Wolfalikes
Origins & Temperament
A wolf on your couch
Dogs exist thanks to an ancient collaboration between humans and wolves. Some of these majestic creatures lived with them and assisted them in exchange for food and shelter. Today, wolves are seen as pests, especially in our region of Wallis in Switzerland, where the topic of wolf hunting is often brought to the table and raises heated debates.
And yet, there has always been something fascinating about them. The wolf has been used both as a symbol for good (family, freedom, loyalty, protection, wisdom) and for bad (chaos, destruction), and has inspired many mythical creatures. That fascination still exists today, and many people dream of living with a wolf.
Of course, real wolves belong in the wild and are unsuitable as pets. Wolfdogs, though they’ve been bred to be companion dogs, retain a high wolf content and can be very hard to manage. The aim of wolfalikes is to keep that wolfy appearance while genetically diluting the wolf in favor of an easier temper, suitable for modern life and families with other pets or children.
The origins of wolfalikes
Wolfalike breeding is a small world and a relatively recent practice. Research on their history is very difficult as most of it is based on the information found on breeders’ websites, which can be inaccurate or incomplete, not no mention that the website often disappears with the breeder.
There seems to be one consensus though, that wolfalikes originated in the UK in the late 80s, from the experiments of a lady called Edwina Harrison who crossed different breeds to get a family dog with wolfy looks. Some of her dogs’ descendants were used to create the Northern Inuit breed, which later became known for their appearance in the series Game of Thrones.
Due to disagreements between breeders on the goal or management of the breed, many other breeds were created, such as Tamaskans, Timber Dogs, Anglo Wulfdogs, and others. As all wolfalike breeds are very recent, very few (if any) are officially recognized by governments or breed federations.
Game of Thrones
Sansa with her pet direwolf Lady,
played by a Northern Inuit
Temper
There are of course differences from breed to breed and from dog to dog, but these are general characteristics that are often found in wolfalikes.
Separation anxiety
They are pack animals and often have a very hard time being left without a human, leading to destructive behaviors.
Loyalty & affection
They are very loving and attached to their owner and family. They will cuddle with you and each other on the couch.
Socialization
They can be shy at first, but with the right training they are generally very social dogs, with humans, dogs or or other pets, and rarely have aggression issues.
Trainabilty
They are very intelligent and trainable, though they will get bored quickly if a training session is too repetitive or if they have nothing to gain.
Sensitivity
Maybe due to their primitive instincts and attachment to their owner, they may sense more things than other dogs. Some can easily become assistance dogs.
Noise
They don’t typically bark a lot, but they can sometimes whine or howl if they are bored or left alone.