CuGein Irish Wolfhounds

Our journey to become Irish Wolfhound Breeders all began in 1995 when we fell in love with this enormous giant of a sighthound.  

Having family dogs while growing made us feel complete.   Greeting dogs every morning while delivering the morning news, was the highlight of my days back when I was in grade school.   My canine friends never barked at me unless I was in a hurry and paid them no heed and then I would apologize to them as I scurried by.

My life partner, and I bumped into each other a few months after a friend had introduced us when I stopped to meet his family dog named Tinker.  It was love at first sight, and as fate would have it, we met again a month later, at roller skating, and have shared our lives together ever since.  Soon after setting up house in Georgetown in 1990, we rescued 3 orphaned  two week old kittens; 2 males and 1 female.   We took them with us to our next residence in Erin Ont. in 1995.  

Our property in Erin was  perfect for raising dogs.   When we were negotiating with the sellers, we joked that we would buy the house if their 2 German shepherds came with it.  They said "great" because they could not take them with them and the deal was done we were thrilled that our dream to have dogs in our lives again had come true.  

The 2 german shepherds we adopted, Lady and Riggs,  were loving sweet companions.  After Lady passed, Riggs had difficulty coping without her best bud.  A family member had a 2 year old Siberian Husky, named Timber.  He needed a new home and so it was meant to be.   He was full of spunk and personality and quickly became a good companion for Riggs.  When she passed on, Timber was restless, and  he needed a companion and so, that is where our life with Irish Wolfhounds all began.

Dwayne had wanted an Irish Wolfhound ever since meeting a pack of them that that lived near by.  It was love at first greet for him.  I had only seen an Irish Wolfhound very briefly, and at a far distance.  I was thinking they might be too big and scruffy.  We visited a few kennels to learn more about them.   The first Irish Wolfhound I met up close leaned gently against me, and gently placed her head in my arms and looked up into my eyes and I was mesmerized.  I couldn't look away as she gazed straight into my heart, gently reaching into my soul.  I was drawn into a sense of calm and peace.  It was unlike anything I had ever felt or known.  There was no question about it.... an Irish Wolfhound would be our next family member.

We brought our first IW, Cuwynne, home in April 2006.   Although Timber (our 2 year old husky) was amused by, and enjoyed Cuwynne's companionship, he was somewhat aloof when it came to interacting with him.  The 3 cats kept to themselves and completely out of sight .  It was clear that Cuwynne needed a companion that was similar in size and willing to accept his energy level.   That realization led us to the decision to temporarily adopt a female wolfhound for Cuwynne to play with.  While in our care, Drylla's breeder decided to breed her.  The breeding was successful and in May 2008, we found ourselves whelping our first litter, and raising a litter of 7 puppies. 

Our next Irish Wolfhound, Berrigan, joined us about a year  later.  That was when our kennel name CuGein (pronounced Cu-Gee-In) came to be.  It is Irish derived and composes letters found in the names of our first 2 boys Cuwynne (Cu) and Berrigan (Gein), meaning "Hound Birth".  In Gaelic, Cu means "Hound" and Gein translates to "Birth".  

Becoming an Irish Wolfhound Breeder kicked off when Berrigan sired a litter with Rumor who was a beautiful Irish Wolfhound.  she had the most beautiful shape, white markings and playful, sweet and confident demeanor.  Her keen brooding instincts were unmatched and she proved that twice over as she raised and closely mentored 2 litters of puppies It was all perfect and wonderful and exceptional, except for when she extended a deliberate invitation to dig holes along side her.  It was obvious that she felt strongly that this was absolutely necessary for them to learn as a survival tactic.  Berrigan (Boo), would find a patch of grass nearby to lay down in and be entertained by all of this.    He was a tall, handsome, polite, gentle giant who weighed in at 192 lbs in his prime.  The influence of both Rumor and Berrigan remain wonderfully alive and strong in our current hounds, digging included ~ lol.  

30 years as a Human Resources Manager in the manufacturing sector, brought us to 2010.  I moved on from that career and found an opportunity to try pet sitting and dog walking on as a career.  Caring for dogs and cats all day, in addition to helping compassionate pet owners devoted to providing the best for their furry companions was a perfect fit for me.  I decided to divest myself into qualifying as a certified obedience and behavioral dog trainer.   Participating with others to enhance their dog's enjoyment and wellbeing was an outlet to help dogs and their humans build positive relationships with their dogs.  It has been for me, one of the most gratifying pursuits that I ever experienced.

We believe that it is important that we appreciate as much time as possible that we have with our hounds.  We take pleasure in seeing others doing the same with their companion animals.   There are so many great lessons we have learned  from our interactions with other dog lovers and from every one of our animals.  Each are remembered and celebrated for the good times we shared.  They are with us always.   Not every day is a cakewalk, but every day is special, and we treasure each moment we have together to be here with them.  Our current pack count is at 4.  Earlier this spring we said goodbye to a very special hound and good friend, Zavijah.  It is wonderful to have shared our lives together for a time.  We light up whenever we catch glimpses of our beloved hounds, in the presence of their descendants.      

We are grateful to many wonderful wolfhound people who have given us their trust, guidance and support through the years.  To our puppy families; we sincerely appreciate all the goodness and devotion you have provided and shared with your fur babies.   It is a huge comfort to know that when  pups leave us to join you for their next journey through life with you, they are in the best of loving and caring hands.  We enjoy keeping in touch, reading your updates and the pictures you share with us.