Avoglia Irish Wolfhounds --- Our History

Additional History Links --  Link 1        Link2

Avoglia Irish Wolfhounds was formerly known as MountainView Kennels.  On top of a beautiful mountain known as Glory Hill, in New York state, the Avoglia Family resided with their children, hounds, horses, chickens, rabbits, and assorted animals on a small farm.  The farm was situated on top of a green hill, overlooking the Chemung and Susquehanna Rivers and the Tri-City Lehigh Valley below.  You could see for miles from on top of that hill, and we could see our home from the valley below, miles away -- a compound of white structures with fenced green pastures, artesian well and pond, nestled in the pines high up on the hillside.

On that farm, we raised our children, ran our business in town, and owned, raised and bred a few litters of Irish Wolfhounds.  This was our own world -- our own paradise.  Our children thrived, our business thrived and our hounds thrived, healthy and happy.  Hounds and children played together, hounds coming home with notes pinned to them "Can Doggie come out and play with us tomorrow?"  We had coursing events with our visiting puppy owners, worked with search and rescue, and therapy.  Most Wolfhounds finished obedience school, attended puppy matches and confirmation showing.  Our hounds would howl and bay at the top of their lungs when they would hear us leave or come home.  We could hear their voices echoing through the cool dark Waverly Glen, below the reservoir; on the road home.  The hounds did not want to bide without us.

Our Veterinarian, Roger Smith, was a small animal vet, and was so close to us that all we had to do is call and he would be there day or night.  His operating room was open to us, to help as technicians, should need be.  Healthy, long lived hounds, fed from the Purina feed store; ate large, raw beef leg bones; cooked chickens that we raised for ourselves and for our hounds; vegetables from our 100' garden, made into stew for all, humans and hounds alike.  No bone problems, cancers, torsion, heart problems, seizures, that hounds may have today.  Hounds living from 9-14 years; my goodness, what a life.  We wonder could this happen today?  Maybe not that easily.

Conformation showing was somewhat limited for us until we were befriended by one of the greatest friends to the Irish Wolfhounds, Sam Ewing.  He was a kind mentor with a sharp wit and tongue.  He said what he wanted and meant what he said, but always with a kind word about the hounds.  He loved the Irish Wolfhounds in and out of the ring, and we loved him.  (When we told him our hounds had won ribbons, he'd ask if they had won any money?) 

It was a long time ago, when we met our first hound in 1971, and for over 35 years we have loved the Irish Wolfhound breed.  We try to think of ourselves as guardians of the breed, without doing any harm, but always watchful of what is happening with them.  We believe in order to keep the breed strong, it must be kept actively in the eyes of the judges and IW breeders, and reviewed periodically to make sure the Standard is not being altered by fashion or trend.  Keep to the old standard of what the Irish Wolfhound is meant to do, many jobs, hunting, protecting, human companionship.  Hard hounds, fancy hounds, but many healthy hounds, that should be the center-point goal for the future of our beloved breed.

                                                                                      Bill and Carolyn Avoglia