Bigtex Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 I did some research on the wolf/hybrids for several years, and the main two things to consider are to find a legit breeder, and get a pup early & precisely at 5 weeks. This is too early for a dog pup, but not the wolf. They are far ahead of normal dog pups at this age, but there is still time for a good imprint and a close bond(s)to be formed. Anything beyond that, and the bonding will not take place at a satisfactory level. Already having other dogs & kids helps too, as they will imitate other dogs, and acclimate to children. Mine observed my other dogs, and was house-broken at 6 weeks......amazing! They ARE different though! Here's a good example; when someone comes over and rings/knocks on my door, my two dogs bark & go crazy. The wolf pup slinks off, hides, and quietly observes. They don't bark, and will not bite someone unless they are cornered and/or threatened. If someone robbed my house with the wolf alone inside, they would never see or hear her, and she wouldn't attack, it's not the wolf way.....only if aggression turns towards the wolf. My neighbors all love, and will watch out for her......the neighborhood cats have already been eaten by the Bobcats, Coyote's, and lions, no problem there. As far as hiking, she stays right with me and the other dogs. Also, talked to my neighbor over the weekend, and she saw a mountain lion in her front yard last week, about 7:30AM......they run down in the ravines/creeks that snake all through town to go unnoticed, along with 'other things' too. Edit by Biggie: Merged two posts. Another thing about breeders......buyer beware! The problems encountered most are low wolf content, using the wrong kind of dogs for breeding (German Sheppard's are the worst), and interbreeding. You want something 85% or better wolf content. My girl.....Lucy, her family tree started with a full blood male Timber Wolf, and a full blood female Malamute. Female(s) from this litter were breed with a unrelated full blood Red Wolf, and the process repeats, with my hybrid the 4th generation of this process, hence her 92% rating. The distant Malamute being the only 'dog' in her lineage. So far, Lucy has not been any more destructive than a normal pup, and if anything, much less so. She is not aggressive, wants to be inside with people, and follows me around everywhere, she has even become a good car rider in the back of my pickup. But the most amazing thing is the smarts, and her ability to reason quickly......don't under estimate these animals, be respectful, and you will have an amazing pet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jodie Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I had a malamute/wolf hybrid. It was the best dog I ever had and I'm more of a cat person. His name was Cain and even though he was supposed to be my ex-husbands dog, he bonded with me because I took care of him and let him sleep with me on the couch when he was still a little puppy. The only issues I had with him was getting into my neighbor's chickens and his wanting to be with other dogs. He would get lonely for other dog company and would howl at night. I never had any issues with aggressiveness, he wasn't a barker, and would go with me anywhere I went. His paws were the size of my hands, he was a huge dog and looked exactly like a wolf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Awesome new dog, 'tex! Looking forward to meeting her. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for the post Jodie! Good things to know.......luckily, there aren't any chickens around, and we have 2 dogs.....she never gets lonely. However, she does howl to get back in the house, and has taught the other two dogs to howl as well. It's pretty funny to watch & listen to, and they harminize perfectly! Sounds like there are Wolves or Coyotes banding up in the back yard though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cervelo Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Awesome looking new addition! Lucky Dog! What is the issue when they are bred with German Shepherds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jodie Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Oh Bigtex, I forgot to tell you, they don't tolerate the heat down here in the south very well. I bought one of those round blue plastic baby pools from Wal Mart and filled it up everyday with clean water during the summer months for Cain. I put it in the shade of a large tree so the water would stay cool, he just loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) Hey Cervelo.....I was told that the inherent tendencies of the German Sheppard to 'protect & serve' doesn't translate well to the wolf-hybrid, and you end up with a potentially big aggressive dog, with no fear of humans - the worst traits from both breeds. The Malamute on the other hand is not breed for aggression, but instead social harmony, among other things. Good idea on the pool Jodie, and was worried about that, but she sure seems to prefer being inside with the other dogs. I will probably need to leave her at home during my summer hikes though. And a couple of good photos taken over a weekend hike; first, and hard to see, a pile of animal poop in the middle of a large cactus plant - what message was this animal sending in what I would consider a dangerous move? And two nice prints, both from the same trackway heading uphill on a game trail. The second picture is a half-print, as the 'animal' was using just the front part of their feet negotiating the incline. Edited February 13, 2012 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Great hike over the weekend! Lucy was such an incredible animal to watch! Her feet and legs are already enormous for a puppy - the end size she reaches will simply be astounding. It is also sort of interesting how the other dogs mostly ignore bones from old kills, etc. whereas Lucy kept one bone for more than half an hour before finally dropping it. Probably the most impressive thing to me besides her obvious intelligence was simply how quiet she was. Listening to 'Tex and I and the dogs stomp around on the leaves, she was silent other than a few crunches in areas where humans and dogs would have made several crashes. It definitely speaks to how Sasquatches could possibly be so large and so quiet at the same time. At one point Lucy stepped on a short twig (which acted exactly like a thorn) and kept on trucking other than one yip. When Tex pulled it out, I noticed how deep and wide her paw pads were. Probably one of many things which adds to the quiet factor. One thing is for certain, she's going to turn a lot of heads as she gets older and looks more and more like a full grown wolf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 Thoroughly enjoyed the hike as well Shado, and as always......thanks for coming! Too bad we didn't get the night hike in, weather kind of turned on us, and was a little too cold.......22 degrees is not my idea of fun in the woods at night. Lucy enjoyed meeting you ae well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 One of the best hikes yesterday in a while, and the creeks were flowing at levels not seen in over 2 years, very nice. Here's an interesting print, and fairly fresh. There was no before or after print, and the direction would be difficult for a human. It came from a city owned restricted area (city water supply), and has a well made & maintained barbed wire fence with metal posts. The individual appears to have stepped over the fense, made the print in mud, and jumped/leaped down into the ravine. There is a run-off creek that flows through this part, and resuling mud. First pic shows the fence, and have outlined the print area & direction in red, second pic showing the area from the other side & print area outlined in red, with the 3rd & 4th pics the print, and a closeup. What ever made the print stepped over the fence, but didn't leave any sign on the fence, and then headed down into the ravine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 My beautiful pool is back! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cervelo Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 Took this picture while deep in the woods, and they were everywhere in the sky. I was deeply tuned to the nature, then looked up, and a reminder that the civilized world is never too far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Biggie Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My beautiful pool is back! Well we know where the bf there take their bath now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Some of the creeks are getting down right swampy........been waiting for these conditions for 2+ years. With all of the water, good cover, and abundance of easy food......this place is turning into a BF 4-Seasons Hotel, with an Animal Interstae Highway (Power Lines) going through it. Lucy the Wolfy dog, is starting to look more & more like a wolf every day, and big too. She's 13 weeks, and already holding her own with my Ridgeback. I am also noticing more of the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, differences between her and a regular dog. As an example, she wags her tail in a upward wispy 'S' motion, where most other dogs wag a mostly regid tail. Notice the white tip on the end, and next to black for contrast.......it has a real purpose. When we hike, she is very quiet, and hard to see......but with the upward wispy motion of her tail, the white tip is easy to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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