WELCOME TO THE DATABASE OF THE IRISH WOLFHOUND FOUNDATION (S.I.W.)

Database Health

Why the name “Database Health”? Many of you will ask this question, when you read the form for the database, for all the questions asked on this form relate to deceased dogs.
Yet the name “database health” is very logical, because it is important to collect as much exact data as possible from as many dogs we can, about the cause of death and inherent to that the life span. So that, based on these data we can make better choices about the health policy.

Knowing and acknowledging the past health of the breed is the key to a healthier breed in the future.

Within the cynology, it is generaly unusual to make information on causes of death public.
This reservation is not prompted by not wanting to recognize the problems or wanting to be mysterious, but more so out of fear of the “pointing finger”.
The pointing finger is a fact within cynology, that cannot be changed, which is sad, because every right-thinking person must understand, that not one self respecting breeder would knowingly want to breed dogs with health problems or dogs that die untimely.

Taking the above into account, the S.I.W. has chosen to let you, as (potential) owner of an Irish Wolfhound, but of course the breeders of the breed as well, have acces, in an open and neutral way, to the causes of death of the dogs, by publishing this in a database.
To you, as owner, the information will not be of much help. It often will be nothing more than an enumeration of dog names, you don’t or hardly don’t know.
The data in the database, should not be seen as an important definition in choosing a breeder.
The data is incomplete and does not cover all the Irish Wolfhounds.
A second added important factor is, that for most (possibly) hereditary aberrations, that can occure within the breed, the gen (or genes) in the DNA package that could be responsible for the aberration is not yet found.

Drawing premature and probably unjust conclusions, pointing at or blaming breeders, is not right.

For breeders, however, the information in the database can be a tool, though restricted, in making as good as possible choices for breeding combinations in the present.

Is the S.I.W. progressive? Perhaps, but that is not relevant, the only relevance is, that all of us, owners and breeders of these beautiful dogs, work at bettering the health of the breed.

Of course the data of the dogs will only be published, after the owner has given his or her permission, by means of filling out and sending in the database form.
Did you have an Irish Wolfhoud, that died, be it long ago or not so long ago, please fill out the form, so this data can also be added to the database.

The data in the database are not to be seen as an important definition in choosing a breeder. The data is incomplete and does not cover all the Irish Wolfhounds.