Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
On this page, we’re going to bust some myths and lies about wolves and wolfdogs. The majority of these myths are perpetuated by so-called Wolf Sanctuaries and Rescues in an effort to scare people away from these wonderful, peaceful animals. Let’s learn the REAL facts, shall we?
Myth #1: NEVER DISCIPLINE YOUR WOLFDOG! IT WILL GROW TO RESENT YOU! ALLOW IT TO DO WHATEVER IT WANTS, AFTER ALL, IT IS A WILD ANIMAL!!!
Bust that Myth! I mentioned this myth first because it’s the biggest lie of all and it’s the reason for so many wolfdogs needing to be re-homed. Allowing your wolf/animal to get away with bad behavior is like allowing your child to get away with bad behavior; it is just not acceptable. Discipline is a very important, especially when it comes to wolfdogs (or any other dog/animal for that matter). In a pack, the Alpha disciplines the lower-ranking members harshly when undesirable behavior is exhibited.
I’m not saying you should BEAT your wolf; no creature learns anything from a savage beating. I am simply stating that you should control your animal with firm, assertive tones. Wolves respect assertiveness. If there’s one thing besides undying loyalty you want to get from your Wolf, it’s respect.
Myth #2: WOLVES CAN NOT BE TAUGHT ANYTHING! THEY ARE VERY STUBBORN AND CAN’T LEARN!
Bust that Myth! I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this on Wolf Sanctuary sites. Again, this is extremely untrue. Wolves happen to be the MOST intelligent of any dog breed in the world. They have an amazing comprehension of the human language, and can understand not only complete sentences, but entire conversations as well! No, they can not drive a car or help you with your homework; no animal is that smart. But as far as canines go, they’re the Albert Einstein’s of the dog-world. As for them being stubborn, well, if you had that kind of intelligence and had someone speaking to as though you were a moron, you’d be stubborn too. Wolves don’t like being treated like idiots, and will ignore you if you attempt to treat them as such. Baby-talk is appreciated when being loved-on, but when it comes time for your wolf to take a break and go lay down, the command must be ordered in a firm, assertive fashion. A WOLF IS NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN RESPECT AND MANNERS; remember that. Wolves learn by watching & interacting with humans, not being locked in an outdoor kennel all the time or being left with other dogs. This will ultimately create a very unmanageable, unruly animal & unfortunately, another unwanted animal.
Myth #3: YOU CAN NOT KEEP A WOLF IN YOUR HOUSE! IT WILL GET INTO THE REFRIDGERATOR, EAT FOOD FROM THE TABLES AND COUNTERS AND GET INTO THE GARBAGE! THEY’RE EXTREMELY WILD AND WILL NOT RESPECT YOUR H
Bust that Myth! If your wolf gets into your kitchen, garbage, and counter space, it is not because it is an untamable wild animal; it is simply due to the fact that you’ve never taught your wolf house manners. Wolves love being indoors with their pack; they’d prefer it to being all alone outside. In a pack of wolves, the Alphas always stay close to the pack; everyone is always together. Sticking your wolf in a kennel is a set-up for a runaway to say the least. Teaching your pups house manners while they’re still young is crucial. In a pack, the Alphas demand respect for their personal space. A house wolf should be no different. Your wolf needs to learn that certain parts of the house are YOURS. We let our wolves know that the Kitchen is off limits to them. They respect that the kitchen belongs to the Alphas. We train our wolves that the tabletops and countertops are also the personal space of the Alphas, and they are not to nose around up there. Each time they put they’re noses on the table, we disciplined the act with a firm flick on the nose (with your finger), followed by a stern "NO!" After a couple times, your wolf will get the picture, and will learn that whatever’s going on in the kitchen or on the tabletops is none of their business.
Myth #4: WOLVES ARE WANDERERS! THEY WILL RUNAWAY FROM HOME IF YOU DO NOT KEEP THEM KENNELED!
Bust that Myth! I’ve got news for you, leaving your wolf in a kennel first ENCOURAGES it to run away. If your wolf runs away, it is either because you do not spend enough time with it and it’s looking for a new pack or it is out looking for you. Plain and simple. Our wolves stay in the house with us and are NEVER kenneled outside. We have no fencing and live on 7 acres with an additional 5000 acres of BLM land. We let our wolves run free on the property. When they’re done playing, they gather at the front door and whine to come in. THEY NEVER LEAVE THE PROPERTY.
Myth #5: WOLVES HAVE AN INCURABLE PREY DIVE AND WILL KILL YOUR NEIGHBOR’S DOGS, CATS AND LIVESTOCK!
Bust that Myth! My wolves must’ve missed that memo, seeing is how they’re best friends consist of a free ranging peacock, goat, cats, rabbits, a pony and the neighborhood boxer and beagle. Socialize your pups with all manners of creatures and they will learn to accept them as pack mates and not main courses as they get older. Introducing your adult wolf to new creatures will take some time, but if your wolf is well-fed and respects you, it will not harm your new furry friends. Kiba was half-starved when we got her, and the first day she came here, she tried to make a meal out of the goat (Toboe wouldn’t allow it, and he fought her bravely for the protection of his caprine friend). After a few good meals and some supervised play dates, I’m happy to say that Kiba and the goat are on good terms and even play together without my watchful eye.
