Wolf hybrid - Page 7

Crys, the second animal you describe fits exactly every wolf/dog I've come into contact with. 

That's why I said that they aren't my cup of tea.  That female decided that she didn't want to be on leash one day, and she sliced through a high-quality leather lead with one bite, like a razor.  She never, ever threatened any of us, but she could not be trusted, and truth be told, I was relieved when she moved on.  We couldn't keep her in a kennel, and couldn't keep her tied, and locking her inside a building didn't work either.  She was not a dog, and there was no way to pretend that she was.  She was around for about two or three weeks.  I would never have attempted to obedience train her; by that time, I had trained a couple of my own dogs to off-leash obedience.  She didn't seem to...view humans the way dogs do.  More like equals, I guess.  Odd.

Crys

Yeah, obedience training them is like nailing Jell-O to a tree. They are gorgeous, but I like a dog that wants to work, if I want to admire wolves I'll turn on National Geographic.

Interesting to read all the misinformation from those who don't know what they are talking about.

I have had wolves/wolf hybrid rescues for over 20 years.  I have rehabilitated and placed many animals over the years.

Quick Facts: The Coyote is not the same species as the Wolf.  The Coyote is Canis Latrans, the Wolf is Canis Lupus as is the domestic dog.  Before everyone jumps in a tizzy, The Wolf and Dog used to be labeled as different species.  In the late 1990's it was realized that they are the same species.  The taxonomic classification was changed so that the domesticated dog is classified as Canis Lupus Familiarus.  The Wolf is Canis Lupus (arctos, tundros, etc...)  After that, it was realized that there were too many subspecies of wolf and they were reclassified into less subspecies.  For example the Tundra Wolf and the Pambasillius Wolf were realized to be one and the same.

That all said....WOLVES are NOT DOGS. 

There are NO 98% wolves who act like dogs.  I wish there were, but if they look like a wolf, they act like a wolf. 

Wolf hybrid is a misnomer.  But it's the name they started with and it's still there.

Wolf hybrids are not miserable genetic misfits.  I currently have five rescues.  All of my rescues are obtained as adults through no fault of their own.  I can handle all of them except for one on a regular basis.  The one I can't handle is not a nerve bag, he lacks socialization to allow petting.

Make no mistake that there are bad, dangerous wolf hybrids out there.  Hybrids, in general ( BTW, I HATE generalizations) have a lower prey response and as such are much more likely to interprete small animals and children as play.  I will not rescue a hybrid who sees a small child as prey.  

You cannot domesticate a wolf in three generations.  There has been an anecdotal study done in Russia with fur farm foxes that is used to support this contention.  It's interesting to read but not terribly instructive.

All animals have a place as long as they are cared for properly.

Matt

Most of the time people try to tell me that their companion canine is part wolf I don't give much creedence to it.  I have met a couple over the years however that I do believe were.  2 were 3/4 wolf husky blend that were basically friendly and well socialized.  They came to our local Audubon Society after being seized... one durring a drug raid, the other by a permit violation.  The Audubon did wolf education programs with them for quite a while.  Then one day a raccoon climbed the fence to their enclosure and got in with them.  They made short work of it naturally.... unfortunately.... as the coon was rabid.  Vaccine for Canine Rabies is not approved for use in Wolves... no vaccine is at that time anyhow.... The "Official" report was that they were transfered to a rescue, however several friends who worked there let me know that was not their fate... 

Wolves are amazing creatures... and should be respected as such... very very very few people have the space, nor time to dedicate to the proper socialization and teaching that an animal that alert and intellegent needs.  Nor the dedication to provide the primary companionship that creates the pack.  Wolfs and wolf blends mourn for their pack and the leader when they are seperated for any length of time.  They also would have difficulty being rehomed if anything should happen to the person/people they bond to.

