wolf cross - Page 1

This may appear a little off the track question but is there anyone on this site who breeds wolf dogs?

Also I want to know has anyone tried a cross between a wolf dog and a GSD??

What are the results? Also if somebody is deep in this area, could you give some research articles on this cross???

thx

Wolf dog hybrids are not a good idea.  Many years ago I had a wolf GSD cross and while I thought he wa a great dog he always had a wild streak that I could not train out.  He was constantly agitated whenever he was restrained and was deadly to smaller animals.  He will always be remembered by me as one of the most intellegent and beautiful dogs that I have ever had, but if you want my advice, don't even consider it.

The American Tundra Shepherd is a wolf/GSD cross experiment by our Government to develope the ultimate working dog. LOL! Didnt work. Rumor has it that the Shiloh Shepherd was develpoed using a Malamute Wolf cross. Personally I think the wolf is a beautiful animal that needs to STAY in the wild.  

Here is the website to the American Tundra Shepherd http://www.americantundrashepherd.com/ 

I also had a wolf Hybrid 98% wolf that was given to me at 9 months of age because the owners couldn't handle him. I must agree he was the most intelligent animal I have come across. He also had a wild streak no amount of training could fix. He would climb trees after lizards, jumped 10 high, straight over my head after a peacock. Any thing moving was prey to him. When he Matured at 5 years he had to be put down due to domiance issues. Nothing is more scary then a wolf comming at your thraot while you are sleeping. Even though he was neutered at a year of age, he still went through his winter breeding wild man stage were he was totally out of his mind when he matured.  Wolves arent meant to stay in the wild and crosses shouldnt happen. JMO 

OK, havent had my coffe yet. He jumped 10 feet high and over my head. and of course wolves ARE MEANT to stay in the wild.

To this day, we are not sure as to why, but my nephew was mauled and killed by a hybrid, Shepherd/Wolf cross in 1995, in South Dakota.. their best guess was the male felt threatend because a female in the area was in heat.. but obviously, I wouldnt recomend that..

I have a place near me that specializes in wolfs and wolf/GSD (usually white ones) crosses.  From my understanding, after reading and studying these crosses over many years, it is not a good idea.  You end up with unique canines, but they are unpredictable and can not be trusted around anyone and any animal.  Yes, an individual dog now and then will be okay, but they are few and far between.

I have read and heard that generally, if you are going to do this, you get the best crosses from those that are only one quarter, 1/4, wolf, not more nor less than that.

A similiar experiment would be to take a typical female college student and "cross" her with a male from one of the headhunter tribes in Africa.  You might get a decent child, but he/she will have "problems".  Not everything in our makeup is learned or trained.  Just like no one teaches a baby bird to back up to poop outside of its nest, it just knows.  It is inherent.  The same with a wolf's mentality.  It is just inherent in their makeup to do certain things and react certain ways, and will be passed on to their offspring to a certain extent, even if the pups are raised in someones home, just like a regular family pet or working dog.  I had a cop friend once, who lived in Beulah, N.D., who had a wolf/GSD cross which he thought highly of, but he never left it unattended unless it was securely behind a good fence.  He did not trust it with his wife and kids, yet he praised it constantly for various things, but even he did not trust it completely, as many here completely trust their GSD's with family, while they are gone.

If anyone out there does this, you will being putting many of these to sleep.  I too would be intrigued with what could come of it, but the cruelty and heartache which would surely come, from constant caging and putting many down, would not be worth it.  But of course, there will some who think that "you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."

Here are some interesting links you can check out:

http://www.idir.net/~wolf2dog/index.html

http://www.idir.net/~wolf2dog/gsd1.htm

http://www.inetdesign.com/wolfdunn/breeds/

http://www.wolfdogrescue.com/

The Wolf is naturally very aloof and reactive. It is not a dog and does not have any of the dogs qualities that make it suitable for pets. Lots of so called crosses being offered to unsuspecting buyers that are usually just Husky or Malamute or GSD mixes and nothing more. Beware, might pay big bucks for a mix. Wolves are seasonal breeders, and that includes the males. A male Wolf can not breed a female dog when she is in heat but he is not. Wolf or Wolf cross pups that are offered at times other than spring are not a Wolf, not even part Wolf with high enough content to qualify it as a Wolf dog. 1/8th or 1/16th is hardly a Wolf any more. Wolves and high content Wolfdogs are also hard to keep in captivity. They need reinforced kennels including something that keeps them from going over or under, and an eye kept on them at all times. They may be ok with their 'pack' ie owners, but by design, Wolves do not solialize outside the pack. Strong hunting instinct, limited trainability, aloofness stays even with high dilution of Wolf, reactive, terretorial, etc. Also keep in mind that an adult Wolf can bite through a human thigh bone without much trouble. They are long lived, so its a very dedicated committment because a high content Wolfdog cannot be just boarded somewhere when you go on holidays, nor a case for a dog sitter. Be careful what you are getting yourself into. Google it, lots of info on the web. I have a friend who has all sort of wild canids. Interesting, but enough to look at and enjoy during visits, too much hassle for keeping if you ask me. However, there is the Sarloos Wolfhound and the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, which are domestic dog breeds with a wolfish appearance, but more dog than wolf. A much better option.

Another thought to ponder.... because a wolf is not considered a domesticated animal, in many  areas it is against the law to own one without a special permit.. good luck getting that or getting homeowners insurance.

Technically since it is not domesticated and since vaccine testing was only carried out for domesticated animals, vaccinations are not considered tested or approved and technically, are probably against the law to do... I worked for 1 vet who wouldn't give a Rabies vaccination to a wolf hybrid pup.... 

It's a very romantic thought and I like a lot of people are totally in awe of them but would never consider owning one

Denise

i met a girl who had a wolf cross and while she loved that beast, she had to give up any pretense of an "outside" life. she couldn't go out because the wolf went nuts.her entire existence revolved around the wolf. she made a (poor) living by bringing him to groups to speak out against breeding and owning these animals. at the time, the wolf was young, i have no idea what has happened to them as he matured.DH said alot of GOOD stuff about these hybrids. stupid idea from the get-go. wolves are not our spiritual soul mates or any new age crap. they are meant to be in the wild. i love watching shows on wolves and seeing beautiful photos, but the thought of "owning" one gives me the hoodypuckers! the instinctive behavior is millenia old not a couple hundred years. just check out the wolf/hybrid rescue groups and see how many of these beasties end up dumped because they can't fit in to human society. some things should just be against the law. breeding wolf/hybrids doesn't benefit the animals and humans. i wish i knew what the original thinking was behind the hybrids to begin with. you certainly couldn't trust a wolf to guard or shepherd your livestock!