Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
British Columbia Sport & Outdoor Lounge => Hunters' Cabin => Topic started by: Schenley on February 09, 2008, 09:34:34 AM
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Before anyone buys one of these pups-- I strongly advise you to read this USDA report http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/newsletters/v5n4/5n4wille.htm
They do NOT make good house pets and if not fully controlled can be dangerous... These are high mantainance animals
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Just to let you know...you could basically say this about ANY dog out there these days and the majority of times (99%) it has to do with the OWNER and how the animal is treated. I have 3 children and they have been around my dogs since a very young age...there has never been an issue. If anything the dog has been protective of anyone (strangers) coming near my children.
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Before anyone buys one of these pups-- I strongly advise you to read this USDA report http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/newsletters/v5n4/5n4wille.htm
They do NOT make good house pets and if not fully controlled can be dangerous... These are high mantainance animals
hahaha
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Before anyone buys one of these pups-- I strongly advise you to read this USDA report http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/newsletters/v5n4/5n4wille.htm
They do NOT make good house pets and if not fully controlled can be dangerous... These are high mantainance animals
That is such a ignorant and ridiculous..... and outta line i might add, comment to make in a fellows buynsell add.
Having owned for 9 years.... a first generation TIMBER WOLF/AKIDA ..... what some would say is A VERY DANGEROUS mix... and it is..... through proper training, and lots of human attention, this dog never harmed a soul, was obedient like no dog i've owned. He was born in the wild and the mother was killed by a bear we think. The mother was a pack outcast, probably the mate of a defeated or exiled former alpha male, and no longer welcome in her pack. She had denned up and marked her territory in the back area of my uncles acerage up north near castlegar. My uncles pure akida max had at er one day..... and..... she had a litter my uncle discoverd when he went looking for her and found her dead from an attack by somethin big, prolly a griz after her pups. 3 of those pups survived, one lived with us as kids, and the other 2 lived 12 and 13 years and grew up with my uncles kids.... Never an incident. I would guess, and i could be wrong..... from looking at the pics of the parents, the wolf in the pics appears to be a few generations removed from it's wild breed. An EDUCATED dog enthusiast would see that right of the bat.
I am strongly considering buying one of these pups advertised here
I own a pure bred rotweiller, who is a wonderful family dog..... but.... we know how to raise a dog, and we don't give a rats@ss about USDA reports ::) ::)
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I can second that i owned a rotweiler and he was very smart and REALLY FAR from being dangeorus
SO FUNNY
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They do NOT make good house pets and if not fully controlled can be dangerous... These are high mantainance animals
I expected these replies.... Just like the pitbull owners who say "I dont know why my pitbull ripped the face of that kid-- The kid must have been provoking him!"
These ARE potentially dangerous animal-- READ the article. And as far as post about another persons post-- whats the problem? Dont like the truth?
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I would not put much faith in a response from some one who does not know where Castlegar is. Some parts of the West Kootenay have feral dogs that i shoot when ever i see them, but wolves are a rarity. Killed 5 north of Krestova last hunting season. Lots of cougar,bobcat,lynx, and bears.
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The key words are High Maintenance as contained in the report summation.
A knowledgeable responsible owner could keep and animal like that-as long as it was always behind a stout fence on a short leash.
Wouldn't want one for a neighbour though-there seems to be a tough guy attitude to owning a time bomb and I don't like people like that at all nor their stupid snarling mutts.
If you want a good fishing partner get a Lab or better yet an older dog from the pound-you'll have a grateful stable pal for life with no lawsuits looming.
speycaster-Good Job on the ferals-they are a plague.
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Before anyone buys one of these pups-- I strongly advise you to read this USDA report http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/newsletters/v5n4/5n4wille.htm
They do NOT make good house pets and if not fully controlled can be dangerous... These are high mantainance animals
I read it. Maybe you should actually read it. It doesn't support your claims. Lots of interesting information though... but those things are just too big for my liking... unless its a wolf/Chiuaua hybrid. 8)
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In my experience , which i don't need to get into here, 90% or better of the vicious or unstable dogs out therre.... are "created" by thier owners neglect
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In my experience , which i don't need to get into here, 90% or better of the vicious or unstable dogs out therre.... are "created" by thier owners neglect
couldnt agree more
Oh come on I've lived with 13 dogs from Bali , Indonesia to guard my dad's warehouse before which are BEAST on their nature ( coz their parents live in jungle ) , but its all about their how their owner nurtures them
I can say even chi hua hua can bite someone if they arent well nurtured
nurture > nature
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Yup-- its all about the owners...Right? BS. Ever heard of a little thing about genetics or inate behavior??? I will agree that MANY owners ARE a problem-- especially the deniers that wont face reality about just how aggressive theses and some other breeds can be.
