Should You Adopt a Wolf-Dog?

This is one of those topics I have way more information on than the average person, as one of my dearest friends had a wolf-hybrid, Luna, for nearly a decade (Luna’s entire life).

In Couple Tries to Save Wolf-Dogs, Lisa Meerts reports that outside Ignacio, Colorado, at a place called Wolfwood Refuge, Paula and Craig Watson rescue and care for abused and abandoned wolf-dogs. And just as important, they promote their educational message that "Wolves and dogs should not be interbred, but, once born, the hybrid animals need special care."

Part of the special care, from my observation, is dealing with people, most of whom assume the wolf-dog is vicious. In fact, the opposite is true; they are shy and elusive. But if a wolf-dog bites, everyone assumes that it’s the wolf part of the animal that’s showing aggression. Meanwhile, it’s really the dog part. Meerts reports:

No one has recorded a wolf attacking a healthy human, but 3 million dog bites are reported annually.

Luna, whom I had the honor of knowing for several years, was thoroughly uninterested in most people, and most dogs, but even the people who would look at her in awe of her beauty would avoid going too close to her in fear of her "wildness."

But back to whether you should adopt a wolf-dog. Meerts reports that it costs $1,000 per year to care for them, and that’s probably the minimum, from what I’ve observed. If the cost doesn’t sway you, and the prospect of dealing with ignorant people and having to constantly explain yourself and your wolf-dog doesn’t sway you, how about this: If your wolf-dog is an Alpha dog (and maybe even if she isn’t), she will assert that dominance once in a while. Are you dedicated enough, patient enough, and strong enough to dominate a 100+ pound creature who resembles a wolf when that creature is asserting her dominance?

I’ll answer that for most people: Hell no.

My friend who had the wolf-dog is almost 6′ tall and has had dogs all her life, and when she had Luna, she had 3 other dogs. She’s the most capable person I’ve ever met when it comes to dogs, and even she now realizes that wolf-dogs need special care and shouldn’t continue to be created and sold as pets.

If you or anyone you know is pondering getting a wolf hybrid, please think twice. Many of them end up at the Humane Society and must be euthanized because they are difficult to place. And many vets won’t treat them (and in some places they are illegal).

If you’re looking for a status symbol, the only hybrid you should consider buying is a Prius.