The history of the origin of the breed, the standard of appearance, character, description of health, advice on care and training, interesting facts. Price when buying a puppy. Utonagan is a unique breed of dog that has the appearance and a magnificent article of a formidable predator of the northern forests - a wolf and not at all gloomy, but remarkably friendly and affectionate character of the most ordinary domestic dog. And this is the main secret of the charm of this wonderful breed - a harsh-looking "wolf" suddenly turns out to be a very cute dog with a wonderful gentle character, a great friend of the whole family.
The origin of the Utonagan breed
Utonagan dogs have been counting their origin since the 80s of the XX century, when breeders and cynologists of the USA, Canada and Great Britain set out to get a dog that looks superbly similar to a wild wolf, but with a completely peaceful and non-aggressive character, capable of making an excellent company for humans.
For the purpose of selection, dogs were selected that were similar in appearance to a wolf, but completely harmless, well trained and disciplined. Not to mention the fact that real wolves for crossing were not even planned. The choice of dog breeders after long theoretical calculations fell primarily on the German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky. The project was led by an experienced English breeder, Edwin Harrison.
Despite the fact that the best representatives of the thoroughbred were involved in the breeding, the main ancestor of the breed was the most externally similar to a wolf, but completely unclean Malamute named Dollar. It was from this dog, most similar to a wolf, that the most beautiful and numerous offspring were obtained, with characteristic wolf features and color.
In order to advertise the newly created breed, breeders came up with an original marketing ploy. Linguists who knew the ancient and modern languages of the Indians of North America were involved, who came up with the idea to name the wolf breed of dogs in the wolf-Indian style - "utonagan" (utonagan), which means "spirit of the wolf" in the language of the Chinook Indian tribe. Thanks to this non-standard solution, the breed quickly gained fame and popularity in Canada, the United States and especially in the UK.
The most interesting thing is that some of the owners of these wolves are still confident in their extremely ancient wolf origin. As if it goes back to those ancient times, when the North American Indians had not yet seen European colonialists and were complete masters of their land. In fact, these amazing animals with the "spirit of the wolf" lead their kind from the kennels of domestic dogs in England and do not have a drop of wild blood.
However, in parallel with the Utonagans, enthusiasts breeders managed to breed another new and now gaining popularity breed, which they called "Northern Inuit" (by the way, these Inuit dogs successfully played direwolves in the popular fantasy series "Game of Thrones"). "Inuit" is the politically correct name for the Eskimos of the north (probably another exotic marketing ploy of the creators, as well as the participation of Inuit dogs in the filming of the series). The peak of popularity of new wolf dogs came at the end of the 20th century. In 1996, the first UK club of these animals was created, then several more. In the process of breeding, dog wolves are finally divided into two parallel branches of development - northern Inuit and Utonagans. In many ways, these two branches are similar, but there are also a number of differences obtained as a result of selection with different breeds.
Despite all the efforts of breeders and extraordinary marketing solutions aimed at popularizing new animals, so far not a single world dog association has officially recognized these newly developed breeds. But work on the breed continues.
However, new unrecognized dogs are gaining popularity among dog lovers around the world and it is very likely that confirmation of their official status is just around the corner.
The purpose of the Utonagan breed
Creating a wolfdog, dog breeders sought to obtain an animal with predatory wolf features, but ideally calm and friendly behavior. Ideally, they planned to create a companion dog that would accompany its owner everywhere. And I must say, they did it very well. Utonagan is truly an ideal companion dog, capable of independently adjusting its behavior depending on the age and temperament of the person.
In addition, as it turned out later, the utonagans are excellent house keepers, area guards and excellent hunting dogs.
Hunting talents and increased resistance to frost (thick fur with a warm undercoat allows them to easily endure the cold and strong winds of northern areas) of the Utonagans proved to be in great demand in the harsh conditions of Northern Scotland, Northern Canada and the state of Alaska (USA).
External standard of a "wolf" dog
Utonagan is a very beautiful, superbly built animal with strong bones and excellent muscles. It is slightly smaller in size than a real wild wolf. The height at the withers reaches 66–73 centimeters in males and 60–67 centimeters in bitches of this breed. The body weight of the animal varies in a fairly wide range - from 25 to 50 kg.
The lack of recognition of the breed by official dog associations does not allow us to talk about the exact standard of the Utonagan's appearance. But some points for the future standard are already well defined:
- Head utonagana is relatively small in proportion to the body. In profile it resembles a blunt wedge. Outwardly, it bears a strong resemblance to the muzzle of a wolf. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle is pronounced. The nose is black, oval in shape. Cheekbones are proportional. Lips adjacent to the mouth with small flews. The jaws are strong and symmetrical. The teeth are well developed, the canines are well defined. Possible straight or scissor bite. The formula of the teeth is standard - 42 units.
- Eyes small, in shape - "wolf". And even the look is absolutely wolfish. The possible color of the eyes has not yet been precisely determined, more often the eyes of amber-yellow or honey-yellow color are observed.
- Ears erect, rather large, wide triangular in shape (and in this they are more reminiscent of the ears of dogs than of a wolf).
- Neck strong, muscular, rather long, blending smoothly into the line of the back.
- Torso utonagana elongated, dense, but flexible, with a well-developed withers. The back line is straight (sometimes with some deflection). The rib cage is well developed, pear-shaped in shape. The belly is tucked up, slightly sunken from the sides.
- Tail set on high, of medium length or more than medium length, drooping down, richly pubescent with fur.
- Limbs straight, strong, of medium length with elongated arcuate toes and hard black or dark gray nails. The paw pads are thick, well defined, and dark in color.
- Wool Utonaganov rich with dense dense undercoat. There is a winter and summer version of the coat, which differ significantly in the density and length of the fur and the thickness of the undercoat. The guard hair is straight and long, covering the entire body of the animal. Particularly woolly are the chest, back, thighs and belly of the dog. The interdigital area of the paws also has a coat. The fur is harsh-soft to the touch.
The final color of the utonagan has not yet been approved (breeders are still trying to get a consistently inherited maximum wolfish variant). Therefore, the color at this stage can be, both characteristically wolfish (distinctly gray, black-gray, gray-red with tan and "wolf mask" on the face), and more corresponding to the color of a husky or malamute - solid white, silver-gray, black with tan, reddish-brown with a saddle, the color of milk cream, but everywhere with the obligatory "wolf mask". Often there is a white edging on the dog's chest, passing to the forelimbs of the animal.
Utonagan personality
Representatives of this breed are dogs with excellent cheerful disposition and a well-balanced cheerful energetic temperament. It is felt that the breeders have put a lot of effort into their offspring, having really received a very friendly dog.
This is a lovely, loyal and amazingly friendly dog. Completely unlike a real wolf in character. He loves company, cheerful energetic games in the fresh air, gets along well with adults and children. However, communication with children, especially with babies, must be strictly controlled. Infinitely mobile, energetically indefatigable and fast, like a train drowned, having played out, he can easily knock down even the largest adult man, and even a small child - and even more so.
Utonagan is a very energetic dog, capable of much and requires the owner to find the right use of this energy. The temperament directed in the right direction makes this tireless dog with a great sense of smell and hunting talents an indispensable assistant on long journeys through the rough terrain of the northern forest territories or hunting.
The "wolf" dog is also capable of transporting not too heavy loads over fairly decent distances, although it is not as strong as, for example, a husky or a Taimyr sled dog. For this reason, it is even sometimes used in such an