Worrying trend of wolves as pets

There's a worrying trend in Ireland ATM about people getting wolves as pets.

You need a license but of course most people don't get them, I've heard of a breeder close to me who sells them for 1400 to anyone.

Grr.

Is this for real, they must be completely insane, why would anyone want a wolf as a pet ??

Has the breeder been reported ??

I've seen a couple in the area where I live. They are gorgeous but would never dream of owning one

I dunno but if I knew any more info I would. Our SPCA is useless and unless I literally go and pick them up and drive to the place that's selling and catch him in the act of giving a pup away and being handed money then they wouldn't do anything lol

I dunno where it is (I just know its in n.ireland) so Can't really report.

will be like apbt (copies)might be gsd husky x ?????

Well that's what I said prob not real wolves but I was told they're timber wolves

Do they look anything like this:

I very much doubt that they're wolves. There are plenty of breeds that resemble wolves, and several crosses that do, too.

Real wolves are not domesticated, even when they're born in captivity; they're wild & remain wild even after 3 generations or more in captivity.

This is a Timber Wolf....

I wrote a whole post and it died

i dunno what it looks like, havent seen pics or anything only heard about it from a not so reliable source

i had a power cut earlier which buggered up some of my posts

I have a feeling they may not be wolves but a cross of something or other.

A full wolf? I know they sell wolf hybrids, but not pure wolves, surely? I'll be honest, I wanted a wolf hybrid but I knew I wouldn't have the experience to train one or give it what it requires. Plus they're meant to be brilliant escape artists, so no. I can see the appeal of course, but if they go to the wrong people it'll be people selling it on to other people who don't know what they're doing cos they're so destructive and need different requirements than most dogs. I've seen wolf lookalikes though that are just crosses of GSDs, Alaskan Mamalutes and etc. People should just go with that if they want a dog that looks like a wolf without all the issues.

Of course keeping wolves or wolf hybrids in the UK is illegal.

I'm sure I read it was legal as long as you had them registered. Maybe I was mistaken. Even so, full wolves don't belong as pets. As for wolf hybrids, I've spoken to a few people who have them, and they've all turned out well. Obviously some more like wolves and some more like dogs, but all of those I've spoken to, they've gotten there in the end in terms of trust/bond, training and etc. But definitely something that should be restricted. Then again...with the amount of irresponsible or impulsive dog owners, I guess all of it should be somewhat restricted.

Personally, I disagree with keeping wolves or wolf hybrids as pets. No matter how well you train it, it will still have a very strong wild instinct, rather than the watered-down instinct of our domestic dogs. It only takes one slip-up for a serious accident to occur. Also, I don't believe that it's fair on the animal, as its welfare needs can't be met.

Totally agree Eleanor

Makes me wonder where they could have got the first pair from to begin with ???

Some dodgy folk importing them from Europe on boats most likely.

Thats very sad, they are a wild animal and should remain in the wild.

I cant remember what it was call but it was about people in ireland buying and selling wolfs and wolf cross

ANattyRat wrote:I'm sure I read it was legal as long as you had them registered.

You won't get a licence without suitable accommodation, good all-round knowledge of wolves, and a reason for having them - ie research or zoo etc.

And that's why noone gets them and prob keeps them locked away in a shed lol

If I didn't know he only had gsd I would think my neighbor kept wolves, those things do some freaky howling

Wolves will howl, and once you've heard them, you'll never mistake it for a dog, or vice versa.

I have to say that I don't really care if someone near me keeps a banned breed & I would mind my own business as long as it was well behaved. But I would always report someone who had a wolf/wolf hybrid (they're not called crosses).

Yeah ditto that's just so irresponsible and unnatural for the poor animal.

ANattyRat wrote:I'm sure I read it was legal as long as you had them registered.

Wolves are classed as an exotic species, so you need a license to own and enclose one under the Dangerous Wild Animal Act. Law requires that any exotic animal should only be owned if it is beneficial to things such as breeding programs, conservation, education, charismatic mega fauna, research, etc..

