKA dog food) and water and his magical Irish Wolfhound body assimilated this stuff, converting it into dog matter such as bones, muscle, guts, etc. on the largest scale almost beyond comprehension. There were some weeks between Vet visits that his weight gain averaged a pound per day! The Vet was concerned; his bones were growing too fast and had the potential for problems with weak bones and joints. The Vet had me take him off Large Breed Puppy Food and put him on Large Breed Adult Food. We didn’t need to be in too much of a hurry, the giant breeds take about two years or more to grow to full size so we throttled his growth rate back. Strenuous exercise is discouraged during the first 18 months or longer to prevent damage to joints, so we did not encourage a lot or running and jumping.

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Depending on how hot it gets outside Dugan the Dog eats about 40 pounds of food in a month. He slacks up a little if it is during the hottest part of summer. We have always put his food bowl up higher so he doesn’t have to reach to the ground to get his food. This is recommended for large and giant breeds to prevent medical problems i.e. eating disorders. He gets fed morning and evening, about every 12 hours. When I was a Scoutmaster, we would comment that hungry boys could eat “with the gusto of hound dogs” (that’s something to visualize isn’t it?). He has never been one to bolt his food down like most hound dogs, which I attribute to not having another dog to compete with at meal time. Most of the time he lets part of his food fall out of his mouth onto the porch, and often leaves food in his dish till the next meal. He will bolt down leftovers from masters table, but we usually throw them to the chicken. If he leaves food in his dish, he gets shorted on the amount I put out next meal, so he doesn’t get extra. I figure he has about the right amount of fat on him, and it is too much trouble to get an overweight dog back into form.

We used to keep water on the back porch for him, but with his noble looking beard, we soon tired of him coming into the house with water drizzling off his muzzle, especially as he got taller. Now we keep a water bucket out in the middle of the yard next to the chicken pen. This allows him time to drip off the water if he heads to the house after a drink. We always kid Dugan about drinking “chicken water”.

For a few weeks earlier this year he had a distressing problem with gas (Dugan didn’t seem too distressed, just the people in the house), and loose stools. After some experimenting with different food we gave him some probiotic pills called Culturelle (they are really for people). They keep the live cultures encapsulated until it gets into his intestines and away from stomach acids. They worked! He doesn’t need the pills now but I keep some on hand for emergencies. Your dog could have these problems if they have been on antibiotics. Dugan also eats a large raw carrot every day, and now his stools are well formed and solid, making for easy cleanup. (Those “pudding piles” are bad, especially if you need to clean up on a walk in the neighborhood!) Some people give their dogs raw apples or canned pumpkin to keep things firmed up, that works too.

Dugan the Dog IS NOT A HORSE!

From left to right: Horse, Dog.


Dugan loves people. If you are a “hooman bean” he has the greatest affection for you! One of the greatest thrills for Dugan is to be greeted by people, especially new acquaintances. Unfortunately for Dugan, this source of great happiness is also ironically the source of his soul wrenching identity crisis. Sometimes Dugan has a dark fear that he is not really a dog like I have always told him; sometimes he doubts his dog identity and suspects deep inside that he is really a horse. Many a night I have had to console Dugan as he lies down to sleep “don’t worry about the ignorant things people say; you are really a dog. You are not a horse. I saw your mother and father, and brothers and sisters. Trust me Dugan, as you’re Master I would never lead you astray, you are really a dog. You are just a little on the large side.”
When Dugan meets people for the first time they are especially impressed with his size. It would be enough to say “that is the biggest dog I have ever seen” or “he is really huge” or “that is one ginormous hound dog!” One little kid who saw Dugan for the first time said with his eyes bugging out “now that’s a dog!”
Unfortunately, sometimes people unknowingly make comments that cause Dugan to doubt. He puts on a happy face and does a good job of hiding his hurting inside, and still gives all his affection to the person greeting him. But comments like “that’s not a dog that’s a horse!” or “you could throw a saddle on him and ride him!” really cut him to the quick. So puleeez, when you are greeting Dugan leave out any reference to a horse. Just in case you are not sure of the difference, look at the pictures of Dugan with the neighbor’s horse. A close examination of these pictures will reveal the subtle differences between horses and Dugan the Dog. Their horse is old and sick, so don’t think it is abused.