Hey Beast-- are you going to screen the potential owners to make sure you dont sell one of these little wonders to one of machismo crowd? Or that it wont be confined to a 33ft Vancouver lot? The pound is full of dogs that people all of a sudden found that thier cute puppy turned into Cujo.......
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hey SCHENLEY are you a full breed or are you a hybrid (mixed)? are you a time bomb??
as humans we came from the dinosaur era does that make us dangerous ?
myself I'm not a full breed I'm 50% native 50% Portuguese does that make me a time bomb?
i do admit i do have my times when i do want to hurt others but in the end my training "the way i was brought up as a child" tells me better!
so i would have to say that it does depend on the way of being brought up as child in this case a PUP!
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I heard the #1 dog that bites is the Cocker Spaniel. So don't breed them with wolves to be on the safe side. :)
Some dogs are just high vet bills, like the Pug. :(
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Just a little something to think about: Found on the web
To whom it may concern:
So you want a wolf-dog? Please answer "yes" or "no" to the following questions:
1. Do you have the proper facilities to contain the animal? (i.e. so that it will NEVER, EVER leave your property unattended. It's as easy as a puff of wind opening a not quite closed front door.)
2. Are you ready to accept the animal as it is, rather than an extension of your own ego? There is nothing "cool" about owning a wolf-dog. The responsibilities are too overwhelming.
3. Are you prepared to remain unruffled and unafraid while watching the animal as it begins to "psyche out" a terrified child or wary adult? Wolf-dogs seem to "feed" on such vibrations.
4. Can you handle a confrontation? How will you react if the animal turns on you?
5. Can you stand the horror, humiliation and anger after the animal has bitten the neighbor's child?
6. Can you bear the thought of it harming your own child?
7. Are you ready to comply with the "dangerous dog" acts many counties are employing to curb dog bite problems? They include:
a. $75.00 to $1,000.00 fee PER year to keep the animal,
b. Mandatory liability insurance of at least $50,000.00,
c. A class C FELONY action against YOU if the animal bites more than once,
d. Fines up to $5,000.00 and /or one year of imprisonment
8. Can you afford to employ a PROFESSIONAL trainer to help control the animal and educate you on wolf and dog psychology? KENNEL CLUB training does not count!
9. Are you ready to take these responsibilities "'till death do you part"? Because giving or selling the animal is only passing the problem on to someone else, their children, friends, neighbors and county authorities. And while we're at it, will you be responsible enough to neuter the animal rather than letting it pass on these problems to others through its progeny?
This test is neither Pass nor Fail. You know how you did.
I didn't know any of this nine years ago when I adopted my wolf-dog. And I have been through all of the above as well as spent over $7,000.00 on proper containment, training and attorney fees. In spite of it all, my wolf-dog stays with me because he has no where else to go. But the oppressive liability of it overshadows us daily. These questions are depressing at best. But they must be asked...and answered truthfully.
Sincerely, Name Withheld
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Schenley....
this afterall is a buy and sell add, i'm not a moderator but maybe if you have these strong urges to high jack peoples adds with your feebleminded , leftist, probably voted liberal , granola eatin , armchair critic comments...... you should start a NFR... i'm scared of dangerous dogs.... thread.
do you cruise the buy n sell paper and craigslist looking for dog owners to provoke as well??
and leave this poor man to sellin his pups, instead of putting him in a position to have to defend his right to post and sell them.
sorry rodney..... I couldn't help myself ;D
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Hummm- Interesting spin
feebleminded , leftist, probably voted liberal , granola eatin , armchair critic comments.
