08-18-2013 at 5:26 PM

The only experience I have with wolf hybrids comes from the years of volunteer support work I have done with Wildlife Images in Grants Pass, Oregon. You would not believe how many wolfdogs have come into the facility from family homes. It was the saddest thing I ever dealt with, because there was no way WI could take them all in, although they did their best to house them as long as possible.<br /> <br /> I have the utmost respect for anyone who can manage one, because they are a full time job. Basically, what is happening with a hybrid is that you are taking a domesticated dog that isn't in the least afraid of humans and mating it with a wild animal. What you end up with most of the time is a wild animal that isn't afraid of humans, and that is a recipe for disaster for all those people who want to own a wolf hybrid for the exotic-status factor and don't bother to educate themselves.<br /> <br /> Taking people on tours at Wildlife Images, I was asked constantly whether we would be willing to adopt out our wolfdogs. For some reason, it was harder to get the facts about them through people's heads than about any other animal kept in the refuge.

03-16-2013 at 8:39 PM

I know, that's pretty much what I mean.<br /> <br /> As a person who would rather have humans go extinct, I have spent most of my life studying Canines, and I believe that it's not even smart to breed a dog and a wolf.<br /> <br /> Sorry if I sound mad, I am not :3<br /> I agree with you completely.

02-26-2013 at 6:15 PM

<i>I support wolves WAY more than humans. I know that some people take care of them rightly, but I consider it cruel to the wolf part of the dog.</i><br /> <br /> Not trying to sound rude or offensive but you're really missing the point. Saying it's cruel to the wolf part of the dog doesn't make one bit of since. It's cruel <b>overall</b> if you're not going to be devoted to the proper care of <b>any</b> animal. I would even apply the same thing to babies and children. Getting one just to show off or even just because it has wolf in it is just downright stupid.

02-25-2013 at 5:25 PM

I support wolves WAY more than humans. I know that some people take care of them rightly, but I consider it cruel to the wolf part of the dog.

01-15-2013 at 4:50 PM

one of my friends have a wolf dog named Talon well he had wolf dog it died two years ago from a car. Talon loved cats not like food as friends and he got in the way of a car and a cat. Although my friend lost Talon. Now have Talon's mom and dad.

02-28-2012 at 7:14 PM

At the end of the day, I think it would be downright awesome to have a pack of wolves roaming my property. But because I know a lot better than to risk the lives and happiness of these creatures, my own safety and that of those around me, I would never attempt to make this any more than a silly fantasy. <br /> <br /> In the wrong hands, a wolf and even a hybrid is a dangerous thing. Even in the right hands, they can still absolutely be dangerous. Accidents happen, people don't understand, and getting a hybrid just because it seems cool is the quickest way to getting yourself and the animal hurt. <br /> <br /> I don't believe in breeding hybrids for the purpose of selling them as pets.