All enclosures must also be inspected before the animal arrives, to determine whether or not the area is fit to live in so that a license can be granted. The majority of the people owning (or claiming to own) a wolf or a wolf hybrid will not have correct enclosures or valid reasons to keep the wolf. They're breaking the law and, if they're caught, could face up to a year in prison, a £20,000 fine and a lifetime ban from owning any animals.

The chances are that the breeders of thse hybrids have also broken the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, which requires correct paperwork and documents to be presented before the animal is brought in.

what the rules in rep. ireland because this show i was watching was there

The laws regarding wolf hybrids in the Republic or Ireland are hazy. 'Wolfdogs' or wolves are not specifically listed under the Control of Dogs Act, so you can't be prosecuted for that. However, the Republic of Ireland does still have Acts concerning the importation of wild animals. If you import wild animals without a license, you can still be prosecuted.

It would be pure insanity to own such an animal in a domestic dwelling.
Huskies are hard enough and even my two take a hell of alot of work. Prey drive, aloofness and constant challanging and thats from a cross breed of dogs that have lived and worked with humans for hundreds of years.
You would have to be nuts to think a wolf would fit into a domestic life anything like dogs do. Ill bet you anything its a fad that wont last long when the owners rralise they have an uncontrolable hunk of muscle fur and teath on there hands
They may be the owner but they wont be the boss of the houshold

axam102 wrote:
You would have to be nuts to think a wolf would fit into a domestic life anything like dogs do. Ill bet you anything its a fad that wont last long when the owners rralise they have an uncontrolable hunk of muscle fur and teath on there hands

Too true. Wolves cannot be domesticated - everybody that's tried has failed. Their wildness will come through at some time, and the results could be catastrophic.

I don't know, I have to disagree with you slightly. Pure wolves, I agree with you on that, but wolf hybrids are different. It depends on whether it turns out to be more wolf-like or more dog-like, and I've spoken to people with them that have formed a bond with them and managed to train them, mostly behaviour-wise, not tricks. Even then, the more wolf-like ones still have those traits you can't get out of them, but they're not completely unmanageable.

That's not to say I think people should have them as pets; look at how many dogs get abandoned because they're destructive because the owner doesn't know how much exercise they need, and etc. No doubt many people who would buy wolf hybrids and wolves wouldn't be able to give them what they need. I do remember seeing people breeding dogs to look like wolves though, but without the wildness of actual wolves. They seem to be proper breeders, trying to work on making it a recognised breed or something. I guess if that gained more attention, people would be less likely to buy a real wolf for the sake of owning a wolf. But I doubt it...people like to own bears and chimpanzees and whatever, so I'm sure it's just for the coolness factor.

Wolf hybrids are, in general, extremely unpredictable. You can never fully trust them & they will never fully trust humans. That's a generalisation, I know, but basically true.

However, I have never seen one in the UK, and I doubt there are any true hybrids in the UK.

Caryll wrote: That's a generalisation, I know, but basically true.
.

Its is and backed up by this article on them http://www.petplace.com/dogs/wolves-and-wolf-hybrids/page1.aspx
I thinks its absolutley stupid for people to think they can breed out wild instincts with just a couple of crosses.

ANattyRat wrote:I don't know, I have to disagree with you slightly. Pure wolves, I agree with you on that, but wolf hybrids are different. It depends on whether it turns out to be more wolf-like or more dog-like, and I've spoken to people with them that have formed a bond with them and managed to train them, mostly behaviour-wise, not tricks. Even then, the more wolf-like ones still have those traits you can't get out of them, but they're not completely unmanageable.

I don't agree. Obviously I don't know who you've spoken to, but the animals are unlikely to be true hybrids (ie half dog, half wolf). Wolves & true hybrids are not trustworthy & can be very dangerous because you will never know if & when they will attack. These attacks are often completely arbitrary and sudden, and will always have that wild determination to win no matter the cost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij09gDOx8ck&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Exactly.

Nearly every "wild" animal that has been a pet has turned. Chimps, tigers, lions, bears, hippos, snakes etc. Any animal can attack and kill, but animals from the wild that have not been domesticated are 100% more likely. There is a HUGE difference between being tamed and domesticated.