Buying a Wolf Dog Cross - (split from Mahooli's standard thread) Controversial

I agree the majority do not seem to be white, but I have seen litters for sale with white ones on a few occassions.

No full ones, just the crosses, ref answering your question.

oh right. So if the majority are not white then on that basis the whites must be rare.

Anyway - I am off out now and won't be back online until tonight, if then.

Minority does not mean rare though, does it....???

Thankyou for your honesty

Yes, I agree with Elaine, it is good to get an unbiased perspective of the breed/s xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That's not a very good advertisement for anyone looking to buy one. I would have thought Saarloos owners would want to see them established and flourishing in other countries :?

Some one asked for a the down side. They are not going to flourish if people send them all to rescue are they? They need owners who can cope with them not dreamers.

The upside is that you wont find a better companion; just dont ever expect to go anywhere without them...;-)

Oh sorry, i never noticed anyone ask about a down side. I did think it was a rather strange reply from you seeing as you love them so much

Even the 50% cross was an escapologist - and all my puppy buyers were told of his antics. He would jump through the top window of the conservatory - just because he could - then would run round to the door, grinning, to be let back in again!

Dito to that.

It was me that asked.

...well ladies Im not interested in trying to change your opinion-just to express mine. We dont agree on the "comparison", we all have biased perspectives so lets leave it at that we are all entitled to our opinions

Anyway-to get back on track: as Akna is right Im straying a bit from the topic.

To follow on from what Wolfdogowner has said. Many people have said their dogs are their life. For me this is not the case. They are however a very large part of it.

You dont have to be an "expert" to get one of these dogs but you have to be willing to learn from them. As a family pet Id say yes-for the right family! And no for people who arent willing to change their lives to an extent for their dogs. Hes right about "dreamers"- they should be called Saarloos Cats in some ways!!

I will continue a bit of explanation later tonight if I get a chance. Just finishing work and got to pick up the mutts from my mum's as my good lady is doing an "its a knockout" charity night tonight-should be a hoot!! Then its off for a walk.

cheery

Jon

So Geezer you are saying your dogs are NOT your life but then people who aren't prepared to change their lives shouldn't get one??

It is good for potential owners to know this type of info. Ref the UK there wont be many potential owners for the 'pure bred', for a long while, I imagine, if breeders are dubious about sending their dogs here (understandable). Ref the crosses noone will know just how many of the traits they carry..........I know that at least two owners of the crosses, (on another forum I am on), have spoken about their wolf dog crossess being escape artists and it being of derement to the dog. Ref the NID some NIDs are the same and also ref the seperation issues, some NIDs do suffer from sep anxiety, so I guess you don't necassarily know what you are getting with these dogs, other than you will have a lovely looking dog but we all know it goes beyond looks.

I was unaware you had a Saarloos, i'm keen to hear about them from a pet owner's viewpoint, ive heard much about the crosses but to be honest the crosses sound pretty much like NI's to me.

I have 2 3/4 bred Saarloos Liz. They are not pedigrees but very high content Saarloos to NI cross. I have met pedigree Saarloos, CZWs and crosses of varying degrees. But only fairly briefly. I have also met NIs but only briefly. I am therefore not really qualified to say I know the NI or Saarloos pedigree breed intimately.

From my limited experience, yes NIs do share some Saarloos traits. However, in all honesty, they are not the same.

Wolfdogowner has a lot more experience with these dogs than me and is probably a better person to ask. He has met one of my dogs and numerous Saarloos. He is also allegedly a member of the ministry of silly walks but this is just hearsay

I feel the is something missing ref the down side of the CWD and Saarloos breeds... Tempament etc have beeen talked about, but what about the health side? Please don't think I am having a pop cos I'm not, I just think this should be covered too

I think both breeds are fab!!!

Well despite small overall gene pools there are relatively few health problems. CWD are good with a little PRA creeping in and there are some issues with PRA and I have heard of epilepsy in some Saarloos. Never yet met anyone who has experience of these problems but heard that in some european countries there are more issues than others. Overall nothing like the issues I have experienced and suffered with pedigree dogs in the UK. This was my first question when I looked at these dogs.

Thats very reassuring.

I wonder if it has anything to do with us being an island and until relatively recently it wasn't so easy to mix the genes with European ones, as it were. Whereas Europe is a bigger 'island'. (Just thinking out loud) :?

I agree it is reasuring.

Thats an interesting thought. Also, could the relative health not be dew to the fact that both the cwd and swh are relatively young compaired to other pedegree breeds, and therefore the negative affects of a reduction in heterozygous trates dew to inbreeding and a small genepool hasn't been felt yet.