MyDogBreeds
Wolfdog is originated from Germany but Bulgarian Shepherd is originated from Bulgaria. Both Wolfdog and Bulgarian Shepherd are having almost same height. Wolfdog may weigh 12 kg / 26 pounds lesser than Bulgarian Shepherd. Wolfdog may live 45 years less than Bulgarian Shepherd. Both Wolfdog and Bulgarian Shepherd has same litter size. Both Wolfdog and Bulgarian Shepherd requires Moderate maintenance.
The Wolfdog was brought about when domestic dogs were mated with a variety of wolves so as to produce a hybrid.
People who want to own these hybrids have to be careful because they find that the unpredictable behavior of their pets makes it difficult for them to care for them.
Then they want to get rid of it. Every year, heaps of these hybrids are abandoned due to humans interfering with nature.
The wolfdog has been bred with a number of dogs but we think about it more in terms of wolf and German shepherd.
The Bulgarian Shepard Dog comes from the ancient line of Molossers of Central Asia and Tibet, and the shepherds of the Balkans, Turkey and Caucasus. Among the oldest and most valued of the working dogs of Europe, the Bulgarian Shepherd breed was created by mixing the Balkan breeds with the dogs from Central Asia by the proto-Bulgarians around the 7th century. The Karakachanskoto Kuche was introduced to Bulgaria and accepted by the sheep herders. Mixing this breed in with the Balkan and Central Asian mix developed the Bulgarian Shepherd we know today. In the long run the original Karakachanskoto Kuche became extinct, replaced entirely by the Bulgarian Shepherd even in places where the new breed is still called by the Kuche name. Although the breeds are not the same, most of the dog world does not know the difference.
In Bulgaria however the Karakachan is a national treasure and the history of the breed runs deep. One Kuche could run up to 1200 animals and hundreds were used by the herdsmen in the mountains of Bulgaria. There were many regional types of Bulgarian Shepherds with very little difference between those types. These dogs were so prized by the shepherds that the dogs ate first before the people. The dogs however ate a vegetarian diet of milk, wheat, water and oats. The Bulgarian Shepherd lives a long life of often over 20 years. The Bulgarian Army made good use of these dogs early in the 20th century.
Following World War II, the wolves were close to extinction and property in Bulgaria was nationalized. There was no longer a need for a large force of working dogs. The Communist government exterminated large numbers of sheep dogs including the Bulgarian Shepherd. Only those species on government owned farms and in remote regions survived. When the government farms were disbanded in the early 20th century, these dogs were exterminated as well. Only those in the mountains survived. Commercial breeding of the Bulgarian Shepherd in the end of the century has resulted in controversy as other breeds came into the breeding program.
Use of breeds such as Sarplaninacs, Caucasian Ovcharkas, St. Bernards, Central Asian Ovcharkas and Bosnian Tornjaks in these programs resulted in Bulgarian Shepherd or Karakachans that were a lot different from the original breed. There is therefore some concern about the future of the breed in Bulgaria, yet they received official Bulgarian national recognition in 2000. Today’s Bulgarian Shepherd is a guard dog for both property and livestock.
The official standard for the breed came about in 1991 and in 2005 it was recognized by the Bulgarian State Commission for Animal Breeds. Only those dogs that meet this standard are considered “true” Karakachans. The Bulgarian Shepherds are willing to fight bears and wolves in defense of its family and flock. The dog is brave and loyal, dignified and powerful. They are recognized by both the Dog Registry of America, Inc. (DRA) and the Bulgarian Republican Federation of Cynology (BRFC) a member of the FCI.
People mesmerized by the wolf long to bring some of that wildness home, and the wolfdog is supposed to do this.
Their looks differ a lot, even those that come from the same litter. You can’t have a predictable looking wolf dog because it could be any domestic dog bred with a wolf so they display a large variety of appearances.
Most Wolfdogs seem to have smaller heads than pure wolves. The ears seem to be bigger and more pointy.
A popular wolfdog mix is a German Shepherd mixed with the wolf. These dogs can be between 70 to 76cm in height and weigh between 40 and 45kg.
