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Handling and Care of your Wolf Hybrid

Wolf hybrids are not for everone. They are much more intelligent than a dog. You must be willing to make a commitment to the welfare of this animal; in turn your wolf hybrid will make a commitment for life to you. Hopefully this page will help you to understand the hybrids psychological profile and needs.

Psychological Bonds

The wolf cub is a highly impressionable animal. Cubs are usually shy. Keep close bodily contact with your cub. This gives them a feeling of security. Your cub will identify itself with whoever it sees and whoever feeds it. Never deprive your cub of love or attention. You will develop a unique bond with your cub that will never be broken. Allow your cub it's space. They usually pick their own hiding place. Never crowd or trap your cub, let them come out on there own. Be careful not to force the cub into the close proximity of strangers until it is ready to accept them of his own free will. If forced, it may distrust it's owner. Given time they usually get over this stranger shyness and fear of strange places. Wolf hybrids are very sensitive. Watch out for symptoms of Wolf Shock: Glassy eyes, staring into space, rigidity of the body, lying on it's belly, and trembling. If wolf shock appears, stop whatever you are doing with your cub immediately and give it lots of loving, petting and stay close to it.

Often you will see a cub put it's head and sholders to the ground when greeting a more dominant of older animal and/or it's owner. This is a sign of submission and friendship. Your cub will go through many stages of this behavior. At this point you need to constantly establish yourself as a pack leader. NEVER let your animal dominate you.

Communication with the wolf hybrid can be gained with the basic understanding of the wolf's body language. Wolves are very expressive animals. They express happiness, sadness, and loneliness, with a wide range of gestures. Growling is a mode of communication and isn't necessarily a threat. Howling is also a mode of communication. A howling session can be for joy playing, or because it's lonely.

Discipline and Training



Each individual wolf hybrid has some personality differences. Study your cub and decide how severe you can be in your corrective measures. NEVER HIT OR KICK YOUR CUB!! In correcting your cub, grasp the fur behind it's ears and firmly shake the cub and say NO in a firm voice. If the cub is dominant, you will have to roll it over on its side and growl at him. You also may have to bote it on the bridge of the nose, just like mom would. Praise him when he pleases you. Do not reward with treats. Never discipline your cub, even 15 seconds after the act. It must be immediately or not at all. Do not give an order you are not in position to enforce. Do not use several different commands. For example, if you are teaching your cub to sit, tell hime once sit in a firm voice and put him into the sitting position. They do not follow repetition, like sit down now, ok sit.

Do not allow your cub to become animal oriented. Keep him isolated from older or larger animals. Set up close bodily contact with your cub until it has established psychological bonds with you and has come to depend on you for it's every comfort and security.

Begin to take your cub outdoors at 5 weeks old. Use a long leash and a mild collar. Start out at 5 minutes the first day and gradually increase the amount of time. People and loud noises may scare your cub. Remember to observe for symptoms of wolf shock. After your cub is comfortable, usually at 2 to 3 months of age you may begin basic obedience training; sit, heel, etc...

NEVER LET YOUR ANIMAL RUN LOOSE! Build a secure pen, with a top and bottom. Wolves can clear a ten foot fence from a straight jump up in a flash, and are excellent diggers also.

Paper training your cub; use a large area, if your cub misses, just move the paper to the spot he urinated. Don't scold. Gradually move the paper to the door, then outside.

Wolf hybrids, like the wolf, usually submit by squatting and urinating. This is one trait that will always remain with our animal.

Other Helpful Hints



CAR RIDES: Most enjoy rides. Often they have excessive drooling, may vomit and loose control of their bowls and urine. This usually improves as them become more use to traveling. Start at an early age with short trips in the vehicle. Increase travel time as they feel more comfortable with riding. Never let your animal ride in the back of an open truck!! Crack windows open just a bit for fresh air.

BATHING: Never use shampoo or soaps. These destroy the natural oils in the wolf's coat. You may use a mild cream rinse.

