Some Differences - Wolves vs. Dogs

Genetics/Physical Traits


Pure wolves cycle once a year - pups are born late March through early May. Dogs are born year-round.


Pure wolves and high contents are born black (or very dark gray). Even Arctics, who eventually turn white, are dark at birth. Dogs are born in a variety of colors.


High content (adult) hybrids look very wolfy. Some physical characteristics of the wolf are: long, leggy body; thick, double-coat; extra-large paws; ruff of fur around the neck and shoulder area; elongated snout; long, curved canine teeth; slanted eyes ranging from brown to amber to yellow (never blue) in color; small, furry, rounded ears; straight tail (as opposed to the malamute/husky tail which curls up over the back); black nose. Note: None of these characteristics should be used in and of itself to determine wolf content, since a number of them may be common to wolves and some dogs.

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Behavioral Traits


Early, consistent socialization of the hybrid is necessary at an early age, to adults, children, other animals, noises, situations, etc. If this is not done, the animal may grow into a skittish, unmanageable, fear-biting adult.


Destruction - the wolf is a digger by nature, and the destruction in your home can be extreme, i.e. the living room couch, other furniture, even the walls themselves. Many high content hybrids can open just about anything (despite baby-proof locks) including the refrigerator, cabinets, and doors.


The fact that wolves do not defecate in one area like domesticated dogs, combined with the natural inclination to mark their territory, makes housebreaking wolves and high content hybrids extremely difficult.


High content hybrids are not good watchdogs, due to the wolf's timid nature. Do not expect a high content hybrid to protect you or your property. High contents and pure wolves don't bark much (usually one warning bark, as opposed to the dog's repetitive bark), so they don't make good "alarms", either.


Howling - wolves and hybrids howl, whether out of loneliness, at sirens, or for their own wolf reasons. Take into consideration what type of neighborhood you live in and what your neighbors will put up with. Not everyone appreciates the eerily beautiful howl of the wolf, especially at 4:00 am.


Mouthing - mouthing and nipping are natural behaviors which must be modified at an early age. Teaching an adult 120 lb. hybrid not to bite is no fun, not to mention dangerous.


As far as being good with kids, yes, they can be brought up and socialized with children. But be aware that the prey instinct may be triggered by the young/small child running, or falling down and crying. Many hybrids grow to be very large in size, and play roughly as well. * Regardless of breed or content, no large dog should EVER be left alone with a child.*


Obedience - wolves are extremely intelligent. They do, however, have their own reasons for doing things, and do not have the inbred desire to please humans that dogs do. Obedience training (especially with higher contents) is likely to take more time and effort and produce less reliable results than with a dog, although it can be done. Getting a high content hybrid to come when called is a major undertaking; most can not be let off leash in a public area because of this (combined with the fact that children or small animals may trigger the prey instinct at any time). But many low contents have, with perseverance, gone through formal obedience training class and even excelled. Another extremely important thing is that you establish yourself as alpha early on. It is natural for wolves to challenge the alpha for place in the pack order. You must be prepared to deal with these types of behaviors correctly. *Never, ever hit a wolf or hybrid.* Seek help from a professional trainer experienced with hybrids.

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Day To Day Considerations


Hybrids are escape artists. They need an escape-proof enclosure, with room to run. Hybrids (or for that matter, dogs) should NEVER be kept on a chain as a primary means of containment. The minimum necessary for containment is six foot high chain link fencing with lean-ins at the top, and a dig-proof bottom. Hotwire and a perimeter fence are also recommended. Kira Frye's packet (see last page) has extensive information regarding the building of a proper enclosure.


Hybrids need companionship, canine as well as human. Another hybrid or large breed of dog of the opposite sex is preferable.


Wolves are carnivores. High content hybrids do not do well on kibble alone. Be prepared to supplement the diet with fresh meat - many of the sources listed on the last page go into specific detail on this. It is a good idea to locate a source for meat and find out the costs involved before obtaining your animal.


