lefty's random dog thread.

[nootje]

Originally Posted by lefty

Have you seen one in person? If so, what are they like? My understanding is that their temperaments are pretty much like all wolf hybrids.

lefty

I have, and without exception they are some gorgeous to Look at. From what i know about the temperament of them, they are very healthy (lifespan of 16 or more is common), need quite a bit of exercise and are extremely independend. But, and this is the most important part for me, they tend to become very attached to their owner, and shouldnt be left alone for more then a couple of hours. Btw, a proper one should be quarter wolf, half breeds are only used in eastern Europe and italy as working dogs.

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

I suspect a lot of the popularity of Springers and Cockers is due to the fact that they are such adorable looking puppies. Chows, too--they look like little fuzzy animated teddy bears.

Originally Posted by dcg

^My neighbor has a chow pup and that is accurate.

Springers don't do much for me in the looks department. Hopefully it will be a cool dog nonetheless.

Ok Jan, I am forced to admit that this Springer pup is pretty cute.

 

[Artisan Fran]

Originally Posted by djblisk

Here is my Penny at a couple of weeks old. She is a minpin chihauha mutt, came from a family who had a litter and was giving their pups away to good families.

She is really sweet and very smart. She is 3 years old now.

What a great dog!

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by nootje

I have, and without exception they are some gorgeous to Look at. From what i know about the temperament of them, they are very healthy (lifespan of 16 or more is common), need quite a bit of exercise and are extremely independend. But, and this is the most important part for me, they tend to become very attached to their owner, and shouldnt be left alone for more then a couple of hours. Btw, a proper one should be quarter wolf, half breeds are only used in eastern Europe and italy as working dogs.

That's a pretty rare breed. The ones you've seen are city dogs? Were you able to approach them? How did they react? Severe timidity?

lefty

 

[JLibourel]

I would have to wonder how much and what kind of work function you could get out of a 50-50 wolf hybrid. I gather that the hybrids do tend to be long-lived--18 years being not uncommon.

One of my best friends told me he knew three people who acquired high-percentage wolf hybrids. All of these people were hospitalized from injuries inflicted by their animals within a year of acquiring them.

That said, I have met a number of supposed wolf hybrids that were as friendly and level headed as any good dog you could hope to meet. However, a lot of husky mixes are sold as "wolf hybrids" without any wolf blood.

One professional animal trainer, a lady who owned among other beasts a tiger and a leopard, remarked to me, "We've been striving for 10,000 years to take the wolf out of the dog, and here people are trying to put it back in!"

The whole notion of dogs being simply domesticated wolves may be open to challenge: As one dogwise friend said, "You can breed dogs at random for many, many generations, and you're still never going to get a wolf." Even the most primitive dogs like dingoes are still very distinct from wolves. There is a dingo in my neighborhood BTW. Nice animal--has been friends with my last two Tosas. Her owner said she preferred dogs that were more dog-oriented than people-oriented, and that's certainly the Tosa.

There is a Czech wolf dog, as I recall, that is very similar to the Saarloos Wolfhond but I forget the name offhand.

 

[nootje]

the ones ive met where rural dogs, with thè owner being a farmer so the dog would be able to accompany them for pretty much all of the day. Approaching them wasnt a problem but they tended to stay away from strangers.. Timidity isnt the right word to describe them, aloof would be better.

Fwiw, i know italy uses half wolves for Search and rescue work. Ã nd the tjechs where probably the others that use half wolves. Both countries forbid the owning of half wolves privately.

 

[lefty]

Next time snap a pic.

I'm with Jan - it would a rare 50/50 cross that could do the work of a S&R canine. Would you have a link to them?

Edit: just found this: http://snowdog-northerninuit.webs.com/wolfdogs.htm which suggests that they are used. But like so many things in the dog world, I'd like to see some proof.

lefty

 

[NorCal]

A friend of mine had a wolf-dog. He had got it from another friend that had a mother that she bred a few times. She was not a "breeder" but she has kept this line going for a good while.
The dog was problematic. We called her Chompy, and she was. Also wileful, independent (in all the wrong ways), over protective, skittish, and pretty much totally unaffectionate unles you put in some serious time.

Her mother was the same way although her owner was better, I would walk her when I was in High School (her owner taught at the school) so she liked me for the most part. Still, you could never wholly trust her and she really did not heed anyone anyway but begrudgingly.

Both were great looking dogs though, and loyal.

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by lefty

Next time snap a pic. I'm with Jan - it would a rare 50/50 cross that could do the work of a S&R canine. Would you have a link to them? Edit: just found this: http://snowdog-northerninuit.webs.com/wolfdogs.htm which suggests that they are used. But like so many things in the dog world, I'd like to see some proof. lefty
I just looked into the "Lupo Italiano." The whole story sounds a little fishy to me: In 1966 a hunter found a puppy in the mountains that was a cross between a GSD and wolf, and she was used as a foundation for this "breed." Now, if he found this puppy forsaken in the mountains, how the hell would he know she was a wolf-GSD hybrid? I suspect these dogs are mostly just GSDs with maybe a small dash of wolf way back.

