The animal world is quite amazing. In nature, there are a huge number of animals that are not purebred, but are a hybrid of several animals. For example, the so-called wolf-men, which, in their essence, are hybrids of wolf and dog, deserve special attention.
Consider the distinctive features of this animal, get acquainted with the history of its origin and find out what types of wolffishes exist.
Features and history of origin
The cross between a wolf and a dog is an unusual animal, which, according to many scientists, originated several thousand years ago. For the first time the remains of a hybrid were discovered by archaeologists at the excavations. Due to the fact that the first bones of such animals found are of ancient origin, it is believed that wolves are animals that occur naturally. Such a conclusion was made due to the fact that the ancient people did not have the knowledge and ability to carry out the selection procedure.
Later in the 15th century, an experiment was carried out in Germany to cross a wolf and a dog. Scientists have tried to cross the wolf with various breeds of dogs.
The offspring received as a result of such work had a large number of shortcomings: they did not go in contact with the person, showed aggression, did not feed in education and training.
Some time later, in 1766, English scientists tried to repeat the unusual experiment. This time the wild wolf was crossed together with the dog, which was a representative of the sheepdog breed. As a result of crossbreeding, 9 puppies were obtained, which fell into the homes of English aristocrats.
Attempts to reproduce wolftails were made in the Netherlands. The famous Dutch scientist Lander Sarlos crossed the wild wolf with a German shepherd dog. It was this animal that after some time received official recognition and lasted 19 years. After this period, the hybrids were found to be dangerous to humans and overly aggressive.
Multiple failures of predecessors did not stop the Czech scientist Karel Hartl, who was able to surpass his colleagues and produce a wolf hybrid, which was recognized by the canine community.
Domestic scientists also did not stand aside. The creation of domestic wolf cattle was carried out by order of the government of the Russian Federation on the basis of the Institute of Internal Troops in Perm.
general description
In appearance, the hybrid of a dog and a wolf resembles a wild animal. With respect to such an unusual beast, scientists have developed and adopted official standards.
Relatively mixed breed standards relate to the anatomical structure of the animal. Metis has a fairly large size, respectively, large numerical indicators of height and weight. Thus, the mass of the wolftail is usually in the range from 30 to 50 kilograms, and the height is from 60 to 70 centimeters.
It is important to note that the weight and height of the females will be lower than those of the males.
The anatomical structure of the torso of the mixture repeats the outlines of the body of the wolf. However, this repetition is not absolute, there are differences in outlines. In particular, the wolftail has a pronounced muscular mass, due to which the animal is quite strong, fast and capable of jumping over long distances. The front and rear legs of the hybrid are rather long.However, the hind limbs, which are parallel to the front, have more developed muscles. The wolftail is endowed with a long and fluffy tail.
The cranial box of the beast has a wedge-shaped outline. The jaw is quite powerful and converges in a scissor bite. It has been scientifically proven that the grip of hybrids is much stronger than that of ordinary dogs. Wolf ears have a triangular shape. It is also important to note the fact that animals have exceptional hearing that reacts even to minor noises. The eyes of animals are traditionally painted in a brown color of a bright subtone.
The animal's hairline deserves special attention. In general, the colors repeat the colors of the hair of wolves, but there may be some deviations. So, the most popular shades are:
- Gray;
- the black;
- brown;
- white and others.
And the coloring of the wolftail can be both uniform and spotty or even patterned.
Varieties
A hybrid dog and a wolf is an animal that is not widely spread. However, despite such a small popularity, scientists and veterinarians identified several varieties of the so-called wolf dog:
- Czechoslovakian wolf dog, which is a cross between a Central Russian forest wolf and a German shepherd dog;
- Russian Wolfhund, whose parents are the Canadian Black Wolf and the Alaskan Malamute;
- wolfboy
It is important to note that the first 2 species are considered officially accepted and registered, while the wolfling is a wolf crossed with any dog.
The Czechoslovak Wolf Dog originated in 1955 thanks to the efforts of Czechoslovak breeders. This animal was bred for a specific purpose - to participate in military activities, in search and rescue operations, as well as for protective and guard duty. Officially, at the international level, a wolf dog was registered in 1999. Thus, this species is considered quite young.
Russian Wolfhund is an animal that possesses pronounced features of a wild wolf. The beast tolerates even adverse environmental conditions. This dog is not suitable for living in the cramped conditions of small apartments - it requires a lot of space.
Recommendations for choosing
An animal that is a mixture of a wolf and a dog on the territory of our country can only be purchased in one official kennel - the Wolf Center of the Russian Wolf Center Park. Buying a wolf dog in any other place, one cannot be sure that you are acquiring a hybrid animal.
When choosing a particular puppy, you should consider all the same features as when choosing a dog of any breed. So, make sure that the appearance of the animal is well-groomed and neat, and the behavior must be active.
The cost of an animal depends on its pedigree. In our country, a hybrid of a wolf and a dog can be purchased for an amount from 50,000 to 120,000 rubles.
Advantages and disadvantages
Wolf dogs, like any other animals, have both negative and positive traits. Therefore, before acquiring an unusual animal, you should familiarize yourself with all the characteristics of the wolftail.
One of the main disadvantages of this animal is aggressiveness. Especially this character trait manifests itself in the case when the hybrid has more than 25% of the total blood volume is a wolf. With skillful training, aggressiveness and anger of an animal can be reduced, but a professional canine should be engaged in teaching and raising an animal.
As for the positive traits of character, the owners of animals most often distinguish such characteristics as endurance, courage and courage, loyalty and devotion, as well as a developed sense.
Conditions of detention
Due to the fact that wolf-breeds are rather unusual animals, there are certain principles of their content that are obligatory for implementation.
First of all it is important to bear in mind that it is impossible to keep wolf dogs on a chain. Instead, the animal may live in cages or booths. But the size of such premises should be very large, so that the beast could easily move through its dwelling without experiencing additional difficulties.
Inside the booth or the aviary, which plays the role of a dog's home, there should be no drafts and wind. And also note that you should avoid that the dog was exposed to direct sunlight, as they have a negative impact on the body of your pet.
In the autumn and spring, wolf dogs survive molting. At this time, the hybrid should be regularly combed.
It is allowed to bathe animals infrequently - only once a year. In this case, care should be taken to ensure that the water temperature is not lower than room temperature, and in the process of performing water procedures only detergents specifically intended for animals are used.
In hygienic terms, you need to monitor the condition of the ears and eyes. Ears should be cleaned from sulfur and hairs - this can be done with cotton swabs moistened with water or vegetable oil (for particularly intense soiling). Eyes should be cleaned with a cotton pad. It is also important to monitor the condition of the mouth and teeth of the animal.
In order to preserve the health of a wolf dog, it is important to periodically show the animal to a veterinarian (at least once every 6 months).
The basis of dog nutrition should be meat and offal. This diet will provide your dog's body with the protein it needs. Also, the menu can include cereals (buckwheat, rice), dairy products (cottage cheese, ryazhenka, natural yogurt), as well as boiled vegetables.
The story about the breed in the next video.
