Czechoslovakian Wolfdog

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a relatively new breed of dog that traces its original lineage to an experiment conducted in 1955 in the former Czechoslovak Republic. After initially breeding a German Shepherd Dog with a Carpathian wolf, a plan was worked out to create a wolfdog breed that blended the desired qualities of both animals. It was officially recognized as a national breed in the ČSSR in 1982, in 1999 it became FCI standard no. 332, group 1, section 1.

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Appearance

  Both the build and the hair of the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog are reminiscent of a wolf. The lowest dewlap height is 65 cm for a dog and 60 for a bitch and there is no upper limit. The body frame is rectangular, ratio of the height to length is 9:10 or less. The expression of the head must indicate the sex. Amber eyes set obliquely and short upright ears of a triangle shape are its characteristic features. The set of teeth is complete (42); very strong; both scissors-shaped and plier-shaped setting of the dentition is acceptable. The spine is straight, strong in movement, with a short loin. The chest is large, flat rather than barrel-shaped. The belly is strong and drawn in. The back is short, slightly sloped, the tail is high set; when freely lowered it reaches the tarsuses. The fore limbs are straight, and narrow set, with the paws slightly turned out, with a long radius and metacarpus. The hind limbs are muscular with a long calf and instep.

The color of the hair is from yellow-grey to silver-grey, with a light mask. The hair is straight, close and very thick. Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a typical tenacious canterer; its movement is light and harmonious, its steps are long.

It is tall but light and strong. Its straight thick hair is wolf-like gray with a typical white mask. It will size you up confidently, with its light eyes, set obliquely. It does not look at its owner; it knows exactly, at every moment, where its master is and what he is doing. It pays attention rather to its surroundings - it wants to have a good view. It can run a 62 miles (100 kilometers) easily, has a great sense of direction, and reacts with lightning speed. No trail is too difficult for it to follow. No matter whether it is raining or freezing or whether it is day or night. There's nothing it could not manage if it wants to.

Temperament

The Wolfdog is more versatile than specialized. It is quick, lively, very active, fearless and courageous. Distinct from the character of Saarlooswolfhond, shyness is a disqualifying fault in the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog develops a very strong social relationship not only with their owner, but with the whole family. It can easily learn to live with other domestic animals which belong to the family; however, difficulties can occur in encounters with strange animals. It is vital to subdue the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog's passion for hunting when they are puppies in order to avoid aggressive behavior as an adult. The puppy should never be isolated in the kennel; it must get used to different surroundings, for traveling and so on. Female C.W.'s tend to be more easily controllable and both genders often experience a stormy adolescence.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is very playful and temperamental. It learns easily. However, it does not train spontaneously, the behavior of the CsV is strictly purposeful - it is necessary to find motivation for training. The most frequent cause of failure is usually the fact that the dog is tired out with long useless repetitions of the same exercise, which results in the loss of motivation. These dogs have admirable senses and are very good at following trails. They are very independent and can cooperate in the pack with a special purposefulness. If required, they can easily shift their activity to the night hours. Sometimes problems can occur during their training when barking is required. Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs have a much wider range of means of expressing themselves and barking is unnatural for them; they try to communicate with their masters in other ways. Generally, to teach CsV stable and reliable performance takes a bit more time than does to teach traditional specialized breeds.

UK Ownership Controversy

The breed was introduced to the U.K in 2002 by Paul and Mandy Winder. The first litter was born in 2003 and was registered by the UK kennel club, but after contact with DEFRA the kennel club withdrew all registration papers as DEFRA classified the Czechoslovakian wolfdog as a Dangerous wild animal. This lead to some confusion as Mr and Mrs Winder have letters from the UK Kennel club inviting the breed to the UK and giving them advice on what to do to get this breed recognised within the U.K. Yet further confusion was again added to this saga when a Czechoslovakian wolfdog was imported directly via DEFRA, where all paperwork had been checked prior to their importation. DEFRA also have confirmed two Czechoslovakian wolfdogs have been granted with pet passports and therefore travel freely to Europe and back with no problems. Ownership remains to be a Grey Area within the United Kingdom, although final decision remains in the hands of Local Authorities and Councils. [1][2],

Sources

• Dogbreedinfo.com (see here for copyright resolution)