Feebleminded?? Nope!, Leftist? Nope!, Voted Liberal- nope not a chance, Granola eating, red meat beats sawdust any day, Armchair critic? No I have owned big dogs most of my life-- been der -done dat. I also had a huskie/shepard cross that I took in because the owner expected that proper training and love would offset the agressive attedancies of the sire... Wrong! It was in the genes-- After THREE bites, I had the vet put him down as I KNEW he was a ticking time bomb. My vet told me that he sees a lot more of this temperment these days because of unethical breeders that pander to either idiots who want a dog that reflects thier temperment, or are totally unaware that the cute little pup, without extensive and continuing training,will turn into Cujo. Wolf crosses fall into the category of an animal that should never be left in the company of young children. Same thing with exotic cats too. What is so hard to understand with that. And as far as "Makes a good fishing partner" That is complete bull crap.
I have also seen a neighbourhood terrorized by an aggressive pitbull/rottie cross owned by a young guy that thought it was funny and cool to see his dog growl at anyone that tried to walk down the street. That dog ( and owner) had no place in a civilized society.
A few years ago I attended a dog obdience classes to socialise my labs. One of the other dogs was a pitbull, less than a year old. It attacked three other dogs in the class before the trainer gave the dog and owner the boot-- telling him to seriously consider ethanizing the dog because of its temperment. The owner??? A 17yr old that bought the dog cus his "friends" told him it was "rad" to own a pittbull.
Getting back to wolf crosses..The fact remainds-- these crosses dont make good pets... do some research and then tell me you want one in the backyard next to your kids.
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schenley
I'll stop getting personal, i suppose that wasn't fair. I'll clarify my experience with dogs for you just so you are aware of why i get so riled about this topic.
lived with and raised/trained a 1rst generation wolf/akida cross,for all it's 9 years of life, fantastic dog, never an issue.
5 years as an assistant and lead trainer for a high end securtities company (we're not talking your average k-9 security here). Training rottwielers, sheppards, akida and dobermans, some mixed breed as well. many of these dogs are serving with police, military and special securities. I have over 15 years as a dog handler and trainers assistant with various institutions.... all of my work with dogs has been unpaid and volunteered.
I have been bit 6 times in my life and none of the dogs that bit me were on the list above.... they were all someones house pet and most of them of the terrier breed... and then there's that godam chiuaua that bit me twice.
I have handled well over 100 of what most folks call dangerous dogs.... and never been bit. Had to take a few down and show em who's boss... but hell ya have to do that with teenagers these days too :D
we are all entitled to our opinions... there is no, I',m right and youre wrong here
my comments on this ony started because i felt your thought were not appropriate in Beasts buy sell add.
peace.
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Yes, we all have opinions. Apparently you are a professional trainer, so you assume that you can honestly say that its OK to have a wolf-cross as a "fishing partner'?? Please note I asked if Beast screens his prospective buyers. Any responsible breeder will do that. I even had to assure a breeder that I would hunt a Duck Toller that I wanted to purchase as she wanted to assure the hunting heritage of the breed. Breeding vs non breeding contracts for PBs too all part of responsible breed management.
I didnt get an answer to my question about screening suitable owners -- so lets sell the animals to the first $300 that comes along from an apartment or 33ft lot????? Yes- I know the stats on dog or hybrid related human deaths... In the US from 1979 to 1996 the worst is the pittbull and crosses, next is rottweiler and crosses, followed by shepherds,malmutes and -- and wait for it--the wolf hybrid.
I stand by my previous statement that wolf hybrids are "high maintenance" I am not going to carry this further, except to say, Give an animal know to have a propensity to act in a predatory way, especially towards children , to a person who is unaware of the nature of the animal, or just doesnt give a damn, because it make HIM look cool , then you have a recipe for a disaster no different from allowing a juvenile to have a handgun with no training at all.
Since children are small, they are less intimidating to a wolf or hybrid, and the chance of an attack is increased. Couple this with the propensity - primarily of small boys - to tease such animals if they are behind a fence or on a chain, and the stage is set for disaster. Many children have been attacked. The lucky ones escaped with injuries. Many have died. All these deaths were avoidable. While it is true that the same comments apply to many dogs - who are considered to be the same species - the probability that a pet wolf or hybrid will attack a child is much greater.
