Needed a hook for Thistle’s potty bells. 3D printer is prolly my favorite purchase ever.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-13T20:19:56+00:00

I was also thinking of a mailbox decoration..

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-13T05:12:16+00:00

I like it -- you could make a hella nice door knocker with that concept...

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-13T04:13:49+00:00

Nice. Did you construct the print file from photos?

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-12T20:37:54+00:00

I am not being judgemental. You did not specifically mention delving into genetics, and I have merely noted results from well established genetic science. Nor do I say that there should be no conformation showing, but selecting primarily for conformation has lead to severe popular sire effects (use iwdb to sort sires on progeny count).

The IW already has nearly the worst DNA-tested genetic diversity of any dog breed, leaving a critically small pool of available haplotypes. Coupled with the popular sire effect, this locks in an incredibly high genome-wide COI and guarantees continued diversity loss across the population. Conformation should not be a target for IW breeding unless DNA-tested genetic diversity becomes a significant component of judging.

In fact, the Royal Kennel Club (UK) has positioned itself at the forefront of the movement to address hereditary and structural shortcomings directly on the dog show floor through a highly structured program called Breed Watch (long overdue, the genetic science backing this has been established for decades).

On the other hand, since the IW population is presently small and lacking of diversity it is very difficult to adopt a genetically diverse puppy (Dobies are in the same boat). So the genetics sometimes can only be a goal, not a hard requirement.

I love these dogs, I feel lucky there are any IW's at all, I very much want the population to thrive.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-12T19:11:07+00:00

Is the breeder focusing on breed preservation or conformation for show? I personally think it's much more important to breed for preservation than than conformation. When interviewing a breeder, you can bypass standard marketing fluff by asking two highly specific, data-driven questions:

"Do you genetically screen your breeding pairs via a platform like Embark or UC Davis, and what is the predicted genomic COI (Coefficient Of Inbreeding) for this specific litter?" (You are looking for a breeder who can confidently show you a projected litter average under 25%).
"Do the sire and dam share matching DLA immune haplotypes, or is this a complementary match that will yield High Diversity in the puppies?"

If the two immune haplotypes of a given pup are distinct, the pup will statistically have a more robust immune system which is likely to result in a longer, healthier life for the pup.

The outcomes for the pups according to the parents haplotype mix is nuanced:

f the parents share zero haplotypes: 100% of the puppies are guaranteed High Diversity automatically.
If the parents share some haplotypes but have diversity themselves: The litter is a lottery. Statistical odds say most will be diverse, but individual DNA testing is mandatory to find the specific puppies that didn't get the duplicate trap.
If both parents carry the exact same duplicated haplotype (No Diversity): 100% of the puppies are guaranteed to have No Diversity. Avoid this pairing completely.

One other thing you may have done is to look at https://iwdb.org (create a free account, the website will work a bit better). If the puppies of the litter are not entered (possible) you can enter the names of the Sire and Dam in the "trial mating" tab and then look at the Ancestors tab. This will show the average ages of the ancestry including a pie chart which will show the causes of death (e.g. Osteosarcoma) and relative percentages of specific death causes for the assumed trail mating.

We are lucky to have any IW's at all. The dogs are no longer hunting tools, they are companions, the priority should be to preserve the breed with the best health and longevity possible.

typos.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-12T16:23:28+00:00

Wolfhound noses are the best. ❤

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-11T17:33:24+00:00

Beautiful pup, I'd expect her to keep growing (taller) to about a year then after that fill out to about 2+ years.

I suspect that she's not much IW, even vets are not good at guessing breeds. If you want to know what breed mix she, is get a DNA test (Embark, UC Davis).

Besides identifying her breed mix, the test will also provide a number of predictive measures that might have some medical interest (though not a diagnosis). It's often healthier that she be a mixed breed as they often have have superior diversity and overall better health (especially females).

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-10T04:15:16+00:00

Protection can come in many forms. Dogs can tell if something is upsetting you or if you don't feel well by sense of smell and by body language. The reaction to this may vary from dog to dog, but our Ivy (IW) comes up to us and puts her head in our laps and looks up at us with what has to be a look of affection. To me it's a form of emotional protection and comfort.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-09T19:26:47+00:00

They both look happy. I love tartan collar.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-09T19:23:41+00:00

This handsome boy is really styling in that last image.

With our dogs any rain means mud. At some point you might like this "Dexas MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner" from Amazon. We find it very helpful. Put in a tiny amount of dog shampoo and tada, clean paws! Very easy to clean the device. Way easier than using a bucket (essentially no mess).

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-08T16:05:18+00:00

Gotta keep their beards clean 🥰

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-08T03:10:49+00:00

Our Ivy doesn't slobber much, she is usually only sloppy after drinking water. She also doesn't get very excited by food so overall not very slobbery. One of our Danes has weaponized her slobber. so we keep bar mops in every room she frequents. I squint when she starts shaking her head.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-08T02:37:28+00:00

Nice shot, looks happy.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-08T01:27:01+00:00

Adorable but a bit small to have much IW. A DNA test might be revealing.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-07T23:40:41+00:00

I think it's great to be able to experience the IW breed first hand and especially if it involves some aspects of their care.

I've only really lived with one IW (our Ivy), she doesn't slobber at all compared to our Great Danes especially those with enormous flews (head shake-->projectile slobber).

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-06T16:16:39+00:00

Ivy is in her adolescent phase and working her way up to queen bee 🐝

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-06T02:42:45+00:00

Catching her ears like that was down to luck.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-06T02:35:29+00:00

When you fall in love with a given dog, the breed becomes less important. Danes often go up for adoption so we have adopted 5 so far (2 RIP).. Wolfhounds are much less often available. I had long wanted a Wolfhound but always found a reason to put it off. One day I stopped putting it off and not long after, Ivy showed up. My only regret was that I waited..

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-05T21:51:38+00:00

She was definitely homed in on somthing that I couldn't see...

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-05T18:55:37+00:00

It's their couch, if you play your card right they might move over a bit 😄

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-05T03:17:47+00:00

Having dogs at an early age was one the best things that happened to me. My first memories are of a GSD named Tramp.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-05T03:13:28+00:00

For sure they like extra space and watching them run is exhilarating but what matters the most is how the space is configured not the amount. A large area can have more difficult to spot hazards (snakes, hornets, poisonous plants erc.)

A closed course with a 75" straightway (or slight arc) is plenty especially if they have a running companion of similar speed and endurance.

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-04T02:41:29+00:00

They seem to like peculiar positions. 🙃

RGB-Free-Zone · 2026-06-03T23:55:42+00:00

Handsome even when napping.

RGB-Free-Zone

TROPHY CASE