[marsha=whitie]

Originally Posted by 4dogs3cats

I know everyone here says if you think you own a wolf you probably dont. And I usually see husky in all those dogs too. But I was at the DP last night and I could not stop looking at this dog.

He is very strange too. He doesnt play with the other dogs, just lays by his owner. His owner said he always looks up and howls at the moon like a coyote. They found him as a stray out by the desert (I live in Arizona) so a big part of me wants to believe this dog actually may have wolf in it. Also, the owners friend was there with his golden and this guy would just keep putting its jaw around the goldens neck, that is the only way he would play.

Regardless of what he is, he is very unique looking.

But if he is a wolf he does not belong at the DP

aren't coyotes rather abundant in the desert? it is slightly possible that one of his parents was a coyote.

[4dogs3cats]

Originally Posted by marsha=whitie

aren't coyotes rather abundant in the desert? it is slightly possible that one of his parents was a coyote.

Yeah I dont know why I previously had my mind set on wolf hybrid. I am quite sure that dog probably has coyote in him.

[Azu]

i actually just met a full wolf at my dog park this past weekend and would have to say that the dog in the picture may APPEAR to be a wolf, but really does not match the wolf i saw. Its owner was really hesitant to tell me what breed her dog was as she had the police pay her a visit recently bc a person at the dog park thought it was a "threat" to the other dogs....In reality, the wolf was not even interested in meeting and greeting other dogs, my husky went up to it to greet it and was ignored as the wolf continued to walk around sniffing, completely ignoring the other dogs that ran by it...It was extremely calm and very reserved toward people, it appeared to look after his husky companion but was mostly on its own....it had a very long face and looked quite large, about twice the size of our 75 lb husky...

My interaction with this wolf left me incredibly impressed, I expected it to be aggressive towards other smaller pets but it was just so...calm
I'm really glad I had the opportunity to interact with the wolf as it completely changed my opinions on it...AND apparently the wolf was featured on "Dogtown"!

[RonE]

I would caution anyone against forming an opinion about the suitability of wolves as pets - much less dogpark visitors - based on observation of a single animal.

I'm sorry if I'm stating the obvious here.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

Originally Posted by Azu

i actually just met a full wolf at my dog park this past weekend and would have to say that the dog in the picture may APPEAR to be a wolf, but really does not match the wolf i saw. Its owner was really hesitant to tell me what breed her dog was as she had the police pay her a visit recently bc a person at the dog park thought it was a "threat" to the other dogs....In reality, the wolf was not even interested in meeting and greeting other dogs, my husky went up to it to greet it and was ignored as the wolf continued to walk around sniffing, completely ignoring the other dogs that ran by it...It was extremely calm and very reserved toward people, it appeared to look after his husky companion but was mostly on its own....it had a very long face and looked quite large, about twice the size of our 75 lb husky...

My interaction with this wolf left me incredibly impressed, I expected it to be aggressive towards other smaller pets but it was just so...calm
I'm really glad I had the opportunity to interact with the wolf as it completely changed my opinions on it...AND apparently the wolf was featured on "Dogtown"!

err...I really really doubt that was a wolf. It may have been a hybrid but not a full wolf.

[tirluc]

just to let everyone know....the coy/dog that i had had to be PTS about 18 mo as she would not "domesticate"....that being said, she was quite friendlier w/ other dogs and people (couldn't be around small aninals, poultry, little kids, the such) than any of the wolf/wolf-hybrids that i have met (i've met 3, and, yes, the were really just that, i was shown the permit that the people had to have in order to "obtain" them)....these "dogs" had been socialized up the wahzoo from about 6 wks on w/ anything and everything and they still were not able to be around small animals, children, and many dogs past 2 yrs old....the only ones they accepted were the family, their pack.....the 2 hybrids (85% wolf/15% dog) were owned by a family in CO and the other (technically a hybrid as it was 97% wolf/3% dog) was owned by a couple here in Appleton....they had to quit bringing Shadow to the DP (that's where i met them) when she was 2 cuz she became unpredictable......

oh, on the permit? i was told by both people that they had to obtain and keep on them at all times in public, this permit that they had been "taught" how to handle these animals.....and, if the animal had to be relinquished it had to go back to the breeder or PTS....could not just be transfered...

[4dogs3cats]

Yeah I really think this was a coydog more than a wolf now. Wolf doesnt really make sense.. I dont think we have many wolf packs out here in the desert. Coyotes are a whole different story. They come down into the neighborhoods looking for food.