 

[lefty]

Good story though.

I remember when Lana Lou Lane was trying to convince me about the history of the Catahoula Bulldog. For only $4500 I could have gotten in on the ground floor of the "purest of the bulldogs."

lefty

 

[JLibourel]

I talked to Lana Lou once, not long before she croaked, I think. Are you confusing her "Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs" with the "Catahoula Bulldog"? The latter I just thought was a straight cross of Catahoula and AB. Her dogs, from what I gather, were pretty similar: AB, Catahoula with some black Lab thrown in for her "Tar Babies."

 

[lefty]

I meant the Alapaha Blue Blood. The CatBull was on my mind as I was just researching some of their history and early breeders. Did she admit the lab infusion?

The ABBA has some fairly damning stuff on their FAQ page.

1. Was Lana Lou Lane of Circle L Kennels the originator of the Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog?

Answer: No, though she was the first Secretary of the Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog Association (ABBA) the founding organization which duly named the breed in 1979.

For so long, she proclaimed that she was the originator of the breed to the general public through her Dog World & Dog Fancy ads whilst the truth was hidden amongst a handful of ranchers/breeders who cared more about their livestock than puppy milling some new "˜Exotic' rare breed! Thus, the real history of the breed was never told because as the so-called "˜originator' she couldn't have purchased dogs from someone else (i.e. William Chester, Kathy Waldron & Kenny Houston to name a few)!

2. What is the Animal Research Foundation (ARF), and why do they claim to be the "˜Mother' registry for the Alapaha?

Answer: First of all, the ARF is one of the many "˜Third Party' registries (similar to the ACA, IOEBA, OREBA, NKC, CKC, URBA, DRA, FIC and WWKC) that print undocumented pedigrees and registration papers for numerous types of animals. These registries allow breeders with no verifiable registration papers to create/concoct a breed via their "˜Merit' registration programs.

Example: If you owned a Boxer and a Great Dane but wanted for some odd reason to register them as Alapahas, a Third Party registry like the ARF would Merit register them for a fee. Once the Merit registered Boxer & Great Dane (now Pseudo-Alapahas) were bred the offspring would be eligible for full registration. Consequently, unsuspecting buyers would have no idea that their (new Pseudo-Alapaha) puppy was a Mutt or in this case a Boxer bred to a Great Dane! This is just one example of what (The most common concoction has been the American Bulldog × American Pit-Bull Terrier × Catahoula Leopard Dog) many unsuspecting buyers have purchased as an Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog from ARF Certified breeders over the years!

In legal circles this is called FRAUD!!!

Note: The authenticity of offspring from such origins would be considered "˜Mongrels' from 1st & 2nd party organization like the AKC, FCI, UKC and founding breed club registries like the ABBA.

Secondly, their claim to be the "˜Mother' registry stems from false statements made from Lana Lou Lane before her death in 2001. The ABBA was established in 1979 as a breed club and founding registry. Ms. Lane joined the ARF in 1986 for Merit registration purposes, after she was banned from the ABBA.

3. Why did Lana Lou Lane leave the ABBA and join the Animal Research Foundation (ARF)?

Answer: Early on Ms. Lane was not what you would call a breeder. She mostly sold dogs on consignment for Mr. Chester. After some bad business dealings between the two she was left with 4 dogs in 1985. After falling out with Mr. Chester she decided to back breed (re-create) the dogs by crossing various strains of Catahoula Curs, American Pit Bull Terriers, Bullmastiffs and American Bulldogs. The ABBA has always had a standing policy to not register dogs that didn't have heritage from the original stud files (the first 50 dogs) created in 1979. So, she contacted Mr. Tom D. Stodghill of the ARF an organization which had/has a reputation for allowing breeders to create whatever they wanted and certifying it as "˜pure' bred. Ms. Lane "˜Merit' registered over 300 dogs. That means out of the 800 dogs she bred more than a third were not authentic Alapahas. This is a FACT you can get from the ARF. This is also a practice that exists to this day amongst the current ARF certified breeders.

I think I'm going to do a little reading.

lefty

 

[redcaimen]

Here is a picture of a 15 year old dog. He died about three months after this picture was taken. I was told he was a Border Collie crossed with a Husky. Only his parents knew for sure. Came across some of his pictures and just thought I'd immortalize him here in this thread. He has been gone for about three years.

 

[lefty]

Handsome boy.

lefty

 

[redcaimen]

Originally Posted by lefty

Handsome boy.

lefty

Thanks. He was a striking looking dog in his youth. people would cross the street to come over and check him out. Funky looking mask on him. He was a little threadbare by the time this picture was taken. Great family dog. Seeing his picture again brought back a lot of memories. 15 years is a long relationship to have with anyone, dog or person.

Im no dog trainer but this dog made it easy. He was always so focused on trying to figure out what it was you wanted. Teaching him things was like partnering in a game of charades.

True story, this dog taught himself how to climb ladders.