Info about Siberian Husky vs. Husky Wolf Hybrid

[Miss Marple]

DS brought home a lost dog a couple of days ago. We are trying to find the owner but based on past experience he was probably dumped. He is definitely Siberian Husky (all white with blue eyes, large fluffy tail, double coat) but he appears to be much larger than the average Siberian Husky. He is very lean and tall - taller than my 80 lb lab mix. He isn't hungry so I think he's just very lean - much leaner than a shepherd. He has a wonderful personality, doesn't jump or paw, moves effortlessly and stealthily, and we haven't heard him bark at all.

 

I will be taking him to the vet later today to see if he is microchipped. We are leaning towards keeping him because he is such a good dog (and already out of the puppy stage). I think he is at least a year old.

 

Without doing DNA testing, do you think there is much likelihood that he is part wolf? And if he is part wolf, will he be OK with young children? I've read that Huskies are very good with kids, but that the wolf hybrid is more territorial. Any experience?

[Mama Geek]

I had a husky for 15 years so I will address them. It is very possible he is a runaway rather than a drop off. Mine got loose probably 1/2 a dozen times or more and would be gone for 12 hours and would run for miles. They are great with kids and dogs and horrible with other animals. Other animals are viewed as prey. They are very much alpha dogs and are very smart. I now have a std poodle who isn't nearly as smart as the husky was. Easier to get along with and train, but not as smart. There is an undercoat that sheds all year unless you live in a pretty cold climate. There are times that you can get a 5 gallon bucket full of fur for multiple days in a row. They are clean dogs. They don't seem particularly protective, but when they need to be they are.

 

There is also another breed called a malamute that is a larger version of the husky. It is possible that you might have a malamute just because 80+ lbs is a little big for a husky. From what I have heard their personalities are a little easier to deal with.

 

I loved my husky and miss him like crazy still, but probably won't get another one unless I have many acres for him to run and live somewhere up north.

[goldberry]

My mother has had one husky and one husky/wolf hyrbid. The wolf/hybrid was noticably more aloof and not people focused. She had none of the usual doggy "desire to please" or really even to be around people at all. However, she was never aggressive.

 

I'm glad your post wasn't about purchasing a wolf hybrid, as this encourages a business that is quite destructive. Wolf hybrids can be extremely unpredictable (not knowing when they are a puppy how they will develop) and often result in the animal being surrendered or abandoned.

 

And YES, what pp said about the hair. Oh My Goodness. I have never seen the likes of the hair my mom deals with.

[elegantlion]

Can you post a picture.

 

Some Siberian Huskies can be large, but it could also be a malamute.

 

Huskies are generally smaller, but because of popularity and breeding sometimes they are larger. Our last full breed Siberian Husky was over 70lbs. She was taller and longer than our other huskies.

 

I would also consider it a runaway. Huskies run in one direction, away. We had our last one get away one night. We made it about six miles overnight. :glare:

 

This is a husky:

 

This is a malamute:

[Guest]

Oh, I LOVE Alaskan Malamutes! That very well could be what you've found. Beautiful animals.

[southernm]

I would be very cautious about keeping it if it is a wolf hybrid. They can be very dangerous. I believe in some parts of the country they are illegal. Here's a link that describes each state's law: http://www.wolfdogalliance.org/legislation/statelaws.html

 

And this is from wikipedia:

 

Aggression

According to the CDC and the Humane Society of the United States, the wolfdog ranks sixth in the number of dog attack fatalities in the U.S., with 14 hybrid-related fatalities between 1979 and 1998 in the United States.[10][31] In 2000, DEFRA and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals released a lengthy study that attributed much of the reported aggressiveness of wolfdogs to the characteristics of the breeds of dogs with which the wolves are bred. With both wolves' and dogs' social habits revolving around a pack structure, some wolfdogs may not show the dog's natural acceptance of humans as the dominant pack members, possibly resulting in physical confrontations.[1]

