Wolf lookalike dogs were first widely available in this country back in the eighties, they were the creation of a lady named Edith Edwina Harrison (known as Eddie) Eddie's vision was to create a family dog that resembled the wolf but with none of its traits. She started by importing 5 dogs from America and several from Europe, some say these dogs were high wolf content, some say low and the skeptics say none at all. A few of the other founding dogs were brought in from private collections in Scotland and Ireland.
Eddie had been a breeder for some years and already had several dogs of her own, most notably Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherd. She set out to cross the 'Wolfiest' looking of her own dogs with the imported one's and sold them initially as 'Harrison Wolfdogs' or 'Wolf Hybrids'. There was quite a market for these dogs and other breeders quickly jumped on the band wagon. A wolf Hybrid Society was set up and things seemed to be going well until a small child in Wales was bit by one of the dogs. What followed was a lot of bad publicity, the authorities tried to confiscate all the dogs, put them down or re-home them in zoos or wildlife parks, breeders panicked and hid their dogs, often calling them by some other name to protect them.
Sadly the breeders kept inaccurate records for the dogs and in most cases no records at all, they fought amongst themselves, discredit each other on a regular basis and are still continually disbanding to form various new groups, registry's, associations and societies, each group believing their's to be the more ethical or doing the right thing by the dogs.
It is Eddies dogs that are behind all the Wolf lookalike types you hear of today including the Utonagan, British Utonagan, Northern Inuit, British Inuit, Tamaskan and the most recent British Timber dogs. All of these 'types' hope to gain KC recognition in the future, personally we think it highly unlikely any of them will.
Newspaper article from the time the authorities tried to confiscate all the dogs .
The Times
Villagers defend wolf-dog that savaged baby boy
BYLINE: Bill Frost
SECTION: Home news
LENGTH: 721 words
A WELSH village yesterday came to the defence of a Canadian hybrid timber wolf threatened with destruction after savaging a baby boy as he played with his brother and sister.
Jaye Coxhead, aged 22 months, had 14 stitches in wounds to his head and face after Ishtar, mostly timber wolf but part husky, bit him as he played at the family home in Pentraeth, Anglesey.
The cross-bred was first ''manufactured'' five years ago by the South African Defence Force, which was seeking to improve the quality, stamina and aggression of its patrol dogs at the height of unrest in the townships. ''They have very long fangs which would go through the toughest padding like a knife through butter,'' an officer in the force said at the time.
Yesterday the RSPCA called for a ban on imports of the animal, which it said was ''highly dangerous with a tremendous potential for aggression''. But Lynn Coxhead, the boy's mother, said that the attack was entirely out of character, and villagers described Ishtar as ''the most popular dog'' in the village. One said that it was ''gentle and very good with kids''.
Andrew Williams, who runs the village garage, said he was planning to buy a timber wolf for his own family. ''Ishtar is a lovely dog. I regularly play with him on the forecourt with the children. Everybody in the village knows him and loves him, Ishtar has no enemies at all. It would be a dreadful shame if his owners were forced to put him down.
''From what I can make out it wasn't his fault anyway, it all happened when the children got hold of a box of chocolates and were throwing them around. Ishtar tried to catch a piece of chocolate and Jaye was in the way.''
Sybil Jones, the village postmistress, also praised the Coxhead family's pet. ''He's lovely,'' she said. ''My son plays with him regularly. We would all be very upset if he was destroyed because of this.''
In South Africa the cross-bred, with yellow eyes and teeth twice the length of a domestic dog's, has struck fear in the hearts of even the most determined demonstrators. Army trainers have learnt to treat them with respect. ''Once they have got their teeth through to the flesh they do not let go,'' one officer said.
A year after the South Africans created the breed, the genetic technology was exported to the United States where wolf-dogs became popular among ''rednecks'' in the Midwest and affluent crack cocaine dealers in the inner cities.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called for government action against breeders, warning that the hybrids were ''very volatile''. Stephen Zawistowski, the society's science adviser, said: ''When wolf hybrids attack, they do not just bite they go for the kill. Their behaviour is very predatory.''
Yesterday the RSPCA said that 123 of the hybrids were known to be kept in Britain, but the figure might be much higher. Three months ago 20 of the dogs were imported by breeders who sell puppies for up to Pounds 500 each.
''It is a wild animal of unpredictable nature and great strength,'' the society said. ''We do not want them destroyed, though, just neutered so no more can be bred.''
Mrs Coxhead, whose son is recovering at home after treatment in hospital, said that she and her husband had spent a year considering whether Ishtar was going to be ''the correct dog'' for the family. ''He's not a vicious animal and never has been. We've had him since the day Jaye was born,'' she said. ''Ishtar is now with an expert who is going to assess him and decide whether he is to be put down or goes to another home. He has always been marvellous with the children.''
