Wolf Lookalike Standard

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Wolf Lookalike Standard (to aim for)

General Appearance
That of a North American Tundra Wolf.

Characteristics
Large, powerful dog of imposing appearance. Long legged with a thickly coated body.

Temperament
Friendly, intelligent and biddable. May be reserved with strangers until they get to know them. Not overly shy. Should not display any signs of aggression.

Head and Skull
When viewed from above skull is relatively narrow in comparison to size of dog. The apparent broadness of the head is caused by the fur ruff in mature specimens. Muzzle is of a moderate width, neither too broad nor too narrow and tapering to nose. Muzzle length slightly less than length of stop to occiput. Slight stop but not overly pronounced. Jaw muscles are powerful but not over developed. Nose pigment is black in all colours.

Eyes
Oblique set of almond shape, of medium size appropriate to the facial features of the dog. Colour ranges from amber through to yellow.

Ears
Small, erect and thickly furred. Rounded tips. Distance between ears when alert only slightly more than the distance between the eyes.

Mouth
Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips should be tight.

Neck
Thick and muscular of moderate length with a crest of longer hair which is more pronounced in mature specimens. No excessive dewlap or throatiness.

Forequarters
Slightly sloping shoulders of moderate length. Good shoulder angulation and elbows close to the body turning neither in nor out. Chest narrow and of reasonable depth but no lower than point of elbows. Legs are straight and relatively long in comparison to size of animal.

Body
Length from chest to rump slightly longer than height from withers to ground. Back straight with a slightly sloping croup to tail. Back muscular and kept level when on the move.

Hindquarters
Muscular and slightly rounded at rump. Legs straight when viewed from behind, good turn of stifle with second thigh. Moderate angulation allowing for powerful drive when on the move. Hocks well let down. Cow or Sickle hocks undesirable. Pasterns should be straight and no longer than a 3rd of the total length of the hind leg. Dew claws not to be removed, except for medical reasons, if present are undesirable.

Feet
Feet are large in comparison to size of animal. Front feet larger than hind. Tight but not excessively arched and thickly padded allowing for spread of weight. Toes are webbed and thickly furred between pads. Flat or hare feet undesirable. Nails black.

Tail
Low set and thickly furred. When on the move tail can be raised in a gentle curve. May be dropped when the dog is relaxed. Never curled over the back.

Gait/Movement
Free, loping gait covering the ground.

Coat
Thick double coat with dense soft undercoat and coarse guard hairs. Guard hairs longer over shoulders and spine. Pronounced ruff around face in mature specimens. Coat less dense and flatter in the summer months after the spring moult. No excessive feathering on backs of legs or thighs.

Colour
Wolf Sable ranging from pale cream undercoat through to all shades of fawn, apricot and red, must have pronounced sabling (black tips) with a pale throat and underbelly. Face in the sables can be lighter down the sides of the muzzle and extending under the eyes and cheeks. May extend to rings around the eyes. No obvious chest patches or pronounced eyebrows.
Black ranging from all black through smoke and charcoal due to paler undercoat.
White ranging from pure white through to pale cream.
Pigment in all colours should be black.

Size
Height at the shoulder 66cm – 76cm (26 – 30ins) males are larger than females.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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Sansorrella Winterwolf

Sansorrella First Class

Profile:

The 'wolf lookalike' dogs we have today withhold some of the characteristics and traits of the Northern breeds of dog but without the intense working drive that would prevent family life. They have a calmer nature more befitting of the family dog. They have fitted in well with our modern day lifestyle as a loyal pet, capable of competing successfully in obedience, agility, fly ball etc. Where the 'wolf lookalike' has not proved a success is as a guard dog, due to their friendly manner and willingness to greet any visitor as a long lost friend in an extremely boisterous and exuberant manner!

Sansorrella Rockafella

The 'wolf lookalike' is a very affectionate and versatile dog, with an incredible sense of smell and willingness to please. The future looks bright and could provide future services such as Search and Rescue dogs, Hearing Dogs for the deaf, P.A.T dogs or simply as the pride and joy of families as their loyal and loving pet. A handful of dogs are already being trained as a Search and Rescue dogs and some have qualified as P.A.T. dogs. Several dogs have passed the KC Good Citizen Award scheme, achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold standard for their proud owners.

"Winter"

If introduced at a young age 'wolf lookalikes' mix well with other pets, but it must always be remembered that they naturally have a very high prey drive and should never be left alone with other domestic pets or livestock. Because of their friendly personalities they love the companionship of other dogs and very rarely argue, usually submitting when challenged. They make great family members and like to be included in everything the family does. They love children and are happy to play games for hours or cuddle up on the sofa for a kip. Those that are privileged to own a 'wolf lookalike', or more, know how loving and caring these dogs truly are.

