Are you interested in raising wolves? Or want to keep a wolf breed dog? These animals can be tame pets, but only if you are willing to work hard and learn a lot of knowledge. Before you buy a wolf or wolf breed, learn everything there is to know and make sure you understand everything about keeping these animals.
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Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Raise a Wolf
Step 1. Know what a wolf breed is
A wolf breed dog, also known as a wolf dog, is an exotic animal and is the result of a mix of domesticated dogs and wild wolves. Most people call a dog a wolf breed if it is a descendant of a wild wolf. In order to confirm that the dog was a wolf breed, the existence of the lineage of this wild wolf had to be seen for five generations and above. This kind of dog is quite terrible, but can be trained well. However, first consider why you want to keep wild animals in your home environment. A wolf dog is more like a friend than a pet.
- Low content hybrid wolf dogs only have 1-49% of the blood of wild wolves from their generation above.
- Mid content hybrid dogs have 50-74% wild wolf blood from the upper generation.
- A high content hybrid wolf dog has at least 75% of the blood of a wild wolf from its generation above. High-breed wolf dogs are almost indistinguishable from pure wild wolves. This kind of dog may only have 1-3 dog traits / traits.
- While the low-breed wolf breed won't behave like a regular dog, it's still a better choice for people unfamiliar with wolf dogs. This breed is more friendly, easy to train, although it still has a stubborn and independent nature like a wolf.
Step 2. Know the applicable local regulations
Possession of a wolf dog is not always legal/permitted in every location. For example, in the US, the laws regarding the ownership of wolves differ from state to state. Some states strictly prohibit private ownership of wild animals, others only prohibit the ownership of certain types of exotic animals, other states require a license, and others don't even have any regulations. It all depends on the applicable laws in your own location.
Some states in the US allow ownership of wolf dogs up to 98% wolf, while others limit it to 75%, 25%, or prohibit the ownership of first-generation wolf breeds
Step 3. Consider the price
Wolves and wolf breeds are not cheap. On average, these animals cost around Rp. 20,000,000-Rp. 25,000,000. This is more expensive than the price of ordinary purebred dogs. Decide if you really want to spend that much money just to buy an animal.
- There is no way we can prove the pedigree of the animal. Experts at the Wolfdog Rescue Resources, Inc., state that more than half of the wolf breed dogs that are kept actually do not have wolf DNA at all. Other experts claim that most of the wolf breed dogs sold are actually just ordinary dogs.
- When buying a wolf or wolf dog, make sure you have it checked by an expert, if possible. This will save you money if it turns out that the dog is a fake.
Step 4. Remember that wolves are not pets
Dogs were kept to be submissive and to help humans so they were bred to be pets. This process has been going on for 10,000 years. However, wolves have spent 10,000 years living in the wild. Although people keep wolves as pets and from infancy, wolves are still animals with wild instincts, which cannot be completely tamed.
Don't take wolves straight from the wild. If you are interested in raising a wolf, don't take it from the wild. Instead, adopt it from the wolf shelter. Taking wolves from the wild can harm you and can result in accidents, even death
Step 5. Consult an expert
If you're still interested in owning a wolf or wolf breed, visit a wolf sanctuary. There are plenty of wolf and wolf dog shelters for you to observe. Before keeping any of these exotic animals, talk to an expert at the sanctuary. They can help answer your questions, provide more information, and help you understand the responsibilities that come with raising a wolf or wolf dog.
Step 6. Try volunteering at an animal sanctuary so you can learn about how wolves behave around humans
There are many animal sanctuaries that take care of wolves because there are people who previously believed these animals could behave like dogs, but then gave up after their wolves damaged cars, houses, or attacked and harmed other people. Wolves are animals that are difficult to control even for experts who have studied and raised them for years. Therefore, taking the time to consult with them will open your eyes to what it takes to raise wolves.
- Try to find owners of wolves and wolf dogs in your area. Contact these owners and arrange a meeting. They can be a useful source of information because they keep these exotic animals.
- Some shelters save wolf breeds and allow you to adopt them.
Part 2 of 2: Taking Care of a Pet Wolf
Step 1. Train your pet wolf
Turns out you can't resist buying a wolf or wolf breed and hoping to find a way to make it a good pet. Wolves are not dogs. Wolves really need to be trained to be good companions, and this requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the owner.
- This animal is smart and very smart. These animals provide more of a challenge than dogs. Some wolf breeds are docile, while others remain wild. If you don't have the patience or time to train and raise wolves, don't do this.
- If you've never owned and trained a dog, don't even think about getting a wolf or wolf breed.
- Many owners are not prepared to keep wolves or wolf dogs and end up having to put their pets in shelters (which turn out to be full), or take them to shelters where they will give the animals lethal injections. Releasing a trained/bred wolf dog into the wild will almost certainly kill him. Adopting a wolf and letting it go is the same as endangering the wolf. Since wolves tend to live in groups, being separated from their habitat and group can cause wolves to become restless and even sick.
Step 2. Recognize that humans may be unable to distinguish affection from wolf attacks
The way wolves show affection is different from dogs. Sometimes wolves can't show the difference between affection and attack. The wolves greeted each other affectionately, but because they couldn't hug, the wolves used their mouths. Wolves will bite / chew on the faces of their group mates when welcoming or showing affection.
