The question was recently posted to me about whether I would train a high percentage wolf hybrid. I had to sit back and think about how to word my answer because dog people are very easily offended, especially if they feel their pet has been spurned. The truth of the matter is that I object to the hybridization of wolves and domestic dogs on a basic level.
You see, my expertise is with dogs. Dogs are the animals I love and that I was raised with. On top of that, dogs are the only animal that has chosen to be with people. Horses had to be broken, birds must be caged or raised in isolation, cats I don't believe will ever truly be tamed. But dogs chose to work with people. The first dogs were wild dogs that hung around humans long enough to be tamed and domesticated but there can be no denying that the dog of today and the wolf are two very different animals. There enlies my problem.
I don't believe people should own tigers or lions and my position doesn't change with wolves. Wolves are wild animals and to mix them with domestic dogs like Shepherds or Malamutes does not create a domestic dog with a taste of the wild. It creates a dog that will have to live in conflict and confusion for its entire life. One side will be telling them to walk for miles a day, to hunt, to scavenge and cash high value items, to avoid people and human settings (like highways and cities). The other side will be telling them to seek out people and solicit attention. It is a perfect storm for confusion.
It is extremely difficult to create a living situation for a wold hybrid that will allow them to truly live happily. It requires at least 5 acres and a very high fence that is also buried. There must be a place to dig, a place to swim, a place to hide, and ideally a place to hunt in some capacity.
If ever I was going to venture to train a high percentage wolf hybrid I would first contact a wild animal expert to see if they would mind contributing to the project. I understand how the dog's mind works and how they learn. This brain is vastly different from the brain of a wolf, especially when it comes to relating to people. When people have successfully related and communicated with wolves they have had to learn "wolf language" and adapt their body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations to accomodate the communication patterns of the animals. When we train dogs we make them learn words like "heel", "sit", and "down." We teach them to read our body language and to understand our corrections instead of learning to communicate purely in a language that they understand. Dogs are able to do this because their brains have been hardwired through generations of selective breeding to accomodate people and to work for our approval. If you put a litter of puppies in a room full of bones, food, and toys they will have a great time. If you add a new and friendly person to that room at least half of the puppies will come over to investigate the person and to nibble, lick, and play with it. Dogs that have not had a bad experience with humans will naturally seek them out. Wild wolves who seek out people are considered dangerous and are usually shot or relocated far away from any human population.
I understand the draw of owning a magnificent animal like a wolf. They are beautiful and powerful and to control one would be to control nature. There is something unbreakable about them. Something old that speaks to the lovers of the natural world. But when you take that thing and ask it to live in a second floor, two bedroom apartment you are asking for trouble. The animal will never feel fulfilled. They will never be walked enough. They will likely pose a threat to small pets and animals that live near them. They will be destructive to houses and possibly become fear-biters as people approach them at the wrong time. An animal so beautiful is sure to attract attention but half of their genetic code will be screaming at them to avoid people at all costs and if it feels cornered I would not be surprised if it lashed out.
No, I don't train or own wolf hybrids. Especially "high percentage" wolf hybrids. If someone asked me if they should get a wolf hybrid I would first ask them why they want it. If it is because they want to own a little bit of the wild I would suggest sponsoring a wild wolf that is being reintroduced to the wild. Or perhaps adopting an acre of the rainforest. If they want a dog that howls at the moon and acts "wolfy" I will point them towards primitive dogs like the Siberian Husky or the Alaskan Malamute. I, personally, own one of the most primitive dog breeds in the world. My Akita, Kylie, does not howl (making vocal sounds was bred out of them to make them better hunters and silent guard dogs. They only bark when there is no chance of the prey's escape- or apparently when it is the Jimmy John's guy) but she does have the taciturn, almost aloof presence of a dog that hasen't changed much in the past thousand years. Akitas have not been altered like some breeds but remain fairly true to their original specimens. American Akitas (this includes Kylie) are larger, and have more color variation. As a hiker, camper, and overall lover of the more wild things nature has to offer I wanted a primitive dog to join me in my adventures. But I stopped there. I knew that owning a wolf or a wolf hybrid was a romantic idea that comes from Jack London's inaccurate portrayal of friendships between wild dogs and people. Wolves are my favorite animal and have been ever since I was very small. It is on my bucket list to go "wolf watching" in Yellowstone. The idea of a wolf being collared and confined is very upsetting to me. No, I would not venture to ask a wolf or wolf hybrid to adapt to live with people. They can take care of themselves and I will continue to work with, live with and love those lovable cousins of the wolf, the domestic dog. Because sometimes it seems the dog is truly lost without us.