Whenever such an attack occurs, it is often national news. A concerned public cries out for laws to outlaw such animals, while the hybrid owners rise up to defend the keeping of these animals - pointing out how friendly they are. Parents are accused of poor supervision - not of the animals, but of the children who are the victims of such attacks. In many instances the owners have been warned beforehand, but such warnings are usually dismissed or ignored. When a child is dead or disfigured for life, one hears: "Gee, I am sorry; I did not know; the animal has never done that before; it is so friendly; it loves children; it is afraid of people; etc." The list of excuses is endless.
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on the points you have made ..... I will have to agree. The wrong person should not own one of these dogs.
My pure bred rottweiller doesn't come fishin with me as i can't keep my eye on him while i'm fishin. While i trust him with my life and when given commands, he is still a dog with the "pack" mentality still very strong in him.
I have no use for pit bull... or any terrier breed for that matter... those dogs are just not right.
It's interesting how raising a dog with a pack mentality in it's instinct differs from many other breeds. My dog (s) know thier place in order in my family, and they see that i firmly and fairly hold the alpha male position. This is something many owners of "possibly dangerous" pack instinct canines do not realize.
I said/typed some things that no doubt were not well received when this was a buysell post.... now that it is a discussion thread... I have no issues with your opinion. I just did not feel that it was appropriate or fair to Beast to post what you did in his add.
we can agree to disagree on that
and we can agree on the wish that these dogs go to homes of folks who can do just that, give them good nurturing homes. I'm one of those folks who can do just that. Not a macho thing, I own a rottie because he needed a "good" home when he was a pup.... rescued from a chain in a mud filled lot, behind the trailer of a drunk dumb@ss when he was 2 months old.
At the time.... I was in fact.... looking for a chocolate lab or a newfie duck toller..... how bout them apples ;)
and i take back my granola eatin, musta voted liberal comment..... but it did work to get this thread moved to dicussion from buysell ;D
cheers man
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Yup-- fair enough. Have a good one. And my dogs know thier place too-- Its either standing next to the food bucket looking pittiful or taking a flying lead at my lap while I am in the recliner watching TV. 85lbs of lab coming at you out of the blue can sure take you breath away--- so much for training!!!! ;D
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Everything, including a human, can be unpredictable. If you let your kid play with a rotty, pit bull, or wolf-cross, or any other dog you are rolling the dice. My animal had eaten something and cracked her molar, neither my wife and I noticed as she was acting completely normally. Unprovoked and out of the blue, she attacked our baby, and bit her head. Up to that point she had been completely loveable and loved to snuggle up with the kids. Luckily, this animal was small. Any of the above breeds and our child would now be dead.
Anybody out there who thinks you "know" your dog and can predict it's behavior, you're a fool and projecting your own notion of self control onto your animal. That said, if you provide a safe, comfortable, controlled environment for these breeds, they can be some of the best companions. The key is recognizing unpredictability and behaving accordingly instead of ignoring it.
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marmot sorry to here that about YOUR dog. :'( i HOPE your little one is doing OK ;D
was your dog neutered and was it a female or a male ???
people say that this (above mentioned) but i does i have a 18, 16, 10, and finally a 4 year old and not once did i have any problems
with them and my animals!! now on the other hand pets in the surrounding area there was problems where yes a shovel on the back of the head works
great for me!
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Who said she was a dog? She was a cat (half wild breed, bengal.) Only dog our kids play with is my brothers schnoodle, and incidentally, on our last trip to see them, it nipped her when she got too close to his food bowl. Again though, that "nip" from a rotty or pitbull would have been bad news. It's true that any dog breed can attack, its the amount of damage they are capable of doing that makes people wary of certain breeds. You haven't had problems with your animals, thats great. Like I said, you roll the dice and so far you've been fortunate.
The chances that your dog is going to turn on your kids or somebody elses kids would be small if you brought your dog up properly....but it's such a huge price to pay if it does happen when really it can all be avoided by responsibly raising your animals.
I'm curious what the draw is to "dangerous" breeds in the first place....the way it seems on the "outside" is that people think its "cool" to have a dangerous pet. Am I wrong? Are they more loyal? Friendlier? Are you using these dogs as guard dogs? I hate to say it and most of you would probably agree but the majority of people that you see with "dangerous" breeds are tough guy types....is that just bad press for the people out there that have legitimate reasons for owning a rotty as opposed to say, a lab? If thats the case, what are those reasons?
