The Blood of a Wolf
By Norla M. Antinoro, Ph.D. and Frank Antinoro, M.S.
Myth: "...he still has the blood
of the wolf, which is to be free."
Fact: What is this "blood of the wolf" stuff? How an animal
lives is learned behavior, it has nothing to do with blood. An animal born and
raised in the wild will usually function best in the wild. An animal born and
raised in a domestic situation will usually function best in a domestic
situation. There is no scientific evidence to show otherwise. I am not aware of
anyone living with a wolfdog that was born in the wild. Frank Antinoro
Wolfdog
Breeders
Myth:
Breeders are motivated by profit.When you hand over the check, what
takes place is called, "immediate gratification". Rarely is there any
educational benefit afforded the buyer - it might kill the sale.
Fact: Yes, it is true that there are some dishonest breeders. There are
also, however, many reputable breeders who provide education before each sale,
and carefully screen the buyers. They provide contracts that cover such things
as the buyers' rights to return pups if problems occur. Many do not even breed
until they have an acceptable buyer for each expected pup. Frank Antinoro
Domesticated
Myth:
Wolf hybrids can be socialized and even tamed but they cannot be
domesticated.
Fact: The American Heritage Dictionary defines domesticated as; "To
adopt or make fit for domestic use or life," or "To
train or adapt (an animal or a plant) to live in a human environment and be of
use to human beings."This is exactly what people do when they live with
a wolfdog companion. It also defines tame
as; "Brought from wildness into a domesticated or tractable state,"
or "Naturally unafraid; not timid,"
or "Submissive; docile; fawning."The
first part does not apply to wolfdogs as they are not "brought from
wildness", but they can be submissive and naturally unafraid just like any
other dog. And socialized as; "To
make fit for companionship with others; make sociable."See also: Fido
the Wolf
Genetics
Myth: Wolfdog hybrids posess confused
instincts, their dog genetics pulling them towards one behavior while their wolf
genetics pulls them towards another.
Fact: This statement alone indicates that this person is completely
ignorant of animal behavior. Although many keep repeating this, it has
absolutely no basis in reality. The "dog genetics" and the wolf
genetics are identical. Frank Antinoro
See also: Fido the Wolf
Good Dog
Myth: "If someone tells you they
have a wolf hybrid that sleeps by the fireplace, gets along well with small
children and household pets, runs free, is a good watchdog, and house trained,
they have a dog."
Fact: This statement, or one very close to it, is often used as an excuse
by those who don't know how to train wolfdogs (or any dog, for that matter).
They feel that if they're not competent enough to do it, nobody is. Well,
hogwash! It is true that wolves and wolfdogs are not good watchdogs, but I
personally know of many high-percentage wolfdogs and wolves that are good house
animals. In my experience, only those wolves and wolfdogs whose owners have
condemned to outside enclosures are not good house animals. Whether or not a
wolf or wolfdog is a good house animal is the choice of the owner, not the
nature of the animal. And I really don't know where the myth of the
impossibility to housetrain comes from. Wolves and wolfdogs can be, and are
regularly housetrained. Frank Antinoro
Kid Killers?
Myth: Wolfdogs are kid killers.
Fact: The sad fact is, most dog attack fatalities are children. Of the 157
fatalities between the years 1979 to 1988, 70% of the fatalities were children
under 10 years of age.* Only five (5) of the 157 fatalities involved wolfdog
hybrids. Wolfdogs average less then one fatal attack incident per year over a 15
year period. Legislation and regulations can only go so far in protecting the
public. Breed specific bans will not work, not only because of the
unconstitutionality of them, but also because it’s not a breed specific
problem. Most of the factors contributing to dog bites are related to the level
of responsibility exercised by dog owners.** Public education about dogs and dog
ownership is key and recommended. *JAMA, September 15, 1989-Vol 262, No. 11 Dog
Bite-Related Fatalities- Sacks et al pg. 1489
**PEDIATRICS (Vol.97 No. 6, 891-5), Jeffrey J. Sacks, MD and associates.
Life Span
Myth: The average wolfdog lives less
that two years.
