Purebred Breeders has always been fascinated with the similarities between wolves and dogs as well as the domestic dog’s retention of many primal instincts. But, what about those that do not have such a distant wolf history? Wolf dogs, also called wolf hybrids, are dogs that have wolves in their immediate ancestry. This means a specific dog breed was bred with a wolf one to three generations ago, as opposed to the average domestic dog that has to go back thousands of generations to make the connection.
Fun Fact
Purebred Breeders has learned that cross breeding wolves and dogs is considered to be breeding among the same species and is treated no differently than mating two different breed of dogs. However it can be a lot trickier and should only be done by professionals. These hybrids are also referred as “mutts” by friends of the breed because they see them as mixed breed dogs.
Best Breeds for a wolf-dog
Dogs and wolves are canines and come from the same family, so any breed should be fine so long as the breeder knows what he or she is doing. Purebred Breeders would however like to point out that three specific breeds are used more often. These are the 1) German Shepherd; 2) Alaskan malamute; and 3) Siberian husky. You may notice that each of these breeds naturally carry some clear wolf-like physical features.
Temperament of a Wolf Hybrid
Purebred Breeders understands that wolf hybrids do not have a set temperament and cannot all be lumped together because each one within a litter is bound to be unique. The reason behind this is the fact that each hybrid pup will pull traits from both gene pools, but might end of with a different set of characteristics than the others. The pups will however display wolf tendencies coupled with some from the breed or mixed breed of dog that was bred with the wolf.
General Things to Know
Wolf hybrids are pack animals that require lots of space (such as a large fenced off yard), mental stimulation, physical activity, and regular social experiences. They need time with their human families, do well with another canine to play with, shy away from strangers and are generally good-tempered unless ignored, understimulated, or otherwise abused. Another difference Purebred Breeders noticed was the inability to properly process commercial dog foods due to their low meat and high vegetable content, which means they require a special high meat/protein diet.
Breeding Wolf Hybrids
Breeding these dogs now has a different meaning than it did some 50 to 60 years ago. Purebred Breeders’ reading suggests that the practice can be traced back to the 1950s due to the fur trade however, today’s breeders tend to use only wolf hybrids to produce offsprings. Therefore, a modern day “wolf dog” is often not a product of wild wolf and domestic dog mating nor is it some uncontrolled occurrence between canine cousins out in the woods, a belief that has led to some unkind assumptions about the breed’s temperament or behavior.
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