The WolfDog Howl

Apart from the basic needs for food and shelter, wolfdogs need social interaction, positive attention from their owners, exercise and mental stimulation. Many of these requirements can be met by simply taking your wolfdog for a walk. Walking your wolfdog daily provides it with attention from you. Perhaps more than anything, our pets simply want our company. Even when you remain home during the day, much of your time is spent doing chores rather than interacting with the family pet. So, be careful where you walk your wolfdog, keep it under control with a strong leash, and take along a plastic bag or a container and be sure to pick up after your pet.

A walk allows you to practice obedience skills with your wolfdog to increase the effectiveness of training. Performing basic commands also increases the benefits of a walk because your wolfdog is not simply wandering along, but is performing additional tasks. Taking your wolfdog for a walk provides mental stimulation through territorial investigation. With its nose to the ground and alert to the sights and sounds of the neighborhood, your wolfdog gathers information about how its territory has changed since the last walk.

Walking your wolfdog is one of the best ways to prevent undesired behavior problems. If you simply let your wolfdog out in the yard, you lose an opportunity to reinforce desirable behavior. Allowing a wolfdog to roam freely is dangerous both to the animal, other pets and people. It also gives the unsupervised wolfdog freedom to regress to unacceptable wild behavior. Daily walks may help prevent breakout problems, destructiveness, separation anxiety and other common behavior disorders. When your wolfdog obeys like you want, praise must be given immediately to be effective. Your wolfdog's life could depend on its obedience to your warnings.

If your wolfdog is skittish, gets in fights with other dogs, and is unruly around people and children, by all means find another way to exercise your pet. Or, take walks with your wolfdog away from people and other animals. Restricting some activity cannot be unkind in view of the possible consequences.