Their coat is thick and can be in colors of grey, cream, red, white, dark brown and black.
While the wolfdog can be trained to become quite a friendly kind of dog, it is not suitable for the first time dog owner. It can show bouts of aggressiveness around strangers and be highly protective of its family.
However, this can be helped with early socialization and training. It is illegal to own the wolfdog in some states. You don’t want to leave a wolfdog alone with your children even though the dog is capable of love and loyalty towards his human family.
A massive, powerful and muscular Molosser, the Bulgarian Shepherd is strong, agile, powerful and fast. They are intelligent and reliable. They have a long, thick, harsh coat in white with patches of black. Their skull is massive and broad with a furrowed forehead. The muzzle is massive as well while the nose has wide nostrils and is fairly large. It has close fitting, thick lips with strong, scissor bite jaws. The Bulgarian Shepherd’s eyes are deep, oblique and small. They are either hazel or dark. They have an intelligent and confident, yet firm almost grim expression.
Their ears are low set, small and v-shaped. They sit close to the head which sits on a powerful but short neck. They have a broad back, well-muscled body with a deep chest and long, rough tail. Their gait is a trot with a spring in their step. There are two types of coats – longhaired and shorthaired with no undercoats.
When you add the genes of a wild animal to the pool, you get a crossbreed and when its an animal from the wild, its nature is unpredictable.
Many people don’t think about the consequences of what they do when they interfere with nature and the wolfdog gets put down when it behaves like a wild animal and attacks or bites out of defense.
Yes, they can be loyal, loving pets but always you will have the shadow of the dog or wolf’s unpredictable behavior.
There is a reason why these dogs are banned in a number of states. This dog-type-wolf breed is not recommended as a pet at all – take a look at animal shelters and the number of wolf dogs there and ask yourself why.
This is a working dog, intelligent and independent guard dog. Reserved around strangers but loyal and devoted with his family. Tolerant of children in their family if they were raised with them. Not only will she defend human family members, she will guard and defend household pets as well. He is quite capable of making her own independent decisions. These are very intense guard dogs that will respond aggressively if they think their people are being attacked.
They will also be susceptible to common dog ailments such as parasites and hip dysplasia.
Like any other dog, these Wolf dogs will also possibly develop tumors. He will also need to be vaccinated against harmful diseases and you will need to have a reliable local vet who is interested in your wolf dog.
The breed itself is known to be healthy but they do face some of the usual health issues of the massive, giant breeds. This includes knee and elbow dislocation; hip dysplasia; bloat; entropion and osteosarcoma. All of these conditions require medical intervention, but bloat and osteosarcoma are the deadliest. Bloat needs immediate attention and osteosarcoma is a deadly bone cancer.
If you own a wolfdog the same care procedures would need to be followed as you would with a regular dog.
A wolfdog, however, can’t be vaccinated against rabies. It seems that the reason for this is that it is due to current legislation, and vaccine manufacturers don’t want to support wolf dogs as pets because they are considered to be dangerous.
Provide your wolfdog with highly nutritional, protein-based food. You don’t want to feed your wolfdog any of the low quality, traditional store-bought food high in carbs and artificial additives. Instead, look for a diet rich in proteins and be sure to give this dog some raw meat occasionally.
The dog is active and you will need to provide heaps of exercise for him, both mental and physical activities.
The wolfdog will require training but it will require dedication, though it can be done as the dog is very intelligent.
Even with training, the wolfdog isn’t suited to life in the city but should be kept in the countryside.
These are large dogs with large appetites, but you want to keep them lean and active. Feed them at least twice a day with a high quality large or giant dog dry food. Four to five cups of food per day is the maximum.
Patellar Luxation – a floating kneecap or dislocated knee. Will cause lameness.
Osteosarcoma – bone cancer must be treated immediately as it is potentially fatal.
The Bulgarian Shepherd needs a good amount of exercise every day. Remember this is a working breed and they need a job. Long walks every day are essential for his well-being.