North Wales Police are investigating the incident, although the keeping of a wolf-dog does not come under either the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act or the Wild Animals Act. ''The matter is the subject of an inquiry and once all the facts have been established a decision will be taken as to what action is appropriate,'' a police spokesman said.
Eddie had been a breeder for some years and already had several dogs of her own, most notably Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherd. She set out to cross the 'Wolfiest' looking of her own dogs with the imported one's and sold them initially as 'Harrison Wolfdogs' or 'Wolf Hybrids'. There was quite a market for these dogs and other breeders quickly jumped on the band wagon. A wolf Hybrid Society was set up and things seemed to be going well until a small child in Wales was bit by one of the dogs. What followed was a lot of bad publicity, the authorities tried to confiscate all the dogs, put them down or re-home them in zoos or wildlife parks, breeders panicked and hid their dogs, often calling them by some other name to protect them.
Sadly the breeders kept inaccurate records for the dogs and in most cases no records at all, they fought amongst themselves, discredit each other on a regular basis and are still continually disbanding to form various new groups, registry's, associations and societies, each group believing their's to be the more ethical or doing the right thing by the dogs.
It is Eddies dogs that are behind all the Wolf lookalike types you hear of today including the Utonagan, British Utonagan, Northern Inuit, British Inuit, Tamaskan and the most recent British Timber dogs. All of these 'types' hope to gain KC recognition in the future, personally we think it highly unlikely any of them will.
Newspaper article from the time the authorities tried to confiscate all the dogs .
The Times
Villagers defend wolf-dog that savaged baby boy
BYLINE: Bill Frost
SECTION: Home news
LENGTH: 721 words
A WELSH village yesterday came to the defence of a Canadian hybrid timber wolf threatened with destruction after savaging a baby boy as he played with his brother and sister.
Jaye Coxhead, aged 22 months, had 14 stitches in wounds to his head and face after Ishtar, mostly timber wolf but part husky, bit him as he played at the family home in Pentraeth, Anglesey.
The cross-bred was first ''manufactured'' five years ago by the South African Defence Force, which was seeking to improve the quality, stamina and aggression of its patrol dogs at the height of unrest in the townships. ''They have very long fangs which would go through the toughest padding like a knife through butter,'' an officer in the force said at the time.
Yesterday the RSPCA called for a ban on imports of the animal, which it said was ''highly dangerous with a tremendous potential for aggression''. But Lynn Coxhead, the boy's mother, said that the attack was entirely out of character, and villagers described Ishtar as ''the most popular dog'' in the village. One said that it was ''gentle and very good with kids''.
Andrew Williams, who runs the village garage, said he was planning to buy a timber wolf for his own family. ''Ishtar is a lovely dog. I regularly play with him on the forecourt with the children. Everybody in the village knows him and loves him, Ishtar has no enemies at all. It would be a dreadful shame if his owners were forced to put him down.
''From what I can make out it wasn't his fault anyway, it all happened when the children got hold of a box of chocolates and were throwing them around. Ishtar tried to catch a piece of chocolate and Jaye was in the way.''
Sybil Jones, the village postmistress, also praised the Coxhead family's pet. ''He's lovely,'' she said. ''My son plays with him regularly. We would all be very upset if he was destroyed because of this.''
In South Africa the cross-bred, with yellow eyes and teeth twice the length of a domestic dog's, has struck fear in the hearts of even the most determined demonstrators. Army trainers have learnt to treat them with respect. ''Once they have got their teeth through to the flesh they do not let go,'' one officer said.
A year after the South Africans created the breed, the genetic technology was exported to the United States where wolf-dogs became popular among ''rednecks'' in the Midwest and affluent crack cocaine dealers in the inner cities.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called for government action against breeders, warning that the hybrids were ''very volatile''. Stephen Zawistowski, the society's science adviser, said: ''When wolf hybrids attack, they do not just bite they go for the kill. Their behaviour is very predatory.''
Yesterday the RSPCA said that 123 of the hybrids were known to be kept in Britain, but the figure might be much higher. Three months ago 20 of the dogs were imported by breeders who sell puppies for up to Pounds 500 each.
''It is a wild animal of unpredictable nature and great strength,'' the society said. ''We do not want them destroyed, though, just neutered so no more can be bred.''
Mrs Coxhead, whose son is recovering at home after treatment in hospital, said that she and her husband had spent a year considering whether Ishtar was going to be ''the correct dog'' for the family. ''He's not a vicious animal and never has been. We've had him since the day Jaye was born,'' she said. ''Ishtar is now with an expert who is going to assess him and decide whether he is to be put down or goes to another home. He has always been marvellous with the children.''
North Wales Police are investigating the incident, although the keeping of a wolf-dog does not come under either the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act or the Wild Animals Act. ''The matter is the subject of an inquiry and once all the facts have been established a decision will be taken as to what action is appropriate,'' a police spokesman said.