Wolfdogs gaining popularity in Kazakhstan

Hybrid wolves or wolf-dogs are a mixture of wolves and domestic dogs, primarily German Shepherds, huskies or Alaskan malamutes. According to "Express K" newspaper, the animals are stunning with their size and surprise by rare intelligence (wolfdog's brain is 3 time bigger). Wolfdogs are usually healthier than either parent due to heterosis. Some of the established breeds of wolfdog that exist today were bred specifically to improve the health and vigor of working dogs. "Kazakhstan has no regulations concerning hybrid wolves. However, it is not recommended to keep a wolfdog in a flat. The animal may have stress," said Alexei, metropolitan dog lover. Observations on wild wolf hybrids in the former Soviet Union indicate that wolf hybrids in a wild state may form larger packs than pure wolves, and have greater endurance when chasing prey. High wolf-content hybrids typically have longer canine teeth than dogs of comparable size. The animals are capable of biting through the toughest padding "like a knife through butter". Their sense of smell apparently rivals that of most established scent hounds. Tests undertaken in the Perm Institute of Interior Forces in Russia demonstrated that high wolf-content hybrids took 15-20 seconds to track down a target in training sessions, whereas ordinary police dogs took 3-4 minutes. Therefore, wolfdogs are usually bred by law enforcement agencies.