Get The Facts About Wolf Dogs From A Canadian Sanctuary
How much do you know about wolf dogs? These animals, which are part wolf and part dog, are often bred through dangerous backyard breeding and sold to people seeking an exotic animal as a pet. The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in Alberta Canada was created in 2011 by Georgina De Caigny to drive public awareness and education surrounding wolfdogs and wolves in the wild. The sanctuary also provides a home to thirty four different wolf dogs, many of whom were surrendered by their owners after failing to be suitable house pets.
According to the sanctuary, "Wolfdogs are the result of people intentionally breeding them. Today, they typically come to be when a wolfdog is bred with another wolfdog or dog, and doesn't usually involve a pure wolf parent. They are usually bred by backyard breeders as exotic pets in order to make a profit. However, there are a very limited number of breeders who breed them to 'better' the breed and produce an offspring with very particular physical and behavioral characteristics."
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How do wolfdogs typically behave?
According to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, "Wolfdog traits can vary dramatically between individual wolfdogs due to the degree of wolf content bred into the animal, the dog breeds bred into the animal, and the kind of socialization the animal received at a young age. Typical wolfdog characteristics, of varying degrees are: fearfulness of humans, high prey drive, high energy, territorial, destructive, extremely independent, and being escape artists."
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Are wolf dogs endangered?
"Since wolfdogs are animals that are intentionally bred as exotic pets, there isn't a need for the conservation of them, rather there's a huge need around awareness and responsible wolfdog ownership. Wolves however do require conservation efforts as they are hunted, culled and generally misunderstood as being something they are not – dangerous and aggressive." (source)
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Is it possible for a wolf dog to be a household pet?
It can be possible to adopt wolf dogs that have a very low ammount of wolf in them, but often advised against. According to the Texas Wolf Dog Project, "There is no simple answer for this because this greatly depends on the individual animal and the amount of wolf that has been inherited. Generally speaking, your lower content or animals that express more dog like traits overall will be more easily adaptable to home type living, possibly even being inside full time without any incidents." (continued)
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Why aren't wolf dogs good household pets?
According to Becca Senn, the owner of a wolf dog nonprofit, "They are very hard, if not impossible, to house train. They go wherever they want. You know some people get thinking they are going to be a good guard dog, and that couldn't be further from the truth. They just want to be left alone in their pack, doing what they do,"
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Is it legal to own a wolf dog?
There are many states in the USA where it is illegal to own a wolf dog, and according to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary "Wolfdog ownership is illegal or regulated in many areas, with even more states and counties hopping on the "BAN wagon" due to the massive increase of animals being bred and sold to irresponsible owners…" In certain Canadian provinces it is legal to own a wolf and dog mix, but you must check the legislation in your region.
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How can I support wolf dogs?
You can support wolfdogs by conating to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary or a similar charity that helps to house wolfdogs who have been abandoned or rehomed by their owners. You can also spread awareness about the unique needs that these dogs have which make them unsuitable for many homes.
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