Transporting high content hybrids and pure wolves in a car is difficult. Getting them into the crate is an ordeal in itself, and many defecate and urinate out of fear during the ride, making a routine visit to the vet an unpleasant experience at best. Some owners find it necessary to tranquilize their animals before transporting them. Be aware that some vets refuse to treat wolf hybrids of any content, and some refuse to administer the rabies vaccine since its effectiveness on hybrids remains to be proven (although this is an issue which is currently in debate, and evidence is pointing towards the vaccine being approved for use on wolves and wolf hybrids).

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A Word About Percentages

It has been estimated that over 90% of wolf hybrids sold in this country are credited with being of higher wolf content than they actually are. One danger in this is that the buyer purchasing a low content animal thinking it's higher may have the animal for years with no problems, training it like a dog, having it live in the house, be housebroken, non-destructive, etc. This person then spreads the story of how wonderful these high-content animals are and how easily cared for not much more trouble than a dog! Someone else hearing this (or even this same person getting a second animal down the line) then gets what actually IS a high content animal - and is in for a big surprise. Also, keep in mind that in addition to percentage, the number of generations the animal is away from a pure wolf will affect behavior as well. A hybrid which is 8 generations down the line from a pure wolf will be less "wolfy" than one who is 3 generations away.

Most high content hybrids (and certainly pure wolves) do NOT make good house pets; most people who have high content animals keep them in the house as pups, only to banish them to the yard after the destruction and behaviors become too much to deal with. This is not to say that no one has ever been successful at keeping a high content in the house (however, many who think they have done so may unknowingly have lower content animals) - but it would take extreme effort and dedication, as opposed to the amount of work required to acclimate a lower content or pure dog.

Note: Wolves have traditionally been crossed with malamutes or huskies, and are also sometimes crossed with german shepherds. Due to the recent surge of popularity of the hybrid and the potential for a quick buck, some unethical breeders have begun to cross wolves with more aggressive breeds, such as chows or pit bulls. These particular crosses are an accident waiting to happen, and threaten the future existence of hybrids everywhere. Do not support this very dangerous trend.



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Thinking about breeding your wolf-dog ? A candid message from Nicole Wilde, author of the book, "Living with Wolfdogs; An Everyday Guide to a Lifetime Companionship", to potential breeders.



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WHATE is hosted as part of The Wolf Dunn's Wolf Tales
(wolf and wolfdog information section).


Images & site, Copyright © 1995-2001 The Wolf Dunn and Nicole Wilde - For website related questions contact Kwewu7@inetdesign.com.

Wolves in Winter

Now is a great time to visit WolfCreek Habitat. The wolves love the cold weather and come out a lot. Good picture taking opportunities and even better in the snow. Check out their hours and recent activities at www.wolfcreekhabitat.org I know they are open today and tomorrow till 11-5. They have a new project coming up and need volunteers a plenty. It will be great once it is all built. Take your camera and head out. As always no admission fee but $20 donation to go in with the wolves. If you plan on going in with the wolves, please read the info and disclaimer on their website. I'd love to plan a field trip with some of my classes there although you can't bring dogs with you. Kids are welcome as long as they stay with you. Check them out.

Interesting Study

Check out this study about wolves. I found it to be quite interesting.

http://www.mndaily.com/2009/10/26/study-finds-wolves-aren%E2%80%99t-successful-predators-entire-lives

5th Annual Native American Fall Gathering

It's that time of year. The 5th Annual Native American Fall Gathering at WolfCreek. It is Oct 10 and 11 starting at 11am to whenever. No admission but donations gladly accepted to help feed the wolves. Check out their website for more details. http://www.wolfcreekhabitat.org/ You can even camp there if you want. Or for a $20.00 donation, go in with the wolves. There are some tips and restrictions so read their website for more. It is a great time for all.

Interesting reading.