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i found my dog on one of my fishing trips LOCALLY he was the only one that survived out of the 7 that i had found along the river edge (FRASER) in a bag
all my kids have the chance to feed him as that is the trusting way it is true a dog will not bit the hand that feeds
my dog protects only the kids for as a stranger come on the drive way he will sit up in front of the kids and he will usually bark 3 to 6 time as a worning
most people will test my dog / dogs but no one has had the opertunity to get the rotti bit as of yet ;D now when im fishing and he is with me obeying lesh law 10' lesh that is he is clipted to me and a order is given were he will sit and he will not unless i tell him so ;D its all about the training and the time you spend with them!! as for the TUFF guy syndrome well i dont know about that ??? now there is a dealer in our area and he has a PITT (cant stand those dogs) and every one moves out of the way when he (THE PITT) comes close as for me i dont and he tightens his grip i have already thrown this dog in the bush a few time. to me that dog will hurt some one but that is what he is trained for i guess ??? my dogs name is bear as for me im the BEAST thats was a nickname i was given in the USMC just one of those things that stuck with me 8)
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I have no use for pit bull... or any terrier breed for that matter... those dogs are just not right.
C'mon, terriers are my very favorite breed. Cute and cuddly easy dogs to feed...... ;D ;D
Something to lighten it up a bit :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB1eQrCBw0k
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We have a pit bull / staffordshire terrier cross given to us tears ago. They thought since we lived in Surrery it was a no brainer to have one of them for protection. That dog to this day has bitten nothing but food. I am not particular to them anyway but i stopped taking him fishing because it made everyone around a little tight in the sphinkter. I was even threatened by one guy that he had a gun in his truck and that if I didn't tie up the dog his gun was coming out. So the dog in a way did pose a real threat to me. Only it was from other people. The pug we diverted from the pound has taken the pitbulls top lip off in a I'm boss type battle. He also bit me once for spanking him for peeing in the house. Pugs aren't a good choice if you like a urine free house.
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Just to clarify guys there is a reason why i use quotation marks around "dangerous"....I don't believe they're dangerous unless put in the wrong situations or raised poorly (or have a medical reason). As for the tough guy thing, it is a stereotype, for sure....around my neighborhood in east van though, it's prevalent. I'm genuinely curious as to why somebody would choose a pitbull or rotty over a lab (other than protection, which is obvious). I always thought that a lab would be the ideal choice for a hunting/fishing companion since they love the water and looove being in the bush. A good friend of mine hunts and his lab has saved him from a grizzly....scary stuff!
Beast, that is heartbreaking that you found your pup (and his not so fortunate kin) in a bag at the river. So sickening that scumbags do that to animals:( Good that he's found a good home.
Troutbreath.. did that guy have kids with him? Remember, he doesn't know your dog, he just knows they can potentially (and sometimes do) attack and kill young children. If not, hes just paranoid.
Another thing about the "tough guy" stereotype.. I was up at lynn canyon swimming last year. We had our kids there, and there were lots of kids running around and playing in the water. This guy and his teenage girlfriend strut down to the river, and he's got a pit bull ...a HUGE one. The dog was visibly agitated and sort of lunging out and barking so what does the guy do? He smacks his dog in the head with a stick and yells "shut up"...the dog turns to him in defiance and he just REEFS on the chain in the opposite direction.... Then he hands the leash to his girlfriend. Thats when we left. Poor dog is being turned into a time bomb. It's owners like that that give these dogs a bad name (and support the stereotypes).
One of my best friends owns a rottweiler, and raises him well. He has kids and has taught the kids to respect the dog, and I must say hes a wonderful dog. I can't see him ever, ever, losing his cool...its just if he did, for whatever reason, its just so much to wager.
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Most people get Pit Bulls because of the bad boy reputation. We didn't even play fight with the pit in case it made him a biter. I really wouldn't get another one. But they can be friendly to people with no chance of biting from what I've experienced. Just not my kind of dog. The scary thing is trimming his toenails and having your head by his huge fangs. Jawsome.