Dugan the Dog Gets a Bath

Dugan the Dog gets his bath.

Dugan the Dog is a dog with some strong muscles. But after a week without a bath, it isn’t just his muscles that are strong. You could say that the atmosphere is very thick immediately around him. Dugan usually gets a bath every Saturday (whether he needs it or not). When he was a little fellow baths were accomplished without too much difficulty, I simply picked him up and put him in the tub and I knelt down beside him and used a shower hose to wet him down and rinse him off. I could easily turn him around to rinse one side and then the other.
But now Dugan is a little larger, he weighs 150 lbs and is about 5 ft long without stretching out his tail. It’s impossible for him to turn around in the tub. Nowadays Dugan gets bathed in the walk-in shower. Dugan has a pretty good attitude about it all; he reluctantly but obediently walks into the shower stall after the bathroom door is shut behind him. Then he plops down while heaving a huge sigh. After getting the water running at the appropriate temperature, I wet him down while he is lying there and when I need to wet underneath him I say firmly “stand up please”. It always amazes me but he will always stand up when I ask. After he is soaked down good, I lather him up good with a shampoo that is made for horses. This shampoo works well because it doesn’t dry his fur and skin out too much. I never tell him that he is using horse shampoo because he is very sensitive about being compared to a horse! I use baby shampoo around his eyes to make it a more tolerable experience for him. Then I rinse him down, going quickly when I rinse his face. He hates getting his face rinsed! Then I towel dry him with 2 large bath towels. He is very happy when he gets towel dried and he starts acting giddy.
It does not matter how good you shampoo Dugan, he always smells like a wet dog. This presents a dilemma. I have him all nice and clean, but I don’t want to put him outside while he is damp because he will roll around and get filthy. If I leave him in the house, he will stink up the place. It would take forever to try to dry him with a hair dryer. So the solution that works well and makes him happy is to load him up in the back of the pickup truck and drive him around till he is dry. He wears a harness (special ordered for his size) and is secured by a light chain that is fastened to the bed of the truck. You have probably observed that most dogs like the wind in their face during a car ride. Here is my theory on why they like this: Dogs take pleasure in smelling things, and the air being rammed up their snouts amplifies the sensation of smells. Dugan’s chain is just long enough to let him put his head around the side of the truck and get a 45-50 MPH wind up his snout. He likes it.
After the truck ride, Dugan gets brushed out to remove any loose hair. I use a brush you would normally groom a calf or horse on his smooth and flat spots, and a nylon brush for his more boney and delicate spots. After the bathing, drying, and brushing, Dugan looks quite dapper. He will usually lie in the kitchen and relax.

Dugan the Dog gets his nails filed.

Dugan is all relaxed from his tooth brushing and ready for the weekly nail filing.


"Dugan, quit talking to me, you are making me loose count on the number of strokes"


The best tool I can find for Dugans nails, a 10" "fatherless" file


One of the many ongoing maintenance things that are commensurate with dog ownership is nail trimming. Dugan the Dog has a genuine set of dog nails! They are big, they are tough, and they grow fast. He doesn’t have dew claws, and I’m not sure if he was born that way or maybe they were removed by the breeder before we got him. Anyway, the sixteen claws he has are “industrial duty”. It is amazing to see him at work when he gets in a digging mood. He can really make the dirt fly. He never digs just for the sake of digging, but reserves his digging efforts for trying to get gophers, or if I am involved with some shovel work Dugan will join in and try a little digging too. I call Dugan my “helper dog” because he frequently tries to get involved in the things I am doing out in the yard. He means well and he has a good heart, but I usually need to straighten things out after he is done. I feel kind of mean if I discourage him and tell him to get out of the way. After all, he is just trying to let that “helper dog” spirit shine through.

