Wolfdogs as pets in the UK

Thanks to a particular television series on HBO, the demand for keeping Wolfdogs as pets in the UK has taken a dramatic turn for the worst. If you’re not sure what I mean by a “Woldog” or a “wolf-hybrid”, then know that I’m not talking about the Siberian Husky.

Wolfdogs are canines that have been bred with wild wolves, therefore share stronger connections with the appearance and instincts of the wolf. They look absolutely stunning, but there is legal and moral dilemmas to consider if you fancy yourself as a real life Jon Snow.

The laws for keeping a wolf hybrid are entwined with the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which states wild and hybrid animals require a licence to be kept. A licence is only unnecessary if the wolfdog is third generation or more, in which it’s no longer considered under the act.

The moral standpoint however is more complicated. Removing a wild wolf for breeding purposes just to serve someone’s fantasy of owning a wolf is rather tragic… is that treatment towards a species that the would-be-owner loves so much justified? If you’re looking for a Wolfdog puppy in the UK regardless of this, think about what the puppy has been through in transit; wolves aren’t exactly common in the United Kingdom.

We also have the behaviour of the wolf-hybrid to consider, is it responsible to domesticate a wild animal and expect them to behave under domestic rules? Do you expect a wolf-hybrid to be just as relaxed around his food bowl as a domestic dog? Do you expect them to be just as friendly towards humans? What happened when John Hammond created dinosaurs for a family theme park? THEY BROKE OUT AND ATE EVERYONE. So maybe that’s me going off on a tangent, but the concept of keeping animals in their required environments is the same.

So what’s your alternative? Well it’s dead simple. There are loads of dogs out there that look like wolves, so why not pick one of them?

They have the temperament of a domestic animal, they’re not £5’000 a pop, and you can find respectable breeders very easily.

Northern Inuit

Siberian Husky

Alaskan Malamute

Canadian Eskimo

Finnish Lapphunds

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