Czechoslovakian Wolfhound
Temperament:
The Czechoslovakian Wolfhound originated from a cross between wolves and German Shepherds. Therefore, his appearance strongly reminds of a wolf. He is much closer to the ancestors of dogs than his other conspecifics because of his wolf blood. Since 1999 the Czechoslovakian Wolfhound is an officially recognized dog breed. He is assigned to the FCI group 1.
Characteristics
Czechoslovakian wolfhounds have a wedge-shaped head and a grayish coat. The mask of the animal is lighter than the rest of the coat. The coat of the dog is very robust and protects him even from adverse weather conditions.
Like the wolf, the Czechoslovakian Wolfhound undergoes a change of coat. This takes place between the summer and winter. In the cold season, the dog is protected from the sub-zero temperatures by a thick undercoat.
The breed is characterized by a muscular physique. Males reach a height at the withers of about 65 centimeters. In females, this value is about 60 centimeters. Males usually weigh 26 kilograms or more. Females weigh about 20 kilograms. As a rule, female animals come into heat once a year. This is much rarer than in other dog breeds.
The dogs have a life expectancy of 13 to 16 years. This high life span is quite unusual for such a large breed. So you can look forward to a long time together with your four-legged friend.
One notices the Czechoslovakian Wolfhound's closeness to the wolf in its character. Therefore, the animal is usually skeptical and shy towards new things. The flight instinct is strongly present in this dog breed.
The dog's natural distrust can be controlled by you through good training. Once you have conquered the heart of a Czechoslovakian Wolfhound, you can consider yourself lucky. You have won a friend for life. Because of their wolf roots, they have a strong pack behavior. They are very loyal to their owners. Your new friend will be a very loyal companion.
The dogs are very intelligent and want to learn a lot. Even difficult tasks can be mastered by the Czechoslovakian Wolfhound after a short time. They want to be entertained by you again and again with exciting occupations.
In addition, Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds have an ingrained hunting instinct. Therefore, you should better leave him on a leash in an open area.
The animals have very well developed reflexes. Their reaction speed is very high. They are very hardworking and excellent sniffer dogs. However, due to their skittish nature, these dogs are not suitable for police or army work.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
To keep the Czechoslovakian Wolfhound healthy and fit, you should balance its diet. Fortunately, the animals are not picky about their food. The dogs tolerate both wet food and dry food. The barf method is also well accepted by them. Of course, you should make sure that the food contains all the important nutrients that your four-legged friend needs.
The diet must be adapted by you to the individual condition of your dog. Young animals, which move a lot in the fresh air, need a particularly rich diet. Older dogs should be fed with a special senior food.
The optimal food of a Czechoslovakian Wolfhound is composed of various contents. It should consist of 80 percent meat. The rest is made up of healthy vegetables and various fats.
As with all breeds of dogs, neither grain nor sugar should be on the menu for the four-legged friends.
Czechoslovakian wolfhound care
Only experienced dog owners should get a Czechoslovakian Wolfhound. The animals are very demanding in their attitude. That is why we recommend another breed as your first dog. They want to be stimulated both physically and mentally. This is the only way to keep your pet relaxed and happy. For the education you should bring a lot of patience, love and experience.
You have to take away the fear of the unknown as early as possible from the naturally timid animal. Thus, Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds should be accustomed to their environment at a young age. So they learn to deal with other people, situations and dogs.
If the dog has been successfully socialized by you, it is also suitable as a family dog. He is considered particularly fond of children. He will be very patient with your own offspring.
The four-legged friends need a lot of exercise. Ideally, you should have a large plot of land. Your garden should be framed by a sturdy fence. This way, your pet can move around freely and there will be no conflicts with your environment.
You should also consider the financial aspect of the purchase. You should realistically calculate the costs for food, veterinarians and insurance.
If you want to get a Czechoslovakian Wolfhound puppy into your family, you should be very patient. On the one hand, the breed is particularly rare and not found everywhere. On the other hand, bitches give birth to new offspring only once a year.
Especially the puppies are very playful. Therefore, the new home of the animal should be well secured. You should also be able to turn a blind eye if one of your objects gets broken.
Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds can be kept outside by you. For this you need a sufficiently large, secured property. However, they love the life in the pack and prefer the company of people or other dogs. You should therefore never leave them alone for too long.
Extensive walks should be an integral part of keeping them. Therefore, it is important that you like the movement as much as your darling.
The education must be consistent. You must give the dog a firm hierarchy in the pack. He should never be given the feeling that he himself is at the top. Then it could be that he becomes rebellious.
The coat of a Czechoslovakian Wolfhound needs intensive care. Therefore, the animal should be brushed regularly by you. A great peculiarity of this breed is its coat change. They have inherited this from the wolves. The coat changes between summer and winter coat and of course vice versa.
Especially the emerging summer coat presents many owners with major problems. The change of coat usually lasts several weeks. During this time, the four-legged friends lose their thick undercoat. In your apartment will therefore accumulate rough amounts of dog hair.
Regular vacuuming can provide some relief. However, the sheer mass of hair is hard to keep in check at all times. Therefore, you should show understanding during the change of coat. Your home floor will be a little dirtier than usual.
Otherwise, the dogs bring very little dirt into the apartment. You do not have to bathe Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds either.
In addition to grooming, the animals should also be dewormed from time to time. You should also pay attention to regular vaccinations.
Suitable accessories
For keeping this breed of dog you will need some typical utensils. First of all, of course, you need classic things, such as a leash, collar, food bowls, food, sleeping accommodation, etc.
In addition, your household should of course have a special brush for the care of the coat. If the four-legged friend has caught a tick, it must also be helped here. A tick pliers solves the problem in no time.
The dog breed has a very weather-resistant fur. Therefore, other warming clothes for the animal is not necessary.
Origin & History
The history of origin of the Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds is very interesting. They originate from a crossbreeding experiment, which was carried out in the 1950s. The scene was the former Czechoslovakia. The biologist Karel Hartl had been given the task by the state army.
He was to create a new breed of dog. This had to be particularly adapted to the harsh weather conditions in Czechoslovakia. Hartl used four Carpathian wolves and 24 German shepherds for this purpose. The mating attempts initially dragged on unsuccessfully for several years.
The first successful birth took place in 1958. The great-grandmother of all today's Czechoslovakian wolfhounds is considered to be the Carpathian she-wolf named Brita. At first, she violently rejected all mating attempts of the shepherd dogs. But by chance a particularly dominant specimen got close to her. Only then could the mating be accomplished with success.
The resulting offspring were in turn mated with other German Shepherds. In 1983 wolves were crossed with for the last time.
The half-breeds possessed a very skittish and at the same time aggressive nature. Therefore, the army could not involve them in their work. As a result, many dogs of the breed were killed.
However, in the 1980s, breeding was resumed more intensively. In 1989, the breed was recognized by the FCI with reservations. 10 years later followed the final recognition. Since then Czechoslovakian Wolfhounds are assigned to FCI group 1, section 1. Thus they belong to the herding dogs, as well as to the sheepdogs.