Anyway, you would think that with all the long walks on concrete and asphalt, and having a big yard to play in, that he would wear down those nails, but not so! It is really painful if you are barefooted and he steps on your foot, it makes you utter an anguished cry of pain. The problem with Dugan is that he does not want you cutting those nails! Whatever type of nail clippers you have, he will not sit still when he feels those clippers touch his nails. You may say, “No problem, just hold him down or get someone else to hold him”. It’s easier said than done my friends. Dugan would be a great wrestler; he can get out of any hold you can think of. My vet said they would trim his nails for a small nominal fee so I hauled him down there. After a few minutes, the vet came out and admitted defeat. They had put him on a table and several of the staff (some of them strong men) tried to hold him down but he wouldn’t submit. Of course Dugan never gets mean or mad about all of this; he just wiggles out of anything you try and gets unhappy but never bites. The vet suggested sedating him and we did that a few times, but I didn’t like the idea of doping him up the rest of his life for nail trimming, so I devised a plan.

I had been successful in training him for tooth brushing, so I started playing with his toes when we were done brushing and he still had his feet up while he is on his back. I gave up with the idea of ever “cutting” his nails, so I started devising ways to sand his nails down. After trying a few different ideas, it turns out the best thing is to use is a file that you would find in a metal shop. In shop tool terminology it is called a 10” Flat Bastard Cut file. It is a “course” file (that is why they call it bastard, it’s almost like an extra fine wood rasp) made for the quick removal of metal. For the sake of our more sensitive readers, I will hereafter refer to it as the “fatherless file”. So every Monday morning immediately after the tooth brushing is done and Dugan lies relaxed on the floor, each nail gets 25 to 30 strokes of the fatherless file. He does good putting up with it, but he does get impatient when I get to working on his rear feet. We get the job done anyway. Any other dog would be eager to display his masterfully filed nails, but Dugan being the kind of dog that he is, keeps his nails modestly concealed under his fur. Dugan is so humble.

Dugan the Dog Brushes His Teeth

Dugan says: Oh boy! Here come the toothpaste!


Be sure you don't miss a spot.


I think you missed one of those back molars.


Uhm, yummy!


Give my tongue a swipe while your at it.


Oh no, I think the toothpaste is about gone!


We all have routines. Especially when it comes to the things we do daily in regards to our personal hygiene. Most of us have a pattern of morning duties we execute with an almost religious devotion. We arise from bed, we bathe; use the toilette, shave, and fix hair etc. on a schedule that usually is much regimented. So it is with Dugan too. First thing every morning, after I come out to greet him, Dugan gets his teeth brushed. Dugan looks forward to this daily event, not because he thinks oral hygiene is nifty, but he thinks his doggy toothpaste is a treat! Dugan’s toothpaste is one of three flavors: beef, poultry, or peanut. He likes them all!

For his tooth brushing treat, Dugan has been trained to lie down on the floor and lay on his back with his feet up. Then I straddle him and kneel on one knee, keeping my knee and foot close to his sides. This allows me to keep him straight upside down without flopping over on one side or the other. I then take his toothbrush (already loaded with toothpaste) and move it towards his mouth presenting the back of the brush into his mouth first. If I try to put it in his mouth toothpaste side first, he always moves his mouth in anxious anticipation and gets the toothpaste all over in the fur around his mouth, what a mess! After the brush is in his mouth, I quickly give his teeth a brushing using a pattern of movement through his ample mouth so all teeth are scrubbed. I must go quickly and efficiently before all the toothpaste flavor disappears, or he will not feel the necessity of continued cooperation. After the tooth brushing is done, Dugan enjoys laying there and getting his ears massaged and his eyes and chin rubbed. While he is relaxed in this contented state of mind, once a week I will file his nails down. Nail care for Dugan is another interesting story for later.
Thanks for the chin rub Master.