Some purport that attacks may not even be caused by typical behavior patterns of aggression and dominance present in either parent species, but instead may be related to predatory instincts, as the majority of attacks involve small children.[1] Between 1981 and 1999, there were 38 severe attacks and 13 fatalities caused by wolf hybrids in North America, with all victims being children.[32]

Although not all wolfdogs will be aggressive, as some have shown to be gentler and easier to handle than others, the probability of aggressive behavior from a hybrid varies from animal to animal, depending on whether or not the animal has a high prey drive, and peaks at the onset of sexual maturity, when the animal attempts to achieve dominance over other pack members. This aggression tends to peak during the winter months when hormones run high. Attacks may also be spurred by people becoming suddenly and conspicuously vulnerable due to either injury, disease or fear. Some half-hearted test attacks may be misinterpreted as play, and result in the owner failing to discourage such behavior.[30] An officer in the South African Defence Force once commented that it was very difficult to dissuade wolf hybrids from pressing an assault once an attack was initiated.[7]

[astrid]

Siberian Husky = blue eyes (or one blue, one brown)

Alaskan Malamute = brown eyes

 

astrid

 

Can you post a picture.

 

Some Siberian Huskies can be large, but it could also be a malamute.

 

Huskies are generally smaller, but because of popularity and breeding sometimes they are larger. Our last full breed Siberian Husky was over 70lbs. She was taller and longer than our other huskies.

 

I would also consider it a runaway. Huskies run in one direction, away. We had our last one get away one night. We made it about six miles overnight. :glare:

 

This is a husky:

 

This is a malamute:

[akmommy]

If it is a wolf hybrid you need to check the laws of your state. It is illegal to keep them as pets here and in many other states. My DD has a friend who keeps them in Another state, but they had to have a specially built enclosure and a permit.

[Tap]

Our dog growing up was 1/2 GS, 1/4 wolf, 1/4 husky. Awesome dog but very, very protective. She would growl at family members if they were rough housing with other family members. She was absolutely the Alpha of our family. She bit 2 people, but they both ran past her in the middle of the night. One person was warned right before she took off running, to not run past the dog :glare: . The bites didn't break the skin, but left big welts.

 

We had no problems with her around children, but I wouldn't have done it myself. I think my parents trusted her more than they should have.

 

She was WICKED smart. Really, really smart! You could ask her questions and she would indicate her choices. Like 'outside or basement' 'this food or this food'...

 

She was tied up some in the yard, but she could easily slip the collar if she wanted too. She shed like crazy....hence the 'tied up in the yard'. On days when she was shedding huge chunks of hair, my mom would put her outside until someone could brush her. We didn't have a fence and without the lead she would ....leave. LOL

 

Our neighborhood was her territory. If she went outside without a lead, she would circle the entire neighborhood checking it out. She would take the same paths and go on the same streets, then go back home an hour or so later. If you took her outside on the lead, she would DRAG the person holding it on the same path. Then after you made the rounds, she would go anywhere, but you dare not deviate from the route until she made the pass.

 

She killed a small dog that came into our yard one day. :( She got along fine with the cats.

 

My parents didn't bother fencing the yard for her. Her sister could climb a 12'ft tall fence with a simple run, jump, climb.

Edited October 18, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap

[Miss Marple]

Thank you all. From the descriptions of personality, it would appear he does not have wolf. He is docile, is good with my lab and my mini-poodle. The cats have disappeared, but at one point he was in the garage and the cat was on the roof of the minivan and he just totally ignored it. He will lay down on command, he was fine being brushed, and hasn't even barked since he's been here. He did run off a couple of deer from the yard, but only to the tree line of the forest then he came back and laid on the porch. My son was installing a new stereo in his pickup yesterday and the dog laid on the ground outside the door all afternoon - just wanted to be with him. My sister and her daughter-in-law just came over this afternoon and the dog greeted them with tail wagging. He has shown no aggression or protectiveness.