02-22-2012 at 2:04 AM

I currently own a wolfdog. Timber Wolf/Siberian husky mix. Every day I am so very glad marking wise he looks like a normal husky. Why? I live right in the middle of cattle country and people will HAPPILY shoot, poison, torture and kill your dog. For sport. Why? Well it might kill their cows of course. In fact I am VERY careful who I tell around my area that I do own one. I learned that was the best on my part after one of my neighbors went through 3 wolves/hybrids in the course of two years. All of them were poisoned and died, even though his house [like mine] is set far away from anyone else's and the animals were completely confined to his property. <br /> <br /> My hybrid, Shunkaha, came to me as a rescue due to a seller wanting to get rid of him after buyers repeatedly backing out until he was no longer the cute adorable puppy. At the time I already had a husky, did tons of research, reinforced my yard and checked that my vet would in fact treat a wild animal, because on the books any amount of wolf blood automatically marks your pet as "wild animal" and legally will be treated as such. I can not leave my dog outside unsupervised for any length of time, so making a suitable indoor containment was also necessary.<br /> <br /> I was <i>very</i> lucky in the fact that he has a good mix of both the husky and wolf personality traits. He's mellow as far as hybrids go, and for the most part is well behaved. However, like all things you have to remember that sometimes they just have a bad day. I HAVE been growled at by him for doing things he deemed bad, such as normal grooming, getting him out of his crate when he doesn't want to, picking up his food bowl. This "dog" has food aggression, he has been trained continuously to keep the issue under control, but I can not honestly say I would trust anyone but me or my mom and one friend who have been with me and taught the proper handling of the issue to even try and take any food item away from him. I certainly do not trust any other animals around him if he has any food things. Like I said he is a laid back wolfdog, so he mostly only gets "grumpy" at other animals for getting near HIS kennel and they back off which frankly is just good communication between him and them not wanting to mess with it.<br /> <br /> I have 180 acres of land. The nearest house belongs to said friend who knows how to handle Shunkaha. The next closest is about 1 mile from my house. Shunkaha is NOT allowed to roam, in fact I never let him off leash. I or my friend walk him daily. The most freedom he really gets is a 30 foot leash, and one of us willing to run/jog where ever he feels like going on my land. I do not own any cattle on this land anymore, just one horse. When I did I would always purposely avoid whichever section they were on. While he has never really shown interest in chasing large animals I do not want to risk him suddenly deciding to in the event that he does escape. <br /> <br /> Speaking of escapes. They DO happen, I annually spend $200 - $300 on fence building and repair. Its an expensive hobby, and I can vouch for a wolfdog or husky who is determined enough to find a way out of any dog proof fence. Climbing, digging, just prying fencing apart, you name it I've seen it first hand. At the moment my fencing is triple reenforced with dog fencing and cattle panels. They simply moved to digging under the house itself. I will the pouring concrete along this new escape route during the summer and wait for the next one, because there will always be a next one. I have been fortunate that Shunkaha has stayed on my property by finding a long dead animal [think some tough hide and bones I'm talking this thing is OLD] and proceeding to lounge in my front yard and chew that up. It would only take one time of him chasing cattle to be shot and likely killed, or worse shot but not killed and left to suffer for days in a field until he finally die of dehydration. <br /> <br /> Owning a hybrid is a real commitment. When I got him I KNEW I would be leaving in 5 years to go to college. That meant I had to make sure he was very well behaved and trained before then, and that I had at least 2 people I could depend upon a daily base to care for him. I do have a few other people that can do minimal care, but not actual handling of the animal as an emergency back up. Always, always, always make sure you are not the ONLY care giver. Even if you are planning to stick around for the next 14 or 15 years to care for this animal, what if you have to go to the hospital? Have to travel cross country for some reason? Or what if you die? What happens to your animal then? Will it be marked as an uncontrollable wild animal and be killed? Will you be responsible and set these things up before you even have him? You really have to think of these things before even considering, and I don't mean your uncle who kinda likes them said ok while he was watching TV. Whoever will be there taking care of it when you are not there for whatever reason better be actively doing so when you are there too. I personally swap out who is caring for Shunka on any given day. My friend practically lives at my house so, he wants to go out? One of us will get up and let him out int he back yard. Time to go on a walk? Maybe we'll both go. Its a very involved process. <br /> <br /> Also consider that owning a wolfdog is NOT rewarding, not really. I come home from college, I get a small greeting from Shunkaha. My husky is all over me for days, because I am home and he missed me. Wolves and hybrids generally don't emote the same way as dogs. There are variances between wolfdogs, but my personal experience has been that Shunkaha is pleased that I am back, but never to the extent that my husky will be. In fact a lot of the time Shunkaha isn't excited about anything. I joke about him being "lazy" because sometimes he rather just hang out on his pillow than go outside. He wants to do things on his schedule and terms and if you don't like it, well you can get over yourself. A dog wants to please you, always. A wolfdog decides if he wants to do it himself, he doesn't care so much about how you feel about that. You can't get mad at him for it, you can't force him to want to please you. My Shunkaha is very food motivated, so he will do some "tricks" namely going in his crate, going outside, sitting, laying down.. But he doesn't do it to please me, he does it because he feels that it is worth it for the treat. <br /> <br /> I think I'm going to end here, I mean, I could go on and on and on really. Its kind of an endless subject for me. Frankly if I could pick my own dog, I would get a dog-dog. Something easy to train, listens and just falls all over themselves to please you. Don't get me wrong, I love my Shunkaha, he is a beautiful animal and always a part of my family. But he has been a real learning experience, and he isn't even one of the difficult hybrids. No matter how much you read online, research and such it can not prepare you enough for the responsibility of actually owning one of these. <b>Ever.</b>

