Why are Saarloos being crossed with NIs? Controversial

Do these crossbreds have any sort of pedigree, ie what the dogs behind them actually were, how would you know what you were getting otherwise?

I have just been looking at the DEFRA report on the wolfdogs, it makes interesting reading.

hehehe...you'll have to teach that to her as a trick, it would be quite hillarious

Money (or more accurately - greed).

Off of the top of my head, is it 4 or 5....why?

I wouldn't agree that because the NI and Saarloos are being crossed that it is for money. Perhaps the numbers that are being produced would be but not the actual cross.

I think the cross makes a far better pet whereas pure wolfdogs are more of a companion and the breeders realise this.

How can you be sure which 'bits' of each dog will carry across.

For example couldn't you get something that looks more like an NI, but its temprement is still wolfdog. Rather than a dog that looks more like the Saarloos/czech, but has the temprement of an NI.

I'm assuming breeders are going for the second option.....?

I understand what you mean about which qualities of the parents are passed on but as a general rule the half Saarloos and half Czech have the looks and the temperament - well certainly mine and others I have met do.

I don't think the breeders want the temperament of the NI. Personally, I find them bouncy, hyper and a bit yappy - not my cup of tea. The half crosses have a very laidback temperament and although they are challenging in their own ways as are alot of breeds they seem to be a happy medium of the two breeds.

Wow you just discribed my two perfectly Zeus the inuit is bouncy, hyper and impossible to exhaust, he is like an eveready battery goes on and on and on....

Zena the Saarloos x is far more laid back, much quieter and is just as happy to curl up on the sofa as go for a long walk. She is actually quite a lazy girl at times

I think the Inuit Saarloos cross does make a very nice dog but that is just my opinion judged on my two.

There are two diff sides to this, one side is crossing wolfdogs to NI's to pruduce a "better" pet than the pure wolfdogs offer. Personally I wouldn't cross them for this reason. The other is crossing NI's to wolfdogs to improve the health and increase the shallow gene pool of NI's. this I understand and agree with, but personally if I had a pure wolfdog I would keep it pure, but I would put a cross to my NI's for this reason alone.

There must be as much chance of the NI temperament being passed on as any other, surely? Dont forget you will never know all about all the pups, many owners dont keep in contact.

With that in mind, wasnt a CsV with a hip score of 42 imported and used for breeding here? Thats disgraceful if true and cannot possibly at all "improve" any health status, nor can it be good to use such anmals to "increase" a genepool, do you agree?

I haven't heard of a CsV with such a high score and would NEVER consider such a dog/bitch! So yes I agree with you there, can I ask how you have come to know of such a CsV? and do you have the profe to back it up? pls dont get me wrong i'm not saying you are lieing but like to know if there is profe?

It was posted on here, said to be that of "Loupy Lou" a CsV that CR owned and previously AT, who was the owner at the time of scoring, the BVA form says "British Inuit" lie of course (whats new) but the breeding is that of Loupy Lou the CsV. The sire is a Louba Tar dog.

Paul and Mandy Winder bred her according to the database.

I didn't know about her hipscore but do know of her, and needless to say I will be staying clear of her, Do you know her Sire's and Dam's hipscores? Is it comman in the line?

Dont know anything further, nothing listed.

I just find it incredibly hypocritical to claim good health etc.. and breed from a dog with such a score. I only hope the owners of puppies were told of the unnacceptably high hip score and that their or future generations do not suffer as a result, as HD often skips generations and manifests itself later on.

Yes me too.

If you wanted to improve the health of the NI then I think it is better crossed with a CsV rather than the Saarloos.

You'd think wouldn't you, but in complete honesty, it hasn't with my 4 and it hasn't with other people I know with the half crosses. Perhaps one gene is just naturally stronger.

Is it possible that you are just more geared up to these dogs and so are more aware of thier training needs and likely behaviour so you are prepared from the word go as to how to care for them? If you have had them from Pups (and as you have mulitiple) I assume you have had them for a while?

I am a firm beliver in the early training and how it affects the dog when its older. All my dogs tend to be chilled in the house and nutters when out and about - regardless of breed (It even starts to happen to dogs I have staying for any length of time).

Just thinking aloud I guess.......Maybe you and your friends wouldn't see 'the other side' because you are more experienced? (I think it happens all the time in BC's)