Fact: There are no facts to support the above opinion. The average life
expectancy for a wolfdog is 12 to 15 years, with some wolfdogs living up to 18
years. Most of the people I know with wolfdogs have animals in the range between
3 to 12 years old.Wolfdogs, like other canines can and do end up in shelters and
rescues. But nowhere near the rate suggested. It is an inherent problem in
today's society, a throw away pet mentality. See Also: Rescues?
Personalities
Myth:
Animals are born with their personalities that they are going to have
for the rest of their lives, even though experiences and how they are treated
may alter some behavior, in general, they are born what they are going to be.
Fact: OK. This is MUCH more complicated than it looks. You're getting into
molecular and cellular processes here as well as the biochemistry and etc. of
learning. Temperament, i.e., the level of reactivity to stimuli, level of
energy, speed of movement is set at "baseline" by the genetic code.
The animal is conceived with a baseline temperament. This is part of the
skeleton structure upon which Personality is based. An animal has certain traits
encoded in the DNA at conception. Whether these traits are expressed in behavior
depends on many things, which I will enumerate for you below. During gestation
there are many events which may impact on the expression of 'behavioral' traits.
Such as level of noxious stimuli perceivable by the fetus, nutritional status of
the mother/fetus unit, trauma of any type to the fetus or mother, hydration,
heat, cold, etc. These all impact the development of every trait [behavioral or
physical] that the animal has. Once the animal is born, a whole new set of
circumstances comes into play in the development of Personality. LEARNING has an
enormous impact. So does IMPRINTING/BONDING. So do all forms of environmental
situations and stimuli. This harkens back to the Nature/Nurture controversy so
popular in the 1960's and 1970's. Among those knowledgeable in the biochemistry,
molecular biology, organismic biology, and population biology of behavior and
learning, THERE IS NO SUCH CONTROVERSY ANYMORE. There is intensive and extensive
interaction at all levels of development among genetic endowment, environmental
impact, and learning. Let me give you some examples: An animal may have a high
energy, highly reactive, what we call 'irritable' temperament [that is
biologically irritable which means it responds actively to stimuli] but has a
very low level of trauma, low level of external stimuli, and they will develop a
mellow but "frisky" personality [to use a 'scientific' term].
Similarly, an animal may have a low energy, low responsive, non irritable
temperament and be exposed to trauma, poor nutrition, and lack of bonding and
turn into The Beast From Hell. These effects are not 'psychological', they are
pure physiology and biochemistry. The effects of learning can override almost
anything! A high energy animal can be reduced to a shaking trembling mass of
twitches by a highly traumatic environment that gives him/her no way to avoid
the trauma. Give them a way to avoid the trauma the same animal may become
aggressive and belligerent. A low energy animal may become lethargic and
depressed by chronic trauma or if they can see a way to avoid, they can become
aggressive or run away. So... what [you've heard] lacks accuracy and uses
thinking that has been out of date for 20 yrs.
Norla M. Antinoro, PhD.
Rabies
Myth: "There is no proven rabies
vaccination for wolves/wolf hybrids."
Fact: There is no "approved" rabies vaccine for wolves or
wolfdogs. Hundreds of thousands of wolfdogs have been vaccinated for rabies, and
the vaccines have been "proven" to be just as effective as with other
canines. The lack of an approved vaccine is a political, not a scientific issue.
In fact, one rabies vaccine, Imrab, is approved for six species; Dogs, Cats,
Ferrets, Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. How could it not work in wolves and wolfdog
crosses? They are the SAME species!
