Czechoslovakian Wolfdog vs Curly Coated Retriever - Breed Comparison

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a mix between a German Shepherd and a Carpathian wolf. In fact the Czechoslovakian Vlcak is another name for the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog and Vlcak is the Czech name for a German Shepard dog.

When you translate the name, it means Czechoslovakian German Shepherd. There was a biological experiment that began in 1955 and these experimental breedings went on for a decade, so that in 1965 a plan was created for the breeding of this new breed.

It was in 1982 that the Czechoslovakian Vlcak was recognized as a national breed in the former Czechoslovakian Republic and recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.

This attractive, intelligent looking dog won the title of ‘World Champion’ at the World Dog Show in 1990 and in 1999, the breed met all criteria of the World Canine Organization, earning full recognition of the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog breed.

There isn’t much on the origin of the Curly-Coated Retriever and his history hasn’t been well documented.

The dog originated some time ago in the early 19th century, with some believing that the dog was in England during the late 1700s already.

It is thought that this dog, which is identical to the Labrador but with a tight, curly coat, descended from the Old English Water Dog, the Irish Water Spaniel and the smaller Newfoundland. This mix was later crossed with the Poodle and this is where the curls come into the picture.

The Curly-Coated Retriever gained substantial recognition in England during the mid-1800s and exported to the United States in 1907. The dog was also later exported to Australia and New Zealand and has been recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1924.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog looks like a true German Shepherd/Wolf mix with his erect ears, bushy tail and straight, muscular legs.

The eyes of the dog are slanted and brown. He stands at about 65cm in height and weighs up to 26kg. The thick coat of the dog is greyish in color but other colors come in as well such as white, cream, black, silver and yellow - all wolf colors. In fact the density of the coat as well as the color changes according to the seasons.

The coat is particularly thick in the Winter, thinning out in the Summer. The coat color may be yellow-gray or silver-gray.

Temperament:

Having a pet which has some wild animal mix can be risky and dangerous. Adding wild animal DNA means that you can get some of the behavior of the wild animal added in and this can be asking for trouble.

When the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog turns on a person, he will be blamed and put down, whereas it is the stupidity of the human to breed such dogs and bring them into their homes in the first place. You need to be careful with children in the home, especially if they don’t know how to treat a dog with respect.

Nonetheless the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is able to develop a deep relationship with his owner. He is a dog who, when training and socialized, can gets on well with his human family as well as with other pets in the family.

He has got other excellent characteristics such as being fearless and courageous. He is intelligent and learns easily.

The Curly Coated Retriever is a medium sized dog standing at about 58–69cm and weighing anything between 25 – 40kg. The dog, mainly black or chocolate brown, is active and muscled and was used for hunting and retrieving waterfowl.

The coat has small, tight curls over the body except for the face and the legs. He has floppy ears and they eyes of the black dog are brown while in the liver-colored dogs, the eyes are amber or gold.

The tail is long. He has a wedge shaped head, and its the fact that the face is more long than wide which makes him easily distinguishable from other retriever breeds. Of course, it is the curly coat which is the dog’s most distinguishing feature.

Temperament:

The Curly Coated Retriever has been used as a gun dog, and today, like most retrievers, they make superb pets and are a lively, social and fun-loving breed. He becomes loyal and devoted to his human family members, making a splendid pet, but then he must be exercised.

Have him trained and socialized and he becomes an obedient, relaxed dog, eager to please. He is intelligent and self-confident and gets on well with children in the home as well as with other pets.

He fits in easily to city and country life, but if he could have large grounds to run, play and swim, which he loves, he would be at his happiest.

The beautiful Czechoslavakian Wolfdog resembles a wolf and in many of these dogs, their characteristics are wolf-like too. The dog is confident and independent, but it also able to form good relationships with his human family.

Many people thrill at the idea of having a pet which has a wild side to him, but there is a price to pay for having such a pet in your home. Their wild side can suddenly come to the fore, with dangerous consequences.

There are so many dog breeds to choose from that surely it isn’t necessary to start tampering with animals from the wild?

Curly Coated Retrievers are such fun dogs, full of personality, robust and active. He makes such a wonderful pet and is loving, loyal and protective. He is brave, courageous, independent and confident as well. He gets on well with children and loves to be part of all their games. He is capable of getting on well with other animals in the home.

He is an active dog and won’t fit in well with those who like to sit around all day. He wants to be active, and then loves to settle down with his human family at night. He is an excellent all-rounder and makes a loving, loyal pet.

Your Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a healthy dog who with good health care, can reach the age of 12 to 15 years. However, it is good to be forewarned about some dog sicknesses that your dog might get and which could be detrimental to your dog’s quality of life.

Hip Dysplasia:

This disease comes about when the ball and socket joint at the hip doesn’t form properly. The bones rub and chafe when the dog moves and the condition just gets worse as time goes on. Your dog can actually end up with arthritis, and worse, become lame.

Degenerative Myelopathy:

This is a progressive deterioration of the spinal cord which causes lameness in your pet’s hind legs. It is incurable and can be the end of your pet. The exact cause of this tragic illness is unknown.

With good care, the average life expectancy of the Curly-Coated Retriever can reach between 10 and 12 years. However, there are some health concerns that your dog may have to contend with and which are common in most other dog breeds too.

Ear Infections:

Apart from hip dysplasia, bloat, dental decay and eye diseases such as cataracts, ear infections are a common canine health problem, particular when your dog has floppy ears and loves the water.

Ear infections can also be caused because of bacteria, ear mites, allergies and hair growth in the ear canal. Your pet will shake his head, maybe off balance and be scratching his ear. You might notice his ears are red and oozing. Get him to the vet immediately.

Parasites and Worms:

When you brush your dog, check for fleas and ticks. Worms too, can make your dog ill, and can actually be the death of a puppy. Worms can cause weight loss, a rough, dull coat and a generally run-down appearance. Your vet will be able to guide you as to what medications are available.

Exercise:

Vlcaks have been specifically bred for stamina and if you neglect to exercise him, he’ll become bored and frustrated and possibly destructive and aggressive. He must be trained and he must be constantly provided with lots of exercise and activities.

Training and Socialization:

Because of the wolf side of this dog, Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs have a high prey drive, so he will need to be trained and socialized if you want him to get along with your other pets in the home.

Grooming:

The Curly Coated Retriever is a single-coated dog breed and this makes him a low maintenance dog. He doesn’t shed much and a good brush twice a week will keep the curly coat in good condition. There are some dog owners that trim the feathering around the legs, feet, tail and belly.

Diet:

The Curly Coated Retriever is an attractively low maintenance breed. Therefore he doesn’t require any special diet. He does well on a top quality manufactured dog food where protein is listed at the top.

These dogs are inclined to put on weight easily so you want to be sure to follow the directions on the packaging and not overfeed him. With his kibble, sometimes add in some cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken.

Raw meat can be expensive but if you can, try and include it into your pet’s diet to avoid nasty skin rashes and allergies. Always make sure that cool, fresh water is available to your dog and make sure the food and water bowls are regularly washed.