Wolfdogs?

[SibeSpace]

Personally, I wouldn't leave any breed of dog alone in the same room as a small child. It's not worth the risk, no matter how docile you think the animal is.

And on the subject of 'wolf' hybrids. In the UK there are a few 'breeders' that advertise such dogs. It's just another scam. They call them wolf dogs to justify the higher prices. They are typically GSD/Sibe or Mally/Sibe. I've had a few arguments with people that insist they have bought a wolf dog here (and they're walking it through a public park..).

They don't like being told they've been ripped off for some reason.

[katie23]

my oldest dog Luna is a Wolfdog she is half polish wolf and half Siberian husky, we got her just over 3 years ago from a polish couple who had to rehome her due to their house not being large enough,they had a small child it was sad for the woman as she was clearly devoted to Luna and sad to let her go,but she knew that she was doing the best for the dog,we learn't that Luna had been rescued by the couple on Poland after having been dumped somewhere near a refuse site,she didn't understand English as her main language was polish and German,she lived for a short while in Germany before coming to the UK. Luna has a passport which shows her breed and also that her rabies jags etc were all done.

When first coming to live with us we had 2 staffordshire bull terriers who sadly passed away aged 14 and 12 just over a year ago,Luna adapted quickly at 18 months old and followed cody and Jay everywhere,she adpted to our lifestyle very quickly and to our home our home life, with my 3 children and 2 grandchildren.Everyone fell in love with her nature as she is quite simply the most gentle and adorable Wolfdog,we featured on a TV documentary about Wolfdogs produced by BBC Alba and we also learn't a lot about Wolfdogs from Sean Elliot and other people who have Wolfdogs, We have become very good friends with 3 people from the documentary and it is great to share information about our Wolfdogs, Luna will be 6 this year and there have been new additions to her family since losing Cody and Jay mainly our 3 Siberian husky's who are all over a year old now oldest being just over a year and a half and youngest 14 months to our new staffy pup who is 12 weeks old. Luna is great with them all,all the local people in town want to take her home ..they don't all know that she has wolf in her it is just her gentle loving nature that appeals to them,she mothers the pup and is fantastic with my grandchildren.

There is only one difference that we have noticed in her which sets her aside from the others and that is she prefers her own space and where the husky's all lie together in a pack, she would rather lie by herself. otherwise they all socialize and interact great together during exercise and playtime.

Oh and she is a sucker for mints,my mother-in -law spoils her with a mint when she comes to visit

[raindog]

my oldest dog Luna is a Wolfdog she is half polish wolf and half Siberian husky, we got her just over 3 years ago from a polish couple who had to rehome her due to their house not being large enough,they had a small child it was sad for the woman as she was clearly devoted to Luna and sad to let her go,but she knew that she was doing the best for the dog,we learn't that Luna had been rescued by the couple on Poland after having been dumped somewhere near a refuse site,she didn't understand English as her main language was polish and German,she lived for a short while in Germany before coming to the UK. Luna has a passport which shows her breed and also that her rabies jags etc were all done.

I assume that Luna is licensed by DEFRA under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act if she is genuinely a wolf cross. DEFRA's recent clarification of the act states:

“Any mammal hybrid where at least one parent is a licensable species (e.g. a wolf), so F1, and any animal of which at least one parent is such a hybrid, so F2, require a license.

Mick

[Calin]

my oldest dog Luna is a Wolfdog she is half polish wolf and half Siberian husky, we got her just over 3 years ago from a polish couple who had to rehome her due to their house not being large enough,they had a small child it was sad for the woman as she was clearly devoted to Luna and sad to let her go,but she knew that she was doing the best for the dog,we learn't that Luna had been rescued by the couple on Poland after having been dumped somewhere near a refuse site,she didn't understand English as her main language was polish and German,she lived for a short while in Germany before coming to the UK. Luna has a passport which shows her breed and also that her rabies jags etc were all done.

Luna speaks Polish, German AND English? That'll teach Mishka the talking husky a thing or two!

[Tams Teeko and Keeta]

This is an odd one i always think. Had never really thought about it until we started lloking at huskies....and there was always somewhere in the ad pages a wolf mix advertised. The idea seemed like a bad one to me then...the same way pet monkeys seem like a bad plan...as beautifully put earlier...you can take the animal out of the wild but you cant take the wild out of the animal.

That said, i still didnt have much of an opinion on it but recently viewed an agility class and met a wolf / malamute. It is the first dog that has made me genuinely nervous...ever. And i cant explain why! She was gentle towards me but quite aggressive towards teeko...but it wasnt even that if i'm honest....it was more of an instict and i felt unnerved and that i couldn't relax around her.

I'm always one to listen to my gut so i, for one, would never have nor encourage a wolf mix.

