Recently I have seen an enormous number of mislabeled animals coming in to rescue as Wolfdogs.
Although we all would like to save all dogs, we are doing a huge amount of damage to breeds and contributing to the banning of Wolf mix dogs by not properly phenotyping.

Rescuers are education advocates, yet the same misleading information is being continuously passed along. Many would rather save hurting people's feelings then tell them the truth of what their dog is?
Why on earth would you care about the feelings of a human who wouldn't love their dog anymore if it wasn't part Wolf?

With all of the information available to us now, there is absolutely no excuses to be mislabeling. Many animals are being abandoned due to ignorance of breed. People have the Wolf in their head and are scared of Huskies, and animals they would likely have no issues with. They read the wrong information, mistreat the animals, and dump them in shelters as Wolves.

I estimate 50% of the animals out there and in rescue are NOT Wolfdogs.

Responsible rescue requires educating yourself.


http://www.uncommonyukon.com/userfiles/image/alaskan%20huskies%20to%20custom%20canoe%20pics/Our%20Sled%20Dog%20Team-77.jpg

http://www.uncommonyukon.com/userfiles/image/alaskan%20huskies%20to%20custom%20canoe%20pics/Our%20Sled%20Dog%20Team-66.jpg

http://www.windchill.com.au/images/2dog%20team.jpg


http://www.dxhound.com/Iditarod%202007/Ophir%20Checkpoint%202/bn_ramsey_siberians_1996.jpg

http://www.westyellowstonechamber.com/images/Calendar/dogsledlg.jpg


http://www.trailboundsiberians.com/dogs%20of%20past%20pics/Munster%20fall%202008%20%28Small%29.JPG

http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/breaking/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/eric-and-dog-team-during-two-rivers-200-scott-chesney.jpg

http://www.outdoorsiowa.com/images/howlinghills_01.jpg




Why is it important to know?

Most people love to tell others about their "Wolves".
Most people don't really have Wolves or know how to tell a Wolf from a Wolf Dog, from a Husky, from a Malamute and many other scenarios.

a) Animal Control officers don't either. So if called by a neighbor worried about your WOLF, they will simply assume.  Your dog then becomes a victim of your ego, taken away or shot by law enforcement or by some idiot who fears for his life.
b) County Shelters are not permitted to release "Wolf mixes" or even purported mixes to anyone. Therefore if your dog ends up there for any reason, it is likely he will be euthanized.
c) Lawsuits are being filed every day against people who tout their dogs as Wolves. Cities, Counties, and States are outlawing Wolf mixed animals due to issues that are seldom even related to Wolfdogs, because people who have aggressive northern breeds call them Wolves.
d) Backyard breeders of lookalike dogs are breeding year round, selling mongrel mixes as Wolves to uneducated gullable egotistical fools.  Animals are sentenced to death or abusive lives. People who are too lazy to learn anything are certainly too lazy to care for another living being.
e) Burden of proof is placed on rescuers, private sanctuaries, and those who are aware of the issues have their hands tied by regulations.




The most difficult part of rescue and education is convincing people that the animals they think are Wolves or high content Wolf Dogs are really not. Most Wolfdog folks don't truly understand the very animals they have. The reason being? BREEDERS who lie. No one wants to admit that they were ripped off, or that for the past 10 years they have been touting their Dog as a Wolf to everyone they know. Sadly it's generally the case.

Wolfdogs are a very controversial subject. People have been stung more by ignorant and shady breeders of Wolfdogs than any other animal I can think of. The idea of having a "Wolf" seems to appeal to many pet lovers. The teachings that Wolf Dogs can or cannot be pets, and Wolf Dogs cannot be trained, and many other debates surrounding these dogs are difficult to explain other than  LIES, and more LIES.

Joe Shmo has a Wolf Dog or "Wolf" as they prefer, that sleeps with him in his bed. He is loose in the neighborhood, comes when you call him, and sits when he's told. ????
Well, when it comes to animals, I will say that "nothing is impossible" , however these many scenarios are highly improbable. As many times as I have heard these stories, it never has ended up being a Wolf Dog at all.

I spent most of my younger life as a professional horseman, from the bottom up, and the average person was amazed that I could tell them who a horse was from a hundred yards away. Horses all have different faces, coloring, conformation, and personality. The untrained human cannot see this. It is no different with dogs of any breed, or Wolves, or Bears. To the trained eye, the evidence is quite astounding.

