Silly question about a dog

Best guess - Blue Heeler??? And yes... Dogs can cross with coyotes, wolves, etc. Doesn't mean the mailman knows a coyote from a turnip green, though!

If you are not going to keep the dog, and the shelter will not take it, the most humane thing to do is to quit feeding it. It might then head for somewhere it has a chance of staying for a while. Wish there was something I could do, but I've got three huge ones in an 800 sf house now!

Its a little dangerous to try capturing it to take it to a pound that's going to kill it in three weeks, anyway. Another option is to call county animal control and let them do the job for you. Keeps you out of harm's way, and does not prolong the inevitable.

Sue

it's hard to tell what it is mixed with even if you know part of it.
but with every dog or dog relative they are all unique and have different temperament and personalities. so you have to use your better judgement on each one. i have a coydog that was mixed with boston terrier and rat terrier, she is alittle mishevious but not in any way aggressive, and dearly loves anyone and everything she comes in contact with. the only complaint would be that she keeps some of the wild habits, such as digging in her almost empty water bowl to "find" more water. and she likes to chew.. but wolf grade chew toys hold up pretty decently. she is for the most part a well behaved very friendly and playful dog. also rabies shots act the same on coyotes and dogs, so there is no problem with rabies shots and rabies vaccines.

My advise, siimply "Don't"

If you have nothing, but time, dedication, passion, and sincere willingness to understand the animal "maybe"

We have raised four first generation Hybrids and after all the tears and frusterations, destroyed furniture, on and on, and on and on. I can not recommend them as pets. Companions maybe, pets certainly not. I have looked at hundreds of "wolf dogs including those of the guy who drives around sacramento with his wolf dogs, and 99% of them are very low percentage wolf dogs. A true hybrid is kind of like having a two year old child for fifteen years. We raised three of the cubs starting before they opened their eyes. The one we started with at five months- was the worst experience. The do not bond easily, and socialization may, or may not be possible depending a large degree on the animal. (Socializion is a huge and I mean huge amount of work)

On one other note- and this is still not a recomendation, the bond I experienced with the hybrids was unlike anything I ever had with any animal ever. The experience was special, but not one I'd like to repeat. I will post some pictures here if some one can tell me how to do it.

-Anataq

Here in Texas, at least, Animal Control will come out and pick it up for free.
When you live in the country, it is not always practical to keep every animal dumped at your place.
mary

Seems to me you would need to judge each individual animal as to whether if would make a good family dog instead of just lumping them all together according to their heritage. I would no more say a dog with a little wolf or coyote mix was bad than I would say that all black people like chicken. It just aint so. I've had a purebred doberman that had to be done away with cause she just couldn't be trusted around anyone and a pure collie what was so dumb that after 2 years she still didn't know her name. I have had wonderfully smart mutts. Right now I have an Akita wolf cross that I got as a just weaned pup and have had nearly five years. She is very smart and very gentle and the worst thing she has ever done was chew the end off my braid when she was a pup and I went to sleep with her laying on the floor beside my bed with my hair hanging off the edge. She has never been physically punished and hardly ever yelled at so maybe that is why she is so loving and friendly. I'm sure there are bad animals the same as they are bad people but I'm willing to give any of them a chance unless they give me a reason to know they can't be trusted.

Can you post a pic of her?
I kinda doubt she's coyote cross. I've always heard that coyotes can/will gang up on a dog and kill it if given the opportunity. Least, that's what we hear around here.
I would probably be hiding under a car too if somebody "dumped" me out. Our male Border collie that we found was very timid and shy when we found him. Even tried to bite the Vet, if you raised your hand to pet him he would cower down. He must have had a cruel owner or very scared.

Now, he's not the same dog. He's very outgoing now and very, very loving and is eager to find your hand for petting, nuzzling and rooting for petting.Our Vet calls him her "miracle dog" because he was close to death's door when we found him. Vet loves to see him coming now and is amazed how he really came around.

Kudos for you.......
Chris

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WILLIE NELSON'S public statement regarding being caught with a bag of Marijuana recently:.....
"It's a good thing I had a bag of Marijuana instead of a bag of spinach. I'd be dead by now."

I am a registered user but not for this post. I live in area where it is illegal to own a wolf cross animal. I have 3 dogs, one is a malamute/siberian,and samoyed mix, one that is lab/shepard, and one which is malamute/pryness and wolf cross. She is the most gentle, trustworthy dog I have ever had.She is definatlely the matriarch of the clan, and will defend her title amongst the three and any stray that wonders by, including the lone wolf who comes to 'visit'. She has never jumped up on anyone or ever made any attempt to bite anyone (except her canine roomates and only then if they got to close to her food dish).
I have gotten more remarks and insinuations that my little huskey mix is the wolf cross than the one that actually is. My wolf cross is the only one who is not penned up,because she is the only one who does not run at large. She is the one who guards the chicken coop and pig pen, and the rest of us. I would own another wolf cross dog, I am a firm believer in the individual personality traits of any dog (or any animal for that matter). Its in the upbringing of the individual animal, and yes few are born bad, just like humans. I have had to put down a terrior mix that was just wild, I got her as a pup and did nothing different with her than any other dog I've owned. She attempted to bite me on several occasions for no good reason and was largely untrainable.The only fear I have owning one of the wolf crosses is that the government will find out and take her for dna tests and lock her up in a zoo. Hence the reason for anoniminity (sp?) I don't want to lose my best watch/guard dog.