GROOMING: The wolf hybrid has a heavy undercoat of fur in the winter. The shed twice a year; in the spring and in the fall. Don't be alarmed in the spring when your animal's fur is coming out in clumps and it looks naked. It's fur will come back in around the beginning of September. Good brushing will keep your animals free of mats and will cut down shedding time. Clovite helps with dry skin and itching at this stage. It also keeps animal's coats shiny and healthy looking.

If the diet isn't adequater your cub may develope fatigue, dull coat, pale gums and may develop a cloudiness over the eyes.

Feeding Schedule
3 to 8 weeks;

Feed 3 times a day. Mix a good dry puppy chow with a can of Alpo. Moisten with Warm formula. Give small amounts each time. Increase as cub grows. Formula can be replaced with water. A small amount of clovite can be mixed in, also. As cub's teeth get stronger let him eat the puppy chow dry. Make sure there is fresh water for him to drink. Cut down feedings to twice a day. Once the cubs adult teeth are in, you can begin to give him hard beef or venison bones. This helps with teething. Never give cooked bones! They will splinter and cause much damage.

(Feeding hint: When cub is on puppy chow with formula and Alpo mixture, if you spoon feed him some of this, it will help teach him to take food from you gently, rather then grabbing it quickly and harshly.)

6 months and on:

We recommend the use of self feeders for dry food. This allows your animal to eat when its hungry. Wolf hybrids may or may not eat every day. They also go on gorging binges. Early September is a rapid growth period. They double their food intake, begin to put lots of weight on and their winter coat begins to come in.

VACCINATIONS:

You should give the first set of vaccines at 4 weeks of age, then every 2 weeks after until 4 months old. Your cub should receive all vaccines except for the Hepatitis vaccine, regardless of what your Veterinarian may say. The Hepatitis vaccine has been known to cause a while cloud over the eye and may cause blindness. If this condition happens treat with mega doses of vitamin C (1000 million units). This may even given intravenously. Most veterinarians do not carry separate doses of Rabies, Distemper, Measles, and Gamma Globulin, so you will need to ask your veterinarian to order vaccines for you. It is very important to give your cub the Parvo and Corona Vaccines. The cubs are very susceptible to these viruses. Tribrisan had been successful in treating Parvo and Corona Virus.

WORMS:

Have your cub checked for worms. Take a stool specimen to your veterinarian on the first visit. Begin worming your cub at 2 weeks of age and every 14 days until the stool is negative. Feed him before worming so that it won't be so harsh on his system. Nemex II or Strongid are effective worm medicines. NEVER USE TASK MEDICATION!! Task will cause hemorrhaging and will kill your cub.

HEART WORM:

Check with your vet on when to start cub on heart worm preventative. Ivomec works good. It can be used year around at 1cc per 110 lb. It also takes care of round worms, whip worms, hook worms, and mites. With the raw meat your animal will be getting, it's a good idea to use Ivomec 12 months a year. Never administer it without a heart worm test if 45 days have elapsed in-between worming! It's easier to do it once a month year round so that the animal won't have to go through the trauma of the testing.

FALSE HEART MURMURS:

Wolf hybrids have different heart tones then dogs. They have a shush-shush sound which is perfectly normal. This has sometimes been confused with heart murmurs and valve disorders.

BONE DEFICIENCY DIAGNOSIS:

The ends of the wolf hybrid's long bones don't close until 22-24 months of age. Wolf hybrids do not fully mature physically until them. It has been misdiagnosed as growth and development defects.

MATURITY:

The wolf hybrid does not full maturity until 16-24 months of age. This is when they reach sexual maturity. The female may have a false hear around 4-5 months old. It usually has a small amount of vaginal discharge, which may be white or slightly bloody. Normally this lasts a few days. Females start their first menses between 16-24 months old. The female will begin to act very affectionate and sometimes she'll just be goofy. Their mese lasts 4-8 weeks or until she is bred.

The male begins to mature also around 16 months of age. The male may become testy. He might try to challenge you. You must constantly enforce your dominance over your wolf hybrid. These may even come down to some real strong knock down sessions.