Before choosing your Lupine Dog, it is very important to check whether the area/country you live in has restrictions on certain dog breeds, or the ownership of dogs with any wolf specific DNA or recent wolf ancestry. For example, the UK has a restriction on ownership of wolfdogs who are less than three generations removed from a wolf. These recent cross bred animals require a dangerous wild animal licence and would face restrictions on their activities and lifestyle.
Lifestyle – The Lupine Dogs is smart and social and needs an active life with plenty of social stimulation. They do better having canine company. They require a significant input of time and effort and require significant environmental enrichment.
Containment – Lupine Dogs are destructive if left in the home unsupervised. For short periods, crate training may be necessary and for longer periods, outdoor containment may be necessary. Some may enjoy spending significant time outdoors, again necessitating the need for large outdoor containment. They are skillful escape artists, fences may need to be at least 6ft tall, and may also require overhangs/lean-ins to prevent your dog from climbing over. Dig guards may also be necessary along the base to prevent escapes. Roaming natural type dogs are usually very poorly received by members of the public/the authorities, so it is ESSENTIAL that you ensure your animal is contained safely. Tethers and invisible fences are not an appropriate containment system for a Lupine Dog.
Exercise – Lupine Dogs require significant amounts of both physical and mental exercise. Those with recent working dog input e.g, recent northern breed or shepherd dog will require significant levels of physical exercise to include several hours walking or running (e.g, on a running belt) daily and all require daily mental stimulation in the form of training and enrichment.