Rescues
Wolfdogs
in rescue facilities represent only a small fraction of the total wolfdog
population. To
put this in perspective, let's look at a hypothetical example. Let's say that
there are 50 wolfdog rescue facilities in the US (we know that there are not
nearly that many, so we are safe using an inflated number). Each facility
averages 100 rescues (again an inflated number). Some years ago, the HSUS
estimated that there were 300,000 wolfdogs in the US. Current estimates are in
the one to two million range. To keep our example conservative, let's use one
million as our estimate. In this example, with an inflated estimate of wolfdogs
in rescue facilities, and a conservative estimate of total wolfdogs, only
one-half of 1% of wolfdogs are in rescue facilities, leaving 99.5% living with
the general population.
The behavior of wolfdogs in rescue
facilities in no way represents the behavior of wolfdogs living with the general
population. In general, wolfdogs in rescue facilities have been abandoned.
Most have been neglected and/or abused. These animals are probably examples of
the extremes of behavioral problems. It is not valid to make any generalizations
of wolfdog behavior from the behavior of wolfdogs in rescue
facilities. Frank Antinoro
Will
wolfdogs turn on you?
Myth:
Wolfdogs will turn on you.
Fact: Although it is a rare event, it has happened in the past, and will
continue to happen as long as people abuse their dogs. Wolfdogs as well as other
dogs have the capability to turn on the owners if they are mistreated. A healthy
well socialized canine will not do this. If this were a problem, there would be
numerous documented reports about this. With the estimated 100,000 to 2.5
million wolfdogs in the US, turning on their owners, there would be a major
public outcry over this. It’s just not a problem.
Unpredictable
Myth:
Wolfdog hybrids are unpredictable.
Fact: Wolves are recognized to be very predictable with an intricate
language, social structure and even culture actually quite similar to our own,
see the chapters
1. Communication , Cognitive Mapping , and Strategy in wolves and Hominids
2. Variability and Speciation in Canids and Hominids
3. Conclusion: Wolf and Human - Behavior and Culture, Cognition and
Communication, and Paleobiology in the book Wolf and Man, Evolution in Parallel
by Roberta Hall and Henry Sharp. Wolves as opposed to MANY dogs have all their
body parts! - ie. tail with complete range of motion, complete ears with
complete range of motion, fur that is capable of pilo-erection, a face that is
capable of many expressions. Wolves use these body parts in conjunction with
gestures and vocalizations to communicate with each other. Many books have
described the need for cooperation in wolves, especially in the species of
wolves that must live in larger packs because of the necessity of bringing down
larger game to survive - something a single wolf or small number would find very
hard to do. Most dog enthusiasts, behaviorists, trainers, ect. would say DOGS
are VERY predictable. If this was not the case, we would find them very hard to
live with, train, and they would not be the most popular companion animal. How
does the behavior of dogs and wolves differ? The difference is a quantitative
one rather than a qualitative one. In other words, there is NO behavior in
wolves that is not found in some dogs. In fact, many dogs have taken a
particular wolf behavior and amplified/exaggerated it. For instance - Border
Collies have exaggerated prey drive, the guarding breeds have exaggerated
territorial aggression, and the fighting breeds have exaggerated inter-species
(dominance) aggression. Another way this 'difference' is often stated is that
the THRESHOLD for elicitation of a behavior is often lower in wolves than some
breeds of dogs and that the INTENSITY of the response (resulting behavior) is
often greater in wolves than in some breeds of dogs. Roger Abrantes in his book,
Dog Language uses the WOLF for his example of dog behavior in pure unadulterated
form. Illustrations of wolves are used to DEFINE the meaning of dog language and
communication. Throughout another one of his books, The Evolution of Canine
Social Behavior, Roger Abrantes draws on the work of David Mech and Erik Zimen
to define dominance-submission, social rank, motivation, drives, social-fear,
social-threat, ritualization, and social-aggression totally in terms of WOLF
behavior. The only comments on the difference between wolf and dogs is that the
DOG has LOST some of the richness of expression (missing body parts) and
appropriate social CONTEXT of behaviors, so that dog behavior is LESS easy to
predict in relation to a particular stimuli and social context than is wolf
behavior! Scott and Fuller in their book, Dog Behavior the Genetic Basis, say
that one can think of each dog breed as representing/accentuating one of many
possible individual BEHAVIORAL variations of the wolf. If wolves ARE
predictable, and dogs ARE predictable, and dog behavior in GENERAL is
fundamentally/ qualitatively the same as wolf behavior - EXCEPT that wolves in
GENERAL are MORE predictable in their behaviors than dogs (because they have a
complete set of body parts and because the genetic drift of complex behavioral
systems has not occurred in wolves as it has in some dogs - Scott and Fuller),
THEN - any dog that is at least PART wolf is MORE predictable than one that is
not. On a scale of predictability from most predictable to least predictable -
we have - wolves, 'wolfdogs', and then dogs. Ann Dresselhaus
See also: Fido the Wolf
Veterinary Care of wolfdog crosses
Myth: Because the treatment of
hybrids is not covered under malpractice insurance, most veterinarians will not
treat them.