02-17-2012 at 2:15 PM

I thought wolfdogs were cool and I did look into them once and wanted to get one. After reading stuff I knew I couldn't handle one and heaven forbid I somehow got a child while still having the dog and something happened. I also know I couldn't devote the time necessary for it. <br /> <br /> You have to admit to yourself when something is not a good idea Jingle no matter how bad you want it or how determined you are. Some things are better left alone. I believe very very few people have the means to care for a wolfdog and be prepared for the risks that are included in any animal.<br /> <br /> Part of being responsible is walking away from a situation that could end up terrible and that isn't practical no matter how much your heart is set on it. <br /> <br /> [edit] Also remember that dogs are a 10+yr commitment. Do you know where you're going to be in 10yrs? College busy studying? Moving to your own place that perhaps doesn't allow dogs? Want to start a family? Keep these in mind with any animal

02-16-2012 at 6:35 PM

I have trained dogs for many years. I have had to work with everything from the yappiest most annoying chihuahua that bit ankles to the biggest Dobie I have ever seen. I still wouldn't get a wolfdog. I'm not ready for it, my property is not set up for one, and my three would try to kill it. Brave Heart (Irish Wolfhound) is bred to hunt wolves and he is 160lbs of muscle. There is no way I could stop him if he went after it. King and Dutchess are both fear aggressive so if they felt challenged they would go after it to. I know a wolfdog is strong but do you really think any dog could stand up to three charging dogs that together equal about 400lbs. I don't think so.<br /> <br /> (this may be a bad example) In cats people cross domesticated cats with African Servals. To create the "Savannah Cat" well these guys are still half wild (they can't keep the same"wild" looks if they mate Savannah to Savannah or Savannah to domestic) well these are big sometimes dangerous cats. I own one. His name is Cumal (like the tiger) and he was dropped off at a shelter I was volunteering at because he got to big and dangerous More likely the owner just wasn't ready for a big. half wild cat. I heard that he was going to be put down so I talked to the director and asked for a "trial period" for him. Well I took him home and he went right to Brave Heart and rubbed against him purring (sound dangerous) it's been two years and Cumal is so intelligent that he now will sometimes do a command I give to the dogs. He hasn't gotten out of the yard yet and he walks down the road on a leash. You just have to be prepared and DO YOUR RESEARCH. I had wanted a wolfdog because I thought they were cool dogs well I did months and months and decided that I was not ready for an animal like that. Two rescues who were at the time total wrecks, a Wolfhound puppy that grew 10inches in 2 weeks, and a half wild cat that will be about 3 times bigger then a normal house cat was enough. Saying "I'm am devoted to get a wolf dog mix no matter what" is very irresponsible. I said I was getting a Pit Bull no matter what and it got me a dog that got poisoned because "she was evil" the most evil thing she'd done was jump on a lady and lick her hand. "She is not able to recover no matter what I try" exactly as everyone has been saying, if you can't even get a domesticated dog to trust you then how the heck are you going to get a very large, very opinionated, very high maitenance, demanding, pushy, way to intelligent for it's own good, and down right nearly impossible animal to trust you and work with you instead of against you. You have been posting reasons telling everyone why you SHOULDN'T get a wolfdog. *end rant now* This isn't to say all wolfdogs are terrible but they all need a strong, knowledgable handler.

02-5-2012 at 11:42 AM

"I'm am devoted to get a wolf dog mix no matter what" implies that you will get one whether it is good for the animal or not. That's an incredibly short-sighted and selfish stance to take in any sort of animal ownership/caretaking situation.

02-4-2012 at 8:59 PM

"But I want one" isn't what I'd say. No, I don't want one. But nothing. I'm am devoted to get a wolf dog mix no matter what

01-29-2012 at 9:18 PM

The only experience I have ever had with wolfdogs was this guy in my town who had like 3 wolfdogs and one that was supposedly 99% wolf but he just said that for legal reasons. It was a pure wolf.<br /> <br /> They were pretty well bahaved. Unless you invaded their home. My dad, who is a cop, went on a call to the guys house because a door was left open in the middle of the night, and he went into the basement and one of the wolfdogs almost broke down a door trying to get at him. He almost shot the wolfdog, but it didn't get through the door.<br /> <br /> They are not dogs in any way, and the owner was very irresponsible letting the public take photos in a tight pen with them, little kids even, without proper control. I am not saying that wolfdogs are bad, I wouldnt be opposed to taking one in if it needed a home, but I wouldnt go looking to get such a predator, my borzoi puts up enough of a challenge trying to kill anything that looks like a meal due to his predatory nature. And he's only 95 lbs, not nearly as much as a wolfdog could be. <br /> <br /> I think this is a great thing to be posted because I hear people saying "I want a wolf!" all the time and it is not something to be taken lightly. Just because you can control a lab, or a poodle, or even one of the really tough breeds, it does not compare to a dog that is half wild.

