The breed
There are several wolfdog breeds in the world.
The best known are:
- Czechoslovakian Wolfdog from Czechoslovakia
- Saarloos wolfhond from Holland (Nederlands)
- Lupo italiano an italian wolfdog
Some breeds have been ‘created’ to look like wolfs, without having actually been interbreeding with a wolf like:
and others such as: Kunming Wolfdog, Northern Inuit Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Sulimov Dog, Coydog and so on.
Search on Wikipedia to get more information.
The Irish Wolfhound is not at all related to a wolf, except for (one of) their original purposes:
To hunt down wolfs.
They don’t look like wolfs, they don’t act like wolfs because they have NO RELATIONS with wolfs what so ever. (But it’s a wonderful dog though.)
Special features in the Wolfdog
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog originates from a German shepherd and a wolf.
(Read more on wikipedia.org).
This means that the dog still has a lot of abilities from the wolf.
Here are some of the things that you can expert from of wolfdog and that differs it form other dogs:
- Late maturity. (Matures at the age of 2-3 years of age instead of 1 year)
- Alone-problems. (Because of its need for the pack, the CsW hates to be alone. So a big outdoor run or old furniture must be considered important).
- Guard dog. The CsW guards its leader, not the house. And as the dog is very kind it won’t be the best dog to scare thieves away.
- Barking. (The CsW can bark, but uses it as a secondary way to express itself. Different ways of howling is used for expression also some growling sounds are used widely. )
- Growling. (Some of the growling sounds may sound dangerous and alarming, but may not be at all.)
- Wolfdogs and children. A lot of wolfdog owners have a wolfdog and children. My suggestion is that the children should be born before the wolfdog is brought to the house. That way the dog won’t have to adjust to new members of the pack. (And wolfdogs does NOT consider children as preys, but do teach your children to behave respectfully around dogs. ANY dog.)
- Digging. A wolfdog loves digging holes. The purpose is to dig a den for cooling and resting. Your garden is a wonderful place to dig dens. Now you’re warned.
- Biting. The wolfdog uses its teeth a lot when it plays. That’s the wolfdog style. Playing wolfdogs are very noisy and rough. It means that if your wolfdog plays with other kinds of dogs, it has to adjust or the other dog must be a little tough. Almost all dogs are capable of uttering their dissatisfaction if the play gets too rough. BUT when the wolfdog plays with YOU it may also use its teeth. It’s not a bite of aggression, but a bite of playfulness.
(Biting in play is a lesson in how to teach their future puppies. The mother uses restrictive biting on the pups a lot. Not hard, but to adjust their behaviour so they won’t run away or get hurt.) - Hot and cold. The wolfdog hardly ever freezes. It won’t need carpets or soft pillows to lie on. It may suffer from the summer heat, but almost never from the winter cold. Wolfdogs love snow, rain and frozen dirt.
- Body language. The wolfdog’s body language is very close to the wolf’s. It clear and very significant. Learn about wolves and you’ll learn about the wolfdog, too. To the wolfdog it’s also easier to ‘read’ other dogs with long tails and pointed ears than dogs with hanging ears and docked tails. (Forbidden in DK.)
Czechoslovakian wolfdogs playing (Pandora, Xtreme and Uno). I swear, they ARE friends.
The senses
The senses of the wolfdog are intensified. You must understand that this will be a distraction for your dog the rest of its life. There are so many things is has to keep track of. Sounds, smells and sights. And basically this is why the dog is no ‘beginner’s dog’. You can’t fight its nature.
- The eyes. The wolfdogs see better than other dogs in daylight and at night. (The wolfs eyes are constructed to be able to hunt in the dawn. Therefore the back of the eye has better light absorbs ion than a dogs eye. It is also considered that the light yellow eye of the wolf helps this light absorbs ion. The CsW inherited a part of this ability.)
- The ears. The wolfdogs hear better than other dog breeds. Again it inherited this ability from the wolf. This means that your wolfdog is constantly aware of its surroundings and hears everything that goes on.
- The nose. Again the wolfdog is a fantastic tracker dog because of its magnificent nose. An important part of the wolfdog’s activity schedule is to sniff its surrounding areas. It’s also sniffing that makes the wolfdog tired – more than just running around.
Czechoslovakian maybe-not-so-All Round-dog
I was asked whether a Czech is a good dog for Tracking, Exhibition or Security/obedience Competitions.
I would say: All of them in one dog and some times, none of them.
Of course there will be certain dogs that doesn’t fulfil the requirements of a perfect champion, but why not give it a try?
The Czech is good at doing tracks but not so great in obedience. You are not limited to one kind of training with this dog, but you might only have 50 % of succes with any of these training varieties.
Writing this, Pandora is 2 1/2 years old. I have revised my opinion about how do-able she is in different tarining situation. Her obedience is stalling but her agility trainung is gettting better.
Read my blog input: When your life change …
This can kill your dog!
Don’t ever feed your wolfdog (or any other dog) with:
- onions
- grapes (Pandora can eat grapes and raisins, but some dogs are allergic to these)
- raisins
- nuts
- chocolate
- horse poo.
It’s poison for your dog. And for your cat, too.
Letty from Kennel van Goverwelle told as we picked up Pandora:
Don’t ever let you dog eat horse poo. As horses gets treatments against worms, the medical leftovers in the faeces can kill your dog!
And some wolfdogs are great fans of anyones poo!
The DANGER in dogs
This is the list of the most dangerous dogs from CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US)):
- 1. Pit Bulls
- 2. Rottweilers
- 3. German Shepherds
- 4. Huskies
- 5. Alaskan Malamutes
- 6. Doberman Pinschers
- 7. Chow Chows
- 8. Great Dane
From here the list varies a little:
- 9. Boxer/St. Bernards
- 10. Akitas (and other molosser like Canario, Caine Corso, Bulmastiffs)
The danger in the Czechoslovakian wolfdog
According to the ‘list of dangerous dogs there’s no mentioning of the Czechoslovakian wolfdog anywhere.
