Irish wolfhounds are quite capable of munching and lunching on a pack of coyotes. One pair here in Florida happened on a pack of coyote on a ranch.
As the rancher told the owner, "Last I saw your dogs (2) had killed some and the rest of the pack was trying to escape. I don't give 'em much of a chance."
That was said as he handed the surprised owner a large package of prime beef. As the rancher put it, calves were safer now that there were wolfhounds in the neighborhood, and those wolfhounds were always welcome on his ranch.
Evidently, the hounds had killed the first few without breaking stride and they kept looking for more targets of opportunity.
Like Ibizans [but on a much larger scale] Wolfhounds "snatch and snap" whatever they're chasing.
The local cotton tails all come in my yard and eat but when they hear the back screen door squeak, they all know to skedaddle *now*.
My dogs can hit 35 mph in less than a dozen feet from the door and the bunnies have about a 100 foot shot to make it to the fence.
So far they all have, thank goodness.
[there's been some really close calls, though]...:))
That's surprising.
I always liked them, but thought that when they were "rescued" from extinction in the 1800's and bred to other dogs some of their original ferocity was bred out of them.
Like they say:
Gentle when stroked, firece when provoked.
Its unfortunate they have such short life spans.
See: http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/dobney.asp
for a new take on controlling wolves and coyotes. I like it.