The Wolf Is At The Door, Inc. - What's in a name?

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What's in a name?

Does it matter what a wolf-dog hybrid is called? What 'breed'/type designation is used? In some cases it matters very much. When breeders try to disguise the fact that the animal is part wolf from their buyers and the public (for whatever reason), it may be a FATAL error. More often it is fatal to the animal than the breeder/owner, however.

The old adage "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it might just BE a duck" applies to this practice as well. If it looks like a wolf, walks like a wolf, and acts like a wolf, it may be at least part wolf. In making such determinations it is important that the one identifying such animals have a good deal of knowledge about wolf conformation, movement, and behavior.

The most common reason for these misnomers is that wolf-dog hybrids have become illegal where the breeders reside and/or sell. Michigan is a prime area for such practices.

Below we have listed only some of the fancy faux-names that some very irresponsible breeders and even supposedly registered non-profit organizations have made up to hide the WOLF part of the equation. Who are they trying to protect by this practice? The pet owning public? Children? Illegal and irresponsible breeders? Owners in illegal states? Their income source? Certainly not the animals...

Esquimaux dogs	Same animals that were formerly registered with the National Wolf Hybrid Ass'n - now registered with the National Esquimaux Dog Ass'n.
Kugsha dogs	Lineages can be traced back to very old lines of wolf-dog hybrids.
Sanjankah Dogs	One of the Michigan spin-off's of continued illegal wolf-dog hybrid breeding
American Huskies	Again, traces back to very old lines of wolf-dog hybrids. Not to be confused with Alaskan Huskies, sled dogs that may or may not have some wolf in the background
NADA - Native Amerindian Dogs	A failed attempt to create an actual breed of wolf-dog hybrid
Native American Indian Dogs	Mongrel dogs with a good possibility of wolf or coyote heritage in the background
American Indian Dogs	Same as previous
Tundra Shepherd	Cross between Tundra Wolf And German Shepherd - trying to create yet another breed with Wolf and GSD.
Alaskan Noble Companion Dog	Creator of these canines denies any wolf heritage. But then, so do all the others.
Northern Inuit Dog	Though there actually is a primitive breed called Inuit dogs, 'Northern Inuits', are just another way to disguise the fact that people have wolf-dog hybrids. Mostly used in the UK, but spreading.
Shiloh Shepherd	Developing dog breeds may be at risk of unplanned integration of wolf hybridization by unscrupulous breeders. One such case being what devoted Shiloh Shepherd enthusiasts refer to as the rape of the Shiloh Shepherd by wolf-dog hybrid breeders. The Shiloh Shepherd breed is not, and was never intended to be a wolf-dog hybrid breed. However, due to a few unscrupulous breeders, there are wolf-dog hybrids being sold under the name of Shiloh Shepherd.
Utonagan	Another UK attempt to over-ride the laws prohibiting wolf-dog hybrids.

One might ask why people who have been proudly involved with wolf-dog hybrids (as breeders and/or owners) for many years, are the ones now claiming " there is no wolf in these dogs".

Where do many of these mis-identified animals end up? In the overburdened rescue system or an early grave... because the new owners weren't prepared for the intensity of behaviors exhibited by primitive or non-domestic canines.

A Rose by Any Other Name - A Fable

Recognized rare breeds with wolf in the recent background

Saarloos Wolfhond	Bred from European wolf and German Shepherd dogs in the Netherlands, now a recognized rare breed
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog	Bred from Carpathian Wolf and German shepherd dogs. This one seems to have retained more of the wolf-like characteristics than the Saarloos.

We, of course, expect a lot of new pseudonyms for 'wolf-dog hybrid' to pop up as this list is published. Breeders with no licensing for pures have been getting away with selling pure wolf pups to other unlicensed breeders and owners for years by referring to them as "98%ers, wink, wink".

As Always - Buyers/rescuers beware!