Wolves as Pets. Tell us your story. Good or bad. Photos immensly appreciated .

Over the past three years, I have come across the odd story of members who have pet wolves. These stories and accounts have always been close to my heart.

I am not sure if the word 'Pet' applies here or if friend would be a better term.

If you share your life with a wolf, pure or part, please share your experiences.

Good or bad, all are welcome.

Your friend's stories will also be very welcome.

Is what our Governments tell us the truth? Does the MSM just follow the Government line?

Of course, where would we be without the wolf photo?



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I had a friend who had a wolf- dog 50/50 cross where she came from in Scandinavia. Apparently someone's dog had pups in a remote area where there were no other domestic dogs and it was proven that the father was a wolf. Most of the pups were taken to be studied by authorities but some were kept. The dog/wolf became very fond of her daughter and would play with her in the snow. I saw a photo of this and the thing looked just like a wolf. The parents could not discipline the daughter as the wolf would not let them! That's how I remember the story anyway. It sounded like a good pet.
The dog liked to wait until it's food was half frozen before it would eat it. I think it must have been an arctic wolf cross. Sorry that's all I have and I have no photo.
cheers

a reply to: grumpy64

Thank you grumpy. I feel like I am talking to one of the Seven Dwarfs and somehow we crossed over to Little Red Riding Hood.

Thanks for that story. It was great!

A photo of the girl and wolf would have been amazing.

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a reply to: pheonix358

I have always loved wolves and felt a connection to them. I would love to raise one as a pup, but I don't have the land to ever consider doing it (and lets face it, you would need a considerable amount of land to keep one as a pet).

I've thought of trying to get a sheppard/wolf cross, but even then I feel like it would be cruel to do so without giving the animal enough space to roam.

I would definitely like to hear from anyone who has had the experience though!

a reply to: DeadSeraph

We will, I am sure. If memory serves, one of the Mods has or had a wolf as a friend.

Give it some time.

I became interested in them when I started to research them for my books. There are many false conceptions out there about wolves.

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a reply to: pheonix358

Actually the little girl I was talking about looked a bit like Little Red Riding Hood in the photo but she grew tall like her mum.

I've always wanted a wolf for a pet. And I do have the land to accommodate one. I know a guy who had a wolf for a pet, it was a pure blood. Problem was it was a male. He told me he had to keep it in a penned in area. From what he said the wolf could be unpredictable, and attack from time to time. I would think this comes from the wolf being a pack animal, and the instincts to want to confront the alpha (being him as an owner) for dominance.

I wonder if being rough with the wolf and constantly asserting your dominance would prevent this, although it sounds exhausting. Perhaps a female would be the better choice for a pet. Either way I still would like to have one for a pet, and do plan on having one, once the 3 dogs I have now have passed.


Free Range Puppies!

There is a wolf and wolf/dog sanctuary near Houston Texas that can tell you all about them as pets.

The things that stuck out to me when I took the tour:
you can not housetrain a wolf
many half wolves are also not housetrainable
they can not bark, they can only howl
it is quite difficult to domesticate a wolf and one must always be on guard around them

Many of the dogs that are passed off as half wolf actually have no wolf in them.
If you can housebreak it or if it can bark then it is not a wolf or wolf dog, it is a dog that happens to look like a wolf

In many states it is illegal to own a wolf or wolf dog as a pet.
Once a dog is classified as a wolf, it must be put down if domesticated in many states or sent to a wolf sanctuary.
The sanctuary does have dogs misclassified as wolves or with a low percentage of wolf in them, available for adoption in state where it is legal to own one.
www.saintfrancissanctuary.org...

After taking a quite educational hour plus long tour, I think a wolf as a pet is not a good idea.
Working at and helping at a sanctuary for wolves is a good second choice.

Call them as they are experts in wolves and wolf dogs as pets
or if your state permits adoptions of wolf hybrids, they can tell you how pet friendly an adoptable one is
936-597-WOLF (9653).