Just because a dog looks like a wolf, it doesn’t make it dangerous. Just as a wild wolf isn’t dangerous to – but afraid of – humans.
Any animal frightened or confused may be dangerous, and so may any human – forced to attack in fear.
A dog treated with respect of its genetic background, will be a good dog. A dog mistreated, mislead and with no real (trustworthy) leader will attack.
Therefore a lot of the very small dogs bites. Like Chihuahua, Pekingese etc. but they are not considered dangerous because of their size.
Few of them are well raised as it is considerable more difficult to raise a small dog than a big one!
Reason:
It’s easier just to move or push the small dog away instead of teaching it the basic rules. This is the basis for SMALL problems.
If you raise a big dog that way (Pitbull or likewise), you’ll get MAJOR problems.
It hurts a lot more to be bitten by a Great Dane then by a Chihuahua. This doesn’t mean that the Chihuahua is a better dog.
A small knife is still a knife.
-
- One dangerous wolfdog
This page will grow.
HI,
My name is James and I live in the UK. I have ben looking in the wolfdog breeds for awhile now and really would like to own a Czech wolfdog! I have read as much information as i can on the internet and really enjoy your site!
I plan to visit a breeder who lives near to me to meet some CWD in person. However not all my questions have ben answered as I tend to hear conflicting advice on these dogs.
How obedient are CWDs with regards to recall and I have heard that they tend to suffer from separation anxiety.. is this true?- I will be able to take the dog to work with me most days but it would need to be left for 4-5 hours from time to time – is this OK?
Also our current dog (a Dalmatian) is totally food obsessed, how is the with Czech wolfdogs?
Keep up the great posts on your site
Many thanks
James
Hi James
Nice to hear from you.
I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
Obedient
CsW is a hard worker. They really love to learn stuff because they are very intelligent.
But you will not get a ‘slave’ .
I have had German Shepherds, and I love the breed, but they are perfect ‘slaves’.
They will follow you full of admiration, watch you as you walk like you are some divine creature
Example:
I watched an obedience contest a while ago. I saw dogs glued to their owner’s leg as the turned, walked and stopped. It look very perfect. My dog would never do that. Her temper is not like that. She will follow me, happy and joyfully but she will also look in many other directions, observing her surroundings. I don’t think it’s possible to take that away from her.
CsW has it’s own free will and it will obey you but not at any price.
Imagine that there is 35 % cat in your dog.
Recall
Let’s face it. This is a hard one.
Pandora is almost 11 months old and she cannot make a recall yet.
If we have toys or are very interesting we can make her come.
It’s not like she runs away. She can stay 10 feet away and stare at us but she doesn’t come the last few feet.
She will learn eventually, no doubt about it, but here the ‘basic rule’ really is in play:
You have to be very interesting to maintain you Wolfdog’s attention.
Separation anxiety
Well, you HAVE TO teach your dog to be alone from the very beginning.
Pandora can be left alone if we leave at the same time every morning (from monday to friday).
If we leave her Sunday afternoon at another hour, she rips the house apart.
She can be alone for 2-4 hours.
If you are patient, I guess you could teach your CsW to be alone for 5 hours, if you do it one step at a time.
My friends male CsW cannot be left alone at all.
So an early start is very important.
Pandora stays in the house but if you have the opportunity to let your dog stay outside it should be no problem, but CsW are very good jumpers and diggers so a very tall (a leats 6 feet/1.8 meter) fence dug into the ground is also needed for the outdoor dog.
I must say that if you have a dog already it’s very good for you Wolfdog. They need socialisation, and company might help a lot on the ‘alone at home’ issue.
Food obsessed
Pandora is not food obsessed.
Therefore it’s sometimes difficult to treat her with goodies as she isn’t interested. My goodies have to be extremely delicious to catch her interest. She prefers a tugger and toys.
My friend (the above mentioned) has a CsW which is very interested in food. He can only train defence work if he uses food as his dog is not interested in tuggers or toys.
I guess it’s very different from individual to individual.
Good to know:
My dog loves to go with us in the car.
We have travelled by train, no problem.
She never feels cold
She never complains if she is in pain
She is very kind to other dogs, but she is a little rough when she plays.
She doesn’t bark. She can, but she doesn’t use it.
Her body language and sounds is a lot closer to a wolfs than to a dog.
I wouldn’t get a child if I already had a Wolfdog.
But the other way around would probably not cause problems.
A Wolfdog needs to exercise the brain, the nose and the body. At least 2 hours a day.
(Playing with another dog is a very helpful thing here.)
It is said that the wolfdogs are very different from each other, even within the same litter.
My best advice is:
Love and respect your dog, be a worthy and kind leader and read a lot about wolfs.
And you must – in your heart – want a strong willed and nature loving dog, not just a dog that looks like a wolf.
I hope this was helpful.
I could of course talk about my dog for hours, but you are very welcome to write again.
Kind regards, from Kim (and Pandora)
Thanks for the information. I have lived with dogs all my life so I feel confident as an owner. As a dog lover you have a bond with you dog and am I right in assuming that there is a particular ‘connection’ with a CWD as this is my main motivation for getting one. I am not interested in owning a ‘wolf’ i want my dog to be a dog!
It seems that you must treat CWDs as you would any active large dog breed?
You’ve got it right James.
The Czechoslovakian wolfdog is much like the sled dogs. A will of its own.
I, too have live with dogs my whole life and that’s definitely the best experience.
