Some of the things you should know.
Two of the most commonly and widely used wolves in wolfdog misrepresentation are the Red wolf and the Mexican gray wolf. This is a great marketing technique for them to make you think you are getting apart of something that is close to extinction. Remember that car salesman he’s making it sound good. Regardless of what they say both of these wolves are on the endangered species list. (HINT)
Always ask to see the parents of the pup you are getting. (In person if at all possible) Also, check to see if they have had any DNA testing done on the parents even the pup for that matter. Their DNA does not change as they get older.
Ask for lineage on the parents although lineage is becoming more and more corrupt you can still research it to see if they are giving you the correct lineage on the wolfdog. Lineage coupled with DNA can give you a good deal of information and if the wolfdog misrepresentation was very far off from what you was told.
High content wolfdogs will only breed in the winter months and have their offspring in the springtime. So that is a red flag whenever they say they were born in summer or fall months. In addition High content WILL NOT have blue or bi-colored eyes. Although, wolves and wolfdogs are usually born with deep blue eyes that will lighten and start to change into their adult color in about six to ten weeks. Mature wolfdogs eyes are often amber/brown or gold but can come in hue colors of brown, gray, yellow, and green. Also A high content wolfdog should be indistinguishable from that of a wolf.
Michael Hodanish learned this when a roommate left him with a wolf-dog named Heidi, with whom he very quickly bonded. After Heidi passed away, he obtained two more wolf-dog pups, one of whom died, leaving the other howling uncontrollably until he began fostering dogs from local shelters.
“Low and mid content wolf-dogs can be trained like any standard or mixed breed dog,” Hodanish continues. “High content animals tend to retain the natural fear that wolves have of men. An animal overwhelmed with fear has a great difficulty focusing on any specific training task.”
“The more wolf in a hybrid, the wilder the animal,” Cesar says, “and more problems for the humans who believe they can tame them.”
Do you have firsthand experience with wolf-dog hybrids? Tell us all about it in the comments below.
In his work as a foster companion, Hodanish learned that wolf-dogs brought to the shelters were usually euthanized unless a wolf-dog sanctuary could take the animal. This inspired him to found Howling Woods Farm, an animal shelter in Jackson, New Jersey dedicated to rescuing and placing domestically bred wolves, wolf-dog hybrids, and dogs native to northern parts of the world while educating the public.
High content animals are described as animals that are nearly/mostly to fully indistinguishable from a pure wolf. Some subtle (key word being subtle) dog traits may be present in some lower % high contents (such as an 85% F1) and high contents with higher F-gens (such as a 90% F3). Some subtle traits may include- slightly larger or offset ears, slightly shorter or bulkier muzzles, a slight curve in the tail or a slightly thicker build. Both male and female high contents should cycle and reproduce like a pure wolf and give birth to dark, solid colored puppies that are uniform in looks (see wolf reproduction). Behaviors will be consistent with that of a pure wolf or very close to it. High content puppies will be pulled and bottle fed at an early age to ensure proper bonding and socialization. Even then, high contents may still be extremely reactive and sensitive to different situations and novel stimuli, such as riding in the car, the microwave beeping or being around strangers. High contents will require the proper experience and a large, secure outdoor enclosure.
GIGANTIC HIGH CONTENT WOLFDOG – Should you have one?
With so many people selling different breeds as wolfdogs. Nevertheless, all they are selling is a wolf look alike. Consequently, they are praying on you not knowing. Think of it as a used car salesman, after all, the better they can make it sound the more likely they will get you to buy it so that they can make that sale. In spite of the growing problems knowing what to look for and questions you should ask is equally as important and very helpful to you in the long run. So in short before running right out and getting the first wolfdog you find, do a little homework it’s always best to find out sooner than later you were about to be taken.
Claimed 98% wolfdog. (Wolfdog misrepresentation at it’s worst. After the owner found out he wasn’t 98% he kicked it to the curb)
Always be careful especially around any flea-markets likewise anyone selling any animal on the side of the road. As was the case with the one that was claimed as 98% above.
Speaking about this, not only is it a bad idea for a few reasons but also an easier way for misrepresentation but it is indeed also a good way to end up bringing home a very sick animal and causing problems with your other pets health. Many diseases can lay dormant for a week or two before they ever show any signs of being sick. Not to mention how would you get ahold of the seller if you needed to ask them a question as well as anything else about the animal you just got from them. Regardless, with any animal, you choose above all always ask and get their vet records no matter who you are getting an animal from. In any case lineage and DNA testing is NEVER more important than the animal’s life.
One of the first things to always remember is you cannot phenotype any pup to tell just how much wolf content it does or will have in it.
Above is a 6-week old wolfdog pup. Below is the same wolfdog at the age of 4 years old.
Above is a 7-week old wolfdog pup. Below is the same wolfdog at the age of 5 years old.