It appears that the recent popularity over new hybrid dog breeds (like Labradoodles) has spawned a more dangerous market for hybrid dog/wolf pups. Animal activists are warning about the potential for attacks. Moreover, the new breeds could still be illegal in some states and may expose owners to strict liability.
In torts, we often discuss the liability associated with the possession of wild animals, particularly wolves (which are popular with many pet owners). State laws not only prohibit such ownership but sometime prohibit half-breeds — animals that are half dog and half wolf.
The hybrids have become the rage in the United Kingdom, which allows ownership if the pups are three generations removed from the wild animal. They sell for £5,000 — creating a serious market for breeders (including some who may not wait for three generations to pass).
They are often cross bred with German shepherds, akitas, malamutes, huskies and other large breeds.
Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today, insists that “[t]o live in a domestic situation with a part-wolf is insane . . . Hybrids are a potential disaster area.”
These owners may find this to be an expense habit in the United States where wild animals are subject to strict liability. Even domesticated animals are held to such a standard if they have known vicious propensities. While many have heard of the “one free bite”rule, it is a bit of a misnomer. You do not get one free bite with a dog if you knew or should have known about its vicious nature or breed.
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This is not new, merely resurgent. When I was a kid I went to school with a kid from Minnesota via Alaska. His dad had two half-breed wolf-dogs. I will say this: you had to treat them with the same circumspection you would a wild animal. Not fear. No. Never that. They really don’t like that. But you better respect them and express dominance or they are inherently dangerous. The only “pets” worse to own risk wise (IMO) are bears, big cats and primates. Dogs generally see humans as buddies – someone to mooch grub off of and whore out for the occasional big belly rub. Wolves see us as competition. Someone to scavenge off of or kill and eat if we’re weak enough. That’s the difference in wild and domesticated in dogs. (Sorry you snake haters! They are really pretty safe pets of you aren’t a moron about handling them.)
Buddha,
I was thinking maybe Dick Cheney with or without a gun would be a worse pet to have that a half breed wolf.
AY,
That would be because some animals simply cannot be domesticated. I point to hyenas and Cheney as my examples.
Buddha, that comparison is pretty unfair to hyenas! Though actually, hyenas are relatively easy to tame. It may be African wild dogs that you’re thinking of — they’ve remain untamed so far.
I took a quick glance at some of the U.S. statutes about wolf-dogs to see how they were defined. In Michigan, at least, anything with a wolf grandparent is a wolf-dog.
I didn’t actually read the UK statute, but if it only requires “three generations from the wild,” that seems a bit nonsensical– for one, that wouldn’t require much wolf content be removed at all, and two, you aren’t actually going to “domesticate” an actual wolf in three generations. Just because you hand raised a wolf’s parents and grandparents doesn’t make it less a wolf.
Susan Simpson,
Dick Cheney to wit…
wolf dogs aren’t so bad, I know a person that has a couple. They are a little different, rather big, but they seem to behave like dogs and no one has been hurt by them.
Animals aren’t status symbols. They have their own life, needs etc. If you take on the responsibility of any dog then you owe them. You need to understand who they are and what environment they need to thrive. If you can’t provide that, don’t get one.
If you have no intention of exercising and training your dog, don’t have one. People seem to think of dogs as toys who can be put away when they’re not interested in being with them. It’s wrong for the dog and you do endanger others by the failure to know both the dog and yourself. Your basic cream puff dog can go crazy if not cared for properly. If you have a wolf/dog then you have to know what you’re doing and have the space for them to live a good life and the training to prevent harm. Don’t have, don’t do!
Some people (mainly men) buy Lamborghini’s to imply that they have big penises, other people get the same sense from owning a wolf dog. Pathetic and ultimately stupid in both instances.
Mike Spindell,
Some people (mainly men) buy Lamborghini’s to imply that they have big penises,
************************
Want to see my Lamborghini?
lol, I could not resist. I am not sorry.
Mike S:
I thought it was because they liked a high performance car.
Actually isnt it the other way around? Compensating for
Susan,
No, I was thinking hyenas, but African wild dogs works. I’ve never seen evidence that hyenas can be domesticated. If what you say about them is true, well then, sign me up. I can imagine no better, no more terrifying guard dog than a hyena (even though technically hyenas are not canines but felioformia – more closely related to weasels and civets than dogs). If they are good enough for The Joker, they are good enough for me.
