Owning a Wolfdog

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.

QUESTION: What is a wolfdog and where do wolfdogs come from?

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.

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QUESTION: Do wolfdogs make good pets and can wolfdogs be house trained?

ANSWER: There is no simple answer for this, because it greatly depends on the individual animal and the amount of “wolfiness” that has been inherited. Generally speaking, animals with more dog-like traits overall will more easily adapt to indoor living, possibly even living inside full time without any incidents. An animal that has inherited and expresses more wolf-like traits tends to require an owner experienced with these behaviors as well as proper containment and enrichment outside. Short, supervised sessions in a “wolf-proofed” environment is usually the extent of a higher content wolfdog’s time inside due to their nature to investigate with their mouths despite all attempts to curb this behavior.

QUESTION: Are wolfdogs good with kids?

ANSWER: This is also a question that is dependent on the individual animal’s temperament and experience with children. Texas Wolfdog Project generally advises that wolfdogs should not be in homes with children under 12. Due to the size of most wolfdogs and their tendency towards resource guarding, placing an animal in an experienced home or one without kids is usually the best option for all parties involved, especially if that animal has never previously been raised around or exposed to younger children.

Don’t worry everyone, it’s a toy!

QUESTION: Are wolfdogs good with small animals/small dogs?

ANSWER: Ultimately it again would be dependent on the individual animal, although typically the answer is no. Wolfdogs tend to be very large animals with a heightened prey drive. Therefore, many will consider smaller animals such as cats and small dogs to be a prey item, especially when the animal has never been raised around or exposed to these much smaller creatures. Of course, this isn’t specific to wolfdogs, and is a tendency found in many dog breeds. Introductions between any dog and a small animal should proceed with caution.

QUESTION: What are some advantages of adopting/purchasing a lower content wolfdog vs a higher content?

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. 

Higher contents: Many higher contents get severely car sick and do not travel well, if they even agree to get into a vehicle in the first place. Higher contents typically need a large (50 x 50 foot minimum) and very secure outdoor enclosure as most do not do well in the house, regardless of age or how they were raised. Higher contents are generally timid of people they don’t know and don’t do well in public settings. Many also tend to overreact and be extremely sensitive to everyday normal sounds or objects that most dogs would not react to.

Lower contents: Most lower contents will be more manageable. They’re relatively well-behaved passengers in a car, less destructive in a house, and may not require such an extensive enclosure. Lower contents are generally more outgoing and friendly with people they don’t know and most are not as sensitive or reactive to everyday things.

In the end, each individual animal is different, but generally speaking, lower contents tend to be easier to work with and manage than higher content wolfdogs.

Tastes like chicken…oh wait, it is chicken!

QUESTION: Do wolfdogs have any special dietary needs?

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

QUESTION: What is the average lifespan of a wolfdog?

ANSWER: 12–18 years, though this can largely depend on the dog breeds in the mix and the wolf content. Either way, wolfdog ownership is a serious commitment for the duration of their life.

Map of wolfdog legal, regulated and illegal states (updated Jan 2016)

QUESTION: Do you live in an area that legally allows wolfdog ownership? Are there any restrictions for your state, city or county?

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, which in turn has led to several incidents across the country involving wolfdogs of various contents. All it takes is ONE incident to cause a ban. Please be a responsible owner and make sure they are legal in your area. This is a very serious issue.

QUESTION: Are you aware there is no approved rabies vaccine for wolfdogs? Do you have a vet who will treat and fully vaccinate your animal?

The lack of a USDA-approved rabies vaccine for wolfdogs is part of the reason it has become so easy to ban or regulate wolfdogs in the United States. This is used as leverage to ban or regulate ownership as well as deny vet care to many wolfdogs. Avoiding the use of the words wolf, hybrid, wolfdog or wolf mix on any paperwork could save your animal’s life. Finding a vet who will provide your wolfdog with all the proper vaccinations (including rabies) as well as a legal rabies certificate is extremely important.

Ima bite ur noses!

QUESTION: Do you have the time the properly raise and care for an adult wolfdog? What about a puppy?

Wolfdogs are highly intelligent animals who require a lot of stimulation and enrichment to keep them mentally and emotionally sound. If the extent of their interaction with you is spending an hour or two outside with them and their companion after work, then a wolfdog might not be the best choice for you. Daily forms of enrichment and interaction are vital to the progression of their socialization and overall health. A wolfdog puppy requires much more. Raising a wolfdog puppy is a full time job, requiring numerous (and continuous) hours of socialization and training to ensure proper bonding and a good quality of life. Wolfdogs that are poorly socialized live very stressful lives—after all, how enjoyable could life possibly be when you mess on yourself every time you see a stranger, have to go to the vet or get into a car? Proper socialization is a very serious part of wolfdog ownership, no matter the age or content.

QUESTION: Do you have the financial stability to properly care for a wolfdog for the duration of its life?

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.

I think I see a gap!

QUESTION: Do you own your owner home/property? Are there any regulations/homeowners association rules that would stop you from building proper containment?

Owning your own home vs renting/leasing is very important. Most landlords don’t allow regular dogs, let alone a wolfdog that requires Fort Knox levels of containment and causes the landscaping to look like the craters of the moon. Most Homeowners’ Associations (HOA) have restrictions against fences taller than 6 or 7 ft and against certain types of fencing as well, which could cause issues with providing a wolfdog with proper containment.

DO NOT USE

• Chaining/Ariel Cables: Can cause severe territorial aggression and neurotic behaviors such as constant pacing and guarding which can also lead to aggression. If chained in an open area, it leaves the animal exposed to risks to themselves—-such as stray dogs and wild animals—and also creates the risk of your animal negatively interacting with any human who happens to stumble across it. Most animals that live their lives on chains have a wide variety of behavioral issues.
  
  
• Invisible Fencing/Shock Collar: Do not work for most strong willed dogs. If the animal does decide to pass through the shock line, many times that animal will not want to come back onto the property because it believes it will be shocked again (even if this is not the case). Wolfdogs are usually pretty sensitive animals, and negative corrections can result in trust issues and other problematic behaviors that are fear-related.

QUESTION: Vacations? What are those? If you can’t take your wolfdog, what would you do? What if they are terrified of people they don’t know?

Although this can depend greatly on the animal, most wolfdogs do not travel well. So if you cannot take your animal with you, what will you do? Most boarding places will not accept wolves or wolfdogs due to not being equipped to handle or take care of these animals and their special needs. Wolfdogs also tend to stress very easily, especially in new places with strange people and smaller, confined areas. Ultimately, if you cannot find someone to care for your animals on property where they are comfortable, the word “vacation” may become lost from your vocabulary.