Berkovitz is an Expert on Irish Wolfhounds

The minute Canadian vet tech Patty Berkovitz saw Irish Wolfhound on the American Kennel Club chart, she just knew “this is what a dog should look like” and pledged to own one. She explained, “I was so moved.  Their dignity, the soulfulness of their eyes and presence was, for me, overwhelming, a connection with something wild and ancient.”

After that, she waited many years and got her first one in her 50’s after losing her husband. She continued to learn about the breed and their needs.

In addition to their size, course coats, and dark eyes, Irish Wolfhounds want to please. Known as gentle giants, they’re built to do a job — strong with a double muscle in the rear to push them forward as they are the “closers.” Their strength, size, and speed allow them to bring down elk, wolves, and coyotes. Berkovitz knows they need to have room to run at least once a day, and she feeds a mixture of kibble and raw meat.

She is not a breeder, but notes responsible breeders usually have their puppies spoken for before they breed. She stated, “They are hard to get and going to a dog show is a good way to start. It can take years to get one.”

Her dog, Mojo, took over a year to find. She got her second Irish Wolfhound from the same person, all the while learning about the breed and their needs. She found a breeder who was a natural teacher, and when she had a litter of puppies (16 where three died) and the mother died, Berkovitz supplied the extra hands to keep the litter alive.

She related, “We invested the time to feed all of them every four hours, washing pads, getting fresh goats’ milk … she sold me one of the pups, and mentored me. Looks easy? Took me two years to get all the parts working together and knowing when to do what!”

All of her Irish Wolfhounds have earned titles in racing. Fast Cats is a 100-meter run chasing a plastic grocery bag on a pully. Coursing is the same bag in an open field with a set amount of turns. These events are often done at dog shows and some are standalone events. The two Irish Wolfhounds that she currently has are both Grand Champion Silver and have both been in the top five fastest in Fast Cats and were invited to the invitational in Orlando. They were both invited to Westminster in 2024.

She recalled, “It was quite an honor. You can see us on Westminster 2024 Irish Wolfhound. We were the fourth and fifth dogs in the ring. The judge is evaluating breeding stock, and each dog is competing against a written standard, not each other. The hound that best matches the standard is the winner (BOB — best of breed), then the judge selects the OS (opposite sex to the show winner).”

The ribbons for classes are supplied by the club that is giving the show.

Berkovitz also competes in “owner-handled” events and has been consistently in the top 10 every year since she began to show which gets her an invitation to the national in Orlando, and a pin. People come from around the country and from abroad as a great chance to network.

She summarized, “Did I start out to do any of this? No, but I am having a ball with my dogs. They love to go, and we have a whole new circle of show friends. We compete hard but help each other whenever someone needs an extra hand. This is about preservation breeding, maintaining the integrity of a breed that was made to do a specific job. Their form follows their function. As a hunting dog, he must be able to physically do the job he is asked to perform. This is true of all pedigree dogs.”

Berkovitz’s home appeared in Atlanta Jewish Times Chai Style Home column on Dec. 11, 2015, “The Class Menagerie.”