are wolf dogs and german shepherds really so agressive?

Question

i want to buy a dog, preferrably german shepherd or a wolfdog. i have read that they are fairly agressive and unpredicatble, especially wolfdogs and are hard to train if i had one would the dog attack me at some point of his/her life?

Answer 1

Hybrids (1/2 wolf-1/2 dog) have a reputation for being wild because it is their instinct. I owned one myself for about 48 hours...and never again. I have owned 6 German Shepherds (and currently own one) in my lifetime and they are the most trusting, loyal, and beautiful dogs on the planet. I highly recommend going with GSD breeder who has an extensive bloodline which extends back to the dog's grandparents, so that you can ensure it doesn't have a history of hip dysplasia (which is fairly common in GSDs) and/or illness. It can run up to $1500 for an alpha male, but it is well worth the money. Good luck!

Answer 2

Well I live in a state where it isn't illegal to own a half wolf dog. I have been around a couple and I will tell you about them. The first was a husky/wolf mix named Rambo he was very protective and if he got loose he would hunt the neighbors calf's. He never hurt a human though. The second I know of was a husky/wolf mix also except this one I think had more wolf then the other. My friends father owned him. He was a fairly good dog well a really good dog for my friends father. As long as the dog didn't decide you posed a threat you were fine. My Friends dad had to give him up because one day it decided that the kitten his wife had gotten didn't need to live any longer and shredded it right there in the kitchen. The dog was raised around cats its whole life. So he gave it to a friend of his who lived close to me. The dog would break any chain he tried and would go to the neighbors and massacre the chickens, ALL of them. He also decided this deer they had hanging from deer season was his and no one was going to say otherwise. Finally the neighbor had enough and shot the dog. Its sad but those dogs are NOT to be trusted!! Now German Shepard's. I know a couple that had the meanest German Shepard ever and if you were as much to stand on the road next to their drive way he'd come after you. They put the dog down after it attacked a lady riding a bike down the road. My best friend had 2 German Shepard's. She socialized them ALOT when they were puppies and never used physical discipline. They were the kindest gentlest German Shepard's I had ever seen. They never bit or growled, they both died eventually from Hip Dysplasia. With German Shepards it is all about how they are raised.

Answer 3

Wolfdogs are only half dog and so they're behaviour is far less predictable.

The way an animal psychologist explained them to me was something along these lines:

When fully grown most dogs still behave in many ways like wolf pups and juveniles,and are therefore less dominant than a wolf by far.This includes guarding and fighting breeds like GSD'S, dobermans,pit bulls etc.It also includes the northern breeds like huskies and malamutes which despite resembling them to a degree are dogs and not tame wolves. Wolves are very dominant and often have fierce fights over hierarchy when they reach adulthood but they are harmless to people unless driven mad by rabies because after centuries of persecution wild wolves have an inbuilt fear of humans and will run at the sight of 1.

The problem with wolf hybrids is that they inherit the wolf dominance on reaching maturity along with the strong hunting instinct but the dog blood means they have no inbuilt fear of humans.

What that boils down to is that a wolf hybrid may be a lovely puppy but on reaching adolescence it will be far harder to handle.While with proper training it will probably never attack it's owner or it's owners family it will attack any intruder,human or animal,on it's territory and will also try to hunt wild animals, livestock,smaller dogs,cats and possibly even young children it doesn't know.

They are also illegal in many places including here in the UK unless you have a special license and are willing to keep it locked in an enclosure.You will certainly never be allowed to take it for a walk on a lead.

German shepherds are not aggressive at all when well trained so I'd recommend them over a wolfdog.

Answer 4

I have never heard of a wolf dog but have had three German shepherd dogs over the years they are not for people who do not understand dogs you may be better getting some experience with a easier smaller dog first.
GSD are very loyal and protective to their owners I have never been attacked or I would not keep getting the breed.
They have long puppy hoods and can be very hard work to socialise and train but I love the breed dearly once a Shepherd person always a Shepherd person.
Good luck

Answer 5

Do NOT do what clever investor suggests. This will make your dog aggressive, if it doesn't become aggressive it will become a fear biter.

I don't recommend the wolfdogs, wolfdogs shouldn't even be bred in my opinion.

Go with the GSD. You can get either a pup or an adult. Take some positive obedience classes. Socialize your dog with many people and situations.

If you treat your dog right, it'll treat you right. You should be the leader, but leaders should lead out of respect not fear.

Answer 6

That is terrible. I do feel badly for you. Having said that I feel even worse for your dogs. Too bad your dog was living tied to a pole out side of the city. That sounds like a crappy life for him in the first place. Ever wonder why your other dog is extremely aggressive? Probably because it is tied to a pole. Dogs need to be with people especially GSD's. But you were wasting your time with the taping on the ears. They would have went up on their own anyway. You should not start worrying about the ears until 9 or 10 months. Sounds like you need to get a new guard, he sucks. You might try making a flier and putting it out at all the local vets, pet shops and dog pounds. Also call the local news media, tv and radio. Maybe they will put it on the air. Did you have the dog micro-chipped? That would help......

Answer 7

If you are in the UK it is illegal to own any sort of Wolf hybrid without a Dangerous Wild Animals licence. A German Shepherd Dog does not have any wolf blood & is an entirely different animal. I suggest you do plenty of research into the breed before buying. A well bred GSD from a reputable breeder is not and never should be unpredictable (unless, of course, it has been badly treated or unsocialised), neither are they aggressive, although they may be protective which is entirely different to aggression.
GSD excel at obedience, they are not hard to train but do need firm handling (which doesn't mean physical punishment) from the start.

Answer 8

There is an entire conversation you should read in regards to the wolfdog going on *right now* in http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd on the *messageboard*

Read that first then make your decision. As one that has owned a wolf and German Sheps.. well, I now have 6 German Shepherds so I guess you know which side of the road I settled on... hahahhaa

If you want to *bond* and be able to *trust* your dog so you can take him places then by all means you are welcome to walk on my side of the road too... LOL

Get a *working* line GSD and train him in Schutzhund instead of a wolfdog that is pretty much untrainable.

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR QUEST
(Marsha A)
join me at:
http://360.yahoo.com/sewwoodyou

Answer 9

A German Shepherd is not particularly agressive provided you train it correctly. Wolf hybrids, on the other hand, are very wolf-like in their nature. They do not make good household pets as they are destructive, hyperactive, will always try to be dominant and display predatory behaviour towards other animals and people, particularly children. As an example, if a child near your wolf fell or began to cry, it would be exhibiting prey-like behaviour and the wolf would consider it fair game.

In order to keep a wolf hybrid as a pet you may need to acquire a dangerous wild animals license, as well as having suitable facilities to house it. Many people are enchanted by the idea of keeping a wolf as a pet but fail to realise what it actually involves and many of these animals end up being euthanized as a result.

Answer 10

Theres no regulation about what makes a 'wolfdog', either they are genuine wolf mixes or they have some husky-type ancestry.
Both wolves and husky types can be safely handled by their owner, if you know what you're doing, but not trained.
Experts have raised wolves and when they reached maturity they lived with their owners/handlers but could not be trained to do as they are aked; if experts can't do it, then you can't! And husky owners don't enter obediance classes. Leave these dogs to the experts.

Most dog aggression is directed towards people who are not family members. Its a much greater risk that your dog will bite someone else.
Find puppy training classes near you, ask to sit in and tell them you're thinking about buying a pup. You'll learn a lot about how to handle and raise a dog responsibly.