The German Shepherd Mixed with the wolf is also known as the wolf-dog or the Wolf Shepherd. This is a crossbreed between the German Shepherd and a wolf. There are different crosses between the German Shepherd and the wolf.
The most common of the mixes is the Saarloos Wulfhund. Other crossbreeds include Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and the Kunming Wolfdog. The wolf Shepherd has also been recognized by the UK Kennel Club. It is not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
German Shepherd Mixed With Wolf Highlights At A Glance
- Other names: Shepherd Wolf, Wolf dog
- Average height : 24 to 34 inches
- Average weight 60 to 100 lbs
- Coat type: Double Coat with thick fur, Straight
- Hypoallergenic? No
- Grooming Needs: Moderate, it sheds heavily in shedding season.
- Brushing Requirements: Very high, every day
- Sensitive to touch: Very sensitive
- Tolerant to Isolation? No
- Barking: Rarely barks
- Tolerance to Heat: Tolerates very well
- Tolerance to Cold: Great
- Good Family Pet? Not very good
- Good with Children: When socialized properly
- Good with other Dogs? When properly trained and socialized
- Good with other Pets? When it has been properly socialized
- A roamer or Wanderer: Yes
- Suitable for apartment: No
- Good Pet for new Owner: No, can be very difficult to train
- Exercise Requirements: High
- Tendency to gain weight: Normal
- Major Health Concerns: Bloat, cancer, hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia
- Life Span 13 to 16 years
- Average Annual Medical Expenses: $500 to $650
- Average Annual Non-Medical Expenses: $800 to $1000
Breeding History:
The German Shepherd Mixed with the Saarloos wolf was originally created in 1935. This was bred with the aim of creating a good working dog and not a domesticated dog.
But the breed had traits like being reserved, cautious and it made a good companion dog than a working dog. Most of these dogs are family pets in most homes. They can also be used as guide dogs and rescue dogs. The dog weighs up to 100 pounds with a height of up to 34 inches.
The other type of wolf mixed with German Shepherd is the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. This type is mostly found in Europe. It has been around for a long time and it was a result of an experiment. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing.
With early socialization and training it is a very good pet for most homes.
It is almost impossible to determine what the Wolf Shepherd will be like before it is born. To have an idea we look at the parent breeds.
Dogs From Down Under…
Breeding History: The German Shepherd
The first German Shepherd was bred by Max Von Stephaniz who was a German man. The main purpose was to use the breed for herding purposes. He also wanted an obedient dog.
Nowadays, the German Shepherd is a very popular dog. It makes a great family pet and a good working dog. It is popular for its intelligence, fierceness and loyalty. The dog is also very easy to train.
The German Shepherd is also used by police officers, it makes a good service dog and guard dog. It is also protective of the family members and sometimes it can be aggressive. Early socialization and training can be able to fix this problem. The German Shepherd is a medium sized dog. It has a coat that is thick and long. The color of the coat can vary. It can be black, white or tan.
Breeding History: The Wolf
A wolf is a wild animal. The wolf is not used for domestication and can not be kept as a pet. Wolf’s have characteristics that are different from most dogs and because of this it is not easy to determine what the traits of the hybrid between the wolf and the dog can be. The wolf is an animal that has great hunting traits. It can also prey on small animals.
The appearance
The German Shepherd Mixed with wolf has the appearance like that of the wolf. It is large in size and has ears that are pointed. Most of the time the coat is also thick. The coat can also come in various colors such as gray, white, black or sable depending on the parent breeds they inherit from. It can also be a mixture of the colors.
The German Shepherd wolf Mix can have a weight of 120 lbs and the height can be around 60 cm (24 inches). The dog also has eyes that are sharp like those of a wolf. The eyes can have colors such as green, yellow, amber, brown or blue.
Since both of the parent breeds have thick fur, the hybrid is very likely to inherit the same. This also makes them to shed heavily.
The Temperament
Predicting what kind of traits or the personality of the wolf dog is very hard. This is because I’m the parent breeds have different traits.
The breeds vary depending on the genes that are more dominant. Generally, the wolf dog are very independent. Since the wolf is very protective of its pack and very loyal, they also inherit some pack instincts from the wolf parent. They are also very loyal to the owners.
The wolf dog also has a tendency to bond with one person in the family. For it to interact properly with people and other animals, early socialization and training is essential. The dog can also sometimes be more reserved. It can also suffer from isolation or separation anxiety. Therefore, do not leave the dog alone for prolonged hours.
The dog is also very affectionate and great to be around children. The dog is not very good around strangers and may show some aggressive behavior.
The dog can also inherit the digging characteristics from the wolf parent. Therefore they are good for homes with a yard so that they can be comfortable and dig freely.
The wolf parent is very reserved and sometimes shy around people. The dog may also inherit this trait. They can also howl sometimes. The breed can also inherit the prey drive instinct from the German Shepherd.
Exercise Requirements
The German Shepherd Mixed with wolf makes a very energetic dog. Therefore the exercises requirements are high. The dog has a lot of energy such that it can even walk up to 30 miles in one day.
The dog will need to be exercised for at least two hours every single day. This ensures that it stays fit and healthy. When they are not exercises enough, they may develop some behaviors like becoming aggressive and destructive.
There are many ways to exercise this dog, for example; jogging, hiking or simply playing games like fetching or tagging games with it. This also helps to reduce behaviors like chewing.
They also need a place where they can easily roam around without, play and be able to dig.You should not take the dog to a park and make sure to keep him busy in a place that is enclosed but comfortable.
A fenced backyard would be a great place for this. These high exercise needs make the wolf dog not good for apartment living conditions. You can also get a lot of toys to help in keeping him busy.
