Irish Wolfhound
According to breed standards, the minimum size listed for the Irish Wolfhound makes this breed the largest breed of dog on earth. The ancient Roman emperors kept the Irish hounds, which were greatly prized for their hunting abilities and were considered very precious gifts among the nobility of the time. The breed, however, had become nearly extinct by the end of the 1700s, until their revivial by Captain Graham, who bred the remaining Irish Wolfhounds with Great Danes and Deerhounds to renew the breed. In fact, the ancient Irish Wolfhound is believed to be the ancestor of the Scottish Deerhound. Known for the gentleness of their character, both the FCI breed standard and the Irish breed standard describe the Irish Wolfhound as "Lambs at home, lions in the chase." They can, however, be fierce when provoked; clearly one wants to avoid provoking a dog of this stature! The Irish Hounds' coat originally came in two varieties, short and wire, but it is believed that the short haired variety gradually vanished due to the harshness of the Irish climate.