[Elyse]

If you think about it, man has feared wolves for centuries (probably thousands of years, actually.) so it makes sense your instinct would make your adrenaline pump. Thankfully, though, wolves are finally being understood as beautiful animals in need of respect and not blood-thirsty monsters like they were once commonly thought of not long ago.

[AttilaVikingsDemon]

My sister who lives in Virginia has a wolf-hybrid Shepherd and a Wolf the latter whom she was required to get a special permit to have as well as show what she was keeping it in. She has indicated to me that the Wolf-hybrid rather than the wolf was more to worry about and was actually more ill-tempered towards people, and she is very kind to them, treats them both the same and are handled regularly-she told me her recommendations would be to not get a wolf-hybrid and to get a Northern Dog breed instead, she said they're too much, however you take that to mean, so thats her advice.

[James]

What breeds would you throw out there for those wanting the look but not the wild animal attached?

Northern Inuit, Its a recognised breed, But is essentially a Husky X GSD, They were bred mainly ot create a dog with a very close look to that of wolves.

Kita's (half Northern Inuit half Sibe) dad who was a northern Inuit, looked VERY much like a wolf and was very large! about 5.10/11 on his hind legs and very well built, Super Friendly though

[Bec]

Are Northern Inuits recognised in the UK? I didn't realise any of the kennel clubs had recognised them?

[James]

That's what I've been told.

Only quite recently though I believe ^_^, Might be worth double checking this though.

[Emma&Cookie]

I'm not sure they are a recognised breed either? Not by the kennel club anyway?

[Bec]

Wikipedia says no... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Inuit

[James]

Yeah, No I was wrong. I do apologise, Didn't mean to misinform, I had been misinformed myself.

[raindog]

Northern Inuit, Its a recognised breed, But is essentially a Husky X GSD, They were bred mainly ot create a dog with a very close look to that of wolves.

None of the so-called "wolf lookalike breeds" in the UK are (or are ever likely to be) recognised by the Kennel Club. They are basically dodgy crossbreeds with no accurate (or honest) historical provenance. To my eye, they look nothing like wolves either, so I can't really see the attraction.

I don't understand the attraction of wolf crosses at all. The whole point of the wolf, for me, is that it is WILD - if I cross it with a dog breed, it has lost a significant part of its wildness and becomes just another wild animal messed about with and compromised by humans. In the same way that I love to know that there are still Lions and Tigers in the wild, I would never want to own one as a pet (even a tiger crossed with a tabby cat). Leave wolves in the wild where they belong so that we can envy them their wildness and their freedom. Why do we feel this appalling need to domesticate everything we see?

[James]

None of the so-called "wolf lookalike breeds" in the UK are (or are ever likely to be) recognised by the Kennel Club. They are basically dodgy crossbreeds with no accurate (or honest) historical provenance. To my eye, they look nothing like wolves either, so I can't really see the attraction.

Why do you sound pissed off?

Saying "they look nothing like wolves" is just rubbish tbh, Even Sibes have certain wolf-look qualaties.

Can you really not see they attraction in Northern Inuits? They look amazing, Kinda like Sibes but different. My Kita is A Northern Inuit X Siberian Husky and she looks amazing

Saying " I do not see the attraction" is a little ignorant I think.

[Staceybob]

Either way, no one should have a breed for their looks and technically the Northern Inuit does not resemble a wolf.

We stereotype wolves in our mind to be tan/grey with long fur... tall and slender. Where as most types of wolves are actually tall but slim and really shaggy looking.

The Nortern Inuit and Huskies, in my opinion, resemble our stereotype of the wolf - not what they actually look like.

Stacey xxx

[Staceybob]

If you ask me which is which, I could tell you straight off lol.

Stacey xxx

[James]

Middle two Wolves, top 1 and bottem 1 Northern Inuits.

Well of course, When we think of wolf, we think of Grey wolf or Timber Wolf, There are a fair few Different species of wolf.

I would says spitz dogs in general, look quite wolfish, Obviously not exactly like wolves, but Similar.

That Northern Inuti, Is incredibly wolf like.

The look'a'likness varies from dog to dog it seems

[raindog]

Why do you sound pissed off?

Saying "they look nothing like wolves" is just rubbish tbh, Even Sibes have certain wolf-look qualaties.

Can you really not see they attraction in Northern Inuits? They look amazing, Kinda like Sibes but different. My Kita is A Northern Inuit X Siberian Husky and she looks amazing

Saying " I do not see the attraction" is a little ignorant I think.

