Christopher Fryer, age 11, off Bessemer, Ala., for his question:

HOW MUCH DOES AN IRISH WOLFHOUND WEIGH?

The tallest dog in the world is the Irish wolfhound. It stands about 28 to 37 inches high at the shoulder and weighs up to about 135 pounds.

The big dog is a hunter of the hound variety. It originated in Ireland in remote antiquity. It was known in Rome in the fourth century A.D. and early Celtic literature contains many stories concerning Celtic heroes and their wolfhounds, which were used principally to hunt wolf and elk.

The Irish wolfhound breed became almost extinct in the middle of the 19th century, but was then rehabilitated by the Scottish dog breeder Capt. George Graham.

Today the Irish wolfhound is occasionally used for hunting large animals, such as the timber wolf, but it is more often kept as a pet because of its loyalty, intelligence and fearlessness as a watchdog.

The dog has a long head and a long muzzle, small ears, dark eyes, a very deep chest muscular shoulders, a rough and hard coat that is especially wiry over the eyes and the underjaw and a long, slightly curved tail.

The dog's color may be gray, brindle, fawn, pure white, black or red.