The guy who went to get his gun was overtly paranoid and there were no kids around. I kept telling him the dog wanted to be patted, which he did because he is a real sucker for attention. The dog came back to me and never got within 100 yards of the guy. Still I don't bring him around crowded areas rather than scare everyone because it is a big dog. These dogs will agressivly attack another dog I've seen that. Mine only does that if the other dog attacks first. He doesn't lock onto the the neck, and he leaves the other dog plenty time to think about biting him again. He actually gets kind of upset if he gets into a fight with another dog because he likes to play with them. I have had other pitbull owners want to try to see if the dogs will fight, and come over with their snapping pit bull. Sickos
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I saw the saddest thing the other day-a vicious St Bernard. :o
Most people know them as Gentle Giants and all that but this mutt was bent right out of shape.
He wouldn't listen tried to attack a Bulldog-sweetest Bulldog you ever met-jerked his owners around I mean there were 2 of them both with a leash on the mutt and he just went wherever he wanted this was @ Kits beach-good thing he had a full muzzle on.
In this case I can see it being 100% the fault of the owner I talked to him for a bit he was so clueless it wasn't even funny.
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ssab nik i would love to meet your dogs ill bring mine and they can play at the doggy park
i love big dogs they are fun to play with! ;D
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REALLY SORRY TO SAY
http://www.telestereo.com/Archivos/video.html
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Looks like a hot date. :o
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From the original article:
Discussions of wolf hybrids often become heated emotional exchanges between opposing parties, each with their own sets of data, statistics, and information... Whatever opinion one has, the presence of wolf hybrids has forced more and more communities to become embroiled in the controversy that continues to surround these animals.
Getting back to wolf crosses..The fact remainds-- these crosses dont make good pets... do some research and then tell me you want one in the backyard next to your kids.
Speaking from experience, or simply what you have read?
Much to that first line quoted above being represented here methinks...
Just thought I'd toss in my two peso's from a rather experienced perspective:
I have enjoyed the Companionship of 3 generations of wolf hybrids, in all likelihood soon to be 4. In my case I was exposed to this breeding before I made the decision to do so, so very much knew what I was getting into. Not some sort of "machismo" thing for me, but a sincere love of the animal, and the understanding of just what type of Companion they could be.
The first was a tested 50% female, acquired from a known Friend and breeder. Crossed with Alaskan Malamute, Sheba eventually grew to staggering proportions at 140 pounds. Extremely intelligent, much more so than any other breed or mix I had run across. And I was (and am) quite familiar with many. She tried, as most of these are likely to, to test my role in the dominance issue... Once, and Once only. From that moment on, she was extremely loyal, extremely loving, and well knew her place between the two of us. However, even with the best training (I have a strong family history regarding training of large dogs - Shepherds, Pointers, Setters, etc) loads of attention, and a huge fenced acreage to roam, unfortunately she was also extremely defensive of both myself and what she considered our property. This meant that I had to keep an eye on her all of the time, and no, no children were ever allowed near unsupervised (although she never did anything untoward in this regard, simply precautionary on my part). I recall thinking at that time that perhaps 50% was just a tad too much of the wild influence.
One day I came home from work to find an extremely determined Airedale had somehow managed to tunnel into Sheba's over-sized chain-link enclosure (even though the fencing was buried 2.5 feet around the enclosure) when she was in heat. Ouch! Too Late!
I allowed the litter to be brought into the world, and with the mother's untimely passing, kept one of the pups (now 25% wolf) and gave the other 3 to rancher Buddies. In all cases, these proved to be some of the best dogs both my Friends and I ever ran into. The 3 that went to the ranches swiftly became working dogs in every sense of the word. Herding cattle, tending sheep, and watching after the ranch yards. None strayed, none were aggressive except in pursuit of their chosen tasks, and all lived incidence-free long and healthy lives. In every case, their owners noted their extreme intelligence, willingness and speed at picking up training desires.
Ceasar, the blond male I kept was in the same league. At that time I lived in Southern Alberta, attending to education, and spending all my time not engaged in that pursuing hunting and/or fishing activities.