Ahh, that eye rub feels great!


Nothing like a ear massage to sooth the savage beast, thanks Master!


After the tooth brushing and massaging is done, Dugan lays quietly and ponders how good his little doggy life is.

How Dugan the Dog came to be at our house!

Dugan the Dog as he leaves the breeders house July 2006


Dugan the Dogs first day at our house in July 2006



Many years ago we had a problem with coyotes in our neighborhood. They would come into our yard and kill our chickens. Because we are inside the city limits, I could not shoot them with a rifle, and I am not clever enough to get close enough to shoot them with arrows. I was telling a friend about the problem with coyotes and he said I should check out the Irish Wolfhound. I thought to myself they must be a fierce and mean breed if they can kill wolfs, (the Irish Wolfhound was used to eradicate all wolfs in Ireland, there are none left) even the name sounds fierce! I started reading everything I could find on them. An interesting thing you will find in almost all books about Irish Wolfhounds, they all start with this description - “THE GENTLE GIANT”. It’s hard to believe that this dog that was trained to kill wolfs and pull men off of horses in battle could be at heart a gentle giant, but it is true!

Anyway, as my study of the breed continued through the years, my admiration of this great dog grew. Unknown to me, my wife was saving money so we could get one. Finally in the year 2006 Cheryl suggested we should get one for my birthday and surprised me that she had the money to do it. The coyote problem had abated because of housing development in our neighborhood. Still, I wanted one, even if we no longer had a practical reason to have one. I put up a good fence and we traveled south to Tucson to get our Hound.

Having Dugan is a treat. You get a special feeling being close to him. I liken it to the special feeling people get when playing with dolphins. The Irish Wolfhound and Dolphins are animals with a higher intellect, and you can tell there really is a “light on in the attic” when you look them in the eye.

Dugan the Dog now full grown prepares for his daily toothbrushing April 2008

"Blog", what kind of word is it anyway?/ Dugan is cool!

Dugan the Dog at 5 months takes a break from his many doggie duties to relax on the grass.

Have you ever thought about it? Blog is kind of a funny word. It actually sounds ugly. I do not know where it came from, but somebody could have picked a nicer sounding word. A few years ago, if someone came up to me and said "I blogged today" I wouldn't have known what that was about. In my own mind, if someone said that to me, logical responses would have been "Well, I hope you cleaned up after yourself", or "I'm so sorry to hear that, is it contagious?", or "Thankfully your mother died giving you birth, if she found out she would just die of shame". Anyway, now I am more "edjumacated" on such things but I am still quite a dunce when it comes to computers and stuff like that. I actually believe that all computers are built with internal sensor circuits that can detect me when I get in close proximity and cause the computer to freeze up or otherwise malfunction! Its the only logical explanation for how they behave when I get close to one.





So here I go on my new adventure of blogging about a wonderful dog, Dugan the Dog! Dugan is a special dog from a special breed. In my own mind I would say that the Irish Wolfhound is the King of dog breeds, and that Dugan is the Prince of his breed. A couple of things that distinguish the Irish Wolfhound is that they are very large and very friendly. Dugan is almost two years old at this writing, and he is seven feet long from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail when he is laid out on the ground. He weighed about 150 lbs last time at the Vets office, and he is 36 inches tall at the shoulder and he can drink out of the kitchen sink standing flat footed on the floor. The Irish Wolfhound is supposed to be the largest breed, but others are heavier. You could think of the Irish Wolfhound as a ginormous, hairy Greyhound. Dugan is the friendliest dog ever and is always a happy hound. He loves the whole of Humanity and wants to be friends with all other dogs. He likes cats too but none of them are brave enough to warm up to him. Because Dugan is so friendly, since his birth on May 29 2006 all dictionaries are published with a snap shot of Dugans mug next to the word friendly! No kidding.