Fact: While it is true that some veterinarians will not treat wolfdog
crosses, it is not true that they will not be covered under their
malpractice insurance. In a letter by the Alabama State Public Health
Veterinarian, William B. Johnston, D.V.M., Dipl ACVPM, dated December 23, 1997
he states; "Because there is still a paragraph in an unenforceable
agriculture law, however, that may prohibit the ownership of such animals in the
state, some concern remains for veterinarians insured by the American Veterinary
Medical Association's Professional Liability Insurance Trust (PLIT) in the
unlikely event that they are charged with an illegal act for treating prohibited
animals. PLIT officials have assured me that no such criminal charges have ever
emerged against a veterinarian, and that they would still cover a veterinarian
charged with negligence, malpractice, or other civil action, while treating a
hybrid, exotic, or wild animal. The PLIT also states that, “This act (AL94
332) does not specify if it is illegal for veterinarians to vaccinate and
otherwise treat these animals. Should malpractice allegations be brought against
an Alabama insured veterinarian resuming from the treatment of a wolf-dog
hybrid, the insurance company would apply the illegal acts exclusion only if the
court or regulatory authority with jurisdiction determines an illegal act has
been committed.” PLIT routinely provides liability coverage for thousands of
veterinarians in California (even though ferrets are still illegal in that
state) and for veterinarians in some other states where antiquated laws are on
the books where some pet psittacine birds are illegal. To avoid any confusion or
controversy until the Alabama law can be repealed, when vaccinating dog-wolf
hybrids against rabies, veterinarians are advised to defer to Chapter 420-4-4
and call them “Dogs,” noting “Mixed” under breed designation."
Are wolfdogs more vicious than other dog
breeds?
Myth: Wolfdogs are the most vicious
dogs around.
Fact: On the contrary, wolfdogs have far less fatal attacks than other
large breeds of dogs. In a recent study conducted by Jeffrey J. Sacks MD, there
were 109 dog bite fatalities in the years 1989 to 1994. The most commonly
reported dog breeds involved were pit bulls (24 deaths), followed by rottweilers
(16 deaths), and German shepherds (10 deaths).* The wolfdog is 6th on the list
of dog attack fatalities, with Pit bull terriers in the lead position. The
authors point out that many breeds, however, are involved in the problem. And a
recent report from The
Texas Department of Health states; "Species reported to be involved in severe attacks were
domestic dog (681 reports, 86.6%);
domestic cat (81 reports, 10.3%);
rat, wolf-dog hybrid (4 reports each,
0.5%);
mouse, raccoon, skunk, and unknown (2
reports each, 0.3%);
and bear, ferret, iguana, monkey,
pot-bellied pig, squirrel, wolf, and zebra, (one report each, 0.1%)."**
I do take issue with not listing wolfdogs with domestic dogs, but, the report
does show that if you live in Texas you are 170 times more likely to be
involved in a severe attack by a "domestic dog."
It also shows that you are 20 times more likely to be involved in a severe
attack by a "domestic cat." "Small breeds of dogs were infrequently reported because they are less
likely than large breeds to inflict severe wounds."**
*PEDIATRICS
(Vol.97 No. 6, 891-5), Jeffrey J. Sacks, MD and associates.
