Also known as the European Wolfdog, Saarlooswolfhond, and the Saarloos Wolf Dog, the Saarloos Wolfhound is an energetic and protective breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the Saarloos Wolfhound can be traced back to 1921 Netherlands, when breeder Leendert Saarloos began experimenting with crossing domestic breeds with wolves. Saarloos eventually bred a female Eurasian Wolf with a male German Shepherd Dog, and the Saarloos Wolfhound was finally born.
Throughout its history, the Saarloos Wolfhound has been most commonly kept as a pet, and as a watch and guard dog, proving its superior abilities to provide both protection and companionship.
Today, while the Saarloos Wolfhound has attained an underground popularity as a rare hybrid, working dog, and pet, the breed remains rather rare outside of The Netherlands and Germany.
Personality Traits
Best known for its loyal and protective nature, the Saarloos Wolfhound is willing to do anything necessary in order to protect its owner and territory. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, and love to receive attention and praise. This breed is very intelligent, yet stubborn, independent, and overly confident at times, creating difficulty in training. As a pet, the Saarloos Wolfhound is loyal and loving. The Saarloos Wolfhound is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, taking long and leisurely walks, and having plenty of room to roam, run, and play.
Train-ability
Due to its stubborn, independent, and overly confident attitude, the Saarloos Wolfhound can prove quite challenging to train. This breed is known for growing bored and annoyed with repetitive exercises and tasks, and is notoriously difficult to housebreak.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Saarloos Wolfhound. These dogs require an experienced, strong, and confident owner with a stern and serious approach to repetitive exercises and tasks.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Saarloos Wolfhound, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. These curious and active dogs are always on the move, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. This breed is alert, territorial, and protective, making an incredible watch and guard dog by announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The Saarloos Wolfhound is loyal and loving, making an excellent guardian and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Saarloos Wolfhound. This energetic and athletic breed requires large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Saarloos Wolfhound not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The Saarloos Wolfhound has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these dogs are quite quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Saarloos Wolfhound must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
This breed is not recommended for households with other pets or children. The Saarloos Wolfhound’s instinct to chase may cause accidents. Even with proper socialization from a young age, these dogs are known to show excessive aggression and dominance towards other animals.
As previously mentioned, the Saarloos Wolfhound remains rather rare outside of Germany and The Netherlands, and can prove quite difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Saarloos Wolfhound is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, Degenerative Disk Disease and other spinal conditions, chronic kidney infection, glaucoma, distichiasis – ingrown eye lashes, cherry eye, various dental issues, and bloat.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Saarloos Wolfhound? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.heydogs.com/s/saarlooswoldhond.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/saarlooswoldhond
