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Six-year-old Onyx was sold as a wolf-dog hybrid by a southern Ontario breeder
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A Greater Sudbury family is fighting to keep their pet dog, which may be seized by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) pending DNA testing results.
Six-year-old Onyx was sold as a wolf-dog hybrid by a southern Ontario breeder, which is no longer in operation. Hybrids are illegal to own in Ontario, something that owner Heaven Furoy said she didn’t know until recently.
“We were told that he was within legal limits, by a factor of 14 [generations], so we never really thought anything of it,” she said. “He’s a regular dog.”
Onyx came into her life through a former partner, who wanted the dog. Furoy said she was against the idea of a wolf-dog, but later became Onyx’s main trainer and had him fixed early on. After the separation, Onyx has stayed with her, and lives at her home in Hanmer.
Earlier this year, Furoy was visited by MNR officers who were following up on a tip that her dog may be an illegal hybrid. They took a DNA sample for analysis and the results are expected soon.
Furoy said some of Onyx’s siblings have previously tested in the 20 to 30 per cent range of wolf DNA.
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We adopted our dog without knowing anything about her family history. They found her near a gas station in a desert climate. It's very likely that none of her ancestors were ever bred to be family dogs. We can see this in the way she acts - no matter how well we train her, she still acts a lot of the time like a wild dog. She defends her space, is always searching for food on the ground (scavenging), and doesn't love cuddles.
A lot of people see her and are afraid of her because she's not a goofy golden retriever who loves everyone and isn't afraid of anything. Some people would even give her away because she would be deemed “problematic”.
But we didn't give up on her. She's a happy dog and loves people, but she has certain rules we all have to follow. We're pretty sure Onyx is the same way.
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via Warren Schlote/CBCHeaven Furoy (owner) and Onyx
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Furoy said she supports legal restrictions on owning wolf-dog hybrids. She said Onyx was harder to train, and she wouldn’t consider getting another one. She's also worried that owners who couldn’t give them a suitable environment, with stimulation, exercise and a large area to roam, could lead to harm for the animal or others.
Despite the greater difficulty, she eventually trained Onyx as a house dog. He lives alongside her young family, and is now comfortable resting on the couch, exploring at the farm or on trips into the backcountry.
If Onyx is seized by the MNR, he will likely be rehomed into a sanctuary. But that would likely be a difficult environment for her dog, said Furoy, since he’s been raised to live alongside her family, and not in a pack with other dogs.
“They'd have to segregate him and he'd be lonely because Onyx isn't a wild dog. He's used to living a life in a home,” she said.
Furoy is calling for more nuance in decisions around wolf-dog hybrids, beyond a simple DNA test.
She said there should be a fuller investigation into the animal’s demeanour and living environment, with the expertise of an animal behaviourist, before a decision is made about them.
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Our pupper, Raja, was surprisingly easy to train. However, just because she's well-trained doesn't mean that her temperament will magically change into something it isn't. She will always be a reactive dog, and she might never have the desire to sleep snuggled up next to us at night. It's just who she is. We can't change her the same way that we can't change you. She is who she is, and all we can do is learn how to manage her behaviors as best we can.
She might react fearfully when she sees another dog, but that's where the training comes in. Firstly, we know how to avoid those situations as best as we can, but when we can't, we have the tools to redirect and stop it before it becomes a problem. The problem will always be there, but it's on us to deal with it in a way that's safe for her and everyone around her.
If you're not willing to be on top of something like this 100% of the time, then these kinds of dogs aren't for you. Go buy a toy poodle.
There's no shame in doing that, by the way, Raja is a lot of work. It's not for everyone. But we believe that she deserves to live a healthy and happy life, even if she's a bit more work than a typical dog. Don't you think so, too?
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03 via Warren Schlote/CBC
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Jack Donovan, an animal behaviour specialist and coach based in Hamilton, says he tends to "look at the entire environment surrounding the animal rather than simply saying wolf DNA equals dangerous.”
According to Donovan, a major part of behaviour work is evaluating whether the environment matches the needs of the individual animal.
"Many behavioural issues we see in dogs come from mismatches between the dog and the home they’re living in," he said.
"With wolf-dogs specifically, sensitivity to sound, stress, confinement, and overstimulation can absolutely become concerns because many still retain traits and instincts associated with wolves."
Meanwhile, Donovan said "it’s important to recognize that many wolf-dogs raised in domestic settings are no longer capable of surviving independently in the wild."
In some cases, intervention can unintentionally create a situation where the outcome for the animal becomes far worse, he said.
"That doesn’t mean there should never be regulations or oversight. Public safety and animal welfare matter. But from a behavioural perspective, I don’t believe these situations are always as simple as “wolf-dog in a house equals dangerous,” said Donovan.
"I think the individual animal, the owners’ level of responsibility, and the environment all need to be carefully evaluated before major decisions are made," he said.
Furoy said she believes any dog can be unpredictable, and that Onyx has been socialized and raised around people, just like a regular dog.
“I know a lot of dogs that have bitten children and turned on their owners. My dog’s never done that.”
-Warren Schlote
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