“The wolf, now an endangered species, has become a symbolof all that is right and in harmony with nature.It is modern man who in his ignorancehas been wrong and out of step with nature.Not the wolf.”
Michael W. Fox, The Wolf (1989 )

"If all the beasts were gone,men would die from a great loneliness of spirit,for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man.All things are connected.Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.”
Chief Seattle

“Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”
Albert Schweitzer

Many people ask me if wolves make good pets.I invariably answer “No!”and quickly add that no wild animal makes a good pet.
R.D. Lawrence, Trail of the Wolf (1993)

“The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please.We have it in trust and must account for it to those who come after.”
King George VI

“The gaze of the wolf reaches into our souls.”
Barry Lopez – Of Wolves and Men

“Wolves belong in our world and their survival serves as a barometer of how well man is treating the environment overall.”
Unknown

“To some extent,hearing the call of the wild things at night lets us know that the world is doing better than if everything were silent."
Unknown

From www.wolfsanctuary.net Check it out for a great website.

Lydia

Living with a Wolfdog

My go to or mentor on the subject of wolfdogs is Nicole Wilde. She is an owner, author, trainer and volunteer with wolves and wolfdogs. Her books helped me tremendously. I don't pretend to know all there is to know. But I've lived with one and trained many and many owners of wolfdogs. I have volunteered at Wolf Creek Habitat and Sanctuary in the past (not as much as I'd like as my schedule has gotten busier since I first went there.) But I plan to visit them more and take some pictures to share with you. They are also great go to resources on the subject of wolves and wolf dogs. What is Wolf Creek?

Wolf Creek is a sanctuary for wolves and wolfdogs that cannot survive in the wild due to many reasons but a lot is due to people thinking these would make great pets and found out that it is not true most of the time and had no where to go with them. They live their lives in this sanctuary. Make no mistake, they are well taken care of and have great lives. But the sanctuary is at their limit and most wolf and wolf dog rescues are because people give them up when they can no longer handle them.

When owners can no longer handle them, they don't have a lot of options. Dog rescues and shelters usually won't take them. Animal control will take them but will euthanize them. You can't let them go into the wild, they won't survive. And they usually live longer than dogs so you have a dilema on your hands.

Why can't owners handle them? In lots of ways they are like a dog. In lots of ways they are like a wolf. They are like a dog in that you can train them, bond with them, walk them, housetrain them (most of the time). They are like a wolf in that they are destructive (not in a mean way but they LOVE to shred), when left alone in a home they can redecorate it in a heartbeat. They are escape artists. Most times you need a high (7ft or higher) fence for them and absolutely not a shock collar fence. They have a higher than most dogs prey drive which makes living with small animals (such as a cat) or even small children a hazard.

Are all wolf dogs like this? No. You have variations among the percentages. You have some wolf dogs that have made great pets and are even therapy dogs. But it is usually the exception and not the rule. And you may think you have a high content wolf dog (someone or a breeder told you this) and really have a low content wolf dog and he is fine. And you may think you have a low content wolf dog and have a high content and things turn out badly for you and your wolf dog.

They are beautiful creatures and I love them. And I will talk more about their characteristics in a future blog. But I will say that of the wolf dogs that have come thru my classes, only a few have good endings to their stories. Sadly.

In Native American Legend

In Native American Legend

The children of the earth were the animals.

And the child known as Big Mouth,

howled in the forest

and sent spirit messages

to a world beyond.

Today we understand the science of wolves,

but to many their soul has been lost.

A once cunning hunter has become prey to humans.

A magnificent and revered creature,

is now for many considered as vermin.

And what was once a voice to the spirit world,

Now seems a mournful farewell to the world,

from which wolves have been cast.

Graham Greene

First Posting

I think a blog about wolves and wolfdogs is needed. There is so much misunderstanding about them and what they are like and what they do. If I can just help one person who is thinking about getting one of these beautiful creatures and keeping it as a pet, maybe it is worth it. More to come about them but this is a start.