One of America’s Deadliest Animals Was My Childhood Pet

#TheMoreYouKnow

I was today-years-old when I realized my family owned one of America's deadliest animals. What's more, it was by sheer happenstance that I found out at all. As I was researching Idaho's current 2022 wolf population and situation, an article popped up that completely derailed my initial intention for this article.

For the last 90 minutes, I've been reading up on the controversy associated with owning a wolf-dog as a pet! Everything I've processed thus far coupled with everything I knew and loved about our sweet boy, Gyver, has left me astonished. It's the sort of shock that's outfitted my face with a stupefied, confused expression I couldn't force if I tried.

Reality [Dog] Bites

Apparently, the gentle disposition of our dearly departed half red wolf-half German Shephard was a luck of the draw. According to Keller & Keller, injury attorneys at law, "dog bite statistics show that wolf-dogs hold sixth position in dog bite fatalities by breed." Keller & Keller's research is backed by numerous vet-reviewed sources.

One vet-vetted source, The Spruce Pets, strongly advises people to understand the risks involved with owning the hybrid prior to adoption. This isn't your typical learn-as-you-go puppy-raising experience.

Some wolf dogs are more like wolves than they are like dogs, and their temperament can differ greatly from that of a Siberian husky or an Alaskan malamute. Wolf dogs, in general, are not easygoing pets and they have the capacity to be quite aggressive. This means they are probably not a good choice for a family with small children or family members who are not able to control an aggressive pet.

—The Spruce Pet

 

Gyver the Great Exception

Gyver was a first generation, half-and-half breed; a mixture TSP contends raises a hybrid's inclination for intense activity as well as feral and "highly undesirable" behavior in the home and around children. In his scruffy youth, our boy was a high-energy pup who loved burrowing himself under the couch cushions while we were away. Perhaps what we perceived as quirky behavior was really the call of his ancestral genes.

Regardless of our former gentle giant's endearing temperament, I would be lying if I said I would adopt one of his kind today. Today, I'm a mother with a house full of precious cargo. After learning about one Idaho family's devastating brush with a hybrid and their little one, I wouldn't dare raise one. You can read about the devastating reason I'll never own another wolf-dog here.

Get our free mobile app