if you can catch it you can vaccinate it, otherwise I agree with the social implications of domestic/wild crosses. However as to the genes being scrambled...I'm sure you mean figuratively. If anything their behavior is more natural, since they have more wild in them. It is unnatural (but highly useful for us) that dogs were selectively bred to include humans in the pack

My (warped?) sense of humor is going into over drive. I can't help it I find it funny that all those post got their start from the MAILMAN - making a comment what he thought the stray dog looked like.

Ok...I know it's more about dog/animals lovers sharing ideas...but I did get a good chuckle from thinking up others openers..."Well, the gas meter guy said it can't be a coydog because his great uncle said dogs can't bred with coyotes..." or "Well, the Superintent of Education, who was just passing by at the time, says yes indeed dogs and wolves and coyotes can indeed mate; after all where do you think the first domesticated dogs came from?"....okay I'll stop now.

Not so funny, is this thought that's stayed in my mind about the comment..."and we have to lock her in another room when we discipline our granddaughter." I'm thinking, and the first time they react and forget to lock the dog/wolf in another room what kind of tramatic experience that is going to be for the child? Picture grandpa having had his hand removed and eaten by loving wolf/dog and grandchild seeing all that....not good, not good at all.

Okay -- back to letting ya'll be serious...

Marlene

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It is the one with persistence and determination that brings great ideas into being.

My favorite is the guy with Pit Bulls, brings back memories.
I used to be a selective breeder, out of the 57 dogs I had, only one had to be put down, by me. Most dogs are like kids, raise them right & you'll get xmas cards. Raise them wrong & they only call you when they need bailed out.
Pick 57 people, you'll find more'n one thats needs killin'!

Don't get me wrong, I love most dogs, except those damned lil, big eyed, long haired ankle biters!

My lil brother made a pet of a full blooded coyote. The vet didn't know any better, and neutered him "as a dog". Maybe thats why he made such a good pet.

Coydogs are real & NOT an urban legend. Research the web, We have them here.

Rambling, just got off a graveyard shift, g'nite world.

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No lotus land ever cast its spell upon a man's heart more than Wyoming had enchanted mine.-The Virginian-Owen Wister-

Yep,amazing what people think is acceptable,thats why people get mauled because of geniuses like that.
BooBoo

When I was small I had two dogs that wouldn't let my mother whip me if we were outside and would try to get through the screen door when she did. They were mutts and my best friends. She is probably a little hungry discard.

Well I dont know much on this topic but since we had a wolf/shepard hybrid I thought I tell about it. We bought him from a couple who claimed him to be a full white shepard. It wasnt long before he became very aggressive and very huge although beautiful. He soon had to go outside as I had a 4 year old and one on the way. He also could escape our backyard and we would find him miles down the road with our lasa/beagle mix in tow. It wasnt long before we noticed he was also a huge sexist and hated anything female and only tolerated males but not without good show to try and intimate them as well. He would also dig at his pool and water dish trying to find more water or cool his belly until he would rip the hard plastic ones. He also killed more than one coon, we would hear them fighting but not much we could do. We finally gave him to a friend who wanted a guard dog she took him to a friend who trained police shepards and that is where we found out he was not really a white shepard but a hybrid leaning more towards the wolf because of some physical charactoristics that he noticed. He recommended she put him to sleep fearing the dog would kill or attempt to anyway. Luckly about 2 weeks later he was hit by a car and died quickly before he was able to hurt anyone. I don't know if all hybrids are this way but this is just my story.

Jennifer

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Use it up
Wear it out
Make do,
or do without

My friend had a dog which she found living in rocks in the country. He looked like a sled dog very pretty. He was a very nice dog around people and she even took him to old folks homes to share. But when loose was as wild as a march hare , would run tell he was exhausted. His name was lobo cause he looked so wolf like. When left alone once he ate the window sills. My point? Every dog is a individual. If the dog gets to trust you she will probably be a great dog[ we have a dog now that my daughter took away from a abusive home who so devoted to us]. And another point, my border collie will jump at me and grab my hand if I ruff house with my son, I want her to that way if any one trys to grab him they will have her to fight.Good luck with the dog[ any name yet?].

