Anyone have a Wolf Hybrid? (no hating please)

[Zoom]

I do not hate but I often wonder what the point is?

If you love the wold that much why not breed actually purebreeded wolves to re populate areas where they have all but disappeared. In Ontario they are breeding and releasing Timber wolves but they are dying rather fast from health problems, in breeding and other improper breeding practices. Then the ones that do survive the local farmers shoot! Why not breed tbe true wolf for the a better purpose but do it responsibly so they survive and do not have genetic issues.

I think your local farmers should take a cue from some of the farmers in the Western US. The wildlife people have successfully re-introduced wolves to the wild and of course the ranchers had a fit over the idea. They reached a bit of a compromise that I'm rather pleased with myself. The wolf people got to release their wolves and the ranchers invested in natural flock guardians like the Great Pyrenees, Kuvaz and those sorts. Keeps costs down on man power, lets the wolves do what they do and the dogs keep the flocks and herds safer. I also think it's great that the GPs are being used in the traditional methods again.

 

[Chithedobe]

I also think that ranchers are compensated in the US by the Govt for animals lost to wolves....

 

[Zoom]

That too...sometimes it's a rather crappy compensation, so it's best to keep everyone alive.

 

[Chithedobe]

At least until we turn them into hamburgers... (sorry, but I had to say it LOL)

 

[my own dogs]

I own a a big wolfdog girl and she have not a problem all with a temperament.
she is a very wonderful and beatiful wolfdog ,wolf grey and brown eyed and she loves all animals and humans to.
I never own a better dog. they are very friendly and funny dogs.
so I love my wolfdog girl !

 

[stevinski]

if you want a wolf/hybrid get a alaskan malamute, husky or if you are that desperate, (only time i will avise a mix) get a Utonagon, which are a wold look alike, and they do look ALOT like wolves

 

[Dulce Pit Bull]

Can I ask a stupid question?

How do you get a Wolf, and a domesticated dog to mate?

 

[stevinski]

i think that they can do it naturally,

i've also heard of people using those breeding stand things, and artificial insemination

 

[Chrissy&B]

Okay all this talk about hybrid dogs..... if you like the type of dog, why not simply buy a pup from an already recognized breed that looks like a wolf? Here are 2 such breeds and I have actually seen them at European dog shows :
Chechoslovakian Wolfdog and Saarloos Wolfhound:
http://www.wolfdog.org/eng/
http://www.saarlooswolfhund.de/

 

[zoe08]

Can I ask a stupid question?

How do you get a Wolf, and a domesticated dog to mate?

In many situations, the wolf will kill the dog instead of mating with it. I imagine most of the the wolf hybrid breeding have to be done with wolves raised as pets. However some people will tie their female (sled dog) out at night when she is in heat, so that a wolf could breed with her, to get some wolf qualities into the sled dogs.

 

[whatszmatter]

However some people will tie their female (sled dog) out at night when she is in heat, so that a wolf could breed with her, to get some wolf qualities into the sled dogs.

Sledders get in here on this, i've always understood that some people did this, but they weren't people that were very well respected or winning many dog races with their dogs. This is a whole other thread, but what attributes would a wolf bring to a sled dog?

The Coppinger book goes into some detail about this, and a book I just read on GSD's goes into this as well. It was really quite interesting, but usually done by people with little knowledge of what they were actually doing.

 

[Bahamutt99]

I have a question. Where do wolf hybrid folks get those percentages? (75% wolf, 20% husky, 5% malamute/Belgian.) I've never seen them used on normal mixes.

 

[Boemy]

If they know the pedigree, they can figure it out mathematically. For example, breed a schnauzer and a lab and you get a dog who's 50% schnauzer and 50% lab. Then breed that dog to a dog who's half schnauzer, half chow and you get a dog who's 25% lab, 25% chow, and 50% schnauzer.

