Czechoslovakian Wolfdog

Typical female

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a relatively new breed of dog that traces its original lineage to an experiment conducted in 1955 in the former Czechoslovak Republic. After initially breeding a German Shepherd Dog with a Carpathian wolf, a plan was worked out to create a hybrid breed that blended the desired qualities of both animals. It was officially recognized as a national breed in the ČSSR in 1982, in 1999 it became FCI standard no. 332, group 1, section 1.

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Appearance

Head of young male

Both the build and the hair of the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog are reminiscent of a wolf. The lowest dewlap height is 65 cm for a dog and 60 for a bitch and there is no upper limit. The body frame is rectangular, ratio of the height to length is 9:10 or less. The expression of the head must indicate the sex. Amber eyes set obliquely and short upright ears of a triangle shape are its characteristic features. The set of teeth is complete (42); very strong; both scissors-shaped and plier-shaped setting of the dentition is acceptable. The spine is straight, strong in movement, with a short loin. The chest is large, flat rather than barrel-shaped. The belly is strong and drawn in. The back is short, slightly sloped, the tail is high set; when freely lowered it reaches the tarsuses. The fore limbs are straight, and narrow set, with the paws slightly turned out, with a long radius and metacarpus. The hind limbs are muscular with a long calf and instep.

The color of the hair is from yellow-grey to silver-grey, with a light mask. The hair is straight, close and very thick. Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a typical tenacious canterer; its movement is light and harmonious, its steps are long.

Temperament

Typical female and male

The Wolfdog is more versatile than specialized. It is quick, lively, very active, fearless and courageous. Distinct from the character of Saarloos, shyness is a disqualifying fault in the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog develops a very strong social relationship not only with their owner, but with the whole family. It can easily learn to live with other domestic animals which belong to the family; however, difficulties can occur in encounters with strange animals. It is vital to subdue the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog's passion for hunting when they are puppies in order to avoid aggressive behavior as an adult. The puppy should never be isolated in the kennel; it must get used to different surroundings, for traveling and so on. Bitches are easily controllable; dogs often experience a stormy adolescence.

Female

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is very playful and temperamental. It learns easily. We can admire its all-around qualities rather than its specialization. However, we should not expect that it will train spontaneously, the behavior of the CsV is strictly purposeful - it is necessary to find motivation for training. The most frequent cause of failure is usually the fact that the dog is tired out with long useless repetitions of the same exercise, which results in the loss of motivation. These dogs have admirable senses and are very good at following trails. They are very independent and can cooperate in the pack with a special purposefulness. If required, they can easily shift their activity to the night hours. The independent work of the pack without the necessary control of a man was the reason for their use in the military. Sometimes problems can occur during their training when barking is required. Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs have a much wider range of means of expressing themselves and in some situations barking is unnatural for them; they try to communicate with their masters in other ways. Generally, to teach CsV stable and reliable performance takes a bit more time than does to teach traditional specialized breeds.

Also See

• Tamaskan Wolfdog
• Saarlooswolfhond
• Utonagan Wolfdog

Sources

• Dogbreedinfo.com (see here for copyright resolution)