01-29-2012 at 11:37 AM

I've had personal experience on both sides of the fence for wolfdogs, myself. My parents adopted two from a wolfdog rescue when I was younger.<br /> <br /> Chief Bigfoot was a huge malamute wolf mix. He apparently took more after the malamute than the wolf, personality wise, but he looked in all regards like a giant wolf. He had the phenotype down pat, save for the size. Big, white, black ticking down his back that faded away into the white, big yellow eyes, pointy face, etc.<br /> This was the most docile, friendly, dependent wolfdog I had ever hand the pleasure of meeting. He would let me ride around on his back, he was submissive to everyone in my family, rolling over immediately and licking toes/legs/anything when approached. He would do tricks, and would even climb the fence just to go around to the front of the house and beg to be let in (of course we would, he was supposed to be out back)! He "lived" (read: slept in there at night when he couldn't be watched) in the garage because he was just too big to keep in the house reasonably.<br /> <br /> Then... there was Duncan. -_-<br /> <br /> This dog was the epitome of wolf. He was destructive, pushy, testy, but still submissive when the challenge was met. He would kill anything smaller than him that was not a human. He would eat through the PVC pipe that protected the wires for the air conditioner even. I often say he was dumb as a bag of rocks, but more than likely he was just a wild animal who was being forced to cope with being contained by humans.<br /> <br /> <br /> I'll tell you right here and now, Bigfoot was the exception to the rule, but it did not spare his life.<br /> <br /> What happened to these dogs? Well, back in a time when dogs were considered property, and only purebred dogs actually had a value, my neighbors were sending us many warnings telling us to get rid of the "vicious wolf beasts" - despite them not doing anything to the neighbors.<br /> <br /> Bigfoot disappeared one day while we were out. Bloody trail left on our porch and tire marks in our yard. You take a guess at what happened to him.<br /> <br /> Duncan was fed treats laced with rat poison by our neighbors, while doing tricks for them.<br /> <br /> Whether or not you want to believe it, these people still exist out there, and there are a LOT of them. You'll be hard pressed to find anywhere to live with a wolfdog that will not have people with ill will towards it.<br /> <br /> <br /> Let's look at another thing. There is probably no way you can get renters or house insurance that will cover you if you own a wolf mutt. It's hard enough to find ones that will cover pits, huskies, GSDs, dobies, etc. Just try finding a reputable insurance company that covers them.<br /> <br /> Then another issue - rabies vaccinations. Sure, I believe they work on wolfdogs and wolves... but the FDA and the federal government DOES NOT. It has never been tested thoroughly to prove it - therefore in their eyes it does not work. You'll be hard pressed to find a veterinarian who will even see your wolfdog if you are openly honest about the dog being part wolf. Add to this that you can not keep your wolfdog from being put down if they deem it a dangerous animal. Regular dog laws DO NOT COUNT for these animals, because they are not a dog. There is no "two/three strike" rule for them as there is a normal dog. Anyone can report that your wolfdog is dangerous, too.<br /> <br /> You can not take the dog out walking, due to the vaccination issue listed above, too. So your wolfdog will be stuck confined to your land (If you can keep it in! They are notorious escape artists!). If caught off your land, they can legally be shot, since any wolf that is comfortable approaching a human is deemed dangerous and possibly rabid.<br /> <br /> This is what you're dealing with when you have a wolfdog. This is what you accept as your responsibility. You cannot blame anything your wolfdog does, or anything that happens to your wolfdog, on him. Only on yourself, because you neglected to stop it from happening, be it through pure ignorance or neglect.<br /> <br /> I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting, but... meh. Can't think right now.

