From Jess: Otis was adopted from the San Francisco SPCA. We believe him to be Basset Hound mixed with Irish Wolfhound.
He looks like an Irish Wolfhound only with Basset legs. He has a HUGE head and a long body supported by short legs. His front legs are very Basset with his feet always in Ballet position. His back legs are longer because they are not bowed like his front legs making him ride higher in the back like a muscle car.
We have braces to help his front legs and he will need surgery on his back legs for Patellar Subluxation. But we love him dearly and can’t imagine life without him.
It sort of feels more realistic if he were a glen of imaal terrier mixture. They have all the characteristics that your dog are having: Short legs, large head and they are wirehaired.
… And there is a glen of imaal terrier breeder (or at least contact person) from the same state as the dog was adopted from. According to the breed’s homepage http://www.glens.org/
Yes, I agree that the glen of imall terrier seems more likely since I can’t imagine how complex the logistics of a Wolfhound and Basset Hound getting together would be.
I have a dog who looks almost identical. I live about 40 miles from you. We adopted him about 6 years ago after his owner could no longer keep him. Unfortunately, he has severe DCM which leads me to believe he is Irish Wolfhound and Basset. DCM is common in Wolfhounds.