Wolf-Dogs: A Look Into Wolf-Hybrid Owership

Written by Chelsea Salerno, Copy Editor

Photography by Southern Vintage Photography

The first thing you notice about Zizi besides her obvious wolf-like appearance is her gait. She doesn’t move like your average dog; her head stays down and her movements are more fluid than a domesticated dog. Though not much bigger than a husky, her bright blue eyes and wolfish looks command attention, and one can’t help but stare at her striking features. She truly is a beautiful animal and a great companion to her owner, Angela Cieplevicz. After the tragic passing of her beloved dog, Angela set out to adopt a dog that physically resembled her malamute/husky hybrid. This eventually led her to wolf rescues and she realized how many wolf hybrids need homes because people would adopt the puppies, realize how mischievous and difficult to handle they are, then surrender them to a rescue. Zizi, a Timberwolf/Husky hybrid, lived on a farm with her brother in Plant City, Florida when her wealthy owner remarried. The new wife hated animals and farm life so Zizi and her brother found themselves in need of new homes. Luckily for them, an Ohio native drove to Florida to pick them up and brought them home where he already had another female wolf hybrid. Unfortunately for Zizi, the two females could not co-exist and her new owner was forced to board her while he explored other options. She was miserable in a cage and when Angela heard there was a wolf hybrid in need of adoption when she was visiting her hometown of Chicago, she picked Zizi up and brought her home to Florida. It took a lot of training and socialization to rehabilitate her properly, but now Zizi is living her best life with Angela on John’s Island!

Just because she lives the life of a domesticated dog does not mean she acts like a domesticated dog. She’s very skittish and doesn’t always get along with other dogs, especially females. She’s an alpha and often shows her teeth and growls, though this has improved greatly over time thanks to socialization at the dog park and doggie daycare. Zizi can’t be in a home with cats and can clear a thirteen-foot fence with little effort. She never barks but that doesn’t mean she’s silent. Wolves howl for several different reasons and Zizi is no exception to this! When she is separated from her “pack” (Angela), she will howl until they are reunited. She also has a specialized raw diet that Angela accommodates by mixing raw chicken and dry food to replicate what wolves eat in the wild. Zizi is considered a low-content wolf dog so she still has many domestic dog qualities, but these qualities listed differentiate her from the everyday pet.

So what has caused the increase in interest of wolf dog ownership? Rescues all over the country have become flooded with unwanted hybrids over the past few years but what changed and made people think they could own an animal that is half, or even three fourths, wild? Most wolf rescues agree that this increase is due to HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones”. The dire wolves featured in this show depicts wolves as strong, powerful companions. Because of this, shelters and wolf hybrid rescues have seen a 500% increase in the number of wolf dogs in need of rehoming. Ironically, several of the dire wolves featured on the show are not played by wolves at all but by Northern Inuit dogs, a cross between a Siberian Husky and a German Shepard, bred specifically to resemble a wolf. Because these dogs appear so beautiful and as such fierce, loyal protectors of the Stark family, people became drawn to them and began seeking out wolf hybrid pups only to discover they are very high maintenance and require much more exercise and stimulation than even the most active of domestic dogs. This is not to say they make bad pets, but in order to even consider being a responsible wolf dog owner, you must be ready to accommodate to their specific needs.

If you think you are the type of dog owner that can handle a high energy wolf hybrid, the first thing you need to do is research the laws in your area. Some states do not allow the ownership of any “wild” animal, which hybrids qualify as on a federal level. South Carolina does not have any laws prohibiting the ownership of wolf hybrid dogs, but that did not stop Angela’s neighbor from threatening to call the county on her. If she had not known the laws and lived in a state such as Connecticut that prohibits owning wolf hybrids, she could have lost Zizi forever. Major cities like Denver, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico have outright banned ownership of wolf-dogs. In Albuquerque, the city requires all animals suspected of being wolf-dogs to be euthanized. As many shelters throughout the U.S. do not usually have the resources to test or phenotype accurately, many domestic dogs are put down due to misinformation or fear founded on a lack of understanding, especially in cities or states where it is mandatory that suspected wolfdogs are euthanized.

So many lives could be saved if people would just do their research before seeking out wolf hybrids. Wolf dogs aren’t for everyone, a point made loud and clear by rescuers and educators alike. Someone looking to adopt a wolf dog needs to be well informed and have significant resources to provide space, secure housing, and care required by such an animal. There are many courses and books on the subject as well as trainers who specialize specifically in hybrid dogs. Many people who envision keeping a wolf-dog in their homes soon encounter behavior problems such as marking territory, destroying furniture, and escaping the backyard. Wolf hybrids need both room to roam as they would in the wild and a job to do. Agility courses can be a great way to give your hybrid the stimulation and focus needed to satisfy this specific need. Additionally, some veterinarians won’t treat wolf hybrids and the rabies vaccine manufactured for dogs has not been proven as effective on wolf hybrids. These are all things to keep in mind if you are considering adding a wolf dog to your family.

If there is one thing we scream at the top of our lungs in animal rescue, it’s ADOPT, DON’T SHOP! If you are interested in owning a wolf hybrid, please consider reaching out to your local (or not so local) wolf rescue. Buying a wolf hybrid from a breeder is just adding to the problem of homeless wolf hybrids. So many of these hybrids have to be put down in shelters simply for looking the way they do at times so by adopting from a hybrid specific rescue, you are not only saving the dog itself but opening up a spot for another wolf hybrid to be saved from euthanasia. Puppies are cute, but as long as there is a demand for them, there will be irresponsible breeders who continue to feed into the over saturation of wolf hybrids in shelters. By adopting, you are taking away from the demand which will eventually decrease the over population of wolf hybrids in our shelters.

If you think you are interested in adopting a wolf hybrid dog, first check out your local shelters and Facebook groups. Full Moon Farm, Inc. Wolfdog Sanctuary in Black Mountain, North Carolina is the closest wolf hybrid rescue to the lowcountry. There are plenty of these dogs that need homes if you just take the time to research! ■

photography by www.southernvintagephotography.com | info@southernvintagephoto.com

Thanks to Charleston County Parks for use of Laurel Hill Trail