I think people like something "wild" that they can keep in their home plus they like to have something unique.  I would never own a wolf hybrid I know a rescue and those poor dogs are so spooky and have not had good lives. The poster got lucky.  Also I know people that have malamute crosses and call them wolf hybrids.  Just because it looks wolfish doesn't mean it is.  I tried to pull a malamute from a high kill shelter owner who turned it in said it was a wolf hybrid well thats the kiss of death I wasn't able to pull it and it was euthanised  because some idiot thinks he's tough.
Amy

i rescued a wolf hybrid as a puppy. i being native american have always wanted one. my wolf hybrid is so loving, protective, intelligent and athletic. this is exactly what I was looking for in a dog. she is 50% German Sheperd and 50% grey wolf. These dogs are not for everyone by a long shot. I'm 6'4 and 200+ lbs. You absolutly need to be the alpha in this animals life or they will make you life miserable. I have no problem exibiting my alpha-ness over her but thats because of my size mostly. a smaller person would more then likely have problems with this animal. she is far from skiddish, very outgoing, almost too outgoing. very confident animal. she gernerally hates strangers however and i have to be very wary of this. she does very well with kids as long as i am present. shes just a big goofball and wants to play, which can also be a problem since shes 120lbs and doesn't even know how big she is or her own strength. this dog can clear a 8 foot privacy fence like its nothing. i take her roller blading and running daily to tucker her out and we have been clocked at near 40 mph on the rollerblades. these dogs need ALOT of exercise and stimulation. i had a border collie that basically mothered this dog and she took on alot of her qualities. i just wanted to share my experiance with this animal, she has been great. i just hate seeing all the GSP snobs bash on this line, when the majority of them have never owned one. yes, they can be wild, and like i said, these dogs are NOT for everyone. you have to have a motor as big as them if not greater. i train for MMA fights almost year round and this is the perfect workout partner. this has been the best dog i have ever owned, and if your not like me, then do NOT own one of these animals. if you are a physically fit, dominant type that has time for this kind of animal, no other dog will be more rewarding. she is so much work, but she is so rewarding as well.

I read that a male pure timber wolf can weigh as much as 190 pounds, but I think I have never even seen on TV a wolf that large.

The timber wolves I see in zoos are not much bigger than German Shepherds, but my idea of a male  GSD is about 26.5 inches and about 95 pounds.

wolves are wolves. a wild animal meant to live free and wild.

dogs are dogs. domesticated for thousands of years to be a companion to man.

humans who cross the two are nuts. period.

kudos to those who provide rescue.

Rik

Almost 2 years ago a friend of mine discovered a beautiful little puppy tied up to the side of the road with his mom, both were close enough to get hit by traffic. She knew me and my family were looking for a puppy at the time. Well she grabbed him, while trying to not get attacked by mom, the owner came out. He said the mom was 1/2 wolf and 1/2 Husky and dad was a German Shepherd. Well when she dropped him off to us he was under weight and you could tell that he hadn't had much contact with people, he was so skittish and afraid of everything. Well we took our time with him and worked on training him and socializing him. He's will be 2 years old in a couple of months and honestly hes the smartest "dog" I have ever had the pleasure of owning. He learned sit in 15 minutes (both vocal and hand signals), shake paw in 10, and shake left/shake right in 5. He also knows other commands and picked them up extremely quickly and we also did it as a "game". Well except for housebreaking, for that we had to crate train him.  He is great with both the cats and the boys (now ages 8 and 11). The only problems we have with him are the occasional urge to run, a skittishness around strange people, and separation anxiety. He once took off for about a day and a half (I was completely beside myself with worry) and he showed up at the door wagging his tail and just as happy to see me as I was to see him.  If a someone new shows up at the house he will hunker down and bark with fur standing up on end and if they take one step towards him he runs in the other direction with his tail in between his legs. He has never bit anyone or even made an attempt to, we also go outside as soon as we hear someone pull in the drive way. We also worked on "be easy" and "no bite" when he was a puppy. The only things we really had to worry about him biting as a puppy were the wooden chairs and the lilac bush outside. Smudge is also "talker" but when me or my significant other leave the house the talking turns into howls, until he hears the sound of our car coming up the road. Yes, he has learned whose car makes what kinds of noises and gets excited when he hears one of them. He also gets plenty of play time, walk time, and I reinforce the commands he knows on a daily basis. He does get bored easily and is easily distracted but usually a squeak from one of his toys and hes ready to go. I'm still not sure if he really is part wolf and I may never know for sure but I still love him and wouldn't get rid of him for the world.