When you think of mixed dog breeds, you usually think of designer dog breeds that are actually possible. For example, if one breed is a German Shepherd, a Husky, a Doberman, a Poodle, or something like that. But some people are asking whether a German Shepherd Wolf mix is possible.
Well, nowadays, it seems like everything is possible. But is it plausible? Let’s talk about it.
Can A GSD Impregnate A Wolf?
Well, over the centuries, people have been trying to domesticate wolves. And canines are descendants of the gray wolf.
Yes, a German Shepherd dog can breed with a wolf, which would result in a German Shepherd Wolf Mix. Sometimes, this dog is called Wolf Shepherd.
Breeding these two animals can produce an interfertile litter that can interbreed and continue the lineage.
German Shepherds and wolves belong to the same canis species, and they are genetically closely related. So, crossbreeding the two is something that breeders have done it before.
Has someone successfully bred a wolf and German Shepherd?
There are a couple of successful examples of breeding German Shepherds and wolves. Let’s take a look.
Saarlos Wolfdog
This might surprise you, but in 1934, breeders came up with a breed known as Saarlos Wolfdog. It originated in The Netherlands. The breed came by crossing a German Shepherd with a Siberian grey wolf.
The offspring were further crossed with German Shepherds. It was an idea of Leendert Saarlos, a Dutch zoologist and dog breeder.
He believed that the German Shepherd had become too domesticated and wanted to bring back the natural personality traits of the German Shepherd dog breed. He wanted to create a better working dog.
So, he bred a male German Shepherd and a female grey wolf. Fun fact, The Dutch Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1975.
They named the puppy Saarlos Wolfdog to honor its creator. The FCI recognized the breed in 1975.
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
Another example of crossing wolves and German Shepherds is the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. This mix was created in 1955 when people bred a German Shepherd with a Carpathian Wolf.
In this case, the idea was to combine the intelligence, trainability, and pack mentality of the German Shepherd with the physical prowess and stamina of the wolf.
The Czech Wolfdog was bred to be used as an attack dog for the special military forces. In 1982, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog was recognized by the country and then by the FCI in 1989.
The difference between the Saarlos and Czech Wolfdog is that the latter is confident and assertive, while playful, temperamental, and protective of its family.
Some other wolf crosses include Siberian Husky Wolf, Native American Indian Dog, Wolamute Dolf Dog, Kunming Wolf Dog, and more.
Meet The Breed
So, what exactly is a German Shepherd Wolf Mix? This wolf hybrid was created by mating and breeding wolves and German Shepherds.
Some other names for this dog include wolfdog and wolf hybrid. In the canine world, the Wolf German Shepherd mix can be an offspring from breeding:
- Pure German Shepherd and pure Wolf
- Pure German Shepherd and German Shepherd Wolf Mix
- A pure wolf and a German Shepherd wolf mix
- Two German Shepherd wolf mixes
Meet The Parents
German Shepherd
German Shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds in the US according to The American Kennel Club. Their versatility is what makes them special. You can use a German Shepherd as a working dog, police dog, guard dog, protection dog, therapy dog, search and rescue dog, and everything in between.
They are eager to please, have high energy, and high intelligence, and are quite trainable. Because of their intelligence and trainability people love using them.
But people are looking for something more, in this case, something even more fearsome. Enter the wolf. Before we talk about the wolf parent, let’s check some personality traits of German Shepherds:
- Highly intelligent dog breed
- Eager to please
- Loyal and submissive to their dog owners
- Playful and energetic
- Wary of strangers because of their guarding instinct
Wolf
Wolves are wild animals. There is no breed registry for them or for wolf mixes. Of course, they are not recognized by The American Kennel Club.
This wild animal has been domesticated over the years, but they have retained its personality traits in the wildlife.
Wolves are pack animals that some believe are even more intelligent than dogs. They have a strong survival instinct that guides them through life.
Appearance
Now let’s talk about what a potential wolf-dog hybrid would look like. Well, as we know, German shepherds resemble wolves in appearance.
You can expect this hybrid dog to be large with a long face, pointed ears, and a thick coat. A Wolf Shepherd mix can have gray, sable, white, black, or a mixture of these colors. They inherit thick fur and can shed heavily.
On average, a German Shepherd mixed with a wolf should reach a height of 24 inches and a weight of 120 lbs.
Temperament
As we said before, German Shepherds have one of the most sought-after personalities in the canine world. But for some people, that is not enough, and they want a bit more wolf-like behavior.
With the wolf-dog hybrid, the wolf-like behavior doesn’t begin until adolescence. You can bring the mixed German Shepherd puppy home and expect them to act like canine puppies.
Yet, once they start growing up, their wolf-like personality will emerge. The bad news is that these mixes can be quite unpredictable.
Some might turn out to be proud and fearless and never back from anything or anyone. Yes, they can be ferocious, but some turn out to be shy and skittish.
Remember, wolves are scared of people. That will make them terrible guard dogs. Wolves might hide when strangers arrive. That is what they do in the wild.
Training
Training is a challenge with a dog that has dog-like behavior. A German Shepherd Wolf mix will retain some of the personality traits of the wolf.
That would make training quite challenging. This puppy is no longer eager to please like its German Shepherd parent.
Health Issues
There are two big reasons why even a dog breeder would try to cross a German Shepherd and a wolf. One is to get a more wolf-like personality and ferociousness. And the other is health issues.
Wolves are generally healthier than purebred German Shepherds. A Wolf Dog can live between 12 and 16 years, a lot longer than a regular German Shepherd.
Can They Make Good Family Pets?
Yes, the German Shepherd Wolf dog mix will protect its family with its own life. But that doesn’t make them great family pets.
The problem is unpredictability. Remember, one of the parents is a wild animal. And you can never trust an animal with wolf DNA with small children.
Older children might be able to get along with them, but the fact of the matter is wolves belong in the wild. They are not domesticated dogs.
