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Remus
This is Remus, he was found wondering the streets, he had been seen near a WalMart for over a week and was being fed lunch meat by people trying to help him. He was taken to a vet's office where he was identified as a wolf dog and was 24 hours to live before being euthanized due to the laws of the county he was in. So we took him in on February 2, 2005, after trying to find wolf dog rescues that could take him but finding that they were all full.
Remus has been fostered by a wonderful mom in another home, due to the laws of our county. He has been integrated so well into this home that, just after his two year anniversary with us, we had just decided to take him off of our "adoptable" list and make him a permanent member of the CLAWS family.
Through extensive research on our own, we have learned that every physical trait that can be attributed to a wolf, can also be found in at least one breed of dog, which means that, without his parental history we cannot tell what content he is.
We have now contacted every wolf dog rescue that we have been able to find in the country, and every single one is full to capacity.
When Remus first came to us, we received many, many inquiries from people wanting to adopt him, until we neutered him, then the inquiries stopped. Since that time we have had very few inquiries and those we have were not homes we were in any way comfortable sending him to. At the time of his neutering, about a month after we rescued him, the vet said he was between 2 and 2 1/2 years of age.
Sadly, just a few weeks after deciding that Remus is now a permanent member of the CLAWS family, he showed some minor symptoms that we took him to the vet for and it was discovered that he has a very aggressive form of cancer. At this point, we do not know how long we have with Remus, but we are determined to make the rest of the time we do have as happy and comfortable as possible. We are all heart broken, nobody more so then his foster mom, but we are also determined to make the rest of our time with him happy!
Click on any picture to enlarge it.
Please consider making a donation to help with the mounting vet bills we are paying on Remus' care.
He was treated for worms when he first got here, but is over that now. He was also neutered and given all of his shots on February 24, 2005.
Wolf Dogs
Normally this section is dedicated to the particular species in the wild. However, wolf dogs, or wolf hybrids are not a wild species, they are totally "man made", so we can't talk about them in the wild. We have spoken to every wolf and wolf dog rescue in the country that we have been able to find and have found that they are all full to capacity.
Over the past several years, it has become very popular for people to cross breed wolves with dogs. This is one way of getting around the "exotic animal" laws in some areas. These "dogs" are often advertised as wonderful family pets. Unfortunately, in most cases, this is far from the case. While wild wolves are among the shyest of all species and generally pose no threat to humans (no matter what we are told in story books), wolf dogs can be very dangerous. The reason for this is that that innate fear of humans and their intelligence and apparent ability to reason has been bred out of them with the dog portion. Dogs have no fear of humans. So what you tend to end up with is a VERY powerful and predatory animal who has no fear. This is not a very good combination.
Contributing to this problem is the breed of dogs that are being bred to wolves. Typically those include German Shepherd, Keeshond, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Chow, or Akita. While Shepherds, Keeshonds and Samoyeds tend to be more trainable and submissive dogs, Huskies, Malamutes, Chows and Akitas tend to be known for their aggressive tendencies, and these can come out in the wolf dogs. Luckily for Remus, he is crossed with a German Shepherd and shows those tendencies.
No wolf dog should be left alone with children, and any introduction to other animals should be done carefully. It is advised to be VERY careful when putting dogs and wolf dogs of the same sex together, especially if they are not neutered or spayed. Females are more aggressive than males, but, as with any dogs, males can also have issues with each other. However, due to both dog's and wolf's pack nature, it is also advisable that they do have a canine companion.
There is really no way to predict which tendencies will come out in a wolf dog, that of the wolf or of the dog, so potential owners should do as much research as possible prior to committing to this species.
Wolf dogs can be great companions, for the right home. However, you must understand what you are getting into prior to ownership.