The Irish Wolfhound

The beginnings of Irish Wolfhounds can be traced back as early as 273 B.C. through ancient woodcuts and writings. Ownership of these great hounds were
　　emperors, kings, nobility and poets; their chains and collars were often of precious metals and stones. They were held in such high esteem that when disputes arose over them, not only individual combats but full scale wars often occurred. By the year 391 A.D., the breed was known in Rome, when the first authentic mention of it was written by the Roman Consul Quintus Aurelius, who had received seven of them as a gift which "all Rome viewed with wonder."