Legacy of the Cold War

[F2d5thCav]

I found this bit from the Telegraph of interest.

The Czechoslovakian wolf dog, which is more slender than a wolf but shares many of its physical characteristics, is a legally permitted breed that has become popular in Italy in recent years.

The breed was created in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s, when an Alsatian was crossed with a Carpathian wolf in an attempt to produce an aggressive breed that could be used as guard dogs along the Iron Curtain.

It was recognized as a distinct breed in 1982. Wolf dogs are highly intelligent, hard to train and need a lot of exercise.

Odd how human conflict can generate side effects with animals.  Another Cold War effect in Europe was that the Iron Curtain prompted the development of species variation because it cut through their natural range.

After the Iron Curtain came down, wolves moved from central Europe into western Europe.  The area where the Iron Curtain stood has in many areas become a "green zone" sheltering a considerable variety of wildlife.

I also ran into animals along the Franco-German border that used the ruins of German bunkers from the war for their lairs.

Cheers

[Ninurta]

I wonder if those are legal in the US?

I miss my wolf hybrids something fierce. It's not, I think, that they are so difficult to train so much as people don't know how to train them. They're highly intelligent, but so smart that they don't respond to most folks' "normal" training regimens. The wife I was with back then fancied herself a dog trainer, but never got it right with them. She'd threaten, cajole, and everything in between and got nothing. I just trained them to hand signals, told 'em what I wanted with those signals, and they hopped to it every time. She, on the other hand, would threaten them 'till they cowered, because they just didn't know what she wanted them to do.

She was telling them what she wanted, but not in their language, so they couldn't understand her version of wolf...

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[F2d5thCav]

@"Ninurta" 

Yes, they can be owned in the USA as well.

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/czechoslovakian-vlcak/

Cheers

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

I wonder if those are legal in the US?

I miss my wolf hybrids something fierce. It's not, I think, that they are so difficult to train so much as people don't know how to train them. They're highly intelligent, but so smart that they don't respond to most folks' "normal" training regimens. The wife I was with back then fancied herself a dog trainer, but never got it right with them. She'd threaten, cajole, and everything in between and got nothing. I just trained them to hand signals, told 'em what I wanted with those signals, and they hopped to it every time. She, on the other hand, would threaten them 'till they cowered, because they just didn't know what she wanted them to do.

She was telling them what she wanted, but not in their language, so they couldn't understand her version of wolf...

.

My neighbor had one, and Luna was a holy terror.

Luna didn't listen to a thing my neighbor said. I found out that Luna expected for the leader to lead. That meant it was the leaders responsibility to provide the food and take care of dangers. Luna's job was to let the leader know that danger was near, so go take care if it.

She was a thief too. She was always stealing something from my yard, including my garden ornaments. She was a roamer, she spent more time on my property trying to teach my yellow lab pup, then she did at home. Forget about keeping Luna inside. She was a beautiful dog though.

I guess she did a good job of teaching Charlie, because Charlene, she got called by her full name when she was very good, or very bad,  was the sweetest, prettiest dog you ever laid eyes on, but was a fierce protector. Any way. Someone stole her.

[Ninurta]

My neighbor had one, and Luna was a holy terror.

Luna didn't listen to a thing my neighbor said. I found out that Luna expected for the leader to lead. That meant it was the leaders responsibility to provide the food and take care of dangers. Luna's job was to let the leader know that danger was near, so go take care if it.

She was a thief too. She was always stealing something from my yard, including my garden ornaments. She was a roamer, she spent more time on my property trying to teach my yellow lab pup, then she did at home. Forget about keeping Luna inside. She was a beautiful dog though.

I guess she did a good job of teaching Charlie, because Charlene, she got called by her full name when she was very good, or very bad,  was the sweetest, prettiest dog you ever laid eyes on, but was a fierce protector. Any way. Someone stole her.

This was my male. His name was Logan, and he weighed about 145 pounds:



   

They are different. They follow a pack hierarchy, and they will no longer bond with anyone past about a year old. By then, their hierarchy is set.

.

[NightskyeB4Dawn]

This was my male. His name was Logan, and he weighed about 145 pounds:





They are different. They follow a pack hierarchy, and they will no longer bond with anyone past about a year old. By then, their hierarchy is set.

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He looks a lot like Luna.