Q: This wolfdog breeder I found says that…
A: There is a great deal of misinformation spread about wolves and wolfdogs as pets. While some breeders are honest, caring, and conscientious, the majority are not. Breeders frequently misrepresent the wolf content of the animals they are selling—not infrequently selling mixed-breed domestic dogs as “wolfdogs” or even “pure wolves.” Often a breeder invents a pedigree for their animals, frequently including references to non-existent types of wolves which sound appropriately exotic (“Canadian silverback,” for example). Existing wolfdogs are basically all descended from a fairly small number of wolves which have been captive for many generations; a breeder who claims that an animal was “taken from a den” in the wild, or that it is the result of a domestic dog mating with a wild wolf, is almost certainly lying. Dishonest breeders frequently present wolfdogs as ideal pets, but this is rarely true, especially with animals with a high wolf content (see below). Despite what a breeder might tell you, most wolfdogs are not safe if you have small children or small pets. They make poor guard dogs (their reaction to strangers is to flee from them, rather than bark at them). They require very elaborate facilities to safely contain them and prevent escapes. They also require a great deal of exercise and attention, and a canine companion, to prevent stress, boredom, and unhappiness (a wolfdog is a terrible choice for a pet if you live in an apartment, for example). Finally, owning a wolfdog without a license is illegal in many areas. A reputable breeder will be honest about the difficulties of wolfdog ownership. A reputable breeder should also be asking you at least as many questions as you ask them, because a reputable breeder is someone who cares about their animals and the new homes they will have. Never trust anyone advertising “wolfdog puppies” in a newspaper or selling them on the side of the road.

Q: I want to get a wolf or wolfdog for a pet.
A: Wolves do not make good pets; they are not easily trained or housebroken, can be very destructive, and are master escape artists, and solitary wolves can become stressed and neurotic. Wolfdogs have recently become a popular, trendy pet: some estimates put the number of wolfdogs in the United States today at 200,000 to 500,000. However, they rarely make good pets either. They often have very strong prey drives and can be dangerous to small children or other pets. They excel at escaping. They can be very destructive and difficult to handle and train. Many are very fearful of people. And they can be more aggressive than pure wolves and more unpredictable than domestic dogs. The end result is that most people who get a wolfdog as a pet are unable to take care of it, and it either escapes or is surrendered to a shelter or Animal Control. Such animals have little hope of survival, for they are usually euthanized almost immediately. It’s also illegal to own a wolf or wolfdog in many areas without a permit. So for your own sake as well as the sake of the animals, don’t get a wolf or wolfdog as a pet. There are already animals that look like wolves but act like dogs—dogs! Let wolves remain wild, help wolfdog breeding become a thing of the past, and adopt a rescue (domestic) dog.

a reply to: ThisIsMyRifle

I would definitely go with a female if I were ever to try and raise one. Even some breeds of dogs can challenge you or be unpredictable. I think a lot of it goes into how they are raised. Your chances of forging a good bond are probably significantly better if you were to raise a wolf from the time it was a young pup, but yes... they are wild animals at the end of the day, and should be respected as such.

Personally, I wouldn't be rough with one if I had one. Asserting dominance is more of a behavioral thing when it comes to canines. It can become physical at times, but it can take simple forms, like lying the animal on its back, or controlling when the animal gets to eat, tone of voice, eye contact, etc.

I've known two of them. One was unpredictable and while at the time I thought it was unfair that my father wouldn't let me near the thing (another family members) looking back he was right. The thing would randomly growl at people and was destructive as bleep.

The other one I didn't have as much contact with, but it was super sweet. Owner said it was unpredictable and was real cautious who he would let near it.

I thought it would be cool to have one but the more I looked in to it the more of a bad idea it seemed. Frankly I think people that own them as pets are idiots, are putting themselves, the wolves, their families and the general public at risk needlessly. They aren't like a pit bull or other domesticated breed of dog where the reputation gets tarnished. They are not safe, they are a pain in the ass to take care of, and they are wild animals and to me it seems cruel to keep one.

a reply to: DeadSeraph

You have to look at it as being a wolf though. Like someone else has pointed out, a wolf cannot be house broken. I've had dogs all my life, and never had a problem with them attacking, a good loving home and TLC and they will love you forever. I am a firm believer how you said, it is the way they are raised. Having raised Rottweiler and Doberman to be the biggest babies ever.