Of course, there's no way of know for sure which traits a dog who's [number]% of [breed] will display . . . you can breed a schnauzer and a lab and end up with a dog who looks and acts almost exactly like a labrador . . . or one who looks and acts a lot like a schnauzer . . . or, more commonly, something in between. BUT statistically speaking it's true that it will have inherited half its genes from one parent and half from the other, so in that sense it would indeed be 50% schnauzer, 50% labrador.

Personally, I don't think people should purposely breed wolfdogs . . . Wolves are wonderful animals, but from what I've read (from sources who are not prejudiced against wolves, like the people at Wolf Park), they're not good pets. I also think that in many cases where people haven't actually seen the parents, "wolfdogs" are actually malamute or husky crosses. Like the thing with tying a bitch in heat outside for the night in an area where there's dog sledding . . . It seems to me far more likely a straying husky would come around than a wolf!

 

[casablanca1]

I'm tempted to be a bit negative here, but I'll respect the OP's request to not hear the anti-hybrid opinion. I just want to say that I found it troubling that she said that she doesn't tell people that the dog's a hybrid. I realize that, practically speaking, that makes life easier for her. But if her pet is a hybrid, people should know that so they don't treat him like they would a dog. It's very irresponsible to try to duck the issue, because if the animal does have wolf in it, that oh-so-attractive wildness is going to make it less tolerant of human handling and mishandling, and more liable to bite. She owes it to the people who come in contact with him to be honest, even if it hurts her feelings to have people look at him differently.

 

[ToscasMom]

Casablanca, what you said was exactly what crossed my mind.

..gulp.

 

[misticaleclipse]

I'm tempted to be a bit negative here, but I'll respect the OP's request to not hear the anti-hybrid opinion. I just want to say that I found it troubling that she said that she doesn't tell people that the dog's a hybrid. I realize that, practically speaking, that makes life easier for her. But if her pet is a hybrid, people should know that so they don't treat him like they would a dog. It's very irresponsible to try to duck the issue, because if the animal does have wolf in it, that oh-so-attractive wildness is going to make it less tolerant of human handling and mishandling, and more liable to bite. She owes it to the people who come in contact with him to be honest, even if it hurts her feelings to have people look at him differently.

This is why I am always careful of any dog that has wolf traits, but I am assuming the op does not let strangers near the dog, much less let it near children or people who want to pet it? But what about in the yard?

I will not be negative either, but I firmly believe that if you do not think something is wrong then have some guts and tell the truth and take a stand for what you believe in. By not telling people the true nature of your dog you are able to hide in the corner like you beleive it is wrong. If you don't think it's wrong, stand up for what you believe in in real life, not just on the internet.

I have to be honest and say that I would be taking precautions if I knew there was any type of dog agresive or high prey drive dog next door, even more so with a wolf hybrid. (I have a 8lbs dog who would be considered prey by many high prey drive dogs, so you can see why I would be concerned)

This is not a negative on wolf hybrids. I do not believe ANY breeder is a good breeder when they are pureposefully breeding mixed dogs. This opinion does not change when it comes to wolf hybrids. If you wanted to breed wolves and keep them for a pet you would need all the luck in the world to do so.

 

[chinchow]

I'm tempted to be a bit negative here, but I'll respect the OP's request to not hear the anti-hybrid opinion. I just want to say that I found it troubling that she said that she doesn't tell people that the dog's a hybrid. I realize that, practically speaking, that makes life easier for her. But if her pet is a hybrid, people should know that so they don't treat him like they would a dog. It's very irresponsible to try to duck the issue, because if the animal does have wolf in it, that oh-so-attractive wildness is going to make it less tolerant of human handling and mishandling, and more liable to bite. She owes it to the people who come in contact with him to be honest, even if it hurts her feelings to have people look at him differently.

Unless she is letting strangers come up and pet her dog without them asking, and without her knowing her dog is stable, then I see nothing wrong with her keeping hidden the fact it is a hybrid. In some places, they can take away your dog for that, even if the dog has done nothing wrong.

