Last week a woman brought a four month old wolf-hybrid (wolf-dog) puppy to her local animal shelter. She told the shelter staff that she had paid several hundred dollars for an untrainable and unmanageable animal.

This is a very typical story. This lady bought an animal without doing the necessary research beforehand. A wolf-hybrid, even though part dog, is not a dog. But the lady did the responsible thing by turning the puppy into an S.P.C.A shelter. This puppy was to be euthanized the next morning. But the network of good people doing Wolf Rescue are seeing that the puppy gets to a refuge in New Hampshire.

This story has a happy ending. Many do not. We were able to help this animal before she became older, and so aggressive from the frustration of being kept in unnatural conditions that there is no choice but to euthanize her.

A wolf-hybrid is a wild animal. The reasons for not owning one could fill a book. No matter how experienced someone is with dogs, they are completely at a loss when dealing with a hybrid. The instincts and behavior of the wolf are dominant, even though some animals in appearance more closely resemble a dog. They cannot be trained like a dog. You are never their master. If you're lucky they may except you into their pack. And they must have a pack, even if it's just one more (opposite sex) of their own kind, not a dog. They need plenty of room to run and special holding provisions. A regular dog kennel will not do. To tie a wild animal and to keep them alone is a guaranteed death sentence. They go crazy. Believe me when I tell you that you don't want them in your house (there are always exceptions), and they will not protect you. All wild animals flee from danger. They need to chew every day, ( we order cooked animal body parts by the case, It is expensive), they mark everything (urinate) they consider theirs, and even though they are spayed and neutered, the instinct to reproduce is so strong, they go through a physiological breeding season which begins in October continually until the end of March. This always causes good relationships within the pack the rest of the year to have its problems. There are always some minor fights, thankfully sounding worse than they actually are. But it is scary, and lets not forget the howling. If you're fortunate, and the wolf-dog is young, you may be able to prevent the habit of the nighttime serenade.

Living with wolves or hybrids, you must be willing to let them live their way, not yours. Most people who try living with hybrids, find these animals unmanageable, as they expect them to conform to a dog type behavior. This is impossible!

And don't believe that if you try and it doesn't work that you can just release him in the wild. No animal, having been raised in captivity can survive on his own. Even a pure wolf needs to be taught how to hunt.

If you love the wolf go see them in their natural environment. Don't encourage the breeders of hybrids by creating a market for these animals who ultimately pay the price.