All my dogs have been companions, not just a thing I owned.
Good luck with you future wolfdog if you choose one.
And tell me all about it
Best regards, Kim
HI, My names is jon and i have a question about this breed. I am planning to get one next week actually, i have read everything about CDW’s and saarloos wolfdogs. and i would like to know how are they with other dogs in the family, i have a PUG he is a small animal but very energetic and lazy at times. Previously i have owned a Doberman,Boxer and a Husky…i loved them all…But the pug has a special place in my heart. to be quite honest i know people say that they don’t want these breed because of its wolf looks…well i’m gonna tell the truth. I do want it because of it’s appearance and character…I’m not looking for a cuddle dog, i already have one…I’m looking for a companion. I have a large back yard…i mean it’s huge:) … also i want to know everything there is about training, and its howl… do you have to teach it to howl or does it come naturally??…if you could write your heart out about these questions it would superb. Oh and i’m gonna join james and say that this site is very helpful, keep up the good work and give my regards to Pandora, Xtreme and Uno
Hi,
my name is Brage. I’ve also read a lot of CsW, Sarloos and wolves, and the CsW gets my thoughts more and more. I’ grew up with dogs in my family and neighbourhood, and have taken care of theese a lot through my childhood.
My problem is the law in Norway. It is corrupted with the department of justice, and this makes it hard to get a CsW since it’s banned from our contry. (Maybe you knew it).
I’m not going to get a CsW already since the air force is just around the bend of the early start of my career, but in 5 years or so I’m planning to get me a outdoor/everyday companion.
- Are there any place in Denmark (atm) or Scandinavia that breeds CsW’s?
- Could you try to tell how the disposition and training process of a wolfdog is beeing done? I’m thinking how to get the negative wolf sides of the.. wolf.. attenuated, along with the common commands.
- How does the “stay”-command work on Pandora? (My uncle had a Border Collie that could stare at the piece of liver pate two inches from its nose for 2 hours.)
Thank you for a great site and “diary” of Pandora!
Brage
Hi Brage
Nice to hear from you.
Yes, I do know that the CsW is forbidden in Norway, so exactly how you’re gonna have one there, I don’t know.
There’s no breeders in Denmark, few in Sweden, but some in Finland.
I’ve heard that some of the breeders in Finland are very good, so when it becomes reality for you to get you companion, just ask around, or come back to me or another Wolfdog owner.
It’s a little difficult to tell you about the training in a few words.
Check this blog and use the tag cloud word: training and you can read things I’ve written along the way, but here are some clues:
The CsW is bright and intelligent. This means that it understands what you say and the more mature the dog gets, the more likely it is that it will listen to your commands.
You cannot force a Wolfdog to do things 20 times as you can with the Border Collie (The Border Collie is a work-a-holic).
You can make it do it 3 times, and I do mean 3 times. If it does things right, don’t make it go on.
It gets bored and starts to run off or loose concentration.
Then you get angry, the dog gets frustrated and the training is wasted.
Pandora is 1 1/2 year now.
She does not obey my every word, but she is beginning to obey commands.
Sit, stay, lie down and stand are no longer a problem. The recall is still a problem, which I expect it to be for at least another year.
She has done agility, sheep herding, swimming, obedience training and much more. The CsW is almost fearless but highly observant to the nature around it.
My biggest challenge is to compete with nature and other dogs. So far I have lost every battle.
So the key word for the CsW owner is to be a competent and an interesting leader.
A CsW needs:
Stimulation of the brain (challenging games, figuring something out, agility i.e.)
Stimulation of the nose (tracking, sniffing, finding stuff)
Exercise (running and physical work)
The Wolfdog is extremely agile and has great endurance. But it’s said that it will not run for fun, only for a reason.
It might sound a little weird, but exercise is not priority one.
Challenging its intelligence is actually more important.
If you can twist your training into all the needs of the dog, you’ll come along fine.
Jee, I could write forever about this great dog, but when it’s time, travel around and meet them.
CsW owners are often geeks or nerds, and every one I know has done a lot of research before they got this dog.
Not only because they had to, but because they wanted to.
NB. About the liver pate: don’t expect to get a slave, when you get a Wolfdog. It will steal the pate sooner or later
(If I liked liver, hell, I would!)
Best regards from Kim and Pandora
Hi again,
Just wanted to let yu know that if all goes well with the mating I should be the proud new owner of a czech in Feb/March!
I will getting a male dog and cannot wait! One slight problem is that my wife is also getting a relatively rare breed of dog – a Nova scocia duckToller retreiver and it just so happens that a litter will be due around the same time. So we will have two puppys of a similar age. However she is looking to get a bitch which should hopefully make things easier.
Brage- the is no ‘attenuating’ the wolf side as Czech are several generations removed from the wolf and are a breed in there own right. Its a matter of being a firm ‘pack leader’ and understanding dog/wolf body language moreso than you average dog owner.
I have gone to meet some of these dogs and there is one who lives in the same village as me! From what I understand these dogs are very trainable as long as the see the point of what you want them to do! They are closely related to GSD so have some of these traits. They are not like collies or Labs but are very intelligent. I paln to spend alot of time training mine but not to do ‘tricks’ as I think this is pointless (and a czech probably would too) but I would like a dog with excellent recall, stay commands and with walk well to heel on the leash. I am also planning on taking part in cani-cross!
More updates on this site please!!!
Hi James
How exciting with the new ones!
I’m sure these guys will be friends for life.
The Toller is quite common in Denmark. Our Primeminister has one. Great dog.
Just remember to train them differently.
Where the Toller might be soft the wolfdog may be tough and vise versa.
It’s very hard to raise two dogs if you’re only one person, but I think that, for a couple, the joy of having each a dog must be huge.