**1996 Severe Attack Surveillance Summary - The Texas Department of Health,
Zoonosis Control Division
Falling Near Wolfdog
Myth: If you were to fall, or injure
yourself, or have a heart attack, the natural prey instinct would cause the
wolfdog to attack you.
Fact: As with all large dogs, if they've been properly trained and
socialized they would no more attack you than they would the Alpha members of
their pack. Their sense of family is strong and loyal, and they live by
carefully defined rules and rituals which do not include attacking the alpha
leader while they are down. If you have established that you are the alpha of
the pack, then often a glance is all it takes to keep dominance. Once
psychologically bonded to humans, dogs, or wolves, these bonds cannot be broken
but are retained for life. According to Gordon Smith "Properly bonded
psychologically and in the hands of a knowledgeable handler, he is hardly more
dangerous than old Shep.
Other
Animals
Myth:
Wolfdogs do not get along with other non-canine animals.
Fact: Wolfdogs as other canines can be socialized to live with smaller
animals. "If the new pet is expected to live harmoniously with children,
cats, dogs, and gerbils," explains Dr. Landsberg, "then you should
have the puppy or kitten interact as much as possible with children, cats, dogs,
and gerbils in those critical first two to four months." This is true of
all canines, many wolfdog owners have reported their animals get along well with
cats, ferrets, and other small animals. Taken in part from The American Animal
Hospital Association, OWNER
EDUCATION IS KEY TO PREVENTING PET BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, Gary Landsberg, DVM,
BSc.
Exotic
Myth: Wolfdogs are wild and exotic
animals.
Fact: Not according to the United States Title 9 Code of Federal
Regulations. The CFR defines "dog" as any live or dead dog (Canis
familiaris) or any dog-hybrid cross. It also defines animal as any live or dead
dog, cat, etc. "Exotic" animal means any animal not identified in the
definition of "animal" provided in this part that is native to a
foreign country or of foreign origin or character, is not native to the United
States, or was introduced from abroad. "Hybrid cross" means an animal
resulting from the crossbreeding between two different species or types of
animals. Crosses between wild animal species, such as lions and tigers, are
considered to be wild animals. Crosses between wild animal species and domestic animals, such as
dogs and wolves or buffalo and domestic cattle, are considered to be domestic
animals.
"Pet animal" means any animal that has commonly been kept as a pet in
family households in the United States, such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs,
rabbits, and hamsters. This term excludes exotic animals and wild animals.10
"Wild animal" means any animal which is now or historically has been
found in the wild, or in the wild state, within the boundaries of the United
States, its territories, or possessions. This term includes, but is not limited
to, animals such as: Deer, skunk, opossum, raccoon, mink, armadillo, coyote,
squirrel, fox, wolf. United States Title 9 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. Chapter
1, 9 CRF Ch. I (1-1-1992 Edition) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
USDA. Subchapter A - Animal Welfare Part 1 - Definition of Terms Authority: 7
U.S.C. 2131-2157; 7 CFR 2.17, 2.51, and 371.2(g). 1.1 Definitions.
Identity
Myth:
You can
easily tell a wolfdog just by the way looks.
Fact: Since
ALL dogs are descendants of wolves it is impossible to tell for certain if a dog
is actually a wolfdog. There are no DNA tests that can be done to distinguish a
wolfdog from a dog. The fact is that many animals are murdered that ARE NOT
WOLFDOGS because the owners thought it was prestigious to say their dog was part
wolf, an Animal Control Officer thought they looked like a wolf or because a
neighbor suspected the dog was part wolf it was killed. These dogs DO NOT HAVE
TO BITE SOMEONE TO BE KILLED. If they are picked up by Animal Control, if they
scratch someone or if wolfdogs are illegal in your state, your dog could be
destroyed within THREE DAYS for just being SUSPECTED of being a wolfdog.
See also
Dakota's story
See Also
Tuckers story