Wolves are very much like humans, only they are not afraid to act upon their true emotions. Humans detached from early bonds flail hopelessly through life in various disguises. Who should we truly fear? When one reads up on Wolves, and their existence in the wild, most would tend to think it best to create the same environment for their Wolfdogs in a domestic situation. This way of thinking has already cost several human lives, and falsely labelled the Wolfdog as a killer. Although the Wolfdogs have been blamed for these attacks, further research has uncovered truths to sensationalized irresponsible journalism. In both the Pennsylvania case and the Nevada case , intact male DOGS were actually the reason. No proof of Wolf content in either case. PACKS of Dogs in any out of control situation is a bad idea. A true Wolfdog of any significant content can be a wonderful companion and experience. Responsible people take the time to research and learn about things before leaping into the purchase or adoption of any animal. Wolfdogs are not in the house pets. If you lived in an apartment, you wouldn't buy a Horse would you? Well if thousands of fools brought home Horses to keep in the house, soon Horses wouldbe banned from our lives too. *******
It is my opinion, that the problem begins with BREEDING, and grows as poor quality low content DOGS with Wolf genes are the bulk of the general population. I have met so many people who tell me they have "Wolves", and 99% of the time it is a Dog with a very low % of Wolf genetics if any. The effects of this dilemma is that people believe these animals are Wolves, and that they are easy to handle, can live in the house, eat dogfood, bark at intruders, shake hands, roll over, and love everybody. The myth then spreads to friends and admirers of the "Wolf", and soon enough somebody decides to get one too. Problem is, they end up with a higher content real deal. OOPS,,,,,,,disaster has struck again. Soon the animal is dead or in a rescue. Those who take the time to and spend the money to actually build a proper facility for their "Wolfdog" find too that this is a high maintenace animal that requires attention, and will howl from loneliness or destroy everything and continuously try to escape. REMEDY? another Wolfdog. Two is company providing they are good match. Sometimes that doesn't work either and then the big mistakes often get bigger. First let's clarify, that Wolves, and Wolfdogs of low or mid content, and sometime highs, do not behave the same. They may have certain similarities, but more often than not, DOG genes create an entirely new aspect to what you are reading about Wolves. Dogs require more of your guideance and reassurance on a daily basis, whereas Wolves entertain themselves more like Cats. Often high content Wolfdogs will not bond with people, and are quite fine being left alone. This would not be my choice in caretaking , however it does happen, especially when the pups are not raised properly. A Wolf pup must be socialized within the first 5 weeks of life to assure a good human relationship. Of course there are exceptions. High content Wolfdogs do need your time and attention if you want them to be social, but they are not as dependant on you for that attention as lower content animals. I find my low content and mids to spend a great deal of time staring at the house, waiting for my attention. The highs seem to always have something to do. Packs of Wolves in the wild are generally run like an army. One commander and first lady who set the rules, while the others spat for position and the weakest is often left behind, run off, or even killed by the pack. They travel up to 30 miles a day but stay in a territory. They will consume up to 18 - 30 pounds of food a day. Nature balances their diet with cravings for vegetation and fruits like berries. Fur and Feather entwines around sharp bone fragments in the digestive system to prevent internal injury as it passes through them. Wolves in the wild often die from perforated bowels, and seldom do they live past 8 or 9 years. In captivity, if properly cared for, they can live to 18 even 20. Packs of Wolfdogs in captivity is formula for disaster. Not only does the Dog gene add aggression to the mix, it adds jealousy, and a variety of mixed emotions these animals have difficulty with. Packs will fight more often and even kill each other faster as the weak have no escape. It requires extremely experienced handlers to evaluate each pack member and maintain order. Wolfdogs are possessive with everything including the Master. Walking into a hungry pack enclosure with several possessive 100 lb. Wolfdogs is likely a choice that will end up sadly sooner or later, regardless of how much they adore you individually. This is their nature in the man made environment created. It is a time bomb orchestrated by PEOPLE, and NOT the fault of the animals. However the quality of breeding has added to the powder keg. And the evaluation of the individual animal is critical. Low content Wolfdogs will not relate to high contents in various situations. The language is different, and so are the results. Even the experienced or trained Wolf Educators cannot invade a captive Wolf pack's territory without concern. http://www.wolfpark.org/Articles/Wyman.html I recently had a self proclaimed former breeder ask me to take a her 8 year old male because of a forced move. The only space I had was with an F1 female Arctic mix. She is a 98% on the numeric guess meter. So after evaluating her male as a low or no content Woolly Husky, she was completely assinine and rude to me for saying no. This was a so called breeder. **********
A healthy body has much to do with a healthy mind. This is evident in human behaviour so why would any living creature be different. Balanced diets for Wolves and Wolfdogs are highly important, expensive, and require great understanding of their needs individually as well as a breed. Wolves are NOT Carnivors, they are Omnivors. They require a balance of meat and vegetables. They eat grass to settle their stomachs as Dogs also do. They have difficulty sometimes with fresh meat, and will eat Carrion (turned meat) as it is easier to digest. They have enzymes in their digestive system that protect them from what would ultimately kill us from eating rotten meat. Some Dogs however can NOT eat Carrion, and may get very sick or die. AGAIN a reason for proper evaluation of these WolfDog mixes. Low and mid content WDs must have diets that cater to their needs. Many successful WolfDog handlers feed dry foods or "kibbles". These foods must be SOY FREE, and GLUTEN FREE, to be a healthy diet for your Wolfdogs. Kibbles have a balance of proteins/meats , and varieties of vegetables and minerals that will provide a fairly good overall program. If this is your chosen routine you will find that their system must adapt to it, and any changes will often upset their digestive system. Animals who are fed a meat diet will get Diahrrea from kibbles, and those who eat kibbles daily will have difficulty breaking down properties of meat and bone. I have found that a good meat diet with kibbles moderately mixed in has given our animals a well balanced diet, while keeping them natural, yet increasing minerals to counteract their lack of activity. The amount of space your animals have to move around, run, play, climb, swim, will have a bearing on diet as well. Wolfdogs by law require the same vaccinations as domestic Dogs. Although the federal government refuses to acknowledge that the Rabies vaccination works on Wolfdogs, there is scientific proof that it does. By USDA refusing to pass this legislature, it leaves the door wide open for Animal Control in many states to harrass and/or seize your Wolfdogs. Know your rights. **********
My experiences with the "Alpha Challenge" is limited, and I am certainly not going to get in deep on a subject that I believe is highly critical to responsible care management of Wolves and Wolfdogs as that would be misleading. However I cannot stress enough the importance of awareness, and knowing the signals of any aggressive behaviour to prevent tragedy. LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. What triggers these episodes can be a long list of events, but as animal behaviour goes, there are no written rules. I have been challenged by low content females, high content females,and mid content males. One of the more challenging animals here is a mid 110 lb. 3 year old rescue whom I love dearly. We can lay down together, but I can never allow him to get up before I do, or allow his head above mine. Once he achieves dominant eye level, the warm fuzzy moment becomes an intense issue. At that time I have to remember to watch him only out of the corner of my eyes, as direct eye contact only intensifies the challenge. Although it lasts only seconds, the possibilities are quite concerning. OVERALL If you choose Wolfdogs as your companions, it is up to you to learn and pay attention. They can be loving and rewarding friends. |
||
http://www.wolf-to-wolfdog.org/sanantonio.htm Dog shot; police thought it was a coyote
|
||
