They released the hounds in Ellicott City on Sunday, where the animals trotted in a circle - still on a leash - showing off their stride and strength for the judges.

The event was the 23rd annual Potomac Valley Irish Wolfhound Club dog show at Turf Valley Resort, which attracted nearly 200 puppy and adult wolfhound entries. The two-day competition runs through today.

For those unfamiliar with the Irish wolfhound, think pony.

Irish wolfhounds are the tallest breed, averaging about 36 inches from paw to shoulder, and edging Great Danes out by an inch or so, said Robert Brehl, the show secretary and owner of 10 Irish wolfhounds in Dickerson.

Irish wolfhounds were bred to hunt wolves, boars, elk and deer. And centuries ago, the dogs were often gifts to royalty.

"This was a dog you had to be wealthy to afford," Brehl said. "They were used for hunting. If you weren't a landowner, you weren't allowed to hunt."

By the late 18th century, wolves were eliminated in Ireland and the numbers of wolfhounds declined to near extinction. The breed began a revival in the middle of the 19th century, Brehl said. He estimates there are as many as 20,000 Irish wolfhounds now in the United States.

The dogs today are known for their gentle disposition. But judges on Sunday were looking for hounds that exhibited other traits - speed and strength - that speak to their historic role as hunters.

"They need a nice, long, strong neck so they can grab their prey. They need a strong mouth," said Tamara Ritzenthaler, a breeder from North Carolina, who was grooming Sera so judges could better see the 6-year-old hound's structure.

Like many at the show, Ritzenthaler fell in love with wolfhounds as a youngster.

"When I was in third grade, I read a description of them in a 1920s breed book that said they were the tallest of the galloping hounds and their history was lost in antiquity. And as a young romantic 9-year-old girl, I was hooked at that point," she said.

Though some owners say you can have an Irish wolfhound in an urban townhouse, the dogs require a large amount of exercise to stay healthy. They also can be expensive - puppies eat four times the food most other dogs consume. Even so, many owners competing in the show have more than one.

Amy Benjamin has nine puppies and 16 adult wolfhounds on her 12-acre farm in Pennsylvania. She stood on the sidelines with 3-year-old Kelso - about 36 inches to his shoulder and 160 pounds - while describing her first wolfhound at age 12.

"I wanted a horse, and my parents wouldn't buy me one. They said, 'We'll buy you a dog but not a horse. ... You can get any kind you want,' " Benjamin recalled. She looked up the biggest breed she could find, and her parents kept their promise.

"I made a little saddle for it. I didn't ride it, but I made it look like a pony," the 50-year-old said.