 

Well, I'm off to the vet with him. I'll post the conclusions later.

[WishboneDawn]

I would be very cautious about keeping it if it is a wolf hybrid. They can be very dangerous. I believe in some parts of the country they are illegal. Here's a link that describes each state's law: http://www.wolfdogalliance.org/legislation/statelaws.html

 

And this is from wikipedia:

 

Aggression

According to the CDC and the Humane Society of the United States, the wolfdog ranks sixth in the number of dog attack fatalities in the U.S., with 14 hybrid-related fatalities between 1979 and 1998 in the United States.[10][31] In 2000, DEFRA and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals released a lengthy study that attributed much of the reported aggressiveness of wolfdogs to the characteristics of the breeds of dogs with which the wolves are bred. With both wolves' and dogs' social habits revolving around a pack structure, some wolfdogs may not show the dog's natural acceptance of humans as the dominant pack members, possibly resulting in physical confrontations.[1]

Some purport that attacks may not even be caused by typical behavior patterns of aggression and dominance present in either parent species, but instead may be related to predatory instincts, as the majority of attacks involve small children.[1] Between 1981 and 1999, there were 38 severe attacks and 13 fatalities caused by wolf hybrids in North America, with all victims being children.[32]

Although not all wolfdogs will be aggressive, as some have shown to be gentler and easier to handle than others, the probability of aggressive behavior from a hybrid varies from animal to animal, depending on whether or not the animal has a high prey drive, and peaks at the onset of sexual maturity, when the animal attempts to achieve dominance over other pack members. This aggression tends to peak during the winter months when hormones run high. Attacks may also be spurred by people becoming suddenly and conspicuously vulnerable due to either injury, disease or fear. Some half-hearted test attacks may be misinterpreted as play, and result in the owner failing to discourage such behavior.[30] An officer in the South African Defence Force once commented that it was very difficult to dissuade wolf hybrids from pressing an assault once an attack was initiated.[7]

 

:iagree: There's a reason we spent tens of thousands of years domesticating dogs.

[Wheres Toto]

We had a husky for years and she was a wonderful dog. I agree with the pp about the fur and the running. They have very strong necks and ours repeatedly broke thick canvas leashes. She also learned how to open screen doors. Once they are loose they just keep running and can be very hard to catch.

 

Our husky never barked. She occasionally made a noise that sounded like talking. She got along very well with our cats and was wonderful with kids and babies.

[Tap]

We had a husky for years and she was a wonderful dog. I agree with the pp about the fur and the running. They have very strong necks and ours repeatedly broke thick canvas leashes. She also learned how to open screen doors. Once they are loose they just keep running and can be very hard to catch.

 

Our husky never barked. She occasionally made a noise that sounded like talking. She got along very well with our cats and was wonderful with kids and babies.

 

Our dog would 'talk' too. You could 'dog talk' back to her and it was like she was carrying on a conversation with you. When you stopped, she would lick your face like she was saying 'thanks'. LOL

 

When our dog would pull us on the leash, we used to tease that it was like Neighborhood Mushing. That dog had some serious power behind her.

[elegantlion]

Our dog would 'talk' too. You could 'dog talk' back to her and it was like she was carrying on a conversation with you. When you stopped, she would lick your face like she was saying 'thanks'. LOL

 

When our dog would pull us on the leash, we used to tease that it was like Neighborhood Mushing. That dog had some serious power behind her.

 

I so miss our huskies. We had 3 at one point. The last two were like old lady sisters. They couldn't stand to be apart.

 

They talked all the time. They were awesome dogs. I love my lab, she actually runs back! but I sure miss those huskies.

[goldberry]

to catch.

 

Our husky never barked. She occasionally made a noise that sounded like talking. .

 

My mom's husky was a talker too! You could ask, "Are you hungry?" and she would start vocalizing (not barking). It was so funny! I loved to listen to her.

