Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

What a week! It seems that wolf dogs are having quite the time right now. Florida is a big breeding ground for wolf dogs and they seem to be needing rescue assistance all over the place. Just in the week I have helped a behavior client reunite his wolf dog with his Old English Sheepdog, I have evaluated three wolf dogs rescued by one woman who now needs help placing them, I assisted another wolf dog owner with behavior issues her girl has started to have, I have set up a time to evaluate another wolf dog who is getting loose and chasing neighbors animals, and I just took in a wolf dog girl tonight that was living her life on a chain and needed some better surroundings.

I am only dealing with a small part of the problem. Our fellow rescues in Naples, Shy Wolf Sanctuary and St Pete's Lost Wolf Rescue are also dealing with call after call, email after email. Loads of people enjoy breeding different percentage wolf mixes with Husky's, German Shepherds, Malamutes, and other breeds. The problems start when these breeders do not accept their animals back and do not properly screen new owners. Finding the right animal for a well intentioned owner takes some work especially when you are dealing with this specialized mix. Many people call them wolf hybrids but that is an incorrect term. They are from the same species so they are not hybrids, they are simply wolf dogs.

Many people fear them and some shelters will even euthanize them as fast as they enter a facility. It is true that they require specialized knowledge to understand their needs, however they are canine at heart. If you understand the canine language you will understand the wolf dog. They are not the aggressive monsters that people have been led to believe by stories such as Little Red Riding Hood. They are highly family oriented animals and prefer to keep it that way. They will run from you faster then you can ever run from them. There are some really social ones that love to be ambassadors for their mix but many tend to be very shy and aloof.

I have a soft spot in my heart for the wolf dog. Maybe it is because of their closer association to their wild counterparts. They have not asked to be here. The fact is for those that are here and need help, there are not many options of help for them. You think it's hard to place/adopt a pit bull... try placing a wolf dog. Like I said, my heart is open to these guys and as I listen to the ones I currently have howling outside now, it is my pleasure and honor to say " How can I help you".