Where To Buy A Wolf Dog
The primary focus of the Sanctuary is to drive public awareness and education on wolfdogs. There are many misconceptions surrounding these animals, and backyard breeders take advantage of the misconceptions to create a market for wolfdogs as exotic pets. The majority of the wolfdogs at the Sanctuary are from people surrendering them after failing to have them as pets in their homes.
where to buy a wolf dog
While we do accept surrenders, we are at capacity based on the number of enclosures we currently have, and sadly have to turn many wolfdogs away. So we turn our attention to educating the public on the true nature of wolfdogs and the negative outcomes for the many intentionally bred high-content wolfdogs who end up being displaced. We do support rehoming low content wolfdogs that would do well in specific homes.
Wolfdog ownership is not the same as dog ownership. It takes an educated and prepared individual/family to provide a good home for a wolfdog. Below are some things that people should be aware of as to what makes a good wolfdog owner:
When owners are in need of new placement for their wolfdog, but we don't have the space to bring them into our care, we may assist them by posting them as a courtesy post. These adoptions are not through Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary.
A wolfdogs life expectancy can vary depending on how much wolf content is present. Often times wolfdogs with more wolf content tend to have a longer life expectancy. A wolfdog's life expectancy could be anywhere from 12-16+ years old! Given this longevity, a wolfdog is a very big commitment and you must be prepared to care for the animal for the duration of its lifetime regardless of the animal's challenges or any other factors, such as moving, having a family, or getting a new job. There are very minimal places for a wolfdog to go if you are no longer able to care for them and this can often result in euthanasia.
Wolfdogs tend to have a higher than normal prey drive. For this reason, it is not recommended to have a wolfdog around cats or other small animals. Some lower content wolfdogs may be okay around cats if they have received socialization to them at a young age, however, they would always need to be supervised.
As a general rule of thumb, we would typically consider a well socialized low content wolfdog suitable to be a pet. Low content wolfdogs still tend to be much more challenging than a regular dog and previous experience with northern breeds or other challenging breeds is highly recommended. Most mid and high content wolfdogs are not suitable as a pet. Lower content wolfdogs have much more dog content than they have wolf content, so their behaviour tends to be more dog-like. Wolfdogs with more significant amounts of wolf content are much more instinctual, which often means they may be uncomfortable and destructive indoors, unable to be fully housebroken, and cannot be left unsupervised. Higher content wolfdogs are often outdoors animals that also need adequate, spacious containment with a minimum fence height of 8 feet.
Wolfdogs and young kids generally are not a good fit. Kids tend to make fast movements that can excite or spook a wolfdog. This can result in nipping and/or biting in certain situations. A wolfdog that is comfortable to be pet and receive attention from humans may only be comfortable to be pet in certain areas and can be very particular. Young kids will not have the understanding needed to listen to a wolfdog's cues and body language and therefore puts all parties in a risky situation. Wolfdogs are also quite large and commonly have heightened prey drives and tend to be resource guarders. While each wolfdog is an individual with their own unique set of challenges, it is not recommended to consider wolfdog ownership if you plan on having kids, or have kids that are under the age of 12 years old.
Wolfdog legalities vary province to province and state to state. There are even some cities that have their own legislation even though there may not be a restriction within that province or state. It is always best to contact your local animal bylaw to check if owning a wolfdog is legal or not in your area.
If it is legal to own a wolfdog in a province or city, generally speaking it would also be legal to own a wolfdog within city limits in a house, condo, downtown apartment etc. In most areas where wolfdogs are legal to own, there are no regulations in place to ensure they are in suitable environments. Most wolfdogs can easily scale a 6-foot fence, which oftentimes is the maximum fence height allowed within a city limits or counties, so while it may be legal to own a wolfdog in your area, the containment necessary to keep them safe may not be.
Whether a wolfdog will get along with other dogs is dependent on the amount of wolf content that is in them as well as the socialization they received at a young age. There is a much better chance that a low content wolfdog with proper socialization will be appropriate meeting new dogs than a high content wolfdog. Same sex aggression and territorial behaviour are common in wolfdogs; especially wolfdogs with a significant amount of wolf content. Many wolfdogs will need slow introduction to a new dog or can be dog selective. This means dog parks or off-leash areas are oftentimes not suitable for a wolfdog.
