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Wolfhound was born as a result of breeding a wolf and a dog breed German shepherd. Despite the fact that for several centuries hybrids of dogs and wolves have been in the faithful service of man, the world heard about this breed not so long ago - literally with the beginning of the third millennium.
This hybrid, which was later called the Wolfhound, was born at the Institute of Internal Troops, which is located in Perm. Despite the fact that there are many cases when wolves were crossed with various large dog breeds, including husky dogs, Alaskan Malamutes or huskies of Western Siberia, only the Czechoslovakian wolf dog, as well as Sarlos (both dogs appeared on light after crossing a German shepherd with a wolf). The breed of wolf breeds in this case has a considerable number of admirers, although they have not received recognition from the International Federation of Cynologists. The main feature of these dogs is that they have canine devotion and good obedience, coupled with wolf intuition, endurance and excellent health.
Appearance
The breed of these dogs needs a competent owner and the right approach to education and training. The owner must be aware that his pet combines the features of a domestic dog and a wild predator. Even in the third or fourth generation, the wolf-wolf can have the features of a wolf, consisting in some distrust and aggression towards humans. This is determined by the fact that such dogs are usually used in military service - this helps their excellent physical health, sensitive sense of smell, cunning and endurance, resistance to weather conditions, good training. There are even stories of the incredibly sharp fangs of such dogs, which in some cases turn into deadly weapons. Also, one of the specific features of the wolf-breeder, showing off kinship with a predator, is that they very rarely bark, but sometimes begin to howl.
Dog Breed History
There are many stories that dogs were crossed with wild wolves, which led to the birth of unusual offspring. For the first time such hybrids began to be mentioned 10 thousand years ago, when, according to some assumptions, the wolves were first domesticated. There is a point of view that some wolves themselves got used to the person, respecting them, treating them well and not experiencing fear. In the future, it was already a question of crossing closely related wolves, and this could lead to the emergence of a new variety of dogs, whose task was to help the owner in the process of hunting for game.
Over time, various breeders became addicted to the breeding of the wolf and dog hybrid, but many attempts to bring out a strong, brave, hardy dog that has the features of a predator turned out to be a failure.Such failures were determined by the fact that the puppies had an evil, and sometimes, on the contrary, timid character, unstable psyche and did not react to the training process in any way. In addition, the bred animals had anomalies and developmental defects, which prevented them from becoming true and physically strong dogs, suitable for serving or participating in work. At present, we can count about a dozen breeds that have not received official recognition, but at the same time represent a mestizo of a wolf and a dog breed.
If we talk specifically about the Volkosob, then for the first time it was brought out by dog handlers who are on the staff of the Perm Military Institute. Back in the second half of the nineties, experts began to study the characteristics, habits and features of wolves. Only those animals that belonged to a person with the necessary tolerance were considered suitable for further selection. It is believed that of the total volume of wolves, only about 4 percent of individuals can be successfully crossed with dog breed. The remaining animals have unpredictability, aggression, distrust. It should be understood that almost always a male predator and a female dog are taken for animal breeding. But dog handlers working in Perm were able to get puppies from the reverse union. In 2000, male Baron and a she-wolf named Naida were allowed to mate.
Such an alliance was feasible, since Nayda was brought up from a hunter from a young age, who managed to instill in her all the features characteristic of a pet. And even becoming an adult, Naida did not lose her warm attitude to man. The hunter later handed it over to the employees of the military institute, where the first ancestor of the wolf-breeds was located in the kennel - the dog Baron with black wool, a reasonable, obedient and kind dog.
The first litter contained five puppies, of which four survived. And only one of them showed suitable traits while serving with border guards and customs officers. Other animals were distinguished by a vivid sense of fear and distrust of people.
A year later, the mating of the she-wolf and Baron was repeated, which led to a similar result. And in 2003, Naida was crossed with a male made in the second litter. The puppies that were born were distinguished by greater courage, excellently performed the tasks that they set before them, did not show alienation from people. These animals differed from ordinary dogs in excellent health, incredible strength and a sensitive sense of smell.
As a result, Perm Cynologists bred several more generations of dogs of this breed. Currently, the experiment, which is associated with the breeding of the hybrid, is already closed. But in the country there are already some kennels that continue to breed these dogs.
Character Features
A successful hybrid of a wolf and a dog is a reasonable, sensitive and intelligent animals that always show themselves well in the search. In addition to a keen mind, a wolfhunt often wants to dominate his master. Therefore, in order to build the correct model of the relationship between the dog and the owner, it is important to clearly show the pet that the owner has the main role and dominates the animal. Along with the ancestors of the wolf breed, the wolf species is accustomed to choose a leader and obey him in everything.
If the owner does not have the strong qualities of a leader, then the wolf-dog can become uncontrollable, cease to recognize the owner. A dog that is raised faithfully, is gentle, is distinguished by obedience, but at the same time it will not humiliate itself and crouch in front of a person. They are distinguished by good resistance to cold weather and poor conditions, to some extent unpretentious in food, and in a state of hunger, wolfhounds without great difficulty overcome long distances - up to a hundred kilometers.
Despite the fact that dogs of this breed often live close to people, they are often used as service dogs. However, this animal is not very suitable for keeping in an apartment, and the desire of a person who is not distinguished by good experience can sometimes turn into a tragedy for both a person and a dog. Also, the wolfhound is unlikely to coexist peacefully with other domestic animals.
Features of care and maintenance
It is important to keep a pet in the open air, it is best in a spacious aviary, where there is a warm booth. Despite the pet’s good health and resistance to poor conditions, it is important to provide the dog with shelter protected from the sun, draft, and cold. It is also important to enclose the territory with a high and strong fence.
There are no special requirements for caring for the wolf-wolf. It is important to feed the pet in a timely manner and offer him clean water. You will need to comb the dog regularly, and you can bathe twice a year. It is also important to monitor the health of the dog, check the condition of the mucous membranes, ears and eyes. It is important not to limit the movement of the animal to a chain, as this can result in manifestations of aggression not only to strangers, but also to members of their family. It is necessary to conduct the process of socialization correctly and build the right relationship with the pet.
Training process
Most often, a wolfhound is brought up so that the dog takes part in official manipulations, since usually their training is in the competence of experienced professionals. The entire learning process is built on developed techniques that incline the animal to unquestioning obedience and execution of tasks and commands.
It is worth noting that the wolfhound is distinguished by a good susceptibility to the skills that are brought up in it. Also a specific feature is that they, like other hybrids of a dog and a predator, can very quickly get used to a stranger, which sometimes turns out to be a plus if you have to change several owners.
Pet health
Balanced food, disease prevention with the help of a veterinarian and measures aimed at preventing various diseases - all this will help the wolf-dog to remain a strong physically and healthy dog for many years.
Entertaining facts
Nowadays, wolfhounds are often used on set, when shooting an episode with wild wolves in the frame is required. Predators are unpredictable, therefore, wolf species that are perfectly related to humans can replace them.
A puppy from the first litter of Naida, nicknamed Scarlet, served on the border with China and Mongolia. The male from the second litter - Gray - showed himself perfectly in the search for drugs and explosives, working in the Sverdlovsk region. Naida, however, lived for more than 18 years, having died in 2014.
Video: Wolfhound dog breed
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