All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Legendary-Taco » Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:11 pm

Thanks for posting, Blightwolf! Incredibly useful x3 This may also help stop some misconceptiona, stereotypes, etc, about Wolfdogs. Once again, very useful ^^
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by finger_nail227 » Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:58 am

this is really helpful, thanks for posting this! :)
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by shadows talon » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:32 am

ive allways wanted a wolfdog but its illeagal to own one were i live :(
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Blightwolf » Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:16 am

shadows talon wrote:ive allways wanted a wolfdog but its illeagal to own one were i live :(
I wouldn't recommend owning a wolfdog. I think it's a good thing they are prohibited where you live, because if they are illegal it makes the consequences of owning one much more severe, and it forces many people to re-think their decision to get a wolf hybrid.

Wolfdogs are not pets, and they should not be considered to be as pets, either. They are unpredictable, demanding, hard to take care of (without proper expertise, training, education, and financial resources).
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by wolfluver86 » Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:03 am

Nice guide here, Blight! Thanks for posting this!

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by gabrilagg » Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:24 am

I feel sorry for hybrid wolf-dogs, since they are really confused animals. Be a wolf, or be a dog? Be wild, or be domesticated? If they were humans, they'd think that. When I was younger, I wanted to have one, but now? No, thanks. Or wolf, or dog. Thanks for sharing this! That really cleared up some of my doubts. c:

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by -Kiran- » Thu Mar 08, 2012 8:39 pm

Great guide here Blight! Thanks for the information.

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by OkamiShiranui123 » Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:52 am

AceWolf2010 wrote:I always wondered what it would be like to live with a wolf dog :) A very useful guide. By the way, have you ever owned a wolf dog? Where did you get the information?
Having a wolfdog can be pretty cool but it has it's dangers. As you can see wolf dogs are crossbred between a dog and a wolf so they still have the wild gene in them. Some things can set off their wild gene inside so I would be careful if you own one or work with them, though as long as you don't make them snap they may be pretty fun to have around the house ^^
Anyways nice guide Blight, really pointed out some good details!
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by LoupChante » Sat May 12, 2012 8:49 am

OkamiShiranui123 wrote: Having a wolfdog can be pretty cool but it has it's dangers. As you can see wolf dogs are crossbred between a dog and a wolf so they still have the wild gene in them. Some things can set off their wild gene inside so I would be careful if you own one or work with them, though as long as you don't make them snap they may be pretty fun to have around the house ^^
Anyways nice guide Blight, really pointed out some good details!
Just wondering have you owned/worked with wolfdogs before? I have for several years and I have never been snapped at out of aggression. I also work with dogs and have been snapped, bitten, and growled at out of aggression. And what do you mean "wild gene"? A "wild gene" from a wolf means the animal would be scared and run away from people rather than confront them. They don't act like the beasts you hear in fairytales

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by WolvesOfTheSeas » Sat May 12, 2012 10:21 am

Wow these are very interesting thank you Blightwolf for these wonderful Facts :lol:

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Blightwolf » Sun May 13, 2012 2:51 pm

LoupChante wrote:Just wondering have you owned/worked with wolfdogs before? I have for several years and I have never been snapped at out of aggression. I also work with dogs and have been snapped, bitten, and growled at out of aggression. And what do you mean "wild gene"? A "wild gene" from a wolf means the animal would be scared and run away from people rather than confront them. They don't act like the beasts you hear in fairytales
I believe your question was directed at OkamiShiranui123, but I would like to post my own thoughts as well, as the creator of this thread.

I have not personally owned wolfdogs, but I have worked with hybrids of different percentages (low, mid, and high) for a very long time.

First of all, the term "aggression" is inaccurate, in my sincere opinion. I have been snapped at by a wolf hybrid - several times. And it has got nothing to do with an ill or a dangerous/aggressive temperament - snapping is a perfectly normal behavior from a hybrid. I realize not many people are willing to agree with this because many biased individuals believe it gives the wrong impression of a hybrid - but on the contrary, it is the accurate impression of a hybrid. Snapping is a natural, healthy behavior pattern. Is snapping/biting/lunging/nipping/growling a wanted behavior, however? No. It is not desired, from a human's point of view, which is why it is highly important that hybrids are trained so that they can be given a cut-off signal when they display this behavior. Every hybrid I have ever worked with have been taught both vocal and non-verbal commands. They respond to words such as "No" and "Quit it", or when a person raises their hand towards them, palm up, they know their behavior is unwanted.