They will not learn at the same rate, so don’t get disappointed if the intelligent wolfdog seems ‘dumber’.
I talk for myself, too, as I have been almost weeping when Pandora acted like a complete idiot compared to the other dogs at the traing field.
And then I kick myself and remind myself, what a great dog I have, she just needs more time to mature.
On the other hand she is very brave, doesn’t mind fireworks, shootings or weird sounds. She loves climbing very high and playing in the water. The Toller might be a little more sensitive there.
Don’t compare them but enjoy them.
A comment on the wolfpart. I have had German Shepherds most of my life but often I see Pandora more as a wolf then as a Shephed.
The reason is her extremely well defined body language and her unwillingness to be a slave.
And tricks: Well Pandora and I do a few tricks like: which hand do you want (hinding a goodie) or walking through my legs in an 8-form. The reason I do that, is to occupy her when we wait in line at the training center, at exhibitions or anywhere else. She gets sooo bored, so why not spend time having some fun.
But I know what you mean.
Please send pictures as soon as you get your puppies. And I can understand why you cannot wait
Best reards, from Kim
Hello,
My name is Rose, and I have been reading your site, and I just love it.
Very very informing. I just had a question. So I have a Czech Wolfdog
also, and I was just wondering how long did it take you to potty train Pandora?
Also is it true that on cold wet days, that they go to the bathroom a lot more?(Because down here in Oregon USA, it’s usually cold.)
I was wondering because somebody has been telling me different information, but I ended up doing the research and asking questions, haha.
Thanks,
Rose.
Btw beautiful wolf dog.(:
Hi Rose
Nice to hear from you. And thanks for your kind words.
Well, the potty training made me think.
the biggest problem was that as Pandora doesn’t bark, she didn’t tell the she needed to go out.
She early learned to go outside to pee and stuff, but I recall that we had a lot of accidents until she was about nine month old.
She simply forgot that she had to go out, especially if she was playing or just woke up from her sleep.
About the cold. I must confess that I have never heard about it, but your reflection made me think.
When we do our walks these days, it is now pretty cold, winter is coming up, she does pee a lot. I just cannot figure out whether it is the cold or her beginning dominance setting in. If we as humans stay out in the cold a lot, we might have the same tendencies, but the wolfdog doesn’t get cold, so I can only guess.
Sorry I can’t be more specific, but I observe Pandora’s habits from now on.
How old is your wolfdog? Do you have a picture? I am curious, because we only have very few here in Denmark.
Best regards, Kim and Pandora.
And kisses to you furry friend.
Hello,
And thanks for the response!
And okay I get it now, so I guess it’s all up to my wolfdog and his learning ability. Also my wolf dog is about 7 months now. And yes I have a picture but how do I send it to you? Maybe through email? He’s very big for 7 months, and he weighs around estimating 30-40 pounds. Maybe because he’s a male and not a female. And he’s also very active and playful & DOES bite and make growling noises when he plays. It’s very funny. But what’s funnier is when he sees other dogs and he makes himself poofy. His whole back goes up and his tail becomes poofy from the top. I can’t help it but laugh when we go out. But other than that he’s a very smart guy. Hopefully I’ll get some videos up of him at the dog park up om YouTube whenever it gets sunny here in Portland. And I have to agree, it has been getting pretty chilly, but he’s lucky he has all that fur.
Best wishes, Regards,
Rose & Ricu
Hi Rose and Ricu
You can just send pictures to: pandora.wolfdog@gmail.com
It would be great to have pictures of friends out there.
About the poofy boy
One thing I truly admire about the CsW’s are their fantastic bodylanguage. No other dogs are that obvious.
Pandora also goes poofy if there’s a peticular dangerouds stone or a foreign tree in the park. Very funny. I can never predict what scares her and what not.
But let me hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Kim and Pandora
I didnt think there were czechs in the states?!
Hello, ,
And thank you. I’ve sent like 5 to you.
Also about the body language, I have to agree
with you. They’re very unique. I’ve never seen such a thing, but it’s funny. Haha. (:
Oh Pandora does the same? That’s so cool.
The only problem is that Ricu does not like other dogs at all! He will barely accept a Husky/Malmute etc. But he was like that before the incident of getting attack by two pit bulls. ): It’ was a horrible night, and he got real injured. But I thank god that he didn’t die. (:
Anyways, thank you for giving me the email!(:
Best wishes & Luck,
Rose & Ricu
I recently adopted a dog that I was told was half German Shepard and half wolf. It has a very thick coat; my vet thinks the dog is a Husky mix.
Could I e-mail you her picture to get your opinion if she might be German Shepard and wolf as I was told by the previous owner? She has a lot of white, and some tri-color spots, similar to Pandora!
Thanks! Let me know your email address so I can send you some pics of her!!!
Hello Craig
Often people ask if Pandora is a husky mix but if really compare the two breeds they are very far from each other.
Where in the world do you live?
Of course you can e-mail your picture. I’d be delighted to see your mysterious dog
E-mail me at: pandora.wolfdog@gmail.com
Looking forward to them.
Best regards,
Kim
hi there
fantastic site – we have an innuit x czech wolf dog , she is so like pandora – but younger 14months so still chewing no recall etc but its nice to see whats coming – how do you do agility with limited recall . we also have a terrier that hates her – she was rough with him when younger and he never forgave her – all good fun . keep posting let me know about the agility.
lisa
Hi Lisa
Patience, my friend, patience.
Pandora turns 2 years now and only lately has she begun to come every second time I call her.
We just started to agility again, and the trainer said: Wow she has matured so much.
And she has. (I’ll write about it soon at the blog).
