I've always admired NIs and other "wolfdog" breeds, and it seems OH has taken a shine to them - so much so that after seeing a GSD x Husky at a dog show recently, he announced that he wants a wolfdog! A third dog isn't practical at the moment but we're aiming to move and buy our own place, so it could be an option in a year or two. One thing I always hear with these kind of dogs is that they need an experienced home, or owner with breed experience. I've grown up with GSDs all my life so I'm used to the stubborn but loyal traits they have, but have very little experience in Huskies or Malamutes. Just wondering how much of these breeds tend to get reflected in these dogs, or does it vary from dog to dog depending on breeding/which temperament they inherit? Any big warning flags that we should take into consideration? Also, how likely are they to crop up in rescue? Do rescues tend to have a waiting list? We're both happy to rescue - I think I'd prefer to as Casper hasn't been great with my mum's puppy and it would worry me having a puppy in the house incase he wasn't great with it. Not aggressive but he saw her as a very fun looking toy to grab and we were a little worried he might hurt her accidentally.
... confuzzed.. does your o/h want an n.i or a wolfdog... two very different things (i can offer 'some' advice as i have both,and the northern breeds to compare them to)
Sorry - by "wolfdog" I mean the crosses - NI, Utonagan, etc., the amount of different names and which ones are "acceptable" and which aren't is a little confusing! Not the real wolf crosses. I don't think he's too fussed but he likes the wolfy look of them, we could probably be tempted with a GSD crossed with a Husky/Mal but if an NI came up in rescue and suited us then we're open to that too.
I think the various societies (NIS, TIDA and BUA etc) have their own rescue parts....might be worth looking on there? Other than that - keep scanning rescue pages/rehoming centers....they crop up in there as well.
Thanks, I'd like to know a little more about them first because they might not suit our lifestyle (and we're looking at moving areas so not much point looking around here right now), I'm going to have a good read about them but I was just wondering whether my GSD experience would transfer to these kind of dogs or if I'm in for a big surprise (Kiki is a Rottie x GSD but lots of her traits must be Rottie because she's quite different to a GSD!)
I havent owned a GSD so dont know if they have many of there traits or not based on experience but i can see from reading the breed standard and reading stories on here they do. Both of mine have quite short attention spans so trainning has to be kept fun and in short sessions to keep there interest this i think comes from the sibe in them. They both also have a high prey drive which again could come from the sibe but i think Cassie had a hand in this too. they are fine with livestock though its onlysmall furries that have to beware. Raina has no loyalty at all she is anybodies dog but Ela is more of a family/close friend dog, people she doesnt know get the cold shoulder. I would say they are more bidable then sibes, when i ask Kiska to do something i can see the thought process as she works out if its in her best intrest to oblige me. With both my NI's they just do it because you have asked them to and they are happy to please you. When out on a walk as well Kiska is happy to do her own thing and you have to keep and eye on her. With the NI its the other way round they check in and look back to make sure you are still about. I think it can vary a bit in some of the lines though so its always best to be prepared for anything. As already said there is the NIS and TIDA rescue where dogs do crop up. If you want more of an idea about them the best thing to do would be to met some, i'm sure there will be someone in your area more then willing.