Wolf Dogs are mongrels, mutts, a mix of various breeds, and many times more than 2 breeds in a bloodline, making it extremely difficult to phenotype them. However, there are ways to do everything if one is willing to learn. Many Wolf Dog enthusiasts are not willing to accept the fact that their animals are not what they were told, , or the idea that they were ripped off by a breeder.  Evaluating your dog should not have any bearing on your level of adoration for your  companion. Evaluation is necessary to be able to provide a quality, healthy, safe life for them. Content level is important for diet, containment, and most of all for legal and safety reasons as laws in various places are not in favor of Wolf Dog existance. Safety is also an issue as Wolf Dogs mature. Content level will sometimes have an effect on behavior as they mature. A Wolf Dog can change greatly after maturity, starting at 2 years of age, they may become less respondent and more likely to be territorial. Winter breeding season can be a challenge with higher content animals regardless of alteration. Prey instincts can cause harm to other pets and yes, even small children as with any large dog.
Knowing as much as you can about your Wolf Dogs is a responsibility. There are no definate rules, and education and quality time with your WD is essential to a happy life together. While behavior differences may be few from large dogs, it is usually the lack of knowledge of the handler that is the problem with both Wolfdogs and Dogs.

If you have read other pages on this website, then by now you are somewhat aware of the issues with irresponsible breeders, and the numbers of these animals in distressed situations. Evaluation has a great deal to do with both. On this page I will attempt to cover as many details as I can with my experience and tips from others that will assist you in knowing your animal (s).
To be good at evaluating Wolf Dogs, one must also be educated on the looks and behavior of the other breeds in the mix.
ie: German Shepherd , Husky, Malamute are most common. Akita, Belgian Turavern, are also used, and a variety of others that usually are not intentional. Wolf Dogs can look like any dog, but that is rare, and that takes an expert with some knowledge of the history of an animal. Here we will assume the breeding is intentional.

When people refer to percentage, it is an estimated % based upon the history of the animals breeding upline back to the pure Wolf. If this lineage is not known, then % cannot even be guessed. Therefore the system most widely used to evaluate Wolf Dogs is  LOW to HIGH and the Filial number.
Low content WDs range from 10% to 49%. Mid content is 50% to 74%, and 75% to 99% is High. There are also levels of each category as ie: a Low Mid, or Low High, or High Low, almost contradicting to say.
Someone with a keen eye, and much experience, can also often guess the Filial numbers in Mids and Highs. With Lows it is  impossible. When Wolf content is difficult to detect, unless the history is known, it is safer to assume that there is none rather than add to the massive list of purported Wolf Dogs. Educated Wolf Dog people do not consider most animals beyond 5 generations from Wolf, however there are extreme exceptions.


Take these basics and learn the many variations and what happens when the Wolf traits are mixed with the different breeds. Everything from shapes to colors, to size and movement.

Let's start at the tip of the nose. Remember, there will be variations depending on many things. This is BASICS first, and will help you determine Wolf content but not necessarily detailed background breeds.

Also to read an in depth page on Wolf characteristics go to:
http://www.wolfechovalley.com/paws4thought.html

and
http://www.floridalupine.org/publications/wdpublications.htm

and
http://www.wolfhowl.org/anatomy.php
great page

http://texx-wolf-hybrid-rescue.webs.com/

Head to Tail

the STOP, or forhead of a WD will not be pronounced. Wolves have a slight graduation. This will be a very obvious point of evaluation.

High Content Wolf Dogs will have black noses, not red, not liver, not spotted. If a HC WD has red in its nose it is a Zinc deficiency from likely improper diet.

HC WDs have long noses vs. that of a Husky or Mal. there is generally a definate distinction. They will also have yellow, gold, amber, and rarely green eyes. Dark brown eyes are evidence of lower content, and blue eyes are a dominant Husky gene. Wolves do not have blue eyes, and Wolfdogs with blue eyes are very low content as the blue eye gene must be passed on by both parents.

ears are thick, fur lined and tips are not pointed. They do not flop but can be pinned back in various expressive moods.
Ears that are thin and pink inside indicate lower content.

 Wolves as a rule have almond shaped slanted eyes with defined black outlines. Wolf pups will have a blue hazey eye that will change variably until 2-4 months old.

Faces vary, but combinations of details determine content. Ears , Eyes, Nose combined. Wolf hair is coarse and not really soft in most places. Facial markings vary on lineage, but the Wolf overall will prevail in HC WDs.

Wolf feet are not like dog feet. This is one of the most evident features to determine Wolf content, but again it can vary depending on genetic magic. High content WDs do not have white or taupe toenails except Arctics, which will sometimes. The 2 middle toes will protrude.

Ramses (Full Moon Farm) is a high mid content F3 . His narrow chest and large boned legs are very Wolflike, and you can see his feet are large and somewhat crossing over into a more dog like shape. He is one of the best looking mids I have seen, and only an educated evaluator would see his differences.

 a Wolf's front feet 

here are a great example of well bred mids, coats are Wolflike, capes are defined, and color is good. WDs have long torso and can be 6' tall when standing on 2. Look carefully at their faces, heads, and you will see why they are mid evaluation.

