Fun Saarloos Wolfdog Facts For Kids

Are you an adventurous person with experience of understanding dogs' actual behaviors? If yes, handling and training a Saarloos Wolfdog could be a piece of cake for you. But first, what is a wolfdog? A wolfdog is the outcome when a domestic dog is crossbreed with a wolf (Canis lupus).

The Saarloos Wolfdog is the outcome of a German Shepard bred with the Eurasian gray wolf. This crossbreed was created by Leendert Saarloss, who felt that the German Shepard has become too domesticated.

He intended to create a perfect watchdog to serve with the police force, but the Saarloos Wolfdog actually became a dog with wolf-like looks and a shy and jumpy nature.

Initially, this dog was named the European Wolfdog, but the Dutch Kennel Club renamed the breed the Saarloos Wolfdog in honor of its creator.

The Saarloos Wolfdog is able to survive freezing temperatures. These amazing dogs have a solid body with bright eyes and long limbs and the Saarloos Wolfdog is available in wolf grey, brown, and white coat colors.

If you want to check out more dog breeds, then please have a look at these Bernedoodle facts and German Shepherd wolf mix facts.
 

Saarloos Wolfdog Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Saarloos Wolfdog?

The Saarloos Wolfdog is a very strong and healthy crossbreed dog, so much so that the breed often serves as a working dog. The wolf-like look is inherited from its parent, the Eurasian gray wolf.

This European Wolfdog is very large, the male can grow up to 30 in (75 cm) tall with a weight of around 79-90 lb (36-41 kg).

A female can grow up to 28 in (70 cm) tall with a weight of between 66-77 lb (30-35 kg). This working dog breed is highly intelligent and, thanks to the Eurasian gray wolf's influence, it needs to be trained very strictly to avoid poor temperament and aggressive behavior.

What class of animal does a Saarloos Wolfdog belong to?

The Saarloos Wolfdog belongs to the Mamalia class. This means that they are mammals, as they have hair on the body and, the female of the species has mammary glands. The female dog produces milk for its pups when they are born. They give birth to between four and six puppies in a litter.

How many Saarloos Wolfdogs are there in the world?

There are more than 100,000 wolfdogs worldwide, but the exact number of Saarloos Wolfdogs is unknown. Because of its sometimes difficult temperament and challenging behavior, only experienced owners choose this breed type.

Where does a Saarloos Wolfdog live?

Saarloos Wolfdogs are sometimes kept as pets. This wolfdog is vast in size, so not ideal for an apartment lifestyle or as a family dog and they are a very active breed.

A Saarloos Wolfdog is often best suited as a working dog, and such breeds are preferred in farms where the dog has a lot of space for exercise.

What is a Saarloos Wolfdog's habitat?

As Saarloos Wolfdog are domesticated animals, their natural habitat is with their owners. The Saarloos Wolfdog breed has specific traits that will allow them to meet the weather's extremities in their habitat.

They are large, so they require a large backyard to play and exercise in and plenty of walks. If nurtured in the proper environment, this intelligent breed will be gentle and supportive.

Who do Saarloos Wolfdogs live with?

Due to their temperament, only experienced owners should opt for a Saarloos Wolfhound. This dog breed must be socialized with proper and standard training. This intelligent dog breed is not recommended for families with young children.

How long does a Saarloos Wolfdog live?

This wolfdog has a life span of between 10-12 years. As expected, a healthy diet plays a vital role in this area so owners must be sure to provide nutrient-rich food for their Saarloos Wolfdog.

How do they reproduce?

Saarloos Wolfdog reproduce through sexual reproduction. The gestation period of a Saarloos Wolfdog lasts for 63 days and they give birth to between four and six puppies in a litter.

Right at the start of this breed's history, Leendert Saarloos created this wolf-like breed by mating the German Shepherd with the Eurasian grey wolf, aiming to produce a breed for working purposes rather than a family dog.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the dog breed is currently is Not Evaluated. This means that this breed is not studied and categorized on a large scale.