She doesn’t necessarily chew in things, but it may accidentally happen. I think I have to wait another year to expect her being stable.
Maybe your terrier will forgive her in time, but he’ll have to learn to trust her, and I guess right now she isn’t very trustworthy.
Sometimes it’s only a matter of settling who’s is ranked where in the pack.
Good luck with her, and don’t give up. Eventually she’ll be great.
Best regards, Kim
Hi there. I was just reading on your site and thought the info was very interesting. I really want a wolfdog but my g/f is afraid of the idea as they are so smart and so different from anything else. We don’t want to get one of these guys and ruin it because we don’t know what we are doing as this could end badly with someone being hurt when it tries to take over. . .haha. I was wondering if there was anything you would suggest for someone to practice or something to read up on to help in learning how to train such a wonderful pet. I want a dog that is a companion. I had one in a dalmation until he died about 6 months ago. He was fifteen and we had him since he was 9 weeks. He was my dog through and through. He followed me everywhere. So I want a companion again. Thanks!
Hello Tj
First, I’m sorry for your loss. It’s hard to loose a friend, even though they are old and their time has come.
About your questions. Well this is a tough one.
Most people I know who has a wolfdog are nerds. Really!
They have been studying the csw, have red about them, visited exhibitions, visited other wolfdog owners and so on. And then they learn wether this dog is for them or not.
Unfortunately there are not a lot of books about wolfdogs.
A very good site about wolfdogs are wolfdog.org and also wikipedia can supply you with information.
I would say that the wolfdog is just as stubborn as any husky, malamute or a sledge dog.
It is the most intelligent dog I’ve met.
She has torn our car apart, and several things in out home, and it’s not over. Probably never will be. Do you have room for the dog outdoor when it has to be alone?
Obedience is not top priority to Pandora, nature wins every time.
Do you want a slave or do you want a companion?
Do you usually get very kind and mild dogs?
Pandora is one of the most loving dogs I’ve met and I mean towards both humans and other dogs, but I’m pretty sure that it’s the way she was brought up, and not two people bring up their dogs alike.
Could you handle a ‘sharp’ dog, such as a Doberman, Rotweiler, Pitbul, Armstaf without beating or mistreat the dog in any way?
Do you have the patience of an angel?
Read my blog from day one. Read it together with your girlfriend.
I guess it tells about all the ups and downs we have had. Nothing has been sorted out or hidden.
You can also read about my fear in the beginning. I knew I could handle this breed but I got a little insecure anyway.
I cannot see which country you come from, but the FCI organisation of your country should have a contact person for the breed. (In Denmark it is called The Danish Kennel Club.) This person should be able to tell a lot of stuff and perhaps recommend a wolfdog owner you could visit over a period of time.
It’s difficult to give you the right advice. If you are more than just good at dogs, perhaps extraordinary good at dogs, well there’s no problem with a wolfdog.
Pandora has never been ‘sharp’ or dominant, but it doesn’t mean that other wolfdog will not be, but I haven’t met any. A good idea would be then, to get a girl instead of a boy.
I hope this has helped you a little. PLease write again if you have anymore questions. I know the choice is difficult. You must feel in your heart, that you do the right thing, ‘cos when you have the dog, you owe it all your love, and it is your responsibility.
Good luck with it,
best regards, Kim
Hi,
I have a pure bred GSD from overseas I am looking into purchasing a CSV. This purchase will not happen for a few years but I am doing my research now. I am finding it is very funny with recall with your CSV’s. My shepherd is the most stubborn animal I have ever met. He loves training but he has his own mind. I was told when I first bought that he was one of the most stubborn dogs they ever raised. He was raised as a pack animal, he does not like dogs that are fearful of him and he will dominate them. He gets along with dogs that stand up for themselves and mostly his size. He is on the smaller side for a shepherd and many people stop me and ask if he is pure bred or is he a shepherd. He looks like a typical GSD to me. But reading this and while doing my research ( there was a dog in the pictures with the shepherds that looked like a wolf or hybrid where I bought him from) He is a high prey animal and tracks like its nobodies business. is it possible he might not be a few generations off a hybrid. Is there any testing that can be done mtDNA strand would stick out? Not that I care but when I have spoken to other GSD owners, it seems as though some of these characteristics are not typical. When he pounces, or his behavior in snow and ice. He likes to pounce on the ice at my mother-in-laws house where there is fish. he smells them then pounces and scratches until he reaches the water then likes and whines. When it is spring u can not get him out of the water and follows the fish and dives in to get them. Yes, he has caught them as well and ate them. His mostly use his body language to get my attention as well as whining. He resorts to barking uncontrollably when I do not listen. He likes to pick out his own food. I mix kibble and raw meat and some bones. He will go to the refrigerator if does not like the meat and stick his head if I allow it and sit, look up at me then back to his bowl. when I do not give in with resignation he then eat what was given to him.
Hello Danielle
Sounds like a very smart GSD you have there.
Regarding the DNA. Hm, well I know that it is not possible to see which breeds a dog is a mix of if it’s a cross breed. But I’m not sure whether the wolf DNA is differing enough from dogs to been seen in a DNA test.
DO you have a pedigree on your German shepherd?
If not, you might be lucky that some real natural instincts are coming through, if you have a pedigree, well I can’t explain the behaviour as the German Shepherd is actually pretty far from the wolf. Originally they were cross bred between herding dogs and collies. And both these dog has to go far back to find wolfs in their breeding line.
But sometimes nature returns in animals as well as in humans, and shines through.
The fishing thing sounds like a dog in close relation with nature, which to me seems very healthy and good. That way you describe him using his paws sounds a lot like Pandora. She is very smart with her paws, and to me that’s a sign of intelligence as the paws are there for a reason. Pandora don’t fish as there are no fish in or stream or pond, but she always tries to bring up and exciting stone or an interesting branch or so. Then she grapples with until it is brought to the shore so she can make further investigations.