A wolf is not going to be the same though, they are pure, and full of the instincts that most domesticated canines have been bred out of or just suppressed. The pursuit of dominance in the wolf world is a very vicious, very physical, often times fatal battle in their world. I'm not saying you are necessarily wrong, but I say it could turn into another episode of "Fatal Attraction", to jump into raising a wolf cub with the state of mind that it can be controlled and taught like another canine breed.

a reply to: ThisIsMyRifle

I completely agree with everything you've said here.

I certainly do not view them in the same light as dogs. As I stated, they are wild animals and should be respected as such, which is why I would never even dream of attempting such an endeavor without the land necessary to let the animal have it's space.

I think the OP sort of touched on it briefly when he/she said that perhaps "friend" is a more appropriate term than "pet". You really can't domesticate them. But I think you can establish relationships with them. Hell, people do it with bears and lions.

a reply to: grandmakdw

Agree with you completely. There aren't many things more beautiful than wolves in the wild. HOWEVER, a frustrated wolf trapped in a small kennel because its owner wanted bragging rights but couldn't handle it is incredibly sad.

For those that make it work, awesome, but maybe most people ought to stick with dogs?

a reply to: DeadSeraph

100% true. But, there is always the chance, and it does happen, that said bear or lion will have a "flashback" and attack its handler. Even Siegfried and Roy, as accomplished as they were with their tigers, were not immune to this.

a reply to: ThisIsMyRifle

The situation I witnessed was a man with a beautiful black wolf ... Stuck in a kennel 24/7. We went outside to have a look at that amazing creature and despite the owner claiming such a close bond for x amount of years, that wolf looked like he would have ripped that man's throat out just to get free of that kennel. In fact, this person went to touch the wolf through the chain link and nearly lost a finger or two.

originally posted by: ThisIsMyRifle
a reply to: DeadSeraph

100% true. But, there is always the chance, and it does happen, that said bear or lion will have a "flashback" and attack its handler. Even Siegfried and Roy, as accomplished as they were with their tigers, were not immune to this.

And then there are things like this that clearly show the other side of the coin.



This is why I really want first hand stories.

We also need to keep perspective that all over what ever country you live in, that dogs do some awful things every day. Dogs are not always loving pets. Just look at Police dogs and see if you want to pat one.

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a reply to: pheonix358

I'm not at all saying it is not possible, being in my first post I stated that I would like to get one myself. I'm merely saying that they really can be unpredictable. I used Seigfreid and Roy as an example to how even a professional handlers with years of experience, can still be turned on. Just don't take them lightly.

a reply to: Ashirah

The guy I mentioned in my first post on this thread also owned a black wolf. He told me they could not be trusted and that is why he had it in a penned in enclosure. There was very little almost no physical interaction with the wolf after it matured. He did keep it until it died of old age, and being a taxidermist, stuffed it himself so he could finally bring it inside out of the cold and have it by his side.

a reply to: Ashirah

The guy I mentioned in my first post on this thread also owned a black wolf. He told me they could not be trusted and that is why he had it in a penned in enclosure. There was very little almost no physical interaction with the wolf after it matured. He did keep it until it died of old age, and being a taxidermist, stuffed it himself so he could finally bring it inside out of the cold and have it by his side.

a reply to: ThisIsMyRifle

Yes, I saw that and I agree with what you said.

It is just that I think it has much more to do with the bond you have. Treating a wild animal as a pet is fraught with danger, but treating them as a friend may well be a completely different story.

I think if you want a wolf as a pet, learn how to kill one just in case. Having that knowledge and thus being empowered, could help provide the bond that one looks for.

You must never show or feel fear around any animal. They will know instantly.

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