However, they are not a dog that can be left alone while you are at work, this can lead to a very distressed dog and destructive behaviour. They have a very strong pack instinct and it cannot be over emphasised that they need constant company, human or canine - but any canine companion should be large enough to take the rough and tumble of their play.

"Nuka" and "Sura"

The 'wolf lookalike' in general is a faithful companion and bonds very closely with their family. You never forget that smile; they have a wonderfully expressive face and really do ‘smile’. They require a medium level of exercise as they are not over active dogs, but they are boisterous in play!

Sansorrella Lady in Red

Wolf lookalike' dogs are generally larger than a Siberian husky, with dense double coats ranging in colour from white through to black and reds, with grey being the most common. They can have a ‘mask’ but colour change should be subtle. They moult twice a year; the heaviest being the spring moult but good brushing keeps this under control. Some 'wolf lookalike' dogs do not tolerate cereal based complete dogs foods very well and as a whole they do best on BARF diets. (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food)

Sansorrella Arctic Fox and Sansorrella Beltane

'Wolf Lookalike' dogs are very independent and strong willed dogs and are not really suited to a novice dog owner. They are trainable (but it helps if you have an abundance of patience and a good sense of humour) and they should be well socialised from a very early age. With confident handling they can be reliably obedience trained and safely let off lead.

"Kalli"

Behaviour and temperament of individual dogs will be shaped as much by Nurture as Nature. Handling, training and socialisation affects how a dog will behave. As with every breed there are always exceptions to the rule. There are dogs who will guard their territory, some are more independent and aloof than others. Not all will submit when challenged; as they are predominantly a pack animal there will always be those with Alpha tendencies. It is common sense that no child be left alone with any dog, especially a large breed and they should be supervised by an adult at all times. Even the most friendly of dogs can accidentally knock a child over or 'mouth' them as they would their siblings during exuberant, over excited play.

"Winter" and "Kalli"

Training must be started young, be consistent and reward based, making it fun for the dog as well as the owner. Owners will get out of a dog what they are prepared to put in. These dogs are unique and by no means perfect, requiring a special type of owner who is experienced and fully committed to their dogs. It must always be remembered that these are NOT German Shepherds and will not behave like one. You will not get the instant obedience that you might expect from a GSD, as these dogs will very often weigh up the pros and cons before deciding whether or not it is 'worth' doing what you want. They have a "What's in it for me" attitude.

"Ruby"

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IMPORTANT

It is important to note that Anglo Wulfdogs are NOT a breed, it is a database recording all breeding of health tested and DNA profiled wolf lookalike dogs taking part in a specific breeding programme designed to expand the gene pool of this type of dog.

For more than 25 years 'wolf lookalike' dogs have been bred under various names, such as Northern Inuit, Utonagan, British Inuit, Tamaskan etc.; all have the same foundation dogs in common. Inbreeding over a number of years has resulted in a genetic 'bottle neck'. Some breeders of the aforementioned breeds do recognise this and are taking steps to rectify the problem, but sadly not all breeders acknowledge that there is a problem.

Breeders registering with the Anglo Wulfdog registry have been concerned for some time over the recurring health and temperament issues arising in this type of dog as a consequence of chronic inbreeding. They have joined together in an attempt to put these problems right. Advice has been taken from genetics experts and a programme has been devised to ensure a healthier, more viable wolf lookalike breed in the future.

There has been too much bickering and politics between the various wolf lookalike groups over the years and the true origins of this type of dog will never be proven, due to the absence of accurate records or genetic proof. Anglo Wulfdog breeders are looking to the future of 'wolf lookalike' dogs, rather than dwelling on the past mistakes, by breeding for genetic health and ensuring that pedigrees are correct; DNA profiling will make all records irrefutable.

We are still in the early stages of expanding the gene pool and are using health tested and proven pure bred dogs of the breeds used to create the 'wolf lookalike' originally, ie. German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky and other wolfdog breeds. Therefore the first crosses (F1) will take on many of the characteristics, appearance and traits of the pure breed parent used, ie. a Northern Inuit bitch put to a German Shepherd stud will produce at least half a litter that will have a more German Shepherd appearance and the litter will also, hopefully, have the intelligence and trainability of the German Shepherd dog. A Northern Inuit bitch put to an Alaskan Malamute will produce pups with a more wolfish appearance and improved coat, but some will undoubtedly also display curly tails, the pups will also be very pack orientated, strong willed and stubborn. The main purpose of these crosses is to expand the gene pool and provide sound breeding stock for the future development of the 'breed'; over time the breeding programme will produce dogs of the type required but initially health and temperament will take priority over appearance and this should be borne in mind when choosing a puppy.

"Nuka"

"I'm working for the creation. I refuse to take part in it's destruction"
Leon Shanandoah - Iroquois

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