No, no. I kid. That’s one of those ideas that sounds appealing on paper but is probably a disaster waiting to happen. All fun and games until the neighborhood children start vanishing. I’m thinking if hyenas can be domesticated, it takes longer than three generations and anything less than “full tame” on an animal that size and with that bite is intrinsically dangerous. Even tamed they’d be dangerous.
AY,
If you are dumb enough, which I know you’re not, to buy a two seater, with no trunk, for $500,000, that can do 200 mph, then to my mind it’s all about your package. I love to drive and I like speed, but where in America does one drive, except a track, at even 125 and not be crazy? I personally would never exceed 90 in any car, although I’ve driven much faster in the days of my stupid youth. There is no car, tire or road that I trust enough to drive extended speeds in the US over 90 mph. As far as drag racing goes if someone buys this turkey car for pickup, been there, done that and it really is the stupidest form of auto racing.
Byron,
Now that you mention it, I’ve never heard of anyone buying a penis to compensate for not having a Lamborghini but I suppose it’s now possible due to advances in microvascular surgical techniques.
Mike S:
90 mph for most cars is way too fast. the roads are another story but only for straight stretches such as they have in Texas.
The Evolution of Racing (from Past to Present)
Foot (Pedius Maximus)
Horse (Holdonimus Maximus)
Drag (Holdonimus Maximus Automata)
Motorcycle (Holdonimus Maximus Dementia)
Rally (Holonimus Maximus Roughus)
F1 (Holdonimus Maximus Maximus)
NASCAR (Holdonimus Redacta Sinister)*
_____
*(Some taxonomists consider the “left hand circuit” an evolutionary deconvergence and a backward or sideways step on the family tree. This is an topic of much debate.)
Buddha:
how much is that surgery? So what you are saying is that I could purchase a new penis to compensate for my old one to save money on a Lamborghini which I would have bought to compensate for my old one?
The savings would be tremendous as well as the result.
That would mess up Mike’s theory of over compensating by purchasing an expensive car. You could just over compensate by buying a $50,000 wiener. Now that would make for some interesting locker room talk.
Hey Jack . . .
Byron,
I just read it is possible. No idea on cost, but I’m sure it’s in the exotic super car range. I’m thinking microvascualr surgeons with the gear to do that are neither common nor cheap.
Mike S.,
I was just funna ya.
Buddha,
It is called Phalangeoplasy. It is a Female to Male Sex Change Operation. So yes it is possible.
At every level of human society we seem to want to mess with the natural.
In this case perhaps the troubling legal questions will give some pause, but not all folks will heed.
As for the species we are making extinct every day, there are terrifying scenarios our children will suffer, again because not enough folks will heed.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/11/terrified-of-world-my-children-inherit.html
“That would mess up Mike’s theory of over compensating by purchasing an expensive car. You could just over compensate by buying a $50,000 wiener. Now that would make for some interesting locker room talk.”
Byron,
you must live in the sticks. Phalangeoplasy is the new Christmas gift of choice in the sophisticated parts of the country. One needs to have both a Phalangeoplasy and a Lamborghini to rate in these parts.
If you drive a Lexus, you’ve missed the nexus.
FYI,
There was a case that I was on which was regarding Prisoners Rights. It appears that when they are in Custody the state can be ordered at Tax Payer Expense to start the Organ Exchange program. Yes, it true. You can go from No Nuts to Two. From a Male to Female. This was all I knew.
Transgender Inmates Seek Sex Change Operations
Link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210382,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/lawcenter
It is crazy.
I like it! Lamborghini!
lamborghini strong as wolves
Jill.
One of the most important needs of the dog is company, canine company is best but that of humans will do. If one only has a single dog one needs to let it be an inside dog and needs to take it with one when the house is otherwise empty.
People who exile their dogs to the back yard are missing out on most of the benefits of having a dog. Dogs are cheerful, enthusiastic and friendly and if one leaves a dog outside one misses out on the cheerfulness, enthusiasm and friendliness services that dogs provide.
If one has a single dog, one needs to take it to the dog park to meet other dogs.
Recently a documentary from the BBC was shown on ABC (Austalian Broadcasting Commission) television. It demonstrated how bad breeding practices have turned pedigree dogs into dysfunctional monstrosities. Cavalier King Charles spaniels with brain cases too small to hold their brains, pugs with crooked spines and their cuts protruding into their chest cavities, bulldogs that have problems breathing and can only give birth by caesarian and German shepherds whose hind quarters are half the height of their fore quarters and cannot walk properly. All these cases mentioned are of best of breed show winning dogs. Inbreeding has resulted in 90% of the genetic variety of some breeds being thrown away.
