Czechoslovakian Wolfdog Dog Breed

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a versatile working dog. The AKC categorizes the breed as such in its Foundation Stock Service, and the FCI describes it as a herding dog, but this dog's wide range of capabilities has seen it in many roles in its half-century of existence.

These days, the breed tends to be preferred as a companion, but it is not a dog for first-time families or perhaps even moderately experienced dog owners. This breed requires significant handling with Wolfdogs as they are extraordinarily independent, very difficult to train and have nearly indomitable prey drive

PROS

• Great watchdog
• Few health problems
• Can be a good guard dog
• Moderate grooming needs
• Loves a very active lifestyle
• Extremely loyal with the right person/people

CONS

• Hard to find
• Dog-aggressive
• Expensive to keep
• Not hypoallergenic
• Not good with kids
• Needs a lot of attention
• Yard must be extra-secure
• Requires a great amount of space
• Not at all good with smaller pets
• May be illegal to own in certain areas
• Requires a great amount of daily exercise
• Must be trained and socialized carefully and constantly their entire lives

Although it is a regional breed that is rarely found outside its namesake country, there is a great amount of Czechoslovakian Wolfdog information. These large dogs tend to be smaller than most other wolf hybrids, but they have the same light, confident and balanced gait as them. They were bred to have just enough dog in them to make the wolf temperament manageable.

This breed is extremely intelligent and coupled with its semi-feral nature, they are also extremely independent — which means they can be difficult to handle. It is noteworthy that this relatively new breed was, upon its conception, used immediately for military special forces work. Their versatility has also had them work as police, search-and-rescue, hunting, tracking and herding dogs, and much more.

These dogs require very experienced trainers for a number of reasons, and one of them is the way they communicate: body language. Since these dogs are vocal but don't bark, they also use subtle behavior to express what they want and what they are going to do. You really have to know the behavior of Carpathian Wolves to live and work with them.

These Wolfdogs require an extraordinary amount of exercise. They may appear lithe and somewhat small, but they are far stronger than they look. Neglecting this dog's need to burn off its energy is a recipe for destruction and other very bad behavior.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog temperament is one that emphasizes the wolf more than the dog. These dogs mature slowly, are significantly nocturnal, highly independent, difficult to train, breed seasonally, and require a great amount of training and socialization from an experienced handler.

Once they bond with a master, they are affectionate, playful and loyal. As long as the master commands respect, the Wolfdog will also be loyal to the master's family. Training and socialization must start when the dog is a young pup, and it must be carried out consistently while the dog matures — which is two to three years. They are pack dogs, and they should get along fine with other dogs so long as they understand their place in the hierarchy. With small, non-canine pets, however, they can present a mortal threat.

These dogs prefer to be active at night. Trained correctly, they can make great watch- and guard dogs. They are suspicious of strangers but won't attack unless necessary. If left outside by themselves, they absolutely must be in a very secure yard. Should they escape, they will roam far and wide.

While these dogs don't bark much, they do yip, growl, howl and whimper to communicate. These sounds are instrumental to their nature, and it shouldn't be discouraged when training them. Of equal importance is ensuring they have a distinct purpose when being trained, as these dogs get bored quickly and easily. Because of this, they are great for search-and-rescue teams, as properly trained Czech Wolfdogs can work under pressure and without the immediate supervision of humans.

The Czech Wolfdog is one of the more healthy breeds around despite its short history and genetic association with German Shepherd Dogs (a breed which tends to have a lot of problems). Fewer health concerns were one of the primary purposes of producing this dog, and it was successful. Nevertheless, there are probable health problems that can develop as the Czech Wolfdog is a large breed:

• Obesity
• Seizures
• Eye concerns
• Bone ailments
• Joint dysplasia
• Heart Conditions
• Pituitary Dwarfism
• Pancreas problems

These dogs tend to have a longer life span than most large dogs, and they typically live from 14 to 16 years. It is not too unusual for them to live up to 18 years!