You see, my expertise is with dogs. Dogs are the animals I love and that I was raised with. On top of that, dogs are the only animal that has chosen to be with people. Horses had to be broken, birds must be caged or raised in isolation, cats I don't believe will ever truly be tamed. But dogs chose to work with people. The first dogs were wild dogs that hung around humans long enough to be tamed and domesticated but there can be no denying that the dog of today and the wolf are two very different animals. There enlies my problem.
I don't believe people should own tigers or lions and my position doesn't change with wolves. Wolves are wild animals and to mix them with domestic dogs like Shepherds or Malamutes does not create a domestic dog with a taste of the wild. It creates a dog that will have to live in conflict and confusion for its entire life. One side will be telling them to walk for miles a day, to hunt, to scavenge and cash high value items, to avoid people and human settings (like highways and cities). The other side will be telling them to seek out people and solicit attention. It is a perfect storm for confusion.
It is extremely difficult to create a living situation for a wold hybrid that will allow them to truly live happily. It requires at least 5 acres and a very high fence that is also buried. There must be a place to dig, a place to swim, a place to hide, and ideally a place to hunt in some capacity.
If ever I was going to venture to train a high percentage wolf hybrid I would first contact a wild animal expert to see if they would mind contributing to the project. I understand how the dog's mind works and how they learn. This brain is vastly different from the brain of a wolf, especially when it comes to relating to people. When people have successfully related and communicated with wolves they have had to learn "wolf language" and adapt their body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations to accomodate the communication patterns of the animals. When we train dogs we make them learn words like "heel", "sit", and "down." We teach them to read our body language and to understand our corrections instead of learning to communicate purely in a language that they understand. Dogs are able to do this because their brains have been hardwired through generations of selective breeding to accomodate people and to work for our approval. If you put a litter of puppies in a room full of bones, food, and toys they will have a great time. If you add a new and friendly person to that room at least half of the puppies will come over to investigate the person and to nibble, lick, and play with it. Dogs that have not had a bad experience with humans will naturally seek them out. Wild wolves who seek out people are considered dangerous and are usually shot or relocated far away from any human population.
I understand the draw of owning a magnificent animal like a wolf. They are beautiful and powerful and to control one would be to control nature. There is something unbreakable about them. Something old that speaks to the lovers of the natural world. But when you take that thing and ask it to live in a second floor, two bedroom apartment you are asking for trouble. The animal will never feel fulfilled. They will never be walked enough. They will likely pose a threat to small pets and animals that live near them. They will be destructive to houses and possibly become fear-biters as people approach them at the wrong time. An animal so beautiful is sure to attract attention but half of their genetic code will be screaming at them to avoid people at all costs and if it feels cornered I would not be surprised if it lashed out.
No, I don't train or own wolf hybrids. Especially "high percentage" wolf hybrids. If someone asked me if they should get a wolf hybrid I would first ask them why they want it. If it is because they want to own a little bit of the wild I would suggest sponsoring a wild wolf that is being reintroduced to the wild. Or perhaps adopting an acre of the rainforest. If they want a dog that howls at the moon and acts "wolfy" I will point them towards primitive dogs like the Siberian Husky or the Alaskan Malamute. I, personally, own one of the most primitive dog breeds in the world. My Akita, Kylie, does not howl (making vocal sounds was bred out of them to make them better hunters and silent guard dogs. They only bark when there is no chance of the prey's escape- or apparently when it is the Jimmy John's guy) but she does have the taciturn, almost aloof presence of a dog that hasen't changed much in the past thousand years. Akitas have not been altered like some breeds but remain fairly true to their original specimens. American Akitas (this includes Kylie) are larger, and have more color variation. As a hiker, camper, and overall lover of the more wild things nature has to offer I wanted a primitive dog to join me in my adventures. But I stopped there. I knew that owning a wolf or a wolf hybrid was a romantic idea that comes from Jack London's inaccurate portrayal of friendships between wild dogs and people. Wolves are my favorite animal and have been ever since I was very small. It is on my bucket list to go "wolf watching" in Yellowstone. The idea of a wolf being collared and confined is very upsetting to me. No, I would not venture to ask a wolf or wolf hybrid to adapt to live with people. They can take care of themselves and I will continue to work with, live with and love those lovable cousins of the wolf, the domestic dog. Because sometimes it seems the dog is truly lost without us.
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