Characteristics
large
73–78 cm
38–49 kg
10–12 years old
not recognized
Brief information
Origin story
The American Tundra Shepherd is the “child” of a government experiment. The US military department wanted to get a dog for official purposes a universal soldier strong, hardy, fearless, vicious. For these purposes, it was proposed to cross the German Shepherd with the tundra wolf. Breeding work began, female German shepherds were crossed with young males of the tundra wolf, tamed by man. But in the end the project was closed. The official version is due to the fact that the hybrids of a shepherd and a wolf turned out to be absolutely non-aggressive and stupid, poorly trained (which, I must say, raises some doubts, because, firstly, both progenitors are distinguished by their natural intelligence, and secondly, mestizo wolves are recognized dangerous precisely because of the possible manifestations of aggression, for example, in Russia). And if it were not for civilian cynologists, then the world would not have seen these beautiful animals at all. But they continued to breed American Tundra Shepherds, and as a result, an excellent multifunctional breed appeared both a watchman, and a security guard, and a shepherd, and a search engine, and a rescuer. And even a companion. Now the breed is very popular in the USA, but so far it has not been recognized by the FCI.
Description
The American Tundra Shepherd is the most like a sheepdog. And also on a good-natured wolf. Quite large erect ears, strong, strong paws, fluffy saber tail. The body is strong, strong, but at the same time without the massiveness inherent in wolves. Color can be wolf, gray, black and tan and pure black.
Character
For such a serious dog, early socialization is very important. You need to deal with it seriously an inexperienced person cannot cope, you need a dog handler. At the same time, dogs have a very developed watchdog instinct, which makes them distrustful of strangers. Some cynologists do not even take up the training of this breed. Wolf Shepherds are very smart, but quite stubborn and headstrong. But then, when the pet knows all the basic commands and follow them, the owner will receive an excellent defender and friend.
Care
The breed has excellent health inherited from its ancestors. Therefore, caring for the American Tundra Shepherd is not at all difficult. Treat eyes, ears and nails as needed. Dogs have a very thick coat with a pronounced undercoat, so they need regular combing, especially during the molting period. But you need to wash the animal only as needed. Due to the thick coat, the dog will not dry out quickly, which can lead to colds.
Conditions of detention
The ideal place for the life of the American tundra dog will be a country house. These animals are strong, hardy, active, they need their own territory, where they can freely frolic. Of course, you can keep this breed in the city. But in urban conditions it is quite difficult to provide the necessary activity. You will have to walk your pet for at least 2 hours daily, and it is desirable that during the walk the dog can dump the accumulated energy.
You can buy an American Tundra Shepherd puppy only in the birthplace of the breed. Outside the United States, the breed is not found at all. We can say that they are not going to engage in its breeding in Europe, since the selection work has not been fully completed even at home. For this reason, in addition to the cost of the puppy itself, one should take into account the mandatory costs of paperwork and transportation of the dog from overseas. It is impossible to name the exact amount even approximately, since the initial price of the puppy is agreed with the breeder. According to the latest data, the minimum price for a dog starts at $500.
