In comparison with dogs, wolves have slimmer torsos, narrower chests, longer legs, larger feet with toe webs, larger heads with longer muzzles, larger teeth, curved canines and stronger jaws. Wolves usually have yellow or amber colored eyes instead of the usual big brown eyes of dogs. Hybrids can exhibit the characteristic of any or all of either the wolf or dog. Because of this range of possible variations, no general description of the hybrid can be made. No one can just look at a hybrid and decide it's wolf to dog ratio.

Most of the controversy surrounding hybrids concerns their behavior. Some people consider them highly aggressive, destructive, unpredictable, and untrustworthy. Others see them as gentle, playful, and loving animals. As pups, the hybrids are gentle, playful, and loving. This changes as they mature into adult animals which can become aggressive, destructive, and unpredictable, making placement of adult hybrids difficult. Shelters and even some hybrid rescue centers will often choose to euthanize the animals. Many never reach the age of three.

Most people do not understand hybrid behavior. Hybrid attacks on humans are usually attributed to aggressiveness when actually they are the result of predatory behavior. Aggression is often confused with predatory behavior, but the two are distinctively different. Both dogs and wolves exhibit predatory behavior. This display is almost unnoticed in the domesticated dog who simply has to wait for his owner to feed him. However, for the wolf in the wild, survival depends on being able to make a kill. A wolf's predatory behavior is very pronounced. Potential prey give off signals about whether they will be easy to kill. Some are obvious, such as fleeing or signs of injury or age. Others are more subtle and go unnoticed by humans but are quickly recognized by the hybrids. Most attacks have been on small children, often the easiest prey for predators. Many occurred when the animals predatory instincts were triggered by some unwitting behavior of the child causing the animal to regard the child a prey.

Another problem between hybrids and humans is the quest for dominance. Dogs consider humans to be the dominant leader, known as "alpha", whereas wolves and hybrids regard humans simply as another member of the pack and not at all alpha. In the wild, wolves challenge for the position of alpha and it is not uncommon for the same challenges to occur between hybrids and humans.

Hybrids inherit the wolf's natural tendency for curiosity and destruction making them unsuitable as pets. They destroy furniture, carpets, trees, fences and other large objects which they consider "toys". They are very hard to housebreak and train. They are excellent diggers and jumpers, making confinement extremely difficult. The marketing ploy of selling hybrids as watchdogs has backfired since wolves normally fear and avoid humans.

I'm Nikkita!

As with most exotic animals, people have very little knowledge about
hybrids before purchasing one and sellers often give no or erroneous
information on the care and housing required by the animal. Most
owners quickly tire of the constant, life long challenge of owning an
adult hybrid and are incapable or unwilling to commit to the cost of
an animal that will eat the new sofa or dig up the yard on a routine
basis. A hybrid is NOT "just another dog!!"

If you can ensure that you are willing to make the life long commitment
to provide for the care, cost, time and love needed to own an animal,
then please adopt a dog instead. Too many domestic dogs are euthan-
ized because there are not enough homes. If you really wish to support
wild wolf populations, become active in wolf habitat preservation and
education programs. Remember, Keepers of the Wild has a number of
wolves and wolf hybrids living at the sanctuary you can sponsor. Help
break the cycle! The animals will thank you!

[ BACK TO WILD FACTS ]

A wolf hybrid is the offspring of a wolf and a dog. However, a hybrid is neither a wolf or a dog - it is a different breed. Breeding is possible since wolves and dogs are closely related genetically. Any dog can be bred with a wolf.

The growing interest and purchases of hybrids has led to increasing problems. numerous injuries and several deaths from hybrid attacks on people, mostly on young children, have occurred.

While the family dog is a descendent of the wolf, the domestication process began over 12,000 to 15,000 years ago! Wolf hybrids cannot be domesticated over just a few generations, and claims of domesticated hybrids are false and dangerous. Domestication of hybrids will take tens of thousands of years to complete!

I'm Lobo!