Wolfalike/Wolfdog - whats your breed and why? Discussions

The perfect BARF diet really ! What a wonderful background to the beautiful Siberian Husky. Thanks Mick

I understand from husky owners that they have a particular predeliction for killing cats, given half the chance. The dogs of course treat them as prey, just the same as rabbits, ferrets, birds, whatever, but very upsetting when your pack has eaten next door's moggy

In fact, there is no recent genetic contribution from wolves into either Siberian Huskies or Malamutes. They are no closer to wolves than Chinese Cresteds or Pugs. As I have written elsewhere:

"The conventional wisdom concerning the origins of the modern day Siberian Husky, claims that the breed is a direct descendent in an unbroken line of pure breeding dating back some 1000, 2000 or 3000 years (depending which book/website you read). The reality is somewhat more complex and interesting. Many of the indigenous Siberian peoples have used sled dogs as transportation and have done so for thousands of years. Indeed the 3000 year benchmark so often used in discussions of Siberian Husky history may itself be a serious underestimate. The distinguished Russian researcher N.N.Dikov found evidence of Laika-type dogs in burials in the Kamchatka peninsular which dated back 10,000 years.

In fact, the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Malamute (along with 12 other breeds) have been identified as amongst 14 “ancient breeds” of domesticated dogs whose genetic lines have been distinct from the wolf for many thousands of years. Interestingly, this research shows that the recurrent myth about northern people’s interbreeding of dogs and wolves is just a myth with no genetic truth to it at all. - (“Genetic Structure of the Purebred Domestic Dog” - Science, Volume 304, on May 21, 2004 . ) ​

Their prey drive is related to their "social" history, not genetics.

Mick

Well, to me if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck ... then it IS a duck!

Sibes as we all know look very wolfie, howl like wolves, have strong pack instincts, high prey drives, are extremely intelligent, frequently very Norty. Need I go on?

I am not being derogatory Mick ... to me , the greatest compliment anyone can give me is to say gosh doesn't Tai look like a wolf.

Czech wolfdogs look like wolves, because they are a wolf cross, ditto Saarloos. GSDs look like wolves, because they too are wolf crosses. All dogs of course, are the direct descendent of the wolf, but some are more wolfey than others :

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

to quote George Orwell !

My Saarloos won't eat moles. My Crossbred killed one and tried to eat it and he was sick...

Sounds like a Border Terrier to me and hundreds of other breeds.

Hark, was that a pack of Border terriers I heard howling?

Quite ironic really. The one really annoying thing to most sibe owners is the "Oh look, it's a wolf!" thing. We usually have to restrain ourselves from screaming, "No it bloody isn't, it's a domesticated dog breed just like a poodle!"

Siberian Huskies have a slight "wolfy" look to them (and personally I think it is only slight) not because they are wolf crosses (or at least not for 10,000 years or more) but because they live in the same geographical/environmental conditions as northern wolves and the wolflike "look" is in fact a very effective evolutionary adaptation to those conditions. As a result, northern dog breeds have not strayed so far from their original wolflike "look" as have breeds developed further south in more temperate climates. This does not mean, however, that they are genetically any closer to the wolf than is a Bichon Frise.

Mick

I'm sorry Sibes look nothing like wolves and it is solely down to a lack of knowledge on the part of the person who makes that statement.
Your statement though Gnasher, about taking it as a compliment that people call Tai a wolf just confirms to me the reasons you have such a breed, and it has nothing to do with owning a dog!
Becky

While I agree that the modern Husky is not too wolf like, I still think that too many Husky owners are a rather touchy on the subject and can only wonder if this down to wanting to disassociate from the wolfdog controversy in America?

As many breeds were developed in the heart of Europe it is surprising that none developed to look like their Euro wolf cousins without the use of any wolf hybridization.

One thing for sure genetics has come a long way in the last decade so maybe it will soon be possible see if any wolf specific genes survive in specific dog breeds.

I think it is just as likely that they want to disassociate themselves from the wolf-lookalike controversies in the UK.

Mick

So you don't fancy a Puwo then (a poodle wolf cross)? Personally I think 'woodle' sounds better but may be just not quite macho sounding enough for us hard cases.

...and who can blame them!

After seeing the poodle wolf crosses posted on here then absolutely not and a woodle is a whippet poodle cross anyway nothing beats a poodle in my book
Becky

I laugh at my friends 2 N.I one catches the mouse, the other eats it, brilliant !

Have you been following me?

Most of my poodles are very ept at catching vermin, and eating it!
Becky

Any pics Becky, I'd love to see some poodle action xx

Sorry i meant to say earlier, she's gorgeous.

Gnasher you seem to be obsessed with Sibes and Mals being wolf dogs when they are not. I have read through some of your posts in other threads and you keep refering to them as recent wolf crosses when they are clearly not. Read Micks post on here where he outlines alot of the history of these breeds other peoples posts tell you why they look andact like they do.

here is my boy:

[/IMG]

[/IMG]