Saarloos Wolfdog Fun Facts

What do Saarloos Wolfdogs look like?

The European Wolfdog coat is thick and strong and the dog has a long neck, legs, and body. Saarloos Wolfdogs can be found in wolf grey, wolf brown, and white.

Interestingly, this dog has two coats of hair. One is a soft undercoat, and the other is a more complex outer coat. Their thick, smooth hair coat protects them from extreme weather conditions, which sheds during winters and summers.

They have striking eyes like a wolf, long pointy ears, and long limbs. They resemble German Shepards, as these are one of the parents of this wolf-dog hybrid breed.

How cute are they?

Cute might not be the first word that comes to mind when you picture a Saarloos Wolfdog as Saarloos Wolfdogs aren't typically cute little dogs to cuddle. However, their intelligence and loyal nature towards their owners are incredibly endearing.

Though they can be affectionate towards their owners, they are not fluffy, cuddly dogs so if this is what you are looking for you may want to explore other breeds.

How do they communicate?

Dogs of all breeds try to communicate with their owners by simple gestures like barking, jumping on them, licking, and more. The Saarloos Wolfdog is not exceptional.

They are attention grabbers and can be very sensitive, meaning they often become closely attached to their owners. Saarloos Wolfdog puppies, in particular, demand a large amount of time from their owners for both training and play.

How big is a Saarloos Wolfdog?

As we know, Saarloos Wolfdogs are crossbreeds from German Shepherds and Eurasian grey wolves. Therefore, unsurprisingly, their body is large, resulting in extensive exercise needs.

The Wolfdog can weigh up to 90 lb (41 kg) and can grow up to 30 in (75 cm) tall. Its size is comparatively much larger than the aptly named miniature wolfdog, which weighs only 22 pounds (10 kg).

How fast can a Saarloos Wolfdog run?

The exact speed of the Saarloos Wolfhound run is not known, but they are very active dogs and love all physical activities like jogging, running, hiking, and playing in the back yard. They can't sit in one place for very long and love to roam.

This makes them a good companion for owners who love lots of outdoor adventures that can satisfy the dog's demand for outdoor activities to match their high energy levels.

How much does a Saarloos Wolfdog weigh?

Generally, male dogs weigh more than females. The Saarloos Wolfdog, with its athletic and robust body is no different.

Male Saarloos Wolfdogs generally weigh between 79-90 lb (36-41 kg) whereas a female will weigh between 66-77 lb (30-35 kg). A healthy diet and the correct nutrition will always help maintain the healthy weight and growth of this large breed dog.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Saarloos Wolfdogs do not have specific names for males and females of the species.

What would you call a baby Saarloos Wolfdog?

A baby Saarloos Wolfdog which is less than one year old is called a Saarloos Wolfdog puppy. Generally, any young dog is referred to as a puppy, so the same applies to these highly Saarloos Wolfdog puppies.

Anyone thinking about adopting a Saarloos puppy will need to give them a  spacious backyard, because they're very active and demand lots of physical exercise. These puppies can also be prone to picking up bad habits very quickly, so proper socialization training should be given to avoid these complications.

What do they eat?

Any dog's diet depends on its age, size, metabolism, and energy levels. The Saarloos Wolfdog breed should be feed with high-quality dry dog food known as kibble.

It's a large breed that requires at least 2,265 calories per day, so the Saarloos Wolfdog should be served at least three to four cups a day. Their diet can also sometimes include lean protein, eggs, liver, red meat, and boiled veggies. Such a high amount of calories are required as these dogs burn calories on a large scale.

Are they friendly?

These are not typically cute and cuddly dogs, instead, they are timid and reserved dogs. Though they are not often aggressive towards people, they are highly attached to their owner and so they may struggle with separation anxiety.

Would they make a good pet?

Though one of the parent breeds of this breed is a wolf, the Saarloos Wolfdog can be a domesticated animal. These Saarloos breeds are very loyal, brilliant, and energetic if they are trained correctly.

