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These kinds of dogs IMHO should not be kept as pets, Ideally (this may not be possible if it sees humans as food givers or in an area near people ). they should be released into the wilderness... Ideally close to where wolves live, or where packs are so it could pack up with the wolves. being mostly wolf they would have instincts suited to a feral lifestyle and it may be next to having the dog put down the kindest thing to do.. Just fix the dog first so it couldn't thin the pure bloods
If its got more wolf then dog its more suited to the wild.
How can somebody be a good pet owner and not know how many cats they have Crazy but perhaps somebody will take the dog at the wolf rescue place that is prepared to actually handle a dog not just talk about it.
You need to find a rescue in your area. Both you and the dog need to be 'trained'. I've found that dog training classes are actually there to train the owner, the dogs get the treats though.
The fleas should be an easy fix.
Well yes, I was thinking the same thing about the training class that I was the one who needs to be trained and then Kira should be fine.
It does sound like the only thing the dog is doing wrong is escaping from the house.
And the cats will survive. It's probably time to reduce the number of cats you have since that birth anyway.
Seriously, anyone who has 'lost track' of how many cats they own, own too many cats.
I said that because I was feeling so stressed at the time, I couldn't think. I don't have that many permanent residents. I just couldn't let this woman put to sleep a pregnant Mother for no other reason then her her neglect in getting her fixed.
That is disappointing, and not fair to the cats who were there first. "You have to many, let them be afraid and let the dog do whatever she wants"?
It doesn't sound like the OP is 100% behind training this dog and to be honest does not sound confident enough (no offense- I can tell you really love animals) and to be fair to the dog, she needs a strong, dog-knowledgeable trainer. Wold hybrids can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
The situation with the cats is easing alot. The kittens don't seem threatened by her and the adults are calming down except the Mother cat who will not be a permanent resident anyway. Kira deserves the schooling that the Mother cat is giving her anyway. At least in my opinion.
So....it's okay to get rid of the cats, because there's "too many" and they aggravate the dog, but it is not ok to give up the dog? Who are you to tell her she has to many cats??? No matter how many she has it is her perogative.
The OP is overwhelmed and the wolf/hybrid is just adding to it. She is obviously not equipped with the know-how or ability to train an animal like this.
Blondie, I hate to disagree with you...a dog is not a dog! I've seen first hand how Kota reacts in different situations. One had better be prepared and take all pre-cautions with her. It is not that she is aggressive or nasty...but she is a master at escaping. She can scale a 10 ft fence without hesitation. She walks the perimeter of any yard and surveys like no dog I have ever seen. At 5 months she is a handful...I can only imagine what lies ahead. I do have faith in my daughter's ability to handle her, as she has had extensive training with exotics...but to the amatuer who is fully unprepared.....I wish them luck!
I do have too many cats, I never intended to keep the extras we brought home, they will be rehomed through a foster group in my area.
The times she has escaped, its been to come and look for us. We have found her outside the house waiting for us when we got home. She so far has not gone through any glass. Only when she found an open window she would push the screen out and GO.
Let me clear up a few things after having read the replies. I appreciate all the information.
What I intended to do was to get a German Shepherd for my daughter and I. I wrote back and forth on Email with the wife/owner. Never once did she mention Kira was not fixed, never once did she mention there was another breed in her. She listed her as a GSD and nothing else. No mention of her being a hybrid.
I have no proof of this but she told me AFTER I had gotten to her house that Kira's Mom is purebred GSD and that her Father was 3/4 Timber wplf. 1/4 GSD, by my math that makes her majority GSD.
However all of this came out after I had gotten to her house. Including the fact that the dog has been left in the backyard for the last two years, that she is not current on her shots. I felt so sorry for the poor animal, I thought I could handle it. I have been so stressed worrying about this I can't sleep. I was thrilled when we came home and found on this certain occasion she had not found a way out. It would seem she has not found a reason to go through the glass of the windows.
I feel such sympathy for this dog but I feel this is way over my head. If she were a normal GSD who had been treated well I don't think this would be a problem.
To the person who wants to see a picture, I will try and upload one but I haven't been able to recently for some reason. She looks like a GSD, smaller then average although she doesn't have the sloping down of her back like you see in GSDs. She is slightly smaller then your average GSD.
Currently she is just laying on the floor next to the front door just like any other animal.
I don't know what kind of rescue to contact, I guess one for a hybrid although I have no proof she is one.
I should have walked out when I found this woman had not been straight with me. I know thats what I should have done but that is the past and I need to go on from here. The dogs life and happiness has to be paramount. I have talked to Diane, my daughter about having to give her up for the issues I have mentioned in this thread. I think my daughter will be fine. She misses having a dog but I am thinking this is not the dog for us.
I appreciate all the information. I will try and upload a picture for you guys to see. If it works it will be on my profile.
I guess one for a hybrid although I have no proof she is one.
In my experience, most - not all, no - but MOST - dogs thought to be hybrids are in fact not. Generally speaking, they're GSDs crossed with an Arctic breed. Mals x GSD can often produce an extremely hybrid looking dog. But it's not a hybrid. It's a dog. And therein lies the difference.
And it is a considerable difference.
At the end of the day, only a DNA test is going to answer that question. Until you have proof positive one way or the other, it's all just speculation.
Lindsey, I fully understood the cats were fosters and the situation with the kittens. You stated that in your first post.
If the dog is not a hybrid, then hopefully maybe training classes are in the near future. It could be something you and your daughter do together.
If the dog is a hybrid...you would not need proof, as there are no papers, etc to prove such. Any Wolf rescue worth their salt would be able to recognize a hybrid when they see one. I know you are caught between a rock and a hard place..((hugs))
Last edited by ShelbyGirl1; 10-29-2009 at 04:33 AM..
Reason: added text.
In my experience with wolf hybrids, and yes, none of it is first-hand, none of the sad stories involved aggression.
Instead, it was separation anxiety and/or destructive behavior.
Almost all of them were escape artists, and displayed incredible problem-solving ability. The neighbors didn't always appreciate having a wolf hybrid nearby.
This is not to say that every wolf hybrid I ever met ended up being euthanized--not true at all. But about half of them (I've met maybe 20 or so) ended up going to a wolf sanctuary. (I've loved wolves since before they became trendy, and used to dream of having some sort of wolfish canine, but instead I just became sort of a wolf activist.)
Lindsay, whatever you do, don't beat yourself up about it.
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Crazy but perhaps somebody will take the dog at the wolf rescue place that is prepared to actually handle a dog not just talk about it.
