Czechoslovakian Vicak

The Czechoslovakian Vlcak (or "Czechoslovakian Wolfdog"�) is a breed that was created in the former Czechoslovak Soviet Socialist Republic from the cross of a Carpathian wolf with a German Shepherd Dog. It has been registered with the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club since 2001 as part of the Herding Group. In order to understand the origin of this breed and to understand its status today, one must have some background on the breeding of wolf hybrids. In the former Soviet Union, and in the independent Slavic nations prior to the formation of the USSR, the practice of intentionally breeding dogs and wolves had long been more common than elsewhere in the world. Through the past centuries there has been occasional documentation of packs of these hybrids becoming feral and becoming a danger to local communities. But the practice of creating hybrids was a cultural phenomenon and there was never talk of regulation. In 1955, in response to Soviet desire to create exceptional border control dogs, a government-sponsored "experiment"� was conducted to create a superior guard animal from the crossing of the Carpathian wolf with a German Shepherd Dog. These animals were the foundation for the Czechoslovakian Vlcak. In 1982 the breed was approved in its native country as a national breed. The Czechoslovakian Vlcak stands a minimum 24 inches tall, and any size over that is acceptable. Its build, presence and fur all closely resemble that of a wolf. It is sturdy with an athletic build and well-defined musculature. It is slightly longer than it is tall, though not obviously overly rectangular. This breed has a wedge-shaped head and triangular, pointed ears set well-back and prick. The head should be shaped in such a way as to relay the sex of the individual. Its eyes are small, almond-shaped and amber in color. The chest is deep and the loin short. The tail is long, heavily furred, and reaches the tarsus. The front legs are long and straight, with feet slightly turned out. The back legs and haunches are heavily-muscled. The feet are large and the paws heavily-padded. This dog has a slight ruff around the upper chest and neck. The coat is heavy, dense and double. The outer layer is made up of coarse, straight, long guard hairs. The inner coat is woolly, softer and thick. The color is yellow-gray to silver-gray, with a light mask across the jaws. The ownership of wolf-hybrids is a controversial issue in much of Europe and in the United States. For example, in Great Britain the Czechoslovakian Vlcak has been cause for a re-evaluation of the law. In 2000, the UK's Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) released a lengthy report documenting the aggressiveness of wolf hybrids, concluding that much of the characteristic was attributable to the types of dogs the wolves were bred with rather than only to the wolf. In 2002 the first Czechoslovakian Vlsaks were imported into Great Britain, but came under controversy after the Kennel Club withdrew the registration papers on the dogs after learning that DEFRA classified the animals under the Dangerous Wild Animals category, which made owning or transporting them illegal without special licensure. In 2008 DEFRA officially declared that any animal three generations or more removed from pure wolf would not be classified as dangerous. In the United States, there is also much controversy over wolf hybrids; in 40 states their ownership is outlawed or heavily regulated. At present, most major animal welfare and governmental organizations in the U.S. require that an animal be five generations removed from wolf in order to escape such regulations. Most Czechoslovakian Vlcaks would comfortably conform with this requirement. Temperament of these animals continues to be a matter of concern. The Czechoslovakian Vlcak is a good example of a wolf hybrid that requires careful handling. It has superior tracking, scenting, hunting, guarding ability, and it is highly trainable under the right conditions. This breed is highly loyal to all family members. Unfortunately it also carries several of the traits that make hybrids difficult to handle: independence which leads to difficulty in training, failure to house-break, unpredictable response to perceived threat, aggression toward other animals, and excessively dominant behavior upon reaching sexual maturity. This breed is exceptionally healthy. The owner should be aware of some of the issues that commonly plague large dog breeds, such as hip and elbow dysplasia, osteosarcoma, and bloat (GDV). The coat sheds moderately to heavily, with more shedding seasonally a few times a year. Brushing will help keep this to a minimum. This dog may be bathed as needed. The Czechoslovakian Vlcak does fine in most home environments, given adequate opportunity for daily vigorous exercise. Caution should be used when exposing this dog to other canines, since individuals can display dominance behavior leading to dog aggression. Caution should also be used when exposing this dog to small household pets that it might view as prey. The Czechoslovakian Vlcak can be very affectionate with family, but very suspicious of strangers. It is a good watchdog and guard dog. Visitors should approach this dog with caution until they are accepted and familiar. This breed should be socialized very early in life to other canines and to other household pets. This breed also needs to be socialized to children early in life to be safe around youngsters. Even then, this breed should always be supervised with children. Some studies have suggested that the frequency of attacks from wolf hybrids is not related to either parent species, but rather to a predatory instinct specific to the nature of the hybrid. It is important to understand that the vast majority of these attacks happen on children. In a report co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and the Humane Society of the United States, it was estimated that in the twenty year span between 1979 and 1998, wolf hybrids ranked sixth amongst dog breeds in frequency of attacks on humans, with 14 fatalities.

Back to iAnimals.com home page Copyright Notice: This website is © . All Rights Reserved.  Click Here to contact us. Link Partners: Animals Go to Heaven | Adopt Me | Salt And Pepper | Singing Animals | Animal Noises