And the stubbornness sounds so like Pandora too. I don’t know if it is just me being really uninteresting and her being clever, but sometimes, well … you know what I mean.
If you cannot get a DNA test (read on the internet or contact a laboratory who does these kind of test) then you just have to enjoy your intelligent dog. Too few GSD are stubborn, they often act as slaves instead, so I think you have a healthy example.
I hope I helped you a little, or please do write again.
Kind regards, Kim
They’re showing re-runs of the Littlest Hobo here in Canada. A 80′s TV show about a wandering Dog that saves the day episode by episode, They used some Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs for the show, I’m going to Slovakia in a few months to look for mine, I’ll keep you posted should I find one. One question, since these dogs are more German Sheppard than Wolves though breeding wouldn’t they qualify as #3 on the list of most dangerous Dogs.
Hi Marty
Thanks for the note about the show.
Well about the dangerous dogs, I don’t know why the German shepherd is on that list. In Denmark the government excluded 11 dog breeds from the lit of legal dogs. German shepherd wasn’t one of them, and shouldn’t be as far as I’m concerned.
I know the old list, but I don’t think it’s relevant anymore as a lot of so called molosses are under observation.
So I can’t really help you on that one.
Kind regards, Kiim
Hi, my name is Konstantin and i am from Serbia. I already have 2 years old female German Shepherd. I trained her myself without any help. I always wanted more independent dog like wolf dog. I read a lot about them, my yard will be enough for their needs and not far from my house there is river, lake and forest, i think enough wildness for this kind of dog. I also know a lot about dog behaviour so i think i can handle one wolfdog. I want male dog but i dont have intetions to breed it with my GSD female. Between czechoslovakian wolfdog and Lupo Italioano which one is best for me ?
I expect that it can learn a little obediance, tracking and protection training. Not too much just basics, so which one will be best for me ?
Hello Konstantin
I don’t necessarily think you have to have had dog training to be a good wolfdog owner. It’s far more important that you understand wolf language and are willing to learn more.
You ask if the CsW is a better choice than Lupo Italiano.
I don’t know much about Lupo Italiano, because as far as I understand, only Italians can get at Lupo Italiano, and only if they have some very specific need for this breed. Police, military etc.
You can train obedience with the wolfdog but don’t expect to get at slave (I’ve written about that many times, and as Pandora is now more than 2 years old, I still mean that), protection training , well be careful as a good protection training actually take a well obedient trained dog (‘cos you should be able to control the dogs bite), but tracking is definitely a wolfdog favourite. Pandora loves tracking, and if it is possible for you to train tracking on a higher (concentrated) level, you can get a very good dog, perhaps even for professional use.
I am considering that with Pandora.
The nature around you sounds perfect.
Just be aware that a wolfdog cannot be alone in the house. I always say that, because that could be the main reason why people regret choosing this breed. So now you’re warned.
Good luck with your dog,
Kind regards,
Kim
NB! The wolfdog will takes a lot of your attention, so make sure that your GSD is well raised at the time you get the wolfdog.
My GSD is perfect dog now, nice trained… I never planed to my wolfdog lives in the house. I have a big yard for him, strong fence high enough and he cant digg under it. I dont want slave but some obediance is required for progress in tracking and protcetion. For me protection is important part, maybe most important, i also want to do agility but just for fun.
I read something about CsW and i know that for training that breed trainer need to have a lot of tricks for motivation and always change training so wolfdog never get bored, i understood that is key to train wolfdog.
Here in Serbia we can get evrything, Lupo Italiano is maybe dog only for Italians but in Serbia u can get evrything if you are ready to pay enough. So i dont have problems to get that dog even if he is only military dog.
I only need to know which one is better for me, i explained what i expect from dog so which breed better fits my expectations ?
Hello. I own a wolfdog too, he is now 8 months old..i decided to give some infos about mine.. You mentioned that your girl doesnt come on recall..Well until now that was not the case with our.. Excapt if his atttention is at other animals, people or people with dogs then it gets harder or he just ignores. But he is very obidient, but if he doesnt want to,he wont be.. Another problem with him is that he jumpes on people becouse he is happy to see them.. It also happened that he jumped on car before someone would step out. And also scratched door. Another thing is that he barks at unknown people..Like he was scared of them but he doesnt show that(tail between legs or so). And that barking goes away when he see its ok..He would also bark at me if i came in the dark so he wouldnt see it is me at first.. And also he doesnt trust me yet..It might be that sometimes i get a bit too rough with him becouse he pisses me off.. When did Pandora started to trust you? So she wouldnt run away in cases she gets scared of something and so.. Well however i think that he is a great dog, very kind and friendly and playful but you need more time for such breed then for avarage dog and also it needs a lot of exercise or walking.. Did you teach Pandora not to hunt? Can she be off leash? I mostly walk him off leash since he was small..But now people are afraid of him and if we go somewhere where more people are i should take him on leash. Also it is hard stopping him when he runs after some wild animal, but if timings are right i noticed i can stop him.. I mean with that if i stop him on command the moment he starts to run then i might succeed otherwise not really..but also if he runs away he get back pretty quick..
Hi Rush
Thanks for sharing your experience.
First:
Congratulation with the recall. Pandora came when called until she was about 6 month old, then she started to explore the world, and she hasn’t finished that yet.
Your boy might do that some day, or maybe not. They are of course individuals. But enjoy that you are in control.
Then you write that he doesn’t trust you.
I’m not sure what you mean, but don’t be rough with him.