So, if proper training is given right from the start, they can make an excellent pet for someone with an active lifestyle.

It is also important to note that only an experienced wolf-dog trainer can handle this large breed and its temperament, and it is not a breed that is suited to families with small children.

They have a strong prey drive nature thanks to their wolf parents' influence, so it is recommended to keep them away from small and young kids, as well as other smaller pets. There are restrictions in place in many areas regarding the types of wolfdogs that can be adopted, and the types of people that can adopt them.

Did you know...

These dogs need to be occupied both physically and mentally (because of their extremely high intelligence levels). This means that both outdoor and indoor activities are a must for this dog.

The Saarloos Wolfhound gains maturity quite late when compared to other dog breeds. This means that initially, the Saarloos Wolfdog breed may not understand our emotions and commands very easily. Patience and expertise is vital to train such breeds and a Saarloos Wolfdog should only be handled by an experienced wolfdog handler.

It is believed that any further interbreeding of the Saarloos Wolfdog may create health problems in this breed in the future.

The sensory organs of the Saarloos are always on alert mode. Saarloos Wolfdogs inherited this ability from their wolf parent. This high alert mode can be seen in the way a Saarloos always observes and sniffs his surroundings.

This dog has a tendency to dig holes in the ground. This is done to reduce his body temperature, so don't be surprised by this seemingly destructive activity!

Characteristics And Health Issues

Because of its strong build and large body, this breed demands quality time from its owner for physical training including walking and running. As such it is not apartment-friendly, requires a large backyard for his physical needs, and must be handled by someone with expertise and experience.

Due to its dense and double-coated hair, this dog breed can be time-consuming to groom.  

Like many other dog breeds, the Saarloos Wolfhound can face health issues including hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, spondylosis, and many other eye problems. Degenerative myelopathy is a symptom related to the weakness of the spinal cord.

In this disease, hind limbs become weak, resulting in paralysis. Some of these diseases are inherited from the parent's breeds.

So Saarloos Wolfdog breeders should use healthy and well looked after German Shepherds and Eurasian gray wolves to produce a healthy crossbreed. A need for more physical activity and training is also another reason for potential health problems that a Saarloos Wolfdog could develop.

Owning Saarloos Wolfdogs

After reading this article, you must feel like an expert on the Saarloos Wolfdog. Find out about the strict and specific rules in place surrounding owning this breed, right here!

You might be wondering, is it legal to own a wolfdog? It's actually illegal in many parts of the world to adopt a wolfdog because if inexperienced owners own such breeds, it can create havoc and violence in society.

Saarloos Wolfdogs must be well trained and kept under the control of their owners and, due to the challenging nature of this breed, this means that rules and regulations have been put in place to monitor this and to keep everyone (owners and dogs included) safe.

Sadly, sometimes these wolfdogs can be dangerous.

As they bred from wolves, they need really specific conditions to live in and, if these are not provided, they may become aggressive and violent. Some states in the USA do allow people to adopt wolf dogs but getting permission for this is often handled on a case-by-case basis and is not always easy.

These rules vary arpund the world, for example in Australia, owning a wolfdog of any kind is illegal and in Alaska possession, a wolf-dog hybrid is considered a punishable offense.

If you are allowed to buy one, the average cost of a Saarloss puppy is between $800-$2500.It is pretty expensive! Buying and looking after a Saarloos Wolfdog is quite expensive thanks to the nature of the breed.

Because of its considerable size and its health and physical needs, any owner will need to invest a significant amount in the food, shelter, and training of this wolf-dog breed.

This breed is impressive, but not the best choice for most of us to own as a pet, therefore the breed is not readily available in most countries.

Due to their difficult nature, only experienced dog breeders and owners will have a Saarloos Wolfhound dog, and for most of us, the best way to enjoy this breed is to read all about them!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including Kunming Wolfdog facts, or King Shepherd facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Saarloos Wolfdog coloring pages.