to be fair krlyr... (and the ni peeps still wont like me saying this) ...they are like a cross still...no uniform temp or looks,its a lottery which 'bits' your ni will get from each breed...so as long as you take one on without 'hoping' it will be more like one than the other u will be ok....for someone to say defo what your dog will be would be lieing my n.i is quite gsd like tho ;-)
Comparing Kiba to Murphy, the GSD I look after every week I'd say that trainability wise the NI is harder than the GSD. They can be more stubborn and the biggest challenge for us with Kiba was and still is recall. Sometimes he will come back first time, sometimes you can be stood around for 15 minutes and he still wont come back! When there are no other dogs around he's great, but new friends are just too much of a distraction! This kicks in at around 7 months and you pretty much have to go right back to basics again! My boy is very very loyal. He is stuck to me like glue when we're in the house and he has awful separation anxiety to the point where I can't leave him for even 5 minutes. This is my fault because I'm with him 24/7 but it is quite a common trait within the breed. They love other dogs, they love to play 'big dog' games boxing and chasing but get on well with dogs of all shapes and sizes. The GSD I look after is a bit more 'growly' with his play than my NI but Kiba has been introduced to hundreds of dogs since he was tiny so is very very good with other dogs. It is said that they have a high 'prey drive'. I have two house rabbits that live in one of my spare bedrooms. Kiba was introduced to them on the day we brought him home and he has always been very careful around them. I can have him in the room whilst I'm cleaning them out and he will let them jump over him and play around him without showing any interest. So if introduced to other family pets at a young age they are fine. With regards to rescue. I have been a fosterer for the NIS and have so far had 2 rescue NIs in my care. The first was a bitch of almost 2 years, a fantastic girl who I had spayed and vaccinated and she was rehomed within a month of me taking her. She now lives with a Weimaraner. The second was a white dog of 18 months who was Kiba's half brother. Another gorgeous boy who came to us underweight. He put on 5kg whilst he was here and went to his new home up in Scotland after just over a month. Sadly this home didn't work out for him and he went back into foster care up in Scotland. He just went to his new (hopefully forever) home yesterday. You do occasionally come across NIs in rescue but if they are registered with the NIS then they will try to pull them out of rescue and get them into foster homes instead. With regards to 'experienced homes' that may be more the case with certain rescue dogs who may have had a difficult past. I owned an English Setter before Kiba, my experience with GSDs, Huskies and Mals comes from working in kennels and owning a dog boarding business but I think as long as you research and know what you're getting yourself into, and of course choose the right breeder or go through society rescue who will help you along the way then you should be fine!
Hi I own 2 utes and they are like chalk and cheese . Diesel my oldest is a bit stubborn, very strong minded and defo shows more mal traits than Quinn does. Quinn is very clever, easy to train and seems to enjoy learning so i think he more GSD like, although they both are very loving and loyal dogs. I have had gsd most of my life until recently and think that the fact i was used to big strong dogs did help, training wise anyway mind you saying that recall can be a bit of a hit or a miss with Diesel lol. Non of mine show a very high prey drive, they share the house quite happily with my 2 cats, infact my kitten rules the roost :? mine need a lot of walking, my hubby runs them for miles each day on the bike, they love it and need it cos they high energy dogs .
I have two male Ute's. High prey drives, very exciteable, still maturing aged 5.5yrs, very sociable with people/other dogs. They thrive on exercise, will take as much as you can offer & still want more. Good jogging partners, love caniX and long hikes. We walk with a gsd pal (similar age) several times per week & have done for the last few years. In comparison to him my dogs range a lot further away offlead, run/play much more and generally appear less mature. Mine love to greet other dog & walkers in the woods whereas the gsd is more reserved. My dogs are more submissive than their gsd or malamute pals. They get bored easily so training needs to be in short bursts. My two are very loving, rather large lap dogs and they love to be close to you but I wouldn't say they were a one person dog like many gsd's I've met. Small furries at home are accepted as part of the family but a rabbit/squirrel/bird etc is fair game in the woods and they will chase until they lose scent. Fortunately mine don't have the execution of the Sibe! With these crosses/mixes it's pot luck. I consider myself fortunate.
Thanks guys, I thought it might be a case of depending on which bits they inherited. "Fortunately" Kiki has given me a good experience in dogs with high preydrive and seperation anxiety, so that's two potential problems I've already worked with! If the NIS do fostering then perhaps we could look into registering our interest as fosterers when we're ready, might be a good chance to get experience without feeling overwhelmed by a permanent commitment.
Excellant post, though as Bint has said they all vary and some do have the execution of a Sibe!! I am sure one of mine is a Sibe in disguise!!!!!! This dog is not trusted with my cats whom he has grown up with. Another of mine is like a GSD in some attributes and will guard. They are hard work but you are prepared to put the effort in , they can be great dogs.
No I haven't, is it on here? We're not in the position to get a third dog yet anyway though as there's a chance we'll be renting in the new area for a while and two large breed dogs is going to be offputting enough for potential landlords! Even if we don't rent, belts will be buckled until I get a job as we'll just be on OH's wage and I feel bad enough that he'll be paying for all the dog stuff until then without adding another mouth to feed!
Just looked for the advert and it has been removed, hopefully it means he has been found a decent home. There are often older NIDs looking for new homes, so I am sure when the time is right there will be a dog out there for you xxx