It was just interesting to see. I didn't pet him at all.. he was mostly just hanging out with his owner, and he played with a couple dogs that he came in with. kody was VERY stand offish about him in the beginning. He followed him around, but kept his distance. It was just an interesting night.

[Azu]

I was very hesitant to believe that the animal was a wolf as well Zim, especially after reading several threads that had been posted in the past...but my mind was changed after I observed the wolf's behavior.

I am in no way trying to encourage anyone to purchase a wolf as a "pet" bc to be honest, I learned that it is NOT a possibility and that it is cruel to an animal that clearly appeared to be saddened by its "domesticity." The positive experience that I had with this particular wolf (by positive I mean that it did not snarl or bite other dogs as I thought it would) was only due to the fact that it had undergone intense therapy at Dogtown and was able to TOLERATE dogs and humans. The wolf did not share ANY dog behaviors as it did not interact, play or even approach other dogs...if any approached him (my husky tried to get his attention) the wolf ignored it and went off on its own.

Being around a wolf, yes it really was a wolf, made me understand that it is definitely NOT meant to be a domestic animal...it did not look enthusiastic about being at the park and was just in his own little world....this wild animal really should not be treated or thought of as a dog...I do believe its owner understood that and she was only trying to help the wolf by rescuing it...but purchasing a "wolf" just for the sake of saying you have one is plain cruel

[nekomi]

Looking at the pics, he looks too heavy-bodied and short-legged to be a hybrid with significant wolf content... plus the curled tail gives away his sled-dog ancestry. He might very well be a low-content wolfdog, but it's equally possible that he could be just a wolfy-looking Northern mix. He looks mainly Malamute to me, and like others have said, that wolf sable coloring shows up frequently in racing-line dogs.

As far as playing by putting his mouth around other dogs' necks, he sounds just like Willow! She is very physical and forward when she plays, and often does the "hey I've got your neck, hehehe" routine. I wouldn't find that to be abnormal at all. In my experience I've found that Northern breeds play completely differently than other dogs - Willow finds it hard to make friends with dogs, other than other huskies and Malamutes, because of this.

Also, that face doesn't look *too* narrow to me... looks about on-par with Willow's snout. I can see how you might think that, though, when comparing him to most of the show-line huskies and malamutes these days with very square features! But, the racing lines are much more slender-looking, and many mixes labeled as "wolf hybrids" are actually racing sled dog mixes.

Take a look at her face, then a high-content wolf hybrid (close to pure wolf) -

Willow (mostly German Shepherd and racing husky) -


A high-content wolfdog -
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/winddanc...3756%20(2).jpg

Also, I would imagine he's too large and far too heavily-built to be a coydog; those guys are spritely little animals and even more slender than a wolf, with much larger ears and a wirey coat! Take a look at this pure coyote... that rangy, feral look would be evident in a coydog.

http://scoutdog.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/coyote1.jpg

Also - this isn't directed at the OP or anyone in particular, but... just wanted to say that despite our best guesses, it's always impossible to know for sure if a dog is truly a hybrid, especially from photos.

I think it's best to just treat every possible hybrid as an individual, assessing their personality and friendliness just like any other dog, without jumping to conclusions. Many folks in my old town were afraid of Willow by default because of her "wolfy" look, and I've lost count of how many people have informed me that she is a full wolf while we're out walking. Just FYI, being labeled with the "W" word can cause legal problems for folks with perfectly well-adjusted, wolfy-looking Northern mixes or very low-content wolfdogs (just like folks who think that all bully breed mixes are Pits). So, in cases like this it's really best to give the owner the benefit of the doubt when the dog is friendly and well-socialized. Just my opinion, having lived on "both sides of the coin" - having a dog who just looks wolfish, and fostering a wolfdog who was the real thing.

[4dogs3cats]

These are the coyotes we see around my parts of town.

He may not have ANY wild animal in him at all, I just thought it was interesting to see how much he looks like one!

He was also very... stand offish.. didnt act very dog like IMO

[RBark]

Originally Posted by 4dogs3cats

These are the coyotes we see around my parts of town.

He may not have ANY wild animal in him at all, I just thought it was interesting to see how much he looks like one!

He was also very... stand offish.. didnt act very dog like IMO

A lot of people find that Huskies are very different than most dogs and find their behavior unusual. All the huskies at the local dog park tend to group together, and when alone, act very standoffish. This depends heavily on each individual personality, of course, but it's still dog-like.

