The rescue and adoption of wolfdogs

A wolfdogs life expectancy can vary depending on how much wolf content is present. Often times wolfdogs with more wolf content tend to have a longer life expectancy. A wolfdog's life expectancy could be anywhere from 12-16+ years old! Given this longevity, a wolfdog is a very big commitment and you must be prepared to care for the animal for the duration of its lifetime regardless of the animal's challenges or any other factors, such as moving, having a family, or getting a new job. There are very minimal places for a wolfdog to go if you are no longer able to care for them and this can often result in euthanasia.

Wolfdogs tend to have a higher than normal prey drive. For this reason, it is not recommended to have a wolfdog around cats or other small animals. Some lower content wolfdogs may be okay around cats if they have received socialization to them at a young age, however, they would always need to be supervised.

As a general rule of thumb, we would typically consider a well socialized low content wolfdog suitable to be a pet. Low content wolfdogs still tend to be much more challenging than a regular dog and previous experience with northern breeds or other challenging breeds is highly recommended. Most mid and high content wolfdogs are not suitable as a pet. Lower content wolfdogs have much more dog content than they have wolf content, so their behaviour tends to be more dog-like. Wolfdogs with more significant amounts of wolf content are much more instinctual, which often means they may be uncomfortable and destructive indoors, unable to be fully housebroken, and cannot be left unsupervised. Higher content wolfdogs are often outdoors animals that also need adequate, spacious containment with a minimum fence height of 8 feet.

Wolfdogs and young kids generally are not a good fit. Kids tend to make fast movements that can excite or spook a wolfdog. This can result in nipping and/or biting in certain situations. A wolfdog that is comfortable to be pet and receive attention from humans may only be comfortable to be pet in certain areas and can be very particular. Young kids will not have the understanding needed to listen to a wolfdog's cues and body language and therefore puts all parties in a risky situation. Wolfdogs are also quite large and commonly have heightened prey drives and tend to be resource guarders. While each wolfdog is an individual with their own unique set of challenges, it is not recommended to consider wolfdog ownership if you plan on having kids, or have kids that are under the age of 12 years old.

Wolfdogs are generally very shy of people they are unfamiliar with. Having wolf content does not make them more likely to guard your home or protect you and in fact, it makes it much more likely that they will do the exact opposite. Wolves tend to take a flight response rather than fight response in any moments of fear or uncertainty, and therefore wolfdogs are much more likely to flee from these types of situations. As well, wolfdogs don’t have the same affinity towards humans; Instinctual behaviour will kick in to keep themselves safe rather than protecting you.

Wolfdog legalities vary province to province and state to state. There are even some cities that have their own legislation even though there may not be a restriction within that province or state. It is always best to contact your local animal bylaw to check if owning a wolfdog is legal or not in your area.

If it is legal to own a wolfdog in a province or city, generally speaking it would also be legal to own a wolfdog within city limits in a house, condo, downtown apartment etc. In most areas where wolfdogs are legal to own, there are no regulations in place to ensure they are in suitable environments. Most wolfdogs can easily scale a 6-foot fence, which oftentimes is the maximum fence height allowed within a city limits or counties, so while it may be legal to own a wolfdog in your area, the containment necessary to keep them safe may not be.

Whether a wolfdog will get along with other dogs is dependent on the amount of wolf content that is in them as well as the socialization they received at a young age. There is a much better chance that a low content wolfdog with proper socialization will be appropriate meeting new dogs than a high content wolfdog. Same sex aggression and territorial behaviour are common in wolfdogs; especially wolfdogs with a significant amount of wolf content. Many wolfdogs will need slow introduction to a new dog or can be dog selective. This means dog parks or off-leash areas are oftentimes not suitable for a wolfdog.

Wolfdogs tend to have a lot of energy and need appropriate outlets to expel it. Wolfdogs require both physical exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis. The exact amount of physical and mental exercise is very much dependent on each individual animal, however, it is important to note that a 30 minute walk around the neighbourhood will likely not cut it for a wolfdog. If a wolfdog does not get enough exercise, they will likely become much more destructive and mischievous and let you know that they still have lots of excess energy.

Wolfdogs tend to do best on a high protein diet. While some low content wolfdogs can do well on a good quality, high protein kibble, most mid and high content wolfdogs do best eating a raw meat based diet.