Myth #6: WOLVES ARE CARNIVORES AND NEED RAW MEAT CONSTANTLY IF THEY ARE TO BE HEALTHY!
Bust that Myth! Wolves, like bears, they are OMNIVORES. This means that they’ll eat just about anything. Feeding your wolf just raw meat will make it sick and is NOT healthy for them in the least. In the wild, wolves very rarely bring down a moose, elk or caribou (unless it is a large pack of Wolves, with a lot of mouths to feed.). Most of the time, they dine on grasses, berries, acorns (yes, acorns!), the occasional deer, rabbit, mice and leftovers from other animals. They are not picky creatures, and prefer a varied diet to a strictly-meat diet. Don’t get me wrong, a wolf will accept as much meat as you offer them just like any other dog, but it is not healthy. And rescues and sanctuaries who feed their wolves exclusively on meat wonder why THEIR animals are so aggressive. It’s because they’re deficient in essential nutrients you cannot get from a meat diet alone. Meat should not be their exclusive diet. As I said before, wolves like variety. Each of our wolves has their own taste. Kiba, for example, loves acorns. She’ll crack open the shells and eat the nuts with gusto. Tsume likes oranges. Toboe has a thing for apples. Each wolf has a unique pallet, and they love getting something new each day. Good old-fashioned dog food is enjoyed as well. But remember, wolves also have a sweet-tooth! So don’t be surprised if you see your wolf dining on Autumn blackberries.
Myth #7: WOLFDOGS ARE VICIOUS! CROSSING A DOG WITH A WOLF CREATES AN UNPREDICTABLE ANIMAL.
Bust that Myth! Whoever made up this ridiculous myth really needs to stop reading books by Jack London. Wolves are a wild species of dog. The wolves and dogs are aware of this, yet for some reason, humans are not. If, for ANY reason at all, a wolf lures a dog away from home, it’s because it wants to BREED it, not eat it. This is highly unlikely, though, since wolves are deathly afraid of people and their dogs. A wild wolf will never, ever, approach the domicile of a human…especially if there’s a barking dog in the yard. If raised properly (like any dog)Domestic Woldogs are the best breed ever.
JUST FYI
They have a higher resistance to disease & heredity problems than dogs so they will save you $1000.00 in Vet. bills.
I have an 11 yr. old Wolfdog who has only been to the Vet. one time ever, & that was to get neutered. He has never been sick a day in his life.
Myth #9: WOLFDOGS WILL BITE A PERSON THEY DON’T KNOW!
Bust that Myth! Wolves are shy to a fault. If you invite someone into your home that your wolf has never met before, you’ll see that dog go reeling towards the back of the house, crawl into a dark, den-like space and hide until the big, scary stranger goes home. Unless the wolf has a Go-Go-Gadget Jaw, chances are he won’t be able to bite anyone from his hiding spot under the bed; even if your wolfdog DID have a stretchable appendage of robotic proportions, it wouldn’t matter because wolfdogs aren’t biters. If your friend visit frequently, the wolfdog will come around in a week or so (sometimes more, sometimes less), and accept the visitor as a friend AS LONG AS YOU ACCEPT THEM FIRST. Wolfdogs will not bite unless the stranger causes you physical harm. Wolves feed from their Alphas emotions.
Myth #10: WOLVES ARE WILD ANIMALS AND SHOULD REMAIN AS SUCH! DOMESTIC-BRED WOLVES AND WOLFDOGS WILL YEARN FOR THE WILD!
Bust that Myth! This has got to be the olive on top of the crap sandwich. Sometimes I wish I could bring Jack London back to life just so I can beat him to death for filling everyone’s minds with this, the most frequent lie in wolf/wolfdog myth history. Pure wolves are only wild because our Government says that we’re not allowed to own them. Simple as that. Should we be allowed to own these magnificent creatures, I’m positive that the Big Bad Wolf would enjoy his cushy pillow on the couch just as much as our wolfdogs do. When raised by humans in a loving environment, wolfdogs will be forever happy with their human pack and NOT YEARN for the wild. I take my wolfdogs on nature walks off-leash all the time. If they yearned for the wild, wouldn’t you think they’d run off into the woods, never to be seen again? Many of the people who have one of our Paradise Wolf puppies take their loving babies on trail-walks with them off-leash…we’ve never had a complaint of the pup taking off on it’s own to be with their ‘wild brothers’. The wolves don’t leave our sides for a second. So much for the "Call of the Wild" none sense.
Try to release your wolfdog into the wild…I guarantee a look of bewilderment on your wolf’s face almost as if he’s saying, "What’re you, nuts? There’s wild animals out there!"
A DNA test will tell you if your dog has Wolf in them.
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According to leading experts in the field of Genetics. The difference between the DNA of a dog & the DNA of a Wolf is less than .02%, not enough to distiguish if in fact there is any or all Wolf in a dog.
The reason I put down percentages, Simply, I know the history of my breeders.
"In fact, genetic analysis shows that wolves and dogs are 99.8% genetically identical (Wayne). That is, dogs and wolves cannot be told apart genetically". Wayne R K: Molecular evolution of the dog family.
