Did you know that the Irish have the highest proportion of dog ownership in Europe, and the Irish Wolfhound was first described by Julius Caesar in De bello Gallico?    There are nine breeds of dog that are native to Ireland: four terriers, three gun dogs, and two hounds. Irish Wolfhounds stalked through ancient Celtic mythology, while Kerry Beagles were among the victims of the Land War in the 1880s. During World War One, hundreds of Irish Terriers served on the front lines of the trenches. Six of Ireland's nine native breeds of dog are now considered vulnerable to extinction, but they are an integral part of the island's cultural narrative, and have added both to its social history and to the happiness of its people. In The Curious History of Irish Dogs, David Blake Knox tells the remarkable stories of each of the nine breeds, and reveals how they have become inextricably linked with the people of Ireland.