I have had two hybrids, both were mid/high content, and I never had a problem with either of them. There are about as many myths surrounding hybrids as there are with most "dangerous" breeds.

I don't agree with breeders breeding these dogs. Most of them lie a lot about them, and give false handling and care information. They are not animals that people with no experience should have. But people who know what they are doing really do not deserve to be bashed for owning them. People are bashed on enough for owning certain purebreds due to them being "dangerous" and "unstable". Responsible owners don't deserve the treatment.


As far as sled dogs being kept out to mate with wolves, I've worked with sled dogs kennels, and have never heard of anyone doing this. I would think that pack instinct would keep a male from breeding with a very random female tied to an odd contraption. In wolves, there's more to it than just spreading your seed. It's actually a very involved process.
I know of a sled kennel that has wolfdogs, and only wolfdogs. Though I've only seen their site, and it isn't very extensive on percentages, or race winnings. I'm not even sure if they are sprint or mid/long-distance runners. I just know it's out there, and have no clue what wolves would bring to the table, unless they believe it makes for a hardier dog.

 

[misticaleclipse]

Unless she is letting strangers come up and pet her dog without them asking, and without her knowing her dog is stable, then I see nothing wrong with her keeping hidden the fact it is a hybrid. In some places, they can take away your dog for that, even if the dog has done nothing wrong.

Your right, the dog has done nothing wrong, but neither has a dog who has been trained to kill other dogs and fight, but in the end it's the dogs that is put to sleep, not the owner. If it is illegal, then its illegal for a reason.

If you want to question any law there are ways to go about it other than just outright breaking it. Especially since there are so many unwanted dogs in the world that if you cannot get the dog breed you want there are many others out there that need love.

I doubt it's illegal where the op lives if they are willing to post a picture on the internet and speak about this issue.

 

[casablanca1]

then I see nothing wrong with her keeping hidden the fact it is a hybrid. In some places, they can take away your dog for that, even if the dog has done nothing wrong. I have had two hybrids, both were mid/high content, and I never had a problem with either of them. There are about as many myths surrounding hybrids as there are with most "dangerous" breeds.

While it's somewhat sad that people can lose beloved pets to summary breed-based judgement, it's not fair to lie to people to assure a measure of protection for an animal you chose to purchase and bring into a hostile environment. Hybrids have various issues which make them highly problematic pets, issues which result in a higher number of bites and attacks on humans and dogs and other animals than the norm for domestic dogs. It's completely hypocritical to cry 'but if the truth is told, that jeopardizes my pet' while you jeopardize other people and their pets.

 

[Delisay]

Ruckus is beautiful ... and more Husky-looking that I would expect for 75% Wolf.

Something that I find interesting when a few people express disapproval of Wolf "hybrids", is that they don't realise that they have one ! This is by Ray Coppinger Ph.D., about DNA research that he supervised in 1990:

"...there is less difference between wolves and dogs, than dogs from each other. ...there is less difference between dogs and wolves than between frogs in a single pond.

So which breed of dog is closest to the wolf? So far they are all in the same basket ... What this all means is that through time there has been an infusion of unrelated genes, a sharing of mothers...between species and between breeds. The wild animals we think of as distinct from one another, the purebred dogs we appreciate for their special form and behavior are not really unrelated.

...the Maremma. This breed is classified in dog books with the Shar, Anatolian Shepherd, Komondor, and Great Pyrenees as a working livestock guarding dog. But this is a functional definition and has little to do with genetic ancestry. ... The differences between the haplotypes...are so small that they are essentially meaningless.

...domestic dogs and wild wolves share maternal ancestors ... they are more closely related than even wolves and coyotes...

Many dog fanciers like to think their breed traces directly back to ancient originals. ...But the data do not support these fantasies. Types or breeds of dogs are created, reshuffled, and recreated. Superficial characters like size or color or shape are not indicative of a pure genetic ancestry."

From: http://www.kc.net/~wolf2dog/dnaid.htm (There's a breed ancestry chart here too.)

Del.