So, I have had this dog for about 3 months now. He has been quite a challenge to assimilate into the home, but we feel we have finally made some real progress. Overall, he has a wonderful, sweet, non-aggressive temperament.
We adopted him from a shelter under the label of "Shepherd Mix". I did not doubt this theory. He looks somewhat like a German Shepherd but I knew he couldn't be pure. We ordered a Mars Wisdom Panel just for fun, and were shocked by the results.
According to the wisdom panel, he is 1/2 lab, 1/4 wolf, 1/8 malamute, and 1/8 coyote.
With these results, I can see it as a possibility. He is black, with hints of gray in his undercoat, and a flash of white on his chest. He is 30" tall at 11 months old, and is built very long, leggy and extremely narrow. He has a long snout, cow hocks, and a straight, bristled tail. His top-line is level. His coat is textured a bit like a German Shepherd, which is why we suspected that breeding, but he has quite a ruff of fur around his neck and shoulders. His paws are quite large, and he weighs about 75 lbs. The vet expects him to mature to 85-90 lbs.
I plan to discuss these findings without our vet, but she is out until Tuesday.
Owning a wolf or wolf hybrid is illegal in my state. I'm not entirely sure what the best course of action is. I have been asking around and doing some research. Some seem to think the wisdom panel results are meaningless, and that we should ignore them and continue on as we were. Others seem to think that they are proof of hybrid lineage and that we would be negligent not to surrender him to a sanctuary.
We would really prefer not to surrender our dog. This all comes as quite a shock to us!
What are your thoughts?
We adopted him from a shelter under the label of "Shepherd Mix". I did not doubt this theory. He looks somewhat like a German Shepherd but I knew he couldn't be pure. We ordered a Mars Wisdom Panel just for fun, and were shocked by the results.
According to the wisdom panel, he is 1/2 lab, 1/4 wolf, 1/8 malamute, and 1/8 coyote.
With these results, I can see it as a possibility. He is black, with hints of gray in his undercoat, and a flash of white on his chest. He is 30" tall at 11 months old, and is built very long, leggy and extremely narrow. He has a long snout, cow hocks, and a straight, bristled tail. His top-line is level. His coat is textured a bit like a German Shepherd, which is why we suspected that breeding, but he has quite a ruff of fur around his neck and shoulders. His paws are quite large, and he weighs about 75 lbs. The vet expects him to mature to 85-90 lbs.
I plan to discuss these findings without our vet, but she is out until Tuesday.
Owning a wolf or wolf hybrid is illegal in my state. I'm not entirely sure what the best course of action is. I have been asking around and doing some research. Some seem to think the wisdom panel results are meaningless, and that we should ignore them and continue on as we were. Others seem to think that they are proof of hybrid lineage and that we would be negligent not to surrender him to a sanctuary.
We would really prefer not to surrender our dog. This all comes as quite a shock to us!
What are your thoughts?