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Tamaskan Wolf Dog

18K views 36 replies 27 participants last post by  Saito  
#1 ·
We were talking about Beaucerons, and I ran across this breed today. It never fails that at least once a day I read somewhere on a Georgia forum about someone wanting a "wolf dog" because they "look cool." Inevitably someone suggests getting a Siberian Husky or Husky mix (since wolves and wolf "hybrids" are illegal in Georgia to keep as pets,) and the follow-up is always, "I have owned a Husky before, and it didn't look as cool as a wolf dog."

So I found these today: Tamaskan Wolf Dogs.
"The Wolf-Dog without the wolf."

http://www.tamaskan-dog.com/Galleries/Photo%20Gallery/photo-gallery.htm

Does anyone know anything about them? Other than what you can read online? lol I think I read somewhere that they were considered an "arctic breed."

I thought it would be a good suggestion for someone who has owned Huskies/Arctic breeds but like think "wolf dogs look cool."
 
#9 ·
The original Saarloos wolfhound (named after the Dutch breeder) was the result of crossing a GSD male with a female Eurasian wolf. The purpose was to try and create a dog which was more resistant to distemper.(It didn't work.)

I had never heard of the Tamaskan, or that it really got going in the UK. Beautiful looking though.....

______________________________________
Susan

Anja GSD
Conor GSD - adopted from this Board
Blue GSD - waiting at the Bridge
 
#12 ·
Hi, i know this topic is really old, but i do know a bit about the tamaskan dog and figured id spill it here in case anyone was still curious.
the tamaskan dog is a DOG, not a wolfdog. unfortunately due to the rising popularity of this breed there have been attempts to duplicate this- primarily by one kennel that claims to be the only breeder of the "tamaskan wolfdog" or "american tamaskan". thee however are not registered tamaskans and the real breed actually contains no wolf content.
the point of the breed is to look as wolfy as possible while having the temperament of a dog.
 
#17 ·
I was actually just searching through these guys the other day. They say the Tamaskan goes by other names like the Northern Inuit and Utonagan. They definitely do look wolf-ish but they still seem more like experimental dogs. I'd still settle for a GSD.
 
#19 ·
wonderful looking dog. they've done some nice work here. looks like the origin of the breed is the Northern Inuit and it's worked it's way 'round to Tamaska. it's so very new and still got some real quality there. i hope they make it work so people quit wanting the wolfdog mixes. that would solve such a terrible issue.

dw~
 
#20 ·
There's too much secrecy in the clubs themselves and too much infighting.

I love dogs, but not politics (other than reasonable debate), and I'd rather not get myself mixed up in the middle. If the two clubs/registries stop the infighting and agree to make things public instead of hiding them behind closed doors, I'd definitely consider owning one in the future.
 
#23 ·
Would slander and vicious verbal attacks be more accurate? Heh. It's pretty ugly, from what I've seen.

oh, man, i agree w/that! the politics of the thing will get in the way every time. probably why there's been so many splits already in such a short time. i mean between what '89 and '06 there's been 3 breeding splits? that can't be a good thing. but somebody's making some progress there.


dw~
German Shepherds have politics issues, to be sure, but the GSD is widespread enough that it's easy to get away from that. And it doesn't seem to approach the level of vitriol that exists in the Tamaskan world. But, I could just not be experienced enough in the GSD world, too, I'll admit that.
 
#25 ·
Interesting. I'm not one for politics, so hopefully I don't come across to much when/if I ever decide to buy a CwV :D

I don't know a lot about the Tamaskan WD but I've been doing a lot of research on the Saarloos and Czech wolf dogs.

I may have to add these to my list of dogs to look into. If anything for curiosity sake lol.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I have never met one myself I found them online while researching the littlest hobo dog. People were saying the littlest hobo might have been the start of the Tamaskan Wolf Dogs or something like that.

From what I understand they are dogs bred too look likes wolves. They are not wolves. They are smart healthy dogs but I don't think they were ever bred for one job. They were bred to be companion dogs that look likes wolves. What's my understanding of them. They are stunning.
 
#27 ·
Very interesting, I never heard of them until now either. I will have to also keep them on my list to research further.
 
#31 ·
Tamaskan

I am a German Shepherd fan (I've raised and trained 4) and I came across information about the Tamaskan breed. I understand that it was developed in England/Finland by breeding malamutes, huskies and German Shepherds, along with a smattering of Nordic type sled dogs, probably including some wolf blood.
The breed looks beautiful and from what I can find out, its temperament seems gentle and friendly. However, I have never seen one in the flesh.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this breed? Is there anyone in the Los Angeles area who has one?
For anyone who has experience, how does the trainability and willingness to please of the German Shepherd compare with the Tamaskin?
 
#32 ·
I am a German Shepherd fan (I've raised and trained 4) and I came across information about the Tamaskan breed. I understand that it was developed in England/Finland by breeding malamutes, huskies and German Shepherds, along with a smattering of Nordic type sled dogs, probably including some wolf blood.
The breed looks beautiful and from what I can find out, its temperament seems gentle and friendly. However, I have never seen one in the flesh.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this breed? Is there anyone in the Los Angeles area who has one?
For anyone who has experience, how does the trainability and willingness to please of the German Shepherd compare with the Tamaskin?
No. If you want a wolfdog, the Czech Wolfdog is much more familiar because its part GSD. Since you have experience with GSDs, a CWD is going to be somewhat harder to raise than a GSD. They're beautiful dogs bred to look like the Carpathian wolf but the trainability and willingness to please come from the GSD. The only breeder in USA is here in Colorado.
 
#33 ·
If one is interested in a Czech Wolfdog, I urge them to go see the dogs in person and interact with them and get as many first-hand references as possible. Despite the internet saying that they are a lot like GSDs temperament wise, my exposure to a CWD and stories of CWD shared on the website here would indicate otherwise. The main issue is timidity, and general fearfulness. The dog I have seen was not from the Colorado breeder though, but imported from Europe. It was bought by an individual to be a service dog (because the breeder insisted that the dog would be suitable), but it was a mental wreck that could barely leave the house.

The dogs being bred for a certain look, temperament has suffered.