How was my comment in any way "ignorant"? It was merely a stated opinion. In my view, there is very little wolflike about NIs, Utonagans, Tamascans, British Inuits, British Timber Dogs etc etc etc and in my opinion, they mostly look like dodgy sibe crossbreeds which have no attraction for me at all. Of course, some individuals dogs within the "wolfalike" breeds will be stunning, but the majority do nothing for me at all. No ignorance involved, just my personal opinion.

The reason I probably sound "pissed off" is because my knowledge of these breeds isn't based on ignorance but knowledge - knowledge of the way that those within these breeds (especially NIs) have lied, falsified pedigrees, failed to carry out health testing before breeding and generally created a "breed" with serious health issues, just to satisfy people's desire for a dog that looks a bit like a wolf.

On a slightly different tangent, the only reason that some of the northern breeds look "wolflike" is simple evolution - these dogs look the way they do because, like the wolf, evolution has led them to develop along certain lines which have ensured their survival in arctic/subarctic conditions. A Siberian Husky is no more similar to the wolf genetically, than is a Chinese Crested or a Jack Russell. Their biological similarities with the wolf are the result of them developing under similar environmental conditions.

[shadow01]

Wolfdog..lol where to start.....

There has been some good information already given but there has also been some misinformation. I have owned or been owned by a first generation wolf hydrid since March 1999. I have lived on both sides of the pond with her and yes there are laws about them in BOTH countries.

Each state is different as they are state laws and not federal ones. Here is a website that lists what the current status is. I can not vouch for the accuracy but it is correct about Michigan. http://hubpages.com/hub/wolf-hybrid

As for the UK, if you own a wolfdog you are required to keep a dangerous wild animal license for them, which are issued through the local council. The guidelines for the licenses are issued from DEFRA but it is each council that controls them. Each council can also ask for different requirements to be met with the license.

Now enough of the legal stuff, now about owning one. As much as a husky is not a 'normal' dog, a wolfdog is less so. They will challenge you within in the pack. They may not neccessarily do so in an aggressive way but they will do it in some way. Nikita 'bullies' people who do not stand up to her by climbing all over them, nibbling their ears, and stealing their food. Now these actions would not be seen as aggressive but it is her showing dominance over someone. Another wolfdog may choose to challenge through aggression though. Nikita is 11 years old now and see is still not housebroke, she will go to the door for a split second, if you do not happen to see her do this she will simply go on the floor. She knows it is wrong but does it anyway. Where Sampson (my husky) will come bug me to let him out, Nikita has no thoughts of doing that. She will plunder about the house just looking for stuff to get into. She will steal and eat ANYTHING. We have to Nikita proof the house at all times and with a dog that stands 6ft on her hind legs, there aren't many places that she can not reach:unsure: . She has caused more destruction over the years than one could even imagine possible. One instance when we lived in the states, she made the hole in the wall for the dryer vent big enough for her to fit through so that she could get outside.

I have been somewhat lucky with Nikita, but also I have always had to be firm with her. Nikita is lovely and she has always loved people and never been aggressive in anyway towards people. I love her to bits and wouldn't trade her for the world, but I would never look to get another one as the pure pigheadedness is very tiring at times.

Would I recommend a wolf dog to anyone?? NO, there is too much risk of things going wrong. I do not even think that they should be breed. It was only ever done as a status thing and is irresponbile to say the least as most dog owners could not handle one correctly and it could easily lead to someone being seriously hurt or killed. There are enough domestic dog breeds out there with the same looks that will be much easier to handle.

Hope this goes some way to helping you understand some of the legalities and the real life trials of owning a wolf dog. Also there are a lot of peole out there that say they have a wolf hybrid when in fact that animal has no more wolf in it that my cat does:) . I have seen this a lot over the years.

SN - to anyone who already owns a wolf dog or thinks they do, in both countries, keep your mouth shut about it. It is not something you want to go bragging about as it can be used against you with the local governments. I have never admitted to the council here or the dog catcher in Michigan that Nikita is anything but a Malamute cross who happens to look like a wolf.

Very well said couldnt of put it better. I know of one and the same is with her, very stubborn in her way of challenging you, but totally non agressive. Extremely people and lots of other things shy. Refuses to be house trained, lead trained anything trained apart from on her terms or if she respects you. Would not reccomend owning one to anyone no matter how nice she is. In the wrong hands the poor dog would have hell of a life. Too many people just would want them as a status symbol because of the word wolf People might think Sibes are hard to live with, one of these is a totally different kettle of fish.

Like yours, this one also ate through a wall just to get to the other side, and doesnt like any kind of confinement. Also howl!!!!! Not good if you have neighbours, and definately no furry creatures at all. I remember seeing what was left of what we guessed was a ferral cat. Bit of fur and a small bone but its their way of life, no one and nothing will change it.