At just shy of a year, I decided to attempt to turn this hybrid into a pheasant dog. I could go on in volumes as to how that turned out, but suffice it to say he was the envy of all my family and buddies - folks who owned German Shorthairs, English Pointers, and Springer Spaniels. Without exception, he showed the "professional" breeds up, yet managed to work very well right alongside them. Never an incidence of untoward behaviour nor aggression for his entire lengthy span. One of the very best, and I recall thinking that by accident, I had gotten the mix about right.
As the Old Boy approached 14 years, I desperately wanted to keep his line going. Living in the Arctic at that point, it wasn't tough to find another female for him. This time an Alaskan Husky that had been crossed back to wolf 2 generations back. Siqu (See-Coo - Blue Ice for her vivid blue eyes) was her name, and true to some of the husky related working dogs, she wasn't as brilliant as I had become used to for the mix. But, her and the Old Boy raised a very fine litter, one of which was a blond, blued-eyed male which exhibited a lot of his Pa's characteristics. That one I named Munuqsii (Mun-Uck-See: Camp Watcher) and he became my constant companion. Unfortunately we lost his father shortly following his entry to the world, so were pleased to keep something of him with us. I was immediately happy to see confirmed the intelligence factor (never know what would develop with mom's status in that regard), and we roamed the vast and great outdoors on the Arctic with abandon. Munuq-Matt is what my Buddies suggested should have been his name, and over me he is still extremely watchful. My Early Distant Warning system he has met with grizzlies, black bears and cougars, each time handling the situation with almost unbelievable calm and insight, never aggression. Both he and his father before him could absolutely be trusted with livestock, with other dogs, with humans and children. Never an incident, never a need to wonder.
Munuqsii at 13 years old:
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Munuqsii.jpg)
Now, Munuqsii is fast approaching 15 years, and slowing down a fair bit. Still wanders the rivers with me, and is still amongst the first I consult when considering doing that. But once again, the writing is on the wall - the bane of all who decide to embrace these wonderful creatures, to bring them into our lives, with the understanding that eventually one day, we will be saddened as we part ways. Simply the way of it. Tough, but understood.
The spring past Munuqsii's mother Siqu left us in exactly that fashion. She had a wonderful life, and it was devastating - especially to my Wife whom the hound had bonded to. Even more so for Munuqsii, who had her around his entire life for canine companionship. Witnessing him withdraw from life, become extremely despondent and appear to be giving it all up, we decided to acquire a new companion both for him and ourselves. The choice this time was again a 50% Arctic Wolf, 25% Shepherd and 25% Lab cross. Asiulu (Ah-See-Loo: Probably) is now 10 months. Again, very very intelligent. Standoffish at times, aloof perhaps a better word. Initial training was both good and bad, as she very quickly understood what was requested, but often decided only to comply when she wished to. Months of constant handling, months of training complete with professional aid (as much for the Missus as it is the the hound) have paid off, and she is turning into a well disciplined, well behaved and drop dead gorgeous animal! The complete antithesis of aggressive, she is far more likely to mug someone in her exuberance to be friendly! She is just finishing her first precocious heat (much to the denied Old One's chagrin), and indicated no problem behaviour even when in the racks of hormone inflexion this brings. I very much suspect she will make a fantastic companion for both our human, as well as canine Family. And, suspect strongly she will throw some excellent offspring when allowed to eventually breed with our male.
Asiulu at 3 months:
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/WolfPup2.jpg)
Asiulu at 7 months:
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/GardenRaider.jpg) (http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Asuilu_7_mths_3.jpg)
In my wandering life I have met a great many wolf mixes. They ARE high maintenance. They are extremely intelligent. They absolutely require a lot of room, even more exercise, and even more than that - attention. The vast majority of those I have run across that exhibited problem behaviour were denied some, or even all of that. Those who owned them would likely have had serious problems whatever breed they decided to acquire, and especially so when in the case of a demanding breed, such as the wolf hybrid definitely is. IMO, the problems were exactly due to the owners. As in the case of parents, not all are cut out to do so.
All that said, I have loved these animals as Family. Will continue to seek their companionship for as long as I live. By far, the most loyal, the most intelligent, and the finest companions imaginable.
They obviously aren't for everyone, as they do come with some seriously high demands. But to suggest they "don't make good pets" is in error IMHO. No more so than many other breeds of larger dogs. It IS very much all in what YOU are prepared to bring to the table.
Cheers,
Nog