Training the German Shepherd Wolf Mix
The wolf dog may inherit the intelligence genes from the German Shepherd parent and in this case they will not be that stubborn to train. They will also be obedient and eager to please the owners.
However, most times they genes inherited from the wolf parent may be dominant. In this situation they become very stubborn to train.
When it comes to training them, you should always ensure that positive reinforcement is used. This involves giving them treats or rewards when they do something right.
You should also avoid using physical methods like hitting them in order to make them stop some behavior. This is because such training will not improve the relationship between you and your dog, but will further reduce it. It may also lead to aggressive behaviors.
The wolf dog is also suitable for experienced dog owners. Due to its stubborn nature, the dog can give problems to new dog owners when it comes to training them. This dog needs time, consistency and firmness in order to train them. You also need to show them who the leader is.
When training them, make sure that mental stimulation training is included to stimulate their minds. You should make sure that they are kept busy every day as this helps to reduce stress. Play with the dogs to ensure that they don’t get bored and develop unruly behavior.
The wolf dog can also inherit some characteristics like being reserved. Therefore early socialization is very important to ensure that it interacts well with people.
Behavior with Children
The wolf dog can be good around children and other pets if only it has been trained and socialized properly. However they may inherit the prey drive instincts and mixed with the wolf hunting genes it may see smaller animals as prey.
Although it can be good around children if it has been properly socialized, you should never leave it alone with kid’s. Their time should always be supervised to ensure that they do not get aggressive or hurt the kids in anyway.
Feeding Requirements
The German Shepherd Mixed With wolf is a large sized dog. Therefore, the diet that they are given is that which is formulated for dogs that are large in size. They need to be given food that contains essential nutrients. You should give the wolf dog food that is very rich in protein. The food should also be high quality food.
You will need to avoid giving your dog store bought food that contains a lot of carbs or artificial ingredients because they are not good for your dog. You should ensure that your dog gets at least 50% of protein everyday. You can also conduct a research to see the food that is best for your dog.
Always remember that there are many factors that determine the amount of food as well as the type of food that you should give to your dog. It can be determined by the age, the health condition, weight or the size of your dog. As your dog grows, it will not always have the same diet and the diet will change depending on the age of your dog. This is because puppies and adult dogs have different diet requirements.
You can also ask the veterinarian or the nutritionist about the kind and amount of food that you should give to your dog and what to include in the diet. Ensure that your dog is given plenty of clean water every day.
You may also consider giving the wolf dog raw food but you need to be extra careful because of bacteria infection risks. You should give your dog at least 2 to 3 cups of food that is meat based. This should also be divided into two meals and not be given to the dog at any time.
The dog should not be overfed and you should make sure to take note of how much your dog eats and ensure that it is not over fed. This is because too much feeding can cause overweight gain and obesity. Exercises will also help to prevent obesity.
Grooming Requirements
The German Shepherd Mixed with husky has high grooming requirements. The dog has a double and thick coat that sheds heavily especially during the shedding season. It will require you to brush the coat every day to get rid of the fur that is like to shed throughout the day. It also helps to get rid of the tangles. The dog is not hypoallergenic.
The fog should also be given a bath once in a while but not frequently because this can dry out their skin. You should look at the dogs ears for things like pests and debris or infections. They should also have their teeth brushed on regular basis to prevent bacteria accumulation. Sometimes the nails may need to be clipped especially when they get to long.
You should also practice visiting the veterinary for regular check-ups just to ensure that your dog is in a healthy condition and to know certain condition at an early stage.
Living Conditions
The German Shepherd Mixed with wolf is a highly energetic dog and it is large in size. This dog has very high exercise requirements. It is suitable for homes that have a backyard where it can easily play around comfortably.
It is also more suitable for fenced backyards because it is very curious and might end up running away if it is bored. The dog also loves to dig, and this trait is inherited from the wolf parent therefore a place where it can easily dig would be a good for it. You can also ensure that there are no trees around because it may use the trees to escape.
The wolf dog does not do well in apartment conditions because of its exercise needs. It requires a lot of space which an apartment can not provide. The dog is also more suitable for owners that are experienced in dealing with dogs that are stubborn because it requires firmness and consistency in its training. It can also be very challenging for new dog owners especially when it comes to training.
The dog also has wolf traits and therefore it is not a good dog to be around children and other small pets. Although this can easily be reduced by socializing it and training it properly at an early stage, there are a lot of things that you need to consider and supervision should be done at all times.
Common Health issues
The German Shepherd Mixed with Wolf has a life span of up to 15 years. The breed us also prone to some health conditions that it can inherit from the parent breeds. Some of the most common health concerns include bloat, cancer, hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.
Elbow dysplasia
This affects the elbow and it is caused due to the malformation of the joints in the elbow. The dog can experience pain and have trouble when it comes to walking. Elbow dysplasia can also be due to obesity. The chances can be reduce by ensuring that the dog is well exercised and not overfed.
Bloating
Bloating comes when there is a build up of gas in the stomach. This also causes the stomach to twist and turn. In worst cases bloat can shock the animal or cause death.
Hip Dysplasia
This happens when the joints around the hip are malformed. The signs are pains and the animal has problems with mobility. It can also cause lameness.
Cancer
This happens when there are abnormal cells growing in the body. The type of cancer that the dig can experience varies.
Conclusion
The German Shepherd Mixed with Wolf is across between the German Shepherd and a wolf. It is very difficult to know the traits that the dog will have because the German Shepherd and the wife have different traits and the breeds may take after either of the parents.
The dog is kept in most homes and acts as a great companion. However, they also have some special requirements that you may need to consider before getting one. For example they need to be in a large space, fenced backyard area, high exercise requirements and many more.