I have had (been blessed with!) both - a coydog (crossed with German Shepard) and 2 wolf/dog crosses. I lived in the high desert of CA for a while, and I know that some people would stake out a female dog in heat, to attract coyotes, in order to shoot them. Sad but true. If the farmer fell asleep during his watch, the dogs would often be bred - not ganged up on and killed. One of my canines was a result of this practice. I got her when she was 2 years old, had been hit by a car, badly badaged, and had chewed her rear leg to the bone. With much vet care, constant care by me, and many answered prayers, she healed well and was my constant devoted companion for 13 years. She had been well socialized to people and other dogs as a puppy, but if ANYthing or ANYbody ran from her, she was on the chase. She bit 3 times - always the same man, who was a cruel and mean throwback who I, too, would have bitten, given half a chance! She sffered from fear of gunfire, fireworks, thunder, and vaccuum cleaners (?). and terrible separation anxiety. She chewed her way out of 3 houses, one garage, and nearly my truck to get to me. She would often chew up things close to a door or gate. She guarded her yard and her person (me) shamelessly, with bared teeth and a very serious bark. She also took excellent care of all of my other critters (the other dogs, cats, goats, sheep etc.), licking anything and everything that ever needed licking. During the time I had her, I raised 4 goats and 2 lambs in the house from birth. She was always an excellent co-foster-mother. I wouldn't have traded her for a dozen purebred anythings, and it broke my heart when her hips gave out entirely and I finally had to have her put to sleep.

I got my 50/50 wolfdog from a breeder. She was Siberian husky/Timber Wolf. I requested the least aggressive, sweetest female from the litter (the bitch's first litter). The breeder told me, years later, that each successive litter turned out larger and more aggressive and after 3 litters, she had to have her spayed.
My sweet sweet Shadow was, for 14 years, a perfect copmpanion, a perfect pet, and a perfect member of my household. I worked very hard, each day until she was about 6 months old, at socializing her to people. She met and was handled by up to 100 people each day. As a result, she was always my best "take to town" dog. She loved the local Pow Wows, where the people seemed to be extra accepting of and intrigued by anything wolf. Those were her proudest moments. She had her favorite spot on the couch, and rarely slept anywhere else inside. Outside she dug a bowl shaped "den" under the bows of a big pine tree. She had a huge stuffed bunny that she drug around and mothered for about 7 years. Her greatest joy was squeeking her squeeky alligators as fast as she could. She used her front paws like hands. She wasn't much for rough-housing with the other dogs, in fact she was rather prissy. She didn't like to get her paws dirty, didn't like to go out in the rain, and was scared silly of rabbits and cats! In 14 years, the only thing i ever had to discipline her for was chewing 2 pairs of sandals as a puppy. In her usual trouble-free manner, with her liver failing but still eating, drinking, and moving about gracefully, she chose her time to die. I saw her walk into the middle of the front lawn one day, look around her in deep thought, and lay down in plain sight (not like her). I knew she had chosen to leave this life and I laid down next to her and laid my arm softly across her. I told her all about Doggie Heaven, assured her that she had done a perfect job here - had always been a good and faithful companion, and that I would be ok without her. I prayed, sang to her, talked about special times and pets we had shared, and cuddled close. Two hours later, she quit breathing.

My second wolfdog is half rottweiler (some people just shouldn't HAVE dogs!) and half high percentage wolf hybrid. Her mother had a difficult time birthing the pups and White Toes was delivered by C-section. I raised her from the minute she was born. She is the most intelligent, faithful, responsive, communicative, humorous, sociable, well-behaved and beautiful "daughter" anyone could ever hope to have.

Every animal is unique. No breed can be lumped all together and judged as either all good or all bad. Our personalities and their treatment as young dogs contribute a great deal to who they turn out to be, just as with children. Great love produces great miracles.
God bless us, every one...
~sallyjo~

It is very unlikely the dog is a cross. Many people will call any dog resembles anything wild a crossbreed to impress others. There are several breeds of domesticated dogs that look, to the unexperienced, like wolfdogs or coydogs. In the wild, wolves or coyotes will distance themselves from a dog unless they are extremely hungry or semidomesticated from exposure to humans. Just because people do not know the sire to their pups do not make them hybrids.
The reason there is so many different breeds of dogs is because most were developed for a reason. They have an inborn instinct for certain characteristics. Many people will choose a breed of dog just for the looks or even the color without a thought about what the breed specifics are. After many generations being bred for that certain characteristic which makes them a recognized breed people will still have the idea they can in a short time completely change all the natural instincts. Dogs can be forced to hide these characteristics by force, by approval training, by rewards, or maybe a few other tricks. They still have that inborn instinct. When there is no one around they will become the dog their natural instincts tell them to be. When people begin a statement with "It is all in how they are raised" you can be assured they have been around mutts all their life. That is the idea with the hundreds of breeds, a dog bred with the natural instinct for a certain characteristic. If you want a house dog, get a breed bred for laying around, not a hunting, working, high energy dog. Most of the problems with dogs that make headlines is not the dogs fault. They are doing what they were originally bred for. The problem is people believing the saying "It is all in how they are raised."