[shadow01]

The reason I probably sound "pissed off" is because my knowledge of these breeds isn't based on ignorance but knowledge - knowledge of the way that those within these breeds (especially NIs) have lied, falsified pedigrees, failed to carry out health testing before breeding and generally created a "breed" with serious health issues, just to satisfy people's desire for a dog that looks a bit like a wolf.

I also know about a lot of what goes on with the breeding of these especially, Utonagans. People thrown out of clubs for standing up against bad breeding practices by those who do it. Just to make money and in their words to further the breed Especially where Monorchidism or Cryptorchidism is concerened

[James]

How was my comment in any way "ignorant"? It was merely a stated opinion. In my view, there is very little wolflike about NIs, Utonagans, Tamascans, British Inuits, British Timber Dogs etc etc etc and in my opinion, they mostly look like dodgy sibe crossbreeds which have no attraction for me at all. Of course, some individuals dogs within the "wolfalike" breeds will be stunning, but the majority do nothing for me at all. No ignorance involved, just my personal opinion.

The reason I probably sound "pissed off" is because my knowledge of these breeds isn't based on ignorance but knowledge - knowledge of the way that those within these breeds (especially NIs) have lied, falsified pedigrees, failed to carry out health testing before breeding and generally created a "breed" with serious health issues, just to satisfy people's desire for a dog that looks a bit like a wolf.

On a slightly different tangent, the only reason that some of the northern breeds look "wolflike" is simple evolution - these dogs look the way they do because, like the wolf, evolution has led them to develop along certain lines which have ensured their survival in arctic/subarctic conditions. A Siberian Husky is no more similar to the wolf genetically, than is a Chinese Crested or a Jack Russell. Their biological similarities with the wolf are the result of them developing under similar environmental conditions.

I thought it was a little unfair to be honest, It felt like a kind of "whats the point of this breed" post.

A breed with serious health issues? I have been looking at information on this breed and aside from the Usual larger dog health issues and perhaps males have undecended testicles, I can't find anything else, Maybe you could enlighten me with where you found your knowledge.

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder for this breed, Yes fine be mad at people who falsified information, but to dislike a breed because of that is very unfair.

I'm not fussed about pedigree in anyway, Infact it annoys me when people think less of a dog because its not pedigree.

I wasn't talking about Huskies being gentically closer to wolves in anyway, Simply that they do bare a certain ressemblance to wolves.

[raindog]

I thought it was a little unfair to be honest, It felt like a kind of "whats the point of this breed" post.

A breed with serious health issues? I have been looking at information on this breed and aside from the Usual larger dog health issues and perhaps males have undecended testicles, I can't find anything else, Maybe you could enlighten me with where you found your knowledge.

Hip Dysplasia

Epilepsy

Von Willebrands Disease

Heart problems

Monorchidism

Cryptorchidism

just a start. Have a look at some of the discussions on the Dogsey forum regarding NI health - you might be shocked!

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder for this breed, Yes fine be mad at people who falsified information, but to dislike a breed because of that is very unfair.

I dislike people who breed Siberian Husky crossbreeds (of any sort) because I love the breed so much. Latest archeological evidence seems to suggest that the sled dogs which Siberians are descended from have been around pretty much unchanged for some 10,000 years. Crossing them with other breeds just for a fashionable appearance seems to me total irresponsibility. It's not the dogs I dislike - they can't help being born. It is those who breed them that I despise.

I'm not fussed about pedigree in anyway, Infact it annoys me when people think less of a dog because its not pedigree.

It's not about thinking more or less of an individual dog. When you are breeding, the dog's pedigree is an absolutely essential tool for assessing the characteristics you want and avoiding those you don't. If careful pedigree records had been kept of the early NIs, and if the breeding stock of the original breeders had been health tested and the results recorded, the "breed" would be much healthier today.

Mick

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

im afraid i agree with mick

imo - its like giving labrador x poodles that name labradoodle - they are x breeds end of why do people have 2 give them stupid names to make them look like an actual breed - NI, Inuits and the other 1 ( i cant spell it) are husky x mal x GSD therefore x breeds - fair enuf if u want to call ur dog a NI ect thats up2u - no1 thinks any less of a dog if its an x breed or not - i own a mutt myself (staffy x whippet) and love him to bits - mick was just stating the face people breed them to look 'wolf like' for no reason with no regards to health (im sure a few DO health test their dogs but most probably dont) and only breed to make them look wolfie (which i agree most actually dont)

im not having a dig at you at all so hope you dont think its coming across that way - im just giving my point of view

[Anne]

Im with Mick all the way on this one as well ,I just dont see the point in mixing any breed ,responsible Siberian Husky breeders have been so careful to keep the bloodlines clean and along come others who decide to mix them with anything they consider might make them look different ,Why ???