[KDoty]

FWIW, I had 2- 1/2 wolf, 1/2 Alaskan Malamute. They were the most FRIENDLY dogs I've ever seen. One time they dug out of our yard (it actually happened MANY times ;)) but this one time they found their way to a middle school near my house. The teachers liked them so much that they brought them into the classroom while they called me. I was so embarassed because when I picked them up I had to be introduced to the class :001_huh:.

On another one of their, ahem, excursions, they found themselves galavanting around inside a local grocery store :willy_nilly:. One of the employees ended up taking them home with him (these were very big dogs mind you). They enjoyed playing with his kids and pot-belly pig until he was able to get ahold of us.

Each dog had different attributes, one showed personality traits closer to a Malamute and the other closer to the wolf. The one with the wolf attributes was far more well behaved and patient and was cautious about doing anything that would cause her to get in trouble. The one with the Malamute attributes was very stubborn and the trouble instigator (EVERY. TIME). She didn't care if she got in trouble...I guess it was always worth it for her :D.

[SailorMom]

I would highly recommend NOT keeping the dog if it is part wolf. Wolf hybrinds do not make good pets - especially for kids. Obviously there will be exceptions, but I think they are very rare.

[Bluegoat]

Huskies and malamutes are great dogs, but do watch them with infants. They have a strong prey drive an an infant can sometimes trigger that.

[Catwoman]

Thank you all. From the descriptions of personality, it would appear he does not have wolf. He is docile, is good with my lab and my mini-poodle. The cats have disappeared, but at one point he was in the garage and the cat was on the roof of the minivan and he just totally ignored it. He will lay down on command, he was fine being brushed, and hasn't even barked since he's been here. He did run off a couple of deer from the yard, but only to the tree line of the forest then he came back and laid on the porch. My son was installing a new stereo in his pickup yesterday and the dog laid on the ground outside the door all afternoon - just wanted to be with him. My sister and her daughter-in-law just came over this afternoon and the dog greeted them with tail wagging. He has shown no aggression or protectiveness.

 

Well, I'm off to the vet with him. I'll post the conclusions later.

 

I hope you get to keep him, Cynthia -- he sounds like a great dog, and he's already acting like part of the family!

[KungFuPanda]

Our dog growing up was 1/2 GS, 1/4 wolf, 1/2 husky.

 

Ummmm . . .reeeeaaaalllly?

:leaving:

[Tap]

Ummmm . . .reeeeaaaalllly?

:leaving:

 

LOLLOLOLOL yep, it had a realllllly long tail..... off to edit that. Sorry, it has been a rough day. Good thing I wasn't teaching math today. LOL

[Hedgehog]

LOLLOLOLOL yep, it had a realllllly long tail..... off to edit that. Sorry, it has been a rough day. Good thing I wasn't teaching math today. LOL

 

I did wonder about that, but assumed you just slipped... not that the dog was somehow 1 1/4 worth of dog.. however that works out!!!

[DarlaS]

I did wonder about that, but assumed you just slipped... not that the dog was somehow 1 1/4 worth of dog.. however that works out!!!

 

 

Really big dog? :tongue_smilie:

 

Malamutes are disqualified for blue eyes, but that would not rule out a mix breed. Huskies are supposed to be lean.

 

My husky is big for the breed. She would be taller than many labs. Our German Shepherd is already taller than her @ 7 mos of age, so I don't think she's huge.

[KungFuPanda]

LOLLOLOLOL yep, it had a realllllly long tail..... off to edit that. Sorry, it has been a rough day. Good thing I wasn't teaching math today. LOL

 

I assumed it was a slip, but decided to be a brat anyway. :D Although, if the OPs dog in question IS actually 1 1/4 husky, that would explain the size.

[Hedgehog]

I assumed it was a slip, but decided to be a brat anyway. :D Although, if the OPs dog in question IS actually 1 1/4 husky, that would explain the size.

