FREDONIA, N.Y. (WIVB) -- When you go to a St. Patrick's Day parade, you might see shamrocks, hear bagpipes, and sometimes meet these gentle giants on four paws. "They are a great image or symbol for the Irish people and for people who have a Irish background," said Julie Schaeffer, owner of Hops N Hounds Kennel & Brewery. "They're an ancient Irish breed, a lot of Irish lore or a lot of Irish stories revolve around them." Schaeffer said there's a lot of historical pictures and Celtic drawings of them. Irish Wolfhounds are often seen at St. Patrick's Day parades, but they are also at dog shows and events. Schaeffer has been working as a preservation breeder of this breed for more than 15 years. "We have these wonderful dogs that have really unique traits; the size, the temperament and what they do, they're a sight hound and we want to preserve this type of dog," said Schaeffer. "We really like the dogs, we really like everything about them, their temperament and to be honest with you, I really like the size. I don't trip over them." A male Irish Wolfhound can weigh up to 180 pounds, and she said that the dogs "are gentle when stroked and fierce when provoked." Her organization, "Hops N Hounds" in Fredonia, is a kennel but they are also working on becoming a brewery. Also on the property, they hold events called, "Fast Cat" where dogs, not just Irish Wolfhounds, can do 100 yard runs. If you would like to learn more about Hops N Hounds and future events they are part of, visit their website here. Latest Local News Death in Jamestown originally determined to be overdose ruled a homicide Lackawanna man admits to distributing child pornography Learning about Irish Wolfhounds, an ancient dog breed Mayoral candidate Ryan: State audit of city would be conducted Former BPS music teacher pleads guilty for attempting to meet teen Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. ...read more read less