The more you are rough with him, the more you’ll loose his confidence and in the end you’ll loose the recall!
In my book there is only 3 ways to get angry:
Bad (I don’t accept what you are doing):
Taper your mouth (like when you kiss you old aunt on the cheek)
Make your eyes BIG, staring widely at your dog, then turn your back at him.
He might react promptly because your body language is that of an angry wolf.
To forgive, smack your lips and yawn.
Angry (This is not tolerable):
If he snarls at you, the cat whatever:
Grab his cheeks and hold his eyes with yours until he smack his lips.
As soon a he does, let him go.
You are telling him his rank.
Very angry (you are way out of line budy):
You are really angry. Don’t use it often or the effect will wear of: (2-3 a year!)
You snarl and open your mouth over his snout.
Your teeth might touch his skin but you may NOT bite.
Snarl fort ten to twenty seconds and then let him go.
This is the mothers marking on the puppy and is therefore patronizing but unharmful.
Don’t ever hit your dog.
Don’t bite his ear.
Don’t try to dominate him if it isn’t needed.
Remember it’s all on you.
YOU have to be the great leader. And you don’t go there with fear but with respect.
YOU should always be the one your wolfdog would turn to, if he is afraid or insecure, therefore you have to gain his trust.
Hunting
Well Pandora likes to hunt. The hares, birds and other small animals, but I have taught her she cannot hunt the cats, so she doesn’t. I don’t encourage her to hunt, but I don’t dampen her either.
Jumping on people
Pandora also jumps on people because she is happy.
Ever since she was a puppy we have had (and still have) goodies laying next to the front door. Whenever people arrive we ask her to sit and feed her goodies to move the attention away from the guest.
She has also jumped on a car happy to see the driver. It’s all about being foreseen and get her in a leash before she can do any harm.
Lately she has begun to behave more quietly. We only have to hold her for a few seconds, then she relaxes and ignore the guest. She is soon 3 years old!
I have always thought it was far better that she liked other people than she was shy and afraid, so we take the jumping with a smile. A stiff smile, but still a smile
Walking off leash
Well we don’t do that. Not usually. Pandora is far more interested in nature than in me, so she might run of very quick. but in the evening we take walks where nobody else goes, and she runs without leash all the time. Then she comes when we call and we head back to civilisation. If you can walk without leash, enjoy.
Does he like to walk with something in his mouth?
My old dog (German shepherd/labrador) loved to walk with stuff in her mouth. She always walked without a leash, so I gave her my purse when we were in the city, and people would look at her, pointing and say: What a sweet dog.
It was obvious that she couldn’t hurt anyone when her mouth was already full.
Pandora isn’t crazy having stuff in her mouth so we can’t use that trick on her.
Good luck with your wolfdog, they do fill ones life with lots of joyfulness.
Kind regards,
Kim
Hi.. No he doesnt like to wear things in mouth too much..He does it for few meters and thats it..wolfdog style:) But he loves to run after wood i throw him outside..But he doesnt bring it back, but i have already teached him to give it to me on command without being angry or so..or running away..I dont pull it either .. This bread really is smart and inteligent.. When we got him at 5.5 weeks i teached him to sit before giving food in 3 days..Soon i teached him to sit and wait until i say him to eat and point my finger to food..I can put his food on floor and walk away and without allowing he wouldnt steal food..He make a bigger circle around rather.. But he begun to snarl when i pet him while eating, but i believe it will go away, if needed i will take his food away for snarling for some time..It did work few times.. But he just started it a week or 2 ago..And he didnt snarl now for few days to..i always pet him around head when eating just to avoid agression later..but he did snarl yesterday for bone.. Have fun! I am at work right now:)
Hello!
I started presenting his food bowl and not giving it to him until he calmed down, relaxed and stopped jumping on me. I would then keep my hand on the bowl and slowly lifted it from time to time, so he began to eat more slowly. He also used to growl when I would give him delicious stuff such as meat, but he got over it very quickly, so my method seemed to work very well. My puppy is now 4 months old and has no food aggression whatsoever (not even when I give him meat!).
I was just reading your post and would like to share you my experience with my CsW’s food agression. When we got him, he was 7,8 weeks of age and since he grew up next to his mother and some other 3 German Shepherds, he would be quite dominant over his food. Yes, even though he was just a little puppy! He would jump all over the place when he saw his food bowl and would eat his food very fast. However, with a lot of patience, I managed to teach him not to eat his food until I say so. I can even put meat on the floor and he will not eat it until I give him the command. Neat, heh?
P.S. Never pet him when he growls or eats. I believe you should work with him until he’s aggression will go away and after that, leave him to eat in a calm corner of the house. I strongly think that dogs (just as humans) should be left alone while eating.
I wish you good luck and tons of patience with your awesome dog,
Cristina
Anyway we also have an american akita.. My dad has it.. They are totally different.. Akita isnt obeying and is acting like Mister
But czw is very obidient.. Also when walking.. I can easly get him walk heel without leash and with leash i dont even use command..just correct here and there but he walks heel automatically mostly.. Well he knows basic commands.. And together both dogs are great excapt that they escape when running together..almost always.. But if only one of them is free to run around it wont go anywhere.. Akita still might.. And akita is one year old now.. We will see what future will bring.. Hopefully nothing bad..:)
Hello, I read your site and I thought the info you had here was very helpful.
I’ve never owned a dog before, but I really want to get a HC wolfdog. I was told that I should start out with a sled dog type first, but I’m twisting the advice a little and what to get a CsW instead. Is this a good idea, as it will be my first dog?
Hi there.
Well the short answer is NO!
The CsW is under no circumstances a beginners dog.
I really fear that unless you are naturally skilled in wolf language and have the patience of not one angel, but a dozen angels, you’ll end up regretting that you chose a wolfdog and the wolfdog will end up miserable.
