Recently adopted a GSD/St Bernard mix that may have a 1/4 wolf. Any advice? [x-post r/dogcare]

[pamela5]

We rescued a puppy at three months last Sunday. The lady at the shelter said she thinks the mother was half St Bernard and half wolf, the father is thought to be a GSD.

Should I be worried or take anything particularly into consideration? She has been very easy to train (taught her to sit before we left the shelter) and other than normal puppy problems like housebreaking and teething, is very sweet and loves to play "obedience" where she practices commands for treats. Very trainable from being very food motivated. She is defiant sometimes but I wonder if that is just her being a new puppy?

Could it be that she is low content enough for it not to effect her? I have also read that most 1/2 hybrids are in fact lower content than they are said to be so maybe her mother was not fully 1/2 and 1/2?

I should also add that when we met her she was very good and relaxed around other dogs and cats at the shelter, including a very hyper tiny dog that she paid almost no attention to. We have not been able to socialize her since then as she is completing her rounds of vaccines in the coming weeks.

Any tips or advice?

A few photos

https://imgur.com/d3lYTEp

https://imgur.com/iW4ye5y

https://imgur.com/xt4Nki3

https://imgur.com/jmP59hS

 

[cj7girl]

@pamela5 Did the lady give any reason as to why she thought it was a quarter wolf...? Unless someone came in and surrendered her and told the shelter that she had wolf content, there's really no reason to believe that she does...it seems more likely to me that it's just that lady making things up/guessing (which, like others have said, would be pretty weird because wolf content isn't exactly a good thing...).

 

[pamela5]

@cj7girl I think the breeder they rescued her from claimed that these were wolf hybrids, I'm really glad to see from these threads that it is most likely not true! She doesn't seem to have any of the traits that people say wolf hybrids have.

 

[skeptonaut]

@pamela5 My advice: buy food in bulk. That's going to be a big dog.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@pamela5 I would take the wolf thing with a grain of salt. I have a black bi-color German Shepherd, and I have had many people ask if he is a wolf. I don't know what people are thinking, my dog is a classic German Shepherd.

In any case, assuming your dog is large breed and some type of shepherd mid, this is my advice:

1. He learns quickly. That is great, but it also means you have to keep that dog busy or he is going to "learn" bad things like how to destroy your home and drive you crazy. He isn't going to have a lot of energy as a puppy, it will increase at 6 months - 1 year. Just remember, a tired dog is a good dog.
2. Shepherds of all varieties mouth. That means they bite. And bite. And bite. They will bark at you and bite and growl during play. It is normal play, it is not an aggressive dog. They might bite until you bleed and have bruises. This is normal. Read about bite inhibition and stick with it, because EVENTUALLY it works. My dog was so mouthy as a puppy I would wear leather gloves during playtime.

 

[coffeeisme]

@pamela5 The only real difference you might see in a wolf mix is that they are more likely to be a bit reclusive and wary of strangers. Making sure she's well socialized as soon as she's done with her vaccinations and introduce her to lots of people (slowly at first) will help with that. A little defiance is pretty normal bratty puppy behavior. She's super cute!