A wolf dog hybrid is the result of mating a dog with a wild wolf, and as a matter of fact, the domestic dog has been recategorized as a subspecies of wolf.
Wolf dogs have existed for thousands of years, and it’s known that they were used to hunt for mammoths in Europe. However, the first breeding of a dog with a wolf in Great Britain found on record happened in 1766, and it’s believed that a wolf mated with a Pomeranian, resulting in a litter of 9 puppies… I can only imagine how that happened, unless Poms had not been bred down to toy size yet. Nowadays, wolves are normally bred with Huskies, Malamutes and German Shepherds. The resulting hybrid is the most appealing for those who want an exotic pet and want to keep the wolf appearance.
Many people are concerned that wolf dog are not “safe”, but statistics show that there aren’t many instances of attacks by wolf dogs, and the ones you do find always have something to do with the mistreatment of the dogs, like having them chained or locked up in pens, thus not allowing them to be socialized. Under these conditions, it doesn’t matter what breed of dog it is, the result will eventually be an aggressive dog. The personality and disposition of the animal will depend on the way it is treated.
Although wild wolves have a lifespan of 5 to 7 years, a domesticated wolf dog can live from 15 to 20 years! They have a longer lifespan than many big dogs. They are also highly trainable. Wolf dogs are very, very smart animals and they pick up on their training at an amazing speed. They are also good with other dogs, and as with any other animal, small children should always be supervised. I personally had a wolf dog as a nanny for many years. Mishka was an incredible dog who took care of me when I was a toddler, but you have to keep in mind that large dogs will always have a prey instinct and have to be very well socialized and trained to be around small animals and children.
By nature, wolves are very shy animals and they live in packs in close family units. They are loyal, loving and caring. When you have a hybrid, he or she might have traits from either the wolf side or the dog side. Wolf dogs can show consistently dog-like behavior, but they still retain some wolf-like behaviors like howling, digging, and chewing. A lot of chewing. They tend to be quite destructive if not trained and looked after correctly.
A wolf dog can be an incredibly caring and loving companion, but never lose sight of the fact that hybrids are not just regular dogs, they do have a wild wolf side, which makes them extremely intelligent, they reason and plan things out. People need to be prepared to handle them. Wolf dogs require a lot of attention. You and your family have to become a pack and give the dog all the time and attention to help him or her become a wonderful pet.
A lot of people end up giving up on their wolf dogs because they are not ready for the task, but thankfully there are places where the hybrids are given sanctuary, where they are appropriately socialized so they can find new homes.
