If you want to train a Wolf Dog, you’re signing up for quite the challenge. While it’s possible to train one, it will take a lot more work and dedication than it would for a typical dog. So, keep reading and we’ll highlight some tips and tricks you should follow when trying to train your Wolf Dog.
If you’re new to dogs or haven’t had a dog before, a Wolf Dog might not be the best pet for you. They are more difficult to train than beginner-friendly breeds. You should also consider that owning a Wolf Dog might not even be legal in your area, and we highly recommend doing your due diligence before considering owning a Wolf Dog.
The 10 Tips on How to Train a Wolf Dog
1. Learn and Understand the Nature of This Hybrid
As their name implies it, Wolf Dogs are a mix between a dog and a wolf. As such, Wolf Dogs are wilder than dogs, but exactly how much wilder? Well, it depends, as each individual can have more or less of the wilder counterpart on them.
Depending on whose definition you’re using, Wolf Dogs may or may not be the same as wolf hybrids, which are the result of breeding a dog and a wolf. Wolf Dogs can also be the offspring of either a Wolf Dog and a wolf, a Wolf Dog and a Wolf Dog, or a Wolf Dog and a dog, which means they can have a variable amount of wilderness in them.
2. Desensitize and Socialize From an Early Age
Desensitization and socialization are key factors to training any dog, but they are especially important with Wolf Dogs. The more your Wolf Dog is used to allowing physical contact, exposure to a variety of stimuli and environments, and having positive associations with them, the easier it will be for you to train and lead them.
One of the most important things you can do when raising a wolf hybrid is to start this process early. Ideally, you want to start bonding with the pup when they’re just 2 or 3 weeks old. While it is possible to wait a bit longer, the longer you wait, the more challenging it will be. This is especially true if the hybrid takes more after their wolf parent.
3. Know Your Tools and Their Limits
Wolves are incredibly independent creatures, and it’s best to convince them to want to do what you want. You don’t want to get into a battle of wills. Instead, you want to stick solely with positive reinforcement.
Know that Wolf Dogs are naturally less people-pleasing than dogs, and giving them your attention may not always be considered a reward. A calm, trustworthy, and reliable leadership is important, as the “part of the pack” mentality is strong in these hybrids. Treats are usually great reinforcers, and you must always avoid all forms of punishment since it can lead to serious behavioral problems in the future.
4. Stay Consistent
You don’t need long training sessions with a wolf hybrid, but you should have at least two sessions a day. Each session should last about 10 to 15 minutes, so they can really focus on training. Most importantly, you need to have these training sessions every day. Not only are you taking the time to train them, but you’re also bonding with them. You need your wolf hybrid to respect you, and the only way it will happen is if you consistently dedicate time to them.
5. Carefully Choose Your Treats
As you know, wolves are carnivores while dogs are facultative carnivores. There are plenty of treat options available, but for the best results, we recommend a brand primarily consisting of meat.
High-protein treats will enhance their nutrition and motivation. As with any training, you can wean off the treats as they start to learn, but at the beginning of each new challenge, treats go a long way in helping them learn what is expected from them and what gives them the best consequences.
6. Stay Patient
Dogs don’t learn everything overnight, and while a wolf hybrid is just as smart or even smarter than a dog, they’re far more independent. If you adopt an adult, you will need to give them plenty of time to adjust to you, which means you can’t expect instant results.
You might need to wait a few weeks or even months to get the desired results. But if you stick with it, there’s no reason you can’t train a Wolf Dog into a great pet.
7. Be Confident
Your pup can pick up on your emotions, and if you’re nervous, they’ll feel it. You need to go into each training session feeling confident. That way, the pup understands that you know what you’re doing and that you’re in charge.
If you can’t go into a training session feeling confident, a wolf hybrid will be more difficult to train.
8. Build Up in Stages
If you’re expecting your Wolf Dog to go from untrained to doing everything you say in just a training session or two, they will disappoint you. You need to start with small tasks and slowly build your way up.
Teach them their name, then teach them to sit and stay. Eventually, you can show them other commands and tricks. You can’t get them to do the more complicated commands until they already mastered the easier tasks.
9. Knowledge of Communication and Other Behavioral Differences
A wolf hybrid puppy isn’t the same as a typical puppy. One area where they might be different, depending on how much wolf vs. dog they have, is their attention to human communicative signals. That’s right; dogs have managed to decode our body language and even hijack our behavior by offering us exactly what will get us to do what they wish us to do. Do you remember “that face” that forced you to share your dinner more than once? Well, wolves still don’t have those skills. If anything, they would be more inclined to jump and grab it from your plate.
As wilder creatures, wolves need to always keep an eye out, so if there are too many distractions around, you might find it impossible to hold your Wolf Dog’s attention, especially if they haven’t built enough trust in you or don’t feel absolutely confident in a certain environment.
With that in mind, during your training sessions, do everything you can to eliminate any distractions that might pull their attention from you.
10. Have Fun!
Your pup can sense your mood, and if they feel that you’re frustrated or miserable, they won’t want to be there. However, having fun with them is far more enjoyable for both parties, making it easier to train them.
11. Seek Professional Help
Wolves are not dogs, and depending on how much your wolf hybrid takes after the wolf, training them can be extremely difficult and dangerous. If you don’t feel up to the task, there’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help.
However, you’ll need to find someone who specifically specializes in training these hybrids, and finding someone who does isn’t always easy. Don’t seek out a regular dog trainer because they don’t have the necessary skill set to deal with a hybrid breed.
Final Thoughts
You’re not going to start seeing results overnight, but if you stay consistent and keep training your Wolf Dog, you can have a well-adjusted pet before too long. Remember that while wolves and dogs are similar in many ways, they’re also very different in their overall behavior, strategies, and instinctual responses, and your Wolf Dog will take after both of them.
Don’t take their mild and loving appearance for granted. You need to take the time to know your Wolf Dog and understand their nature if you want to keep them in check!
Featured Image Credit: Best dog photo, Shutterstock
The 10 Tips on How to Train a Wolf Dog
