*sigh* Key word there... "Stories". I have been studying wolfdogs for only 2.5 years, and in that time I have learned much, much more than most people know about them. My teachers and mentors were/are people who have worked over 10 or 20 years with wolfdogs, one spent many years working at Wolf Park and actually helping to raise many of the wolves they have. It is estimated that 90% of the wolfdogs sold in this country are sold as being higher in wolf content than they actually are. In my experience, I would say at least 70% of those sold have NO wolf in them at all. Many of the so called "attack stories" involved dogs mislabeled as wolfdogs (although there is no doubt that wolfdogs have killed and/or attacked humans-it is this way with all types of dogs). The following is an explanation into the nature of wolves and wolfdogs in regards to challenging for dominance. This information is not merely “stories”, it is information I have learned from L. David Mech’s (one of this countrie’s leading wolf biologists) books on wolf behavior, and my contact with those who have worked for many years will both wolves and wolfdogs.
Wolves are not domesticated, but wolfdogs are not wolves. Many do not make good "pets" for the average person, but you have to remember, they are MIXES. There are some wolfdogs that DO make good pets, mostly because they don't have a lot of wolf in them. Low content wolfdogs are often no different that Siberian Huskies in temperament and needs (although even to a beginning dog owner, huskies can be difficult to care for). It is a myth that "they will turn on you". No, a wolfdog will never (or shouldn't) "turn on you." Like all dogs, some are more dominant in personality than others. High content wolfdogs DO sometimes get what is called Winter Wolf Syndrome (WWS). This is a condition when, during the winter, the wolfdog may become more aggressive and may challenge for dominance among the pack members. HOWEVER, a wolfdog will rarely outright challenge the alpha human owner, unless the owner had a VERY unstable alpha position staked out to begin with (an owner of a high content who does not understand canine language and who does not know how to properly handle WWS WILL increase the likely hood of their being challenged). No owner who has themselves firmly established as alpha should ever have to fear that their wolfdog might challenge for dominance unless they have a wolfdog with a particularly alpha personality (with some wolfdogs, you have to REALLY be able to understand canine language in order to properly establish your alpha position). Even in the wild, wolves with WWS will rarely challenge the alpha. Mostly, they will challenge members closer to their own status. Wolves don't like to fight, and usually avoid it if possible. A battle with the alpha could turn deadly or result in serious injury-this is something a wolf pack cannot afford. I personally, have only known of ONE wolfdog (actually, it was a wolf) who outright attacked the owner for dominance. This particular animal came from a very aggressive/dominant line though.
Some told me that if you are sick, the wolf will try to take advantage of you.
This is yet another myth stemming from human ignorance. Of all the wolf/wolfdog owners I have ever met (and I have met a LOT), none has EVER been attacked or challenged when sick. A wolf or wolfdog will only try to take advantage of you if it has a very pushy/alpha personality and it feels you are laxing in your role as alpha. Whether you are sick or not will not affect your role as alpha unless you let it. And if you're THAT sick, you should probably be in the hospital. In the wild, sick or old alphas are sometimes challenged by other wolves. This is NOT just because they are sick or old though. It is because they are so sick and/or old that they can no longer fulfill their role as alpha (i.e.-eating first, disciplining misbehaving wolves, holding the pack together in general, etc). Also, as a general rule, an alpha will not be challenged the moment they get sick or start showing age. It may be weeks or even months before a younger wolf strikes up the courage to challenge the alpha. Even then, it will not be just one challenge. Several challenges by the younger wolf will occur before it finally succeeds in taking the alpha role (mostly because wolves may have to try challenging several times before they become brave enough to actually go and “take” the alpha role). But remember, it is very uncommon for an alpha wolf to loose its position due to outright challenges. (In the wild, few wolves reach old age, hence the rarity of challenges by younger wolves towards old alphas. In captivity, wolves live much longer and the alpha most likely WILL live to old age, making challenges by younger wolves quite frequent when the alpha becomes too old to fulfill the alpha role).
I, personally, would trust a wolfdog over a dog. I find they are more predictable than dogs (if you know what to look for). I have been living with a wolfdog for sometime now. She is a bit pushy, so I have to always remember to keep up my alpha role. For a while I had trouble establishing my alpha position, but I think I have that mostly worked out now, although she does still have a problem with food/possession aggression. Now that I have gotten a firmer grip on my position as alpha, I have noticed several changes in her behavior. She is much more submissive, more willing to accept discipline, and overall, a lot easier to work with. Still, she is a LOT more than what most people could handle (today she decided she was bored and she tried stealing a bunch of rocks from my rock collection, breaking one, then trying to eat up the outside furniture when I took the rocks away). Don't get me wrong, wolfdogs are NOT right for everyone, few people could properly care for a wolfdog with a lot of wolf content. Low contents, although more like huskies than anything else, are still quite difficult for most 'average' dog owners to handle (this is not because they are part wolf, it is because they may have a lot of malamute or husky in them-dogs that are wonderful escape artists, who are destructive indoors, who don't like listening to commands, and who run away a lot if given the chance. This is something few people could handle). However, when owning a wolfdog, their "turning on you" would most likely be the least of your worries
~Seij