Bo is a low mid content Husky/Shepherd mix. His body is shorter. his head shows more Shepherd, his tail curls , Husky, and his motion is mostly doglike. His feet are small and his coat is soft. However Bo has yellow eyes, and he holds his own with a HC female. Bo is a barker, HCs seldom bark like dogs.

A tail can tell a tale. With the exception of Arctics, HC WDs will have black tipped tails, and all WDs as well as northern breeds will have a black "pre caudal" mark 4-6 inches down.
Relaxed curl / curve to tails is evidence of various dog breeds. Wolves will carry their tails higher in excited modes.

Wolfdogs of significant content will have banded hair. Ranging from light wheat to black, this plays part in the seasonal color changes of the animal. In winter their coats can be  inches longer than summer and a thick undercoat.

7 year old Blk Phase GSD mid , turning silver

 high % Wolf Dog at 12 weeks

 same pup at 16 weeks

 8 months

 at 14 months , 130 lbs. 

The photos above are a basic guide only. Many things can interfere with proper phenotyping, but you can get close. Lower content animals can have yellow/ gold eyes if the gene from perhaps a Malamute is in the mix. We have a low content Mal/ Akita here with yellow eyes. Bo also has yellow eyes. Chocolate Labs and Red Nosed Pits have yellow eyes. So one trait alone will not be the deciding factor.


The biggest issues with Wolf Dogs starts with the breeders. Often breeders are deliberate, and sometimes they are simply uneducated.
Knowledge here is essential. Knowing what a pup should look like, what content level will eventually become detrimental to your lifestyle, care and containment conditions, and the legalities of having such an animal where you live are all important. The mistakes are usually made at the puppy stage.
Breeders don't always care what happens once  they have your money. A litter of Agouti Huskies or Shepherds can usually be passed off as "Wolves" or "Wolf Hybrids" to uneducated buyers.

Wolf pups are all 1 blended color. No markings, masks, stars, or white feet.
Wolf pups do not have pink pads, noses.
Arctic Wolves are NEVER born white. They are Grey.
Toe nails are dark charcoal to black. Arctic bloodlines which sometimes will have taupe colored toenails. However pups can have white toenails until they are several weeks old.
A pups ears will stand up at 3 weeks usually. Ears are thick and fur lined.
Wolf pups and high content Wolf  pups are born MARCH, APRIL,to early June only. This varies with geographic Latitude. Early June pups will be far north into the polar regions. NO EXCEPTIONS. Pups born in other months are mid to low content or often No content.


If a breeder claims to have low content Wolfdogs and that is what you want, then all is a happy match we hope.
However I haven't yet seen this. Most Low Content breeders are selling Dogs or lying about the percentage to appease the buyers and raise the fees.

Bottom line, DON'T buy a pup on a whim. It is a lifetime commitment, 15 years or more.

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Here are some links to help you with the similarities of northern breeds.

http://nicholescritters.homestead.com/malcoatcolor.html
http://huskycolors.com/colors.html


Below are images of Wolves and high content Wolf Dogs. You will find little differences between Wolves and Wolf Dogs above the 90% area. Learning how to tell a Wolf, will help you immensely to phenotype Wolf Dogs.
There are also several features that differ between sub species.

Features of Wolves

They have no abrupt "Stop" or forehead. Dished faces, slight slope.

black lined eyes

thick fur lined ears, no pink

back foot will go exactly where front foot was

narrow chest, front feet splayed and toe out.
Almond shaped yellow eyes.

tail is moderate length, precaudal spot 4-5 inches down, long tail is Dog.

Greys will have distinct dorsal cape markings

back legs are cow hocked

Wolf pups are all one color. Arctics are never born white. Pups blue eyes change in the first 4 - 5 weeks.

Grey pup 7 weeks old

Grey pup 12 weeks

A general relationship between breeding dates in Wolves (Canis lupus) and latitudes from 41°-71° N was noticed by Mech (1970:117) when he summarized published data from several locales. However, he conducted no statistical test of this hypothesis. Herein, I add data from other areas of latitude from 12° to 80° N (Table 1) and statistically test the effect of latitude.

I used latitude as the independent variable in a simple linear regression and the reported breeding date as the dependent variable. For breeding date, I used the mid date for the reported breeding season and converted all dates to sequential numbers starting with 15 October to facilitate comparing breeding dates before and after the start of the calendar year.

The relationship between breeding date and latitude was highly significant (r² = 0.74; P < 0.0001; y = 16.19 + 2.23x), supporting Mech's (1970) hypothesis. On average, breeding season shifts 22 days later with each 10° latitude increase. It seems reasonable to suggest that the shift is related to differences in general seasonality and thus in associated ecological conditions.