The saarloos wolfdog is a dog breed that originated in the Netherlands. The dogs are big. They are almost all around seventy centimeters. These animals are notable for their finely built legs and beautiful colors that vary from wolf gray and forest brown to almost white. It is an affectionate dog breed with wolfish qualities.
History
Ship’s cook Leendert Saarloos was at the cradle of the saarloos wolfdog. After Saarloos became half-deaf, he decided to work in a shop with electricity products in Dordrecht. He set up the animal kennel ?? Van de Kilstroom ?? in which he kept different kinds of animals. Dogs fascinated him the most. He didn’t like the house dog. He wanted to bring the dog back to nature. That is why he crossed a German Shepherd with a European wolf. German shepherd Gerard van het Fransenum and she-wolf Fleur are the ancestors of the saarloos wolfdog. In all, twenty half wolves emerged from the two. By crossing them again with a dog, a quarter of a dog eventually came out. Saarloos called this breed the “European Wolfdog”. His work was followed by science. His race was not recognized during the war years. He started training the wolf dogs. That led to very small successes. A few dogs turned out to be suitable as guide dogs. That is quite special because most wolf dogs are reluctant to strange people. Saarloos focused on the character of the dogs and not on the appearance. In 1963 he crossed a European wolfdog with she-wolf Fleur II. Leendert Saarloos died in 1969, after which breeding the wolfdog ended up in incompetent hands, which did not do the breed any good. In 1975 the Board of Directors in the Cynological Area recognized the European wolfdog as a breed. The new?? dog breed got the name “saarless wolfdog”. The Dutch Association of Saarloos Wolfdogs was also founded. They established a strict breeding policy to improve the health, homogeneity and character of the saarless wolfdogs. Only the best dogs should be used for breeding.
Appearance
The saarless wolf dog is a proud dog that partly has the appearance of a wolf. The dogs are independent, but very alert.
- Head: wolf-like, broad head with slight arch between the ears, long snout, wedge-shaped muzzle.
- Eyes: almond-shaped and large, color yellow, alert, but reserved look in the eyes.
- Ears: medium-sized, almond-shaped, rounded tip at the end.
- Teeth: scissor bite
- Neck: burly
- Body: Broad chest with finely built ribs, broad and burly back.
- Tail: planted low and tall
- Movement: like a wolf, light and nimble.
- Color: wolf gray, brown, cream and white in various shades.
- Length: male: 65 to 75 centimeters, bitch 60 to 70 centimeters
Character
The saarless wolf dog is not suitable for people who have never owned a dog. This breed needs a strong and above all strict owner. This dog needs to know its place within the pack. The animal is suitable as a family dog and will bond with the family members. He is withdrawn from strangers. It is best to first watch from a distance how he reacts to a stranger. He can bark, but very often cannot. Despite its imposing stature, the saarless wolfhound is not suitable to keep as a guard dog. This dog breed hates being alone and is not an animal to keep in a kennel. He can get nervous when he is “left out”. The saarloos wolfdog is good towards family members. It is extremely important to properly socialize the Siberian wolf dog, as it is a dominant breed of dog. Wolfhounds are blessed with a strong hunting instinct. That is thanks to the wolf.
Diseases
The eye disorder PRA occurs in saarless wolfdogs which leads to blindness. Degenerative myelopathy (DM) also occurs in sarcastic wolf dogs. This is a hereditary paralysis disease in which nerves die in the spinal cord. The dog can become seriously paralyzed and incontinent.
