10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
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The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is an excellent example of the dog breeds that have been brought into existence by breeding dogs with wolves. The breed started out as a military breed that was supposed to be used with special forces commandos, but since its initial creation, it has found a wide range of other purposes, which have made them popular with a wide range of people. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog:
1. Is Czechoslovakian
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is, well, Czechoslovakian. To be exact, the breed came into existence in Czechoslovakia, which came into existence when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed after the First World War. Of course, Czechoslovakia no longer exists, seeing as how it had a peaceful separation in 1993 into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
2. Bred from Both Dogs and Wolves
Given its name, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog was bred from both dogs and wolves. In its case, it came from the German Shepherd and the Carpathian wolf, which is one of the names used for the Eurasian wolf. Curiously, there are actually a lot of parties interested in creating wolfdogs, though the practice comes with a host of ethical, legal, and other issues.
3. Started Out as an Experiment
Initially, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog started out as an experiment conducted in the military kennels of Czechoslovak. However, this experiment led to the idea for a new breed that would combine useful characteristics from both dogs and wolves, which would in time, lead to what is now the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog.
4. Needed a Few Generations to Work Out the Kinks
The first generation of wolfdogs had some serious issues. Yes, they had useful characteristics from the Carpathian wolves, but in exchange, they were so much more difficult to train that those useful characteristics just weren’t worth the additional effort. As a result, the first generation had to be bred with dogs for a few more generations before the resulting wolfdogs possessed better senses as well as excellent endurance while remaining very trainable.
5. Took Some Time to Secure International Recognition
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog was presented at a meeting of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1965. It received a lot of attention, but at the same time, a lot of attention meant a lot of opposition as well. As a result, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog failed to secure widespread international recognition, which was something that it didn’t secure until the 1980s.
6. Small Numbers
There aren’t a lot of Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs in existence. For example, the most puppies produced in a single year in the whole of the Czech Republic was no more than around 100 as of January of 2014. Likewise, the Slovak Republic had a high of around 50 as of the same date. Still, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is becoming more and more popular in more and more countries, which is bringing up their numbers bit by bit.
7. Popular in Italy
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is actually quite popular in Italy. Unfortunately, the breed was involved in the Ave Lupo investigation, which revealed that Italian breeders were breeding their Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs with wild wolves in an attempt to achieve a more wolf-like look that was popular in dog shows. The whole thing was a part of a multi-state investigation into the smuggling of wild wolves in Europe.
8. Versatile
Some dogs are specialists that excel at a single task. However, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog isn’t one of them. Instead, it is famous for its versatility, which enables it to do well in a wide range of roles. For proof, consider how they started out as attack dogs but have since been used as everything from search and rescue animals to drafting dogs.
9. Has Potential Issues Because of Hunting Instincts
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog can get along well with their human owners as well as other members of their families. Unfortunately, their hunting instincts can cause them to become aggressive towards small animals, which is why it is so important to train them out of that particular habit when they are still young.
10. Needs Motivation to Be Trained Well
Speaking of which, Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs must be motivated for them to remain trainable. It is very easy for them to lose interest when they are forced to do repetitive tasks over and over, which can tire them out.