A study done a long time ago showed that many of the more primitive breeds displayed a much wider range of social behavior than most dogs. He noted that there are 14 major social behavior that are displayed by wolves. He also noted that many dogs, such as the Labrador Retreiver, displayed three of those major behaviors, where the Siberian Husky displayed all 14.

That taken into consideration, it is unsurprising that the average dog owner can't distinguish the behavior of a Wolf and the behavior of a Husky. It also explains why primitive breeds tend to back together, though this is my anecdote. It does also explain why many people say wolfdogs are standoffish with other dogs, but that the wolfdogs tend to join in with the Huskies/primitive breeds.

When the Husky rescue gathers to go to the dog park, we always see the Huskies stick together and play with other huskies, rarely playing with the other million dogs there.

My long winded point is just that, the saying the wolfdog doesn't act like a dog is a not quite correct. It doesn't act like most dogs, but they certainly do act like many primitive breeds do. If there is a difference in behavior, then it would be in it's motivators, not it's social behavior. [It should be noted that I'm making a general statement, so all disclaimers with generalizations apply]

[nekomi]

Couldn't agree more with Rbark! Thanks for stating it so clearly.

[4dogs3cats]

Yeah that makes sense. I grew up with a husky/mal, and my parents dog is half husky. I get what you mean about the sled dogs having the same type of behavior one might think as wolf like.

Just watching this dog, and seeing it interact, and knowing it was a stray found out in the desert, it just is very difficult for me to think there is not one trace of coyote or SOMETHING in there.

And, yeah, he was kind of small. Def not as big as my mal was when i was younger.

[winniec777]

Based on the behavior I've seen, I would agree with Nekomi and RBark. Poca has the same play style as Willow and seems to go for the huskies/malamutes before other dogs. It's a good thing because they have the thick neck fur that can stand up to Poca's vampire ways! But she does get along really well with other dogs, too, and will play with any dog she encounters. Maybe that's the shepherd coming through.

RBark: The study you mention sounds very interesting -- do you have a link or citation for it? I'd like to look it up.

[RBark]

Originally Posted by winniec777

Based on the behavior I've seen, I would agree with Nekomi and RBark. Poca has the same play style as Willow and seems to go for the huskies/malamutes before other dogs. It's a good thing because they have the thick neck fur that can stand up to Poca's vampire ways! But she does get along really well with other dogs, too, and will play with any dog she encounters. Maybe that's the shepherd coming through.

RBark: The study you mention sounds very interesting -- do you have a link or citation for it? I'd like to look it up.

I first read it in one of Stanley Cohen's books, but all my books are packed up to move in a couple weeks. I will try to get you a citation soon as I can.

[winniec777]

Originally Posted by RBark

I first read it in one of Stanley Cohen's books, but all my books are packed up to move in a couple weeks. I will try to get you a citation soon as I can.

Thanks - I would appreciate it. I'll google Stanley Cohen (Coren?), too, and see what I find. Good luck with the move.

[Kyllobernese]

When I first met my future husband many years ago, he had a female that was half coyote and half shepherd. He got it from a fellow in Alberta that had a captured coyote that he bred to his shepherd (for what reason I do not know). She just looked like a very small black and tan Shepherd. She was very friendly with people and other animals but was also very well trained and was great little cattle dog. She used to go after skunks and never learned to stay away from them and her final mistake was tackling a Porcupine head on. She was hit so badly with the quills that she had to be put down.

[BluEyedHusky]

I agree with RBark and nekomi as well. Owning a husky, alot of the things they mentioned are very true. In this picture you can see our male husky grabbing our female by the neck. Half our pictures of them playing are like these! the female also plays pretty rough.. she's very vocal and growls alot while playing.




When i take her to the dog park, she is very standoffish and just goes around sniffing the ground or random things rather then playing with other dogs. I took her to a larger dog park the other weekend and there were 7 other huskies there and she played with them most of the time until they left and not really with any other dog in particular.

Even when people see our huskies at a dog park or out in public, they always proceed with a little caution. Alot of people think huskies are mean because their wolf-like appearence. People don't realize they are an extremely friendly breed for the most part.

[Willowy]

Yeah, I'd say definitely some coyote in there. I've met a few coyote mixes (percentage unknown), and some of them seem "normal", if a bit shy, and some have been more "feral" in their temperment. Pretty dog anyway.

[Jordan S.]

yeah thats not a husky, that is a wolf! Or at least part wolf.