Crossbreeds of a dog and a wolf: features and types

The fauna is pretty amazing. In nature, there are a huge number of animals that are not purebred, but are a kind of hybrid of several animals. For example, the so-called wolf dogs, which, in their essence, are hybrids of a wolf and a dog, deserve special attention.

Consider the distinctive features of this animal, get acquainted with the history of its origin and learn about what types of wolf dogs exist.

A cross between a wolf and a dog is an unusual animal that, according to many scientists, originated several thousand years ago. For the first time, the remains of a hybrid were discovered by archaeological scientists during excavations. Due to the fact that the first bones of such animals found are of ancient origin, it is believed that wolfdogs are animals that originated naturally... This conclusion was made due to the fact that the ancient people did not have the knowledge and capabilities to carry out the selection procedure.

Later in the 15th century, an experiment was carried out in Germany to cross a wolf and a dog. Scientists have tried to cross the wolf with a variety of dog breeds.

Some time later, in 1766, English scientists tried to repeat the unusual experiment. This time, the wild wolf was crossed with a dog, which was a representative of the shepherd breed. As a result of crossing, 9 puppies were obtained, which ended up in the homes of English aristocrats.

Attempts to reproduce wolf dogs were also made in Holland. The famous Dutch scientist Lander Sarlos at that time crossed a wild wolf with a German shepherd. It was this animal that after some time received official recognition and existed for 19 years. After this period, the hybrids were recognized as dangerous to humans and unnecessarily aggressive.

The numerous failures of his predecessors did not stop the Czech scientist Karel Hartl, who was able to surpass his colleagues and produce a hybrid of a wolf, which was recognized by the cynological community.

In appearance, a hybrid of a dog and a wolf resembles a wild animal. For such an unusual beast, scientists have developed and adopted official standards.

For a mixed breed, the standards relate to the anatomical structure of the animal. Metis has rather large dimensions, respectively, large numerical indicators of height and weight. So, the mass of a wolfdog is usually in the range from 30 to 50 kilograms, and its height is from 60 to 70 centimeters.

The anatomical structure of the crossbreed's torso follows the outline of the wolf's body. However, this repetition is not absolute, and there are differences in outline. In particular, the wolfdog has a pronounced muscle mass, due to which the animal is quite strong, fast and capable of jumping long distances. The front and hind legs of the hybrid are quite long. However, the hind legs, which are parallel to the front ones, are more muscular. The wolfdog is endowed with a long and fluffy tail.

The skull of the animal has a wedge-shaped outline. The jaw is quite powerful and converges in a scissor bite. It has been scientifically proven that the grip of hybrids is significantly stronger than that of simple dogs. The ears of the wolfdog have a triangular shape. It is also important to note the fact that animals have exceptional hearing, which responds to even minor noises. The eyes of animals are traditionally colored brown with a light undertone.

The hairline of the animal deserves special attention. In general, the colors are the same as those of the wolves, but there may be some deviations. So, the most popular shades are:

• Gray;
• black;
• Brown;
• white and others.

A dog / wolf hybrid is an animal that has not become widespread. However, despite such a small popularity, scientists and veterinarians have identified several varieties of the so-called wolf dog:

• the Czechoslovakian wolfdog, which is a cross between a Central Russian forest wolf and a German shepherd;
• the Russian wolfhund, whose parents were the Canadian black wolf and the Alaskan malamute;
• wolfdog.

The Czechoslovakian wolfdog originated in 1955 thanks to the efforts of Czechoslovakian breeders. This animal was bred for a specific purpose - to participate in military activities, in search and rescue operations, as well as for protective and guard duty. The wolfdog was officially registered internationally in 1999. Thus, this variety is considered quite young.

The Russian wolfhund is an animal that has the distinct features of a wild wolf. The animal calmly tolerates even adverse environmental conditions.Such a dog is not adapted for living in the cramped conditions of small-sized apartments - it requires a lot of space.

The animal, which is a mixture of a wolf and a dog, in our country can be purchased only in one official kennel - the Wolf Center Russian Wolf Center Park. When purchasing a wolf dog anywhere else, you cannot be sure that you are purchasing a hybrid animal.

When choosing a particular puppy, you should take into account all the same features as when choosing a dog of any breed. So, make sure that the appearance of the animal is well-groomed and neat, and the behavior should be active.

Wolf dogs, like any other animal, have both negative and positive traits. Therefore, before acquiring an unusual animal, you should familiarize yourself with all the characteristics of a wolfdog.

One of the main disadvantages of this animal is aggressiveness. This character trait is especially manifested if the hybrid has more than 25% of the total blood volume of a wolf. With skillful training, the aggressiveness and anger of the animal can be reduced, but a professional dog handler should be involved in training and education of the animal.

As for positive character traits, animal owners most often highlight such characteristics as endurance, courage and fearlessness, loyalty and devotion, as well as developed flair.

Due to the fact that wolf dogs are rather unusual animals, there are certain principles of their maintenance, which must be followed.

First of all, it is important to consider that you cannot keep wolf dogs on a chain. Instead, the animal can live in enclosures or booths. But the size of such rooms should be very large so that the animal can safely move around its home without experiencing additional difficulties.

Inside the booth or aviary, which serves as a dog's dwelling, there should be no drafts and wind. And also keep in mind that you should avoid exposing the dog to direct sunlight, as they have a negative effect on your pet's body.

It is allowed to bathe animals infrequently - only once a year. In this case, care should be taken to ensure that the water temperature is not lower than room temperature, and during the implementation of water procedures, only detergents specially designed for animals are used.

In terms of hygiene, you need to monitor the condition of the ears and eyes. Ears should be cleaned of wax and hairs - this can be done with cotton swabs dipped in water or vegetable oil (for particularly intense pollution). Eyes should be cleaned with cotton pads. It is also important to monitor the condition of the animal's oral cavity and teeth.

In order to maintain the health of a wolf dog, it is important to periodically show the animal to a veterinarian (at least once every 6 months).

The basis of the dog's diet should be meat and offal. This diet will provide your dog with the protein it needs. And also in the menu you can include cereals (buckwheat, rice), dairy products (cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, natural yogurt), as well as boiled vegetables.

A story about the breed in the next video.