Also, when OkamiShiranui123 mentioned a "wild gene", I believe they are simply referring to the fact that hybrids similar qualities as wolves. A "wild gene" in this context does not refer to the typical behavior of a wild animal, who would rather flee rather than encounter/confront a human. It is simply a reminder that even though hybrid wolves are not wild, they are not fully domestic either. Saying that they are "beasts" is one way to humanize large predators. They are not beasts; but they are animals. They can be unpredictable. They can be dangerous. (And in the wrong hands without proper socialization and training, hybrid wolves ARE dangerous). I cannot force certain people to agree with this, but I think it is incredibly immature and irresponsible to claim that hybrids are not even potentially dangerous, because they are. Even with an experienced, responsible and knowledgeable owner/handler, they are prone to unpredictability. This is a fact.

I have been asked many times do I trust hybrid wolves, and do I feel safe around them. And the answer to both is a solid "No" - I adore many of the great canines I've had the privilege to socialize and train, and I am not afraid of these animals or what they are capable of in any way, but I am also not foolish enough to turn my back on them without at least keeping them in my peripheral vision. When I am in an enclosure with a hybrid or when I have a hybrid on a leash, I take responsibility for that animal, and for myself. As a handler, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of myself, the wolf hybrid, and also other people and animals around us.
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by LoupChante » Sun May 13, 2012 7:00 pm

Blightwolf wrote: I believe your question was directed at OkamiShiranui123, but I would like to post my own thoughts as well, as the creator of this thread.

I have not personally owned wolfdogs, but I have worked with hybrids of different percentages (low, mid, and high) for a very long time.

First of all, the term "aggression" is inaccurate, in my sincere opinion. I have been snapped at by a wolf hybrid - several times. And it has got nothing to do with an ill or a dangerous/aggressive temperament - snapping is a perfectly normal behavior from a hybrid. I realize not many people are willing to agree with this because many biased individuals believe it gives the wrong impression of a hybrid - but on the contrary, it is the accurate impression of a hybrid. Snapping is a natural, healthy behavior pattern. Is snapping/biting/lunging/nipping/growling a wanted behavior, however? No. It is not desired, from a human's point of view, which is why it is highly important that hybrids are trained so that they can be given a cut-off signal when they display this behavior. Every hybrid I have ever worked with have been taught both vocal and non-verbal commands. They respond to words such as "No" and "Quit it", or when a person raises their hand towards them, palm up, they know their behavior is unwanted.

Also, when OkamiShiranui123 mentioned a "wild gene", I believe they are simply referring to the fact that hybrids similar qualities as wolves. A "wild gene" in this context does not refer to the typical behavior of a wild animal, who would rather flee rather than encounter/confront a human. It is simply a reminder that even though hybrid wolves are not wild, they are not fully domestic either. Saying that they are "beasts" is one way to humanize large predators. They are not beasts; but they are animals. They can be unpredictable. They can be dangerous. (And in the wrong hands without proper socialization and training, hybrid wolves ARE dangerous). I cannot force certain people to agree with this, but I think it is incredibly immature and irresponsible to claim that hybrids are not even potentially dangerous, because they are. Even with an experienced, responsible and knowledgeable owner/handler, they are prone to unpredictability. This is a fact.

I have been asked many times do I trust hybrid wolves, and do I feel safe around them. And the answer to both is a solid "No" - I adore many of the great canines I've had the privilege to socialize and train, and I am not afraid of these animals or what they are capable of in any way, but I am also not foolish enough to turn my back on them without at least keeping them in my peripheral vision. When I am in an enclosure with a hybrid or when I have a hybrid on a leash, I take responsibility for that animal, and for myself. As a handler, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of myself, the wolf hybrid, and also other people and animals around us.
A "wild gene" in this context does not refer to the typical behavior of a wild animal, who would rather flee rather than encounter/confront a human. It is simply a reminder that even though hybrid wolves are not wild, they are not fully domestic either.
So then, how exactly does that 'wild gene' effect their behavior. Can you elaborate for me what you think acting 'wild' means for the wolf? Because to me, that means aloof and running away from human/confrontation, not lunging or biting people etc. Im not saying that wolves don't bite or lung but they give warnings, such as growling which should be acknowledged. And as you said, in the wrong hands this can be bad.