 

:lol:

[Mama Geek]

I assumed it was a slip, but decided to be a brat anyway. :D Although, if the OPs dog in question IS actually 1 1/4 husky, that would explain the size.

 

:lol::lol:

[Hedgehog]

Really big dog? :tongue_smilie:

 

Malamutes are disqualified for blue eyes, but that would not rule out a mix breed. Huskies are supposed to be lean.

 

My husky is big for the breed. She would be taller than many labs. Our German Shepherd is already taller than her @ 7 mos of age, so I don't think she's huge.

 

:lol::lol: does that mean that small dogs - toy breeds - are only 1/2 a dog?!

[DarlaS]

:lol::lol: does that mean that small dogs - toy breeds - are only 1/2 a dog?!

 

Yes. ;)

 

But since we own a German Shepherd and a mutant ginormous husky, you may be asking the wrong person. :D

 

We like the big hairy galumphing ones here.

[Hedgehog]

Yes. ;)

 

But since we own a German Shepherd and a mutant ginormous husky, you may be asking the wrong person. :D

 

We like the big hairy galumphing ones here.

 

Oh us too.. we had a GSD :D she was beautiful. Sadly we lost her to hip dysplasia earlier this year. :( But I love hearing about other people's dogs, and drooling over pictures.

 

Have you seen the Pyrenean Mountain Dog? That's another of my favourites :001_smile:

[Miss Marple]

Returned from the local vet - no microchip. He weighed in at 56 lbs and is 22 inches at the front shoulder so I guess he does still meet standards but I think he is running a little to the larger size. He was very well behaved in the car and acted better than my lab does when we got to the vet.

 

I think he may have had an injury to one of his legs because he doesn't put a lot of weight on his back left leg when standing and it seems to quiver a bit. I had to make an appointment to get him seen, so hopefully when I go back I can get more information.

 

How long should I wait before considering him our dog? I want to get him neutered, shots, and heartworm medicine. But if someone has lost him, he might not be happy that I neutered his dog :). I've placed ads on our local Craigslist, left information at our local animal shelter, checked with the sheriffs office, etc. He has been out since Friday.

 

It's beginning to storm and we discovered that he doesn't like thunder and lightning. He's inside on a leash with my son on the other end :)

 

Edited October 18, 2011 by CynthiaOK

[astrid]

My vote is for Sibe mix. Doubt there's any "wolf hybrid" in there.

 

astrid

[elegantlion]

I would call other vets in the area. Given the breed maybe a 25 mile radius. Also see if you have any breeders in your area.

[Mama Geek]

My vote is for Sibe mix. Doubt there's any "wolf hybrid" in there.

 

astrid

 

:iagree: He is a pretty dog.

[DarlaS]

Oh us too.. we had a GSD :D she was beautiful. Sadly we lost her to hip dysplasia earlier this year. :( But I love hearing about other people's dogs, and drooling over pictures.

 

Have you seen the Pyrenean Mountain Dog? That's another of my favourites :001_smile:

 

Well since you insist (The boy was making a PB & J--not tripping over the dog as it appears.):

 

 

I love the various mountain dogs, but I'm afraid they might be a little big even for me. I don't (currently) have any livestock for them to guard. We did look into getting one when I was a kid (We had dairy goats.), but my mom has a fear of big dogs. She's not too crazy about the dude pictured above either--but he's a bit of a licking fiend. :tongue_smilie:

[MrsBasil]

Yes. ;)

 

But since we own a German Shepherd and a mutant ginormous husky, you may be asking the wrong person. :D

 

We like the big hairy galumphing ones here.

 

 

Aww, growing up we had a Husky/Shepherd mix. She was sooo kid with my brother and I as kids, extremely patient, an escape artist, a runner, stubborn, protective, and playful.