Introducing some wolf genes to remedy this atrocity by breeders is no bad idea.
I really find it a bit rich humans being so afraid of wild animals, the human being is the most dangerous animal on this planet, how many humans have been killed by lions, tigers and wolves as against those killed by humans.
Chimpanzees definitely are dangerous, they are humans’ closes animal relatives and like humans they go in for pack rape and genocide.
Here is an interesting video. A nature photographer approached a leopard seal and instead of eating him it spent four days trying to teach him how to hunt and eat penguins.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/11/16/a-photographer-faces-off-with-a-deadly-predator/.
Experiments have shown that it does not take very long to domesticate a wild carnivore. Only a few generations are required to produce a tame animal, other dog typical characteristics manifest at the same time, floppy ears and vari-coloured coats without any explicit selection being done for them. The particular experiment to which I am referring was with foxes. It should be possible to produce tame wolves using only direct wolf descent (no dogs) in a human life time.
The only hope for preserving lions, tigers, lepoards bears and others may be to domesticate them for use as pets.
The Australian dingo (wild dog) is closely related to the wild dogs of Asia from which it is thought the domestic dog originated. Plenty of people keep them as pets. They are incredibly intelligent. My late father told me a story about a dingo owned by a next door neighbour. One day this dog visited him and looked at him then turned around and looked over its shoulder at him. He interpreted this as a request to follow it which he did and in doing so discovered the dingo’s human collapsed unconscious in his yard. There also used to be another very friendly half dingo a couple of doors up the street from my parents and they used to take it for walks.
In NSW Australia pit bulls are now outlawed.
One day when Rexx (my really nice dog) and I were doing our regular six kilometer walk around the local roads we passed a house which had a new dog. Normally when one walks a dog past a house which has a dog, the dog belonging to thehouse barks in a manner that is more territorial than friendly. But this beautiful big tan Staffordshire terrier came over and wagged its tale in a friendly manner and subsequently greeted us each time we walked past. Some time later I spoke to it owner an complimented him saying “that is a beautiful staffordshire”. He replied no it is a pit bull.
CM,
You cannot outlaw a breed of dogs but not politicians. Why not?
If you outlaw politicians, only outlaws will have politicians.
I don’t see much change from the current situation.
This message sponsored by K Street (If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the graft!), Exxon (We’ll kill the innocent for oil! Put a dead Iraqi child in your tank!), Halliburton (Vile and Proud! 70 years of being scumbags.), Xe (We’re Not Those Zealot Mercenaries, Blackwater! Really!) and a grant from PNAC (Proud sponsors of Global Fascism).
I personally have a wolf hybrid and he is the best pet I have had. He is really attached and has never harmed anyone. Hes rather quiet and has such a docile attitude. He gets along with my lab great. So I see no problem with owning a wolf hybrid as long as the person is not abusive or neglecting.
cass,
Ans when the hybrid does what the hybrid does, what are you going to say?
Anonymously Yours-
I am 100% positive he will NOT harm anyone. If you were to ACTUALLY see him with your own eyes and be around him sure you would most likely be intimidated, but you would find out for your own that he is simply harmless no matter what ingnorant and narrow-minded people think. Just because he is part wolf does NOT mean he acts like one.
Hello when I lived in Northern Ontario I bought a dogsled tem of 4 dogs two of which were hy-bred cross the lead dof & her sister.They have their own ajenda as to how the rest of the team worked & by the time I was up to 15 dogs as tough as the rest thought they were they knew the pecking order under the two sisters as the rest would do battle but never crossed that line with the two sisters.Hybreds are very much on to them selves as far as pulling the sled went & in running with the sled would back off putting just enough slack in the gang line so the rest of the dogs beared the weight! They did this behavior several times & a touch of the brakes would fix that problem up , only to have them back off again & again!Her & her sister were the alfas of that pack & made sure the rest knew who was boss.Hybreds I was told later are not welcome to dog sled teams for the stuborness they posess.At best they are a passing “fad” & would not make the ideal pet! I wouldn’t recomend them to families with small children at all.Not to say there would be an attack or anything like that but little kids do have a way of putting things to the test & would surely produce a tragic result from a hybred if something went wrong!
They are spectacular animals but best to visit someone with a hybred than just have one because “They’re Cool”