01-29-2012 at 11:13 AM

Al, I agree with the point you're making, but let me point out the difference in that scenario. Fighting dogs are bred and trained to hurt other dogs, but <i>not</i> their handlers. Most dogs that bite their owners, owner's children, handlers, etc. are culled - either through removal from the fighting "sport" or by being killed. Of course most fighting dogs can go to homes with small children; they were likely raised around them. But would you put one in a home with other dogs? Especially potentially dog-aggressive ones? I absolutely wouldn't. I've worked with dogs who came from fighting backgrounds before, and even if they get along with another dog most of the time, there's always the possibility that some simple thing will go wrong. All it takes is another dog slipping up and showing the wrong signs, challenging the former fighting dog, and many of them will revert back to their habits out of natural DA and/or fear.<br /> <br /> Dogs actually don't always fully recover from bad situations. My oldest dog has been with me for almost 7 years, now, and he's still a nervous wreck around people he doesn't know. He trusts me, and will usually just look to me for help and guidance if another person appears, but he is never going to be a friendly, outgoing dog with regard to strangers.<br /> To clarify, though, that's not an excuse for thinking that a wolf mix will be easy peasy to care for. If anything, the fact that you can't rehab a small, frightened dog into trusting you means you should <i>very</i> seriously reconsider your ability to cope with a wolf's (and many wolfdogs') lack of natural trust for humans. As Al pointed out: what if the animal you get doesn't trust you? How will you care for him/her? A canine that size can do a lot of physical harm to you and your property, not to mention others should it escape. Training, control, and vet visits will be almost impossible if he/she doesn't want to cooperate. Not to mention the unnecessary stress that puts on the animal.<br /> <br /> So far, in this thread, all I've seen is "but I want one" as an answer to everyone else's objections. What you need to consider is not your own "want" but the animals' needs and desires. Will he/she be happy in your care? If not, where will he/she go? Will you take the dog to the shelter if it turns out you're ill prepared? Where will you keep the dog if not? How will you deal with potential illness/injuries? Who will care for the dog when you have to be gone?<br /> The most important thing you should be considering before getting <i>any</i> animal is "is this in the best interests of the animal?" And I don't believe that has been done here at all.

01-28-2012 at 11:40 AM

"She is not able to recover no matter what I try"<br /> <br /> Here's the question then. If you can't get a dog to trust you, how do you expect a wolfdog to trust you? What if the wolfdog you get DOESN'T trust you?<br /> <br /> Thats a great scenario to think about. <br /> <br /> I honestly believe that EVERYDOG can trust a human and if they can't at first, they can be trained. you see it all the time with pitbulll fights. Those dogs become monsters but yet, nearly all of them can be rehabilitated and brought into a household with children. If you can't get a single dog whose history isn't that bad to trust you, you won't get the apporoval from a wolfdog.

01-27-2012 at 9:47 PM

@Valentine's Roo- That is not my excuse. Dutchess is an old dog and even though the saying 'an onld dog cant be taught new tricks' is a myth, its proven true to her. She was put in a puppy mill. She was injected with drugs and forced to have puppies at a very young age. She is not able to recover no matter what I try. Ive gotten Roger9the wolfdog mix) to trust me and Heather but Dutchess wont coapporate

01-26-2012 at 10:33 PM

<i>"and hes just like a normal dog only 300x more destructive and plays very roughly."</i><br /> <br /> ...then he is not 'just like' a normal dog, is he? Wolfdogs are wolfdogs, they shouldn't be treated like a 'normal' dog because they aren't. They a mixture between domesticated and wild and need to be handled by owners who realize the strength and potential danger these wolfdogs can be, in the wrong hands that is.<br /> <br /> Any owner hoping that a wolfdog is going to be like a normal dog - just with that exotic wolf look that you can brag about - You'd be better off getting a small, easy to handle dog that won't try and control your household if given the chance.

01-26-2012 at 9:25 PM

Rescue dogs (yes, even emotionally and physically abused rescue dogs) can be rehabilitated past their abuse. I know because I've rehabilitated a few dogs like this. It just takes time and patience and the knowledge of how to work them through it. Sometimes the scarring is deeper and the process takes longer, but it's entirely possible to work them past their fears and help them live full, happy lives.<br /> <br /> I makes me sad when people use abuse an excuse for why their dog misbehaves :/

01-26-2012 at 8:45 PM

My dogs are rescues and were abused emotionally and physically. Thye have scars from when they were abused and they newver go away. They know basic stuff but its mostly mckenna who forges outside for food and acts like a brat if we dont give her any room in the car. I have a wolf dog(not mine but my step moms and its mid content) and hes just like a normal dog only 300x more destructive and plays very roughly.

01-25-2012 at 11:04 AM

Hippie said exactly what I was going to. If you can't handle a regular domestic dog being a "brat" then you most certainly should not be venturing into wolfdog ownership. Take it from someone who LIVES WITH ONE. They are not, and I repeat NOT anything like dogs.