Wolfdogs tend to have a lot of energy and need appropriate outlets to expel it. Wolfdogs require both physical exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis. The exact amount of physical and mental exercise is very much dependent on each individual animal, however, it is important to note that a 30 minute walk around the neighbourhood will likely not cut it for a wolfdog. If a wolfdog does not get enough exercise, they will likely become much more destructive and mischievous and let you know that they still have lots of excess energy.
Wolfdogs tend to do best on a high protein diet. While some low content wolfdogs can do well on a good quality, high protein kibble, most mid and high content wolfdogs do best eating a raw meat based diet.
Properly caring for a wolfdog is not just limited to one consideration. Responsible ownership covers many aspects. That being said, each wolfdog is an individual with their own personality, needs, and quirks. An important consideration for one animal might be less important for another.
All of us at Texas Wolfdog Project hope to provide current and potential owners with the information and resources to better care for their current wolfdog and/or wolfdogs they may share their life with in the future.
The information provided here will be in a Q and A format for easy reading. Here are some of the most common questions we get asked, as well as questions to ask yourself before you consider adopting or purchasing a wolfdog.
ANSWER: Wolfdogs are, to put it simply, a cross between a wolf and a dog. While some breeds of dog, like the German Shepherd Dog, have been crossbred with wolves in the past, animals considered wolfdogs have wolf ancestry that is much more recent.
Wolfdogs can be the result of a pure wolf bred to a pure dog, but that is rare. Much more common are wolfdog to wolfdog pairings. Wolfdogs are purposely bred and sold by breeders in many states across the United States. Wolves are NOT pulled from the wild for stock. Most foundation animals have been captive bred and raised for over 40 years, with lineages dating back to the fur farms of the 60s and 70s.
Typically, to be considered a wolfdog, an animal will have a minimum of 20% wolf heritage, and can have up to the legal maximum of 98% wolf heritage. Dog breeds typically used in the production of wolfdogs are the Siberian Husky, German Shepherd Dog, and Malamute, but there are no restrictions on the breeds which can be used.
ANSWER: Higher content wolfdogs tend to be more high maintenance, destructive, sensitive and reactive to their surroundings overall while your lower content wolfdogs tend to be more easy going, do better in the house and in more social environments, and tend to be easier to manage overall.
ANSWER: Though all of our animals are fed a balanced raw diet, if that cannot be properly maintained by any potential adopters or owners, Texas Wolfdog Project recommends a high quality, grain free kibble for normal, everyday feeding. Some wolfdogs, usually high contents, can be intolerant to certain grains or processed foods
Wolfdogs can be very expensive animals in the long run. With expenses ranging from special containment requirements which can cost upwards of 2,000 dollars to special dietary needs which can be quite costly per month, wolfdogs are well known for being high maintenance animals. Plus, vet care costs money, especially if your wolfdog has a serious health issue.
Wolf-dog hybrid (hybrid for short) is a term used to describe an animal that is part wolf and part domestic dog. Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and wolves (Canis lupus) share an evolutionary past and thus share many physical and behavioral traits.
Domestic dogs tend to mature much earlier (6 to 8 months of age)., but the challenging behavior still exists, although it is typically less intense in most breeds compared to wolves. Hybrids can exhibit any combination of wolf or dog maturation rates and behavioral changes.
One organization educating the public about the issues of wolf and hybrid ownership is Wolf Park. Wolf Park explains that while many individuals do make an effort to become educated about the potential outcome of owning a wolf or hybrid, others unfortunately do not. This results in the animals being kept in an environment where their social and behavioral needs are not met. In these situations, the animals frequently spend their days in small cages or tied to chains, with very poor quality of life.
Laws vary from area to area. In some states, hybrids are illegal to own, in other states hybrids are classified a wild animals and owners are required to possess the same type of permits and caging as for a wolf. Yet in other states, hybrids are regulated as dogs, needing only proper vaccinations and licenses and finally, some states leave it up to counties and cities to set their own regulations around hybrids. 041b061a72