They can be unpredictable. They can be dangerous. (And in the wrong hands without proper socialization and training, hybrid wolves ARE dangerous).
They can be dangerous.. they can be unpredictable in the wrong hands. But so can any big dog in the wrong hands.
but I think it is incredibly immature and irresponsible to claim that hybrids are not even potentially dangerous, because they are
I agree, and I never did say that. In the wrong hands Im sure many animals are dangerous no? But I also think its incredibly immature and irresponsible to claim that all wolfdogs are dangerous, as it is just not true and gives the wrong impression on the animal. I know this is not what you are claiming, but as a general statement.
Even with an experienced, responsible and knowledgeable owner/handler, they are prone to unpredictability. This is a fact.
I am still unsure with what you mean by unpredictability, but I have my doubts of this fact. Each wolfdog is predictable, but what you are going to get when breeding a wolfdog is difficult to predict.

Quote from Florida Lupine Association
"The macho characteristics of the wolf/dog hybrids make them highly desirable to some people but also highly unpredictable"

This accusation of "unpredictability" is a scare tactic used by the media. I am surprised to see it here, in an official document from a biology department. Dogs, wolfdogs, or wolves are not unpredictable in behavior. I have spoken with a number of professional dog behaviorists that work with wolfdogs. They have seen no clear differences in behavior of wolfdogs from that of other dogs, and I have never heard a behaviorist suggest that a wolfdog is unpredictable. I know hundreds of wolfdog owners and have never once heard one call their animal "unpredictable". Many dog owners would call their animals unpredictable out of ignorance of dog behavior, this doesn't mean that they actually are unpredictable. The same holds true for wolfdogs, ignorance by owners should not be translated into known "fact".

Most is from personal experience from wolfdogs of all content, but if you want cited info here
http://www.wolfdogproject.com/myths.htm
http://www.floridalupine.org/publicatio ... t_Plan.htm

Maybe we will just have to agree to disagree on this one?

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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Blightwolf » Mon May 14, 2012 7:08 am

I sincerely believe that a healthy dose of skepticism is in order when working with any type of wild animal. Unfortunately, there are a large number of individuals who own a wolfdog and claim that their hybrid "loves" them or considers their human caretaker as "one of the pack" and has never "threatened" (e.g. growling, snapping, lunging) or challenged the owner in any way. And these are the type of claims that I personally classify as immature, incredibly ignorant, and irresponsible.

I personally think what should be highlighted at this point of the discussion is that yes, interpretations of different wolfdogs' behaviors are often opinion-based. Each person that has worked with these animals is different, has had different experiences with them, and has their own opinion. And it should also be taken into consideration that the animals are different as well - they possess their own personality traits, and I've never personally claimed that every hybrid behaves in the same way. For example, some hybrids are considerably a lot more "easier" to work with - they can be less "tense" by nature and visibly more relaxed around humans and display degrees of affection comparable to those shown by our domestic dogs, while some hybrids can be harder to manage and have unpredictable tendencies. I've never stated wolfdogs are "aggressive" - because as I mentioned before, I believe that word is a misnomer. I don't believe in "aggressive" hybrids. But I believe in unpredictable hybrids. I cannot personally (referring to myself as an individual; obviously I cannot state the same on the behalf of another person) walk into an enclosure even with a hybrid I've worked with since their birth and guarantee that I am always going to be safe around that animal. This is what I mean when I use the term "unpredictability."

I do not deny the fact that an educated owner would not be able to "read" the wolfdog, and thus predict its behavior. Any responsible handler should be knowledgeable enough to do this and pay attention to behavior cues so that they can prevent a potentially dangerous situation.

The "wild gene" can manifest in hybrids in several ways and can occur in different contexts, but typically it manifests as social testing and predatory behavior (I have created a topic about this, if you are interested you are able to view it here; http://www.wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38708).
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Willow Lokota » Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:45 pm

hi we used to have a wolfdog. He was white and was quite nice. Unfortunately we had to give him away because of his wild behavior but really they are good animals and if he not been abused by his previous owner i think he would have been great. thanks for the post! i really liked it!
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Re: All About Wolfdogs: Info & Guide

Post by Edme1 » Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:58 pm

Wow, that's a lot of useful information! Wolfdogs are very interesting, I have just found. ^^ Thanks!
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