- Wolves can do this to humans too. Often times, the wolf will approach you, touch his nose to yours, then lick your teeth. However, if you are scared and withdrawn, the wolf will pounce on your face with its teeth to draw your attention back so that it can welcome and show you affection.
- Wolves like small children, but may act too excited, or jump at the child and try to pick up the child with his teeth, by biting on the head or feet of the child. This can cause injury to the child, even though the wolf just wants to show affection.
- This way of showing affection can easily be interpreted as an act of aggression.
Step 3. Create the right living conditions
Wolves love to roam and will jump fences, break chains, and dig in the ground to roam freely. These things can be dangerous because your pet wolf can be misunderstood. People might think that the animal is a wild wolf or coyote and they will shoot it. Or conversely, perhaps a wolf that came out attacked and killed your neighbor's livestock or pets. Don't let your wolf roam.
- Low and medium breed wolves can stay behind fences without trying to escape. However, mid-breed wolfdogs may also try to do this, and this is also common for high-breeding wolfdogs. Wolf dogs need to be behind a strong fence 1.8–2.5 meters high. The fence must not have footrests so wolves cannot climb it, because wolves can climb and jump over a locked fence.
- You will also need to place a wolf or wolf dog on a surface that cannot be dug.
- Some of the lower-breed wolves were able to escape, and some of the higher-breed wolves would remain behind the fence. It all depends on how much the wolf wants to be free, how bored he is, and how attractive things outside the fence are to him.
- A large, enclosed fence is an ideal choice. Wolves and wolf dogs need lots of space to run and play.
Step 4. Provide social opportunities for your wolf dog
Wolves are social animals and tend to live in groups, so wolves need dog companions. This is as important as getting your wolf or wolf dog to socialize with humans and their new habitat from a very young age. This is the perfect age to train a wolf or wolf dog to be around humans and indoors.
- Wolf dogs need to be taken from their mother from 2 weeks of age and bottle fed. Dogs of this kind need to be directly socialized with men and women, so that they can get used to humans for the rest of their lives.
- The wolf dog needs a canine companion to keep him company and satisfy his emotional needs. You will need to give the wolf dog another canine companion, which is another dog of the opposite sex and a balanced body size. This will ensure that the wolf or wolf dog is not lonely.
Step 5. Be the alpha figure for the wolf dog
You must be the alpha figure, the leader, of your wolf. From the time the wolf or wolf dog is small, start training it to submit to you with commands. This doesn't mean that as an adult, this animal will become submissive automatically (because wolves are naturally very independent and self-confident animals), but that the wolf or wolf dog will know that you are an alpha figure, a leader in control of himself.
When training a wolf cub, do not hit, bite, scream, or poke or shake the nape of the wolf. Wolf masters don't punish their "children" simply for biting or chewing something, they are tolerant "parent" figures. Try to refrain from physically dominating the wolf, as this will damage your relationship with him
Step 6. Provide proper food
Wolves are meat eaters. Purebred wolves and high-breed wolfdogs cannot live on regular dog food. Many wolves and wolf breeds eat 1-2 kg of meat daily.
Venison is very good for wolves. You can feed the wolves with the dead deer on the roadside, but to do this, you must first obtain official permission
Step 7. Provide entertainment for your wolf
Wolves can get bored so they want to be free from closed places to find interesting things. Arrange interesting shapes (for example, a stage) with objects in the room, so that the wolf is challenged to stay active. Wolves need to be mentally stimulated on a regular basis.
- Make sure that there are trees around where the wolf is and use logs to hide food behind them.
- Some other good ideas are to provide a swimming area, such as a pool, pool, stream, or pond, for the wolves to lie down and dig in.
- Sandboxes or piles of dirt are also attractive for wolves to dig into.
- Train your wolf to use a leash as you would a puppy so you can take him outside on the leash. You should use two straps when walking with him, one on a collar or bridle, and the other a special rope that wraps around his neck and serves to restrain his movement. You should take him for walks every day.
Step 8. Ensure that there is a local veterinary clinic available
Most veterinarians don't know how to handle wolves or wolf dogs. Many of them are even confused when they have to carry out medical treatment or treatment for this type of animal. Make sure you have a veterinarian who knows how to deal with wolves before you buy a wolf or a wolf dog.
Tips
- Wolf dogs cannot be kept in the city. These animals should be kept on the outskirts of the city. Wolf dogs need large enclosed spaces, and high breed wolf breeds can become nervous and fearful in crowded environments.
- Understand that wolves and dogs are very different. Certain types of dog breeds, such as the Husky and the German Shepherd (herder), are more like wolves than others, but are still completely different types of animals. Don't keep a wolf if you have a regular dog, and don't confuse the two.
- Learn more about wolves than just how to raise wolves. You need to know the facts about how wolves behave, live and survive in the wild.
- Discipline training is important. Wolf dogs should be taught to follow you, not follow their own instincts. This can be difficult, so only experienced dog owners can keep a wolf.
- Make sure that the wolf has plenty of room to roam. Wolves can become stressed if confined in a small room.
- No matter how successful you are in raising wolves, these animals will not be completely tamed. This also happens to wolf breeds, and depends on the percentage of the wolf breed level in each animal, because wolf blood is a wild instinct.