I cannot not in any way recommend this dog as you first. And I am honestly not thinking about you, but the dog. It would kill me to see a CsW biting or being messed up if the owner is a novice.
I’m sorry if I sound harsh, I would just do anything to keep this breeds reputation, but read my last entry from today, and you’ll see that even an old dog owner like me fell like giving up sometimes. And really, really consider whether this is what you want ‘cos this breed will eat you life, your freedom and it’ll make you stay at home forever. Did I paint it clearly enough?
If you are still not frightened, well read the blog and make you decision. May it be wise.
Kind regards,
Kim
Well, you did make me change my mind about getting a CsW as my first dog. ^^”
And I’m curious as to why you keep referring to a CsW as a wolfdog? Aren’t they far enough away from direct wolf blood that they are now considered pure dog?
Hi again
Well it is called a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and as that is an annoying long word, so I just refer to the CsW as a wolfdog.
The CsW is a pure breed, that’s true. It has been since 1985 when it was accepted by the FCI.
I’m glad I changed your mind, but you can change it right back again any time, and perhaps when you are going to have dog no. 2?
Then you know yourself as a dog owner and have the experience to base your choice upon. Good luck with whatever dog you choose.
Kind regards,
Kim
“And really, really consider whether this is what you want ‘cos this breed will eat you life, your freedom and it’ll make you stay at home forever. ” This was really funny, Kim!
) And true!
They need a lot of stuff to keep them busy and hate to be left alone for long. I cannot leave my 4 month old puppy alone for more than say, 3 hours. My neighbors said that he usually cries, but luckily, they are very understanding. However, I have noticed an improvement on this minor ‘separation anxiety’ (keep in mind that he is still a very young puppy). I believe the trick is to ALWAYS walk him before you go out, and scatter his toys all around the house so that he won’t get bored. Also, always leave the house calmly, never get him excited about going out. If I do these things, he generally goes to sleep after we leave the house and doesn;t make a mess inside the house.
Hi Christina
Thanks for your post, I let them all stay here on the net.
Congratulation with you little Majesty. And enjoy every time he comes back on your call. That might change, or you might be lucky
And being able to leave him if only for 3 hours is a major success. I can do that with Pandora, too, but only in the morning. If I do it later in the day, she’ll go berserk and eat whatever comes in handy (pawdy?)
Keep me updated about your boy. He sounds so great and sweet. Even though we at forced to ‘stay home forever’, we have a great and valuable time that ‘normal’ dog owners will never understand
Lots of warm thoughts to you and your baby,
Kiim
Hello there!
I now have a 4 month old CsW male puppy in Romania and I am glad you shared your information about Pandora with us, it is very comforting to see that other owners have dealt with the same ‘issues’ as we did, hehe!
Keep posting!
Cristina
Hello, Kim!
Our wolfdog has a wonderful and loving personality and surprisingly, I have had no problem whatsoever with the ‘recall’ command. He also knows how to sit, lay down and not to eat his food until I say so. Also, I have never met a more loyal dog than him. He actually cries if someone else takes him by the leash and walks away from me! When we go to dog parks, he never strays away from me and although he is sociable, he likes to play a little too rough for the little dogs. 
He has a genuine dominant nature BUT not in the bad, defying way. He is strong-willed, courageous and very curious about everything!
I now have a 4 month old CsW male puppy in Romania and I am very glad that you chose to share your stories with us. It is very comforting to know that other CsW owners had to deal with the same ‘issues’ as we did!
Oh, sorry I bored you, I can also talk about my CsW for hours and hours!
)
Keep posting,
Cristina
Dear Kim, thank you for your kind words!
Little Drogo trully is a Majesty, one that sometimes eats his own pooh, LOL!
Now on a more serious note, I LOVE your website, I can notice a pattern regarding what your Pandora did when she was a puppy and what my doggie does. I can relate to pretty much everything you said on your blog, it’s amazing! Also, I agree with you that after you get to pass the CsW test (meaning you managed not to go crazy!), no other breed seems that ‘attractive’ anymore.
If you like, please send me some photos of Pandora since she was 4-6 months of age, as I am very curious about the way she looked. If you wish, I can send you some photos with our little one.
However, I feel I should warn you that he is of the more red-ish variety and only now is he beginning to shed his ‘blonde’ coat and is turning more gray. My e-mail address is rogue_cris@yahoo.com.
Btw, I’m looking forward to the release of your book! Hope it’s gonna be in English, though!
)
Hi Christina,
I always love getting pictures form other wolfdog owners. Do send me some. I consider making a gallery of pictures from my lovely readers.
I’ll see what I can find in the archives with Pandora, but I might have posted them on the blog.
Regards for now, Hugs and dog kisses from Kim and Pandora
Hi just been having a good read, great site and very interesting. I have 2 adult male CsW and a girl i adopted that looks and acts like a CsW. The boys will be 5 this September, we got them when they were 16 months needing a new home, one is an Alpha and the other a Beta. I also have a huskymute i am fostering, he was extremely aggressive when i took him on but has come on leaps and bounds. All four are seriously hard work, but the rewards make it all worth while, they are all amazing dogs and defintaly not for the faint hearted. For those that own or are going to own good luck and ENJOY they are wonderful xxx
Hi Wendy
Thanks for your kind words, so nice to hear about your dogs. And YES this breed is worth the hard and breathtaking work.
Kisses to your dogs, and kind Regards,
Kim and Pandora
Update for Kim: Little Drogo ….well, he’s not exactly little anymore, is now almost 6 months old and he still comes every time we call him – much to the delight of other dog owners in the park! I guess we were indeed lucky, as you said.