[Catwoman]

Darla -- I LOVE YOUR DOG!!!!!!!!!!!! :001_wub:

[Hedgehog]

Thanks, Darla. What a gorgeous fella. :001_wub: It's so tempting to get another - but our house is far too small for a young GSD. We only had our previous one because she was 9yo and needed a new home - former owners didn't have time for her any more. We lost her just a year after she'd come to us :sad: and we were distraught; we'd become really attached. So we promised ourselves that next time, we'd get a much younger dog, but it would have to wait until we'd moved to a bigger house. Sigh.

 

Post pics any time you like. It'll make my day. :001_smile:

[Miss Marple]

:iagree: He is a pretty dog.

 

I wish I could get a good pic of him but he doesn't like to be looked directly in the face (or so it seems). He is really dirty right now so I think he will be much whiter when bathed. And we need to put a little weight on him.

[ktgrok]

if he is afraid of storms that might be how he ended up on his own. Storm phobic dogs will often break through windows or doors to run away from the storm. Poor guy.

 

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with you neutering him. If he owner doesn't like it oh well. He shouldn't have an intact dog that escapes and roams the street, you know? Plus intact dogs are more likely to escape and roam, so you would be doing him a favor in that regard. But maybe I'm evil that way :)

[astrid]

Was just going to post the exact same thing:

 

1. If he's afraid of storms, and there have been storms in your area recently, there's a very good chance he took off during a storm. Dogs can and will go through doors and windows to run away from the noise. Fight or flight instinct.

 

2. If you decide to keep him, please please please neuter him. Sibes and Mals are notorious roamers, and intact males even more so.

 

3. If he's not skinny and his pads are in good shape it's unlikely he's been on the road for long.

 

astrid

[DarlaS]

Aww, growing up we had a Husky/Shepherd mix. She was sooo kid with my brother and I as kids, extremely patient, an escape artist, a runner, stubborn, protective, and playful.

 

Darla -- I LOVE YOUR DOG!!!!!!!!!!!! :001_wub:

 

Thanks, Darla. What a gorgeous fella. :001_wub: It's so tempting to get another - but our house is far too small for a young GSD. We only had our previous one because she was 9yo and needed a new home - former owners didn't have time for her any more. We lost her just a year after she'd come to us :sad: and we were distraught; we'd become really attached. So we promised ourselves that next time, we'd get a much younger dog, but it would have to wait until we'd moved to a bigger house. Sigh.

 

Post pics any time you like. It'll make my day. :001_smile:

 

So sorry to hear about your doggy. :grouphug: They really worm their way into our hearts quickly.

 

 

Our puppy actually belongs to my 14 yo, who had been begging for a German Shepherd puppy for years and years.

 

I was AB.SO.LUTE.LY. NEV.ER. going to have a second dog in this house after getting our husky. Here he is--and he's another double coated breed too. I'm a sucker. :tongue_smilie:

[DarlaS]

I wish I could get a good pic of him but he doesn't like to be looked directly in the face (or so it seems). He is really dirty right now so I think he will be much whiter when bathed. And we need to put a little weight on him.

 

It's normal and healthy for a Sibe to look kind of skinny. At 22" height and 56 lbs, he's right smack in the middle of a typical height for an adult male husky and even a little close to the top of the weight range.

 

Many vets would think him to be too thin, better to ask a breeder. We're (vets included) way too accustomed to seeing overweight dogs.

 

ETA: And I can stare my husky right out of the room. She hates it (but I don't like being stalked by her every time I'm eating something, so it's only fair :D) He sounds rather submissive in temperament. Not entirely a bad thing.

Edited October 18, 2011 by darlasowders

[Miss Marple]

ETA: And I can stare my husky right out of the room. She hates it (but I don't like being stalked by her every time I'm eating something, so it's only fair ) He sounds rather submissive in temperament. Not entirely a bad thing.

 

LOL! I can stare my poodle in the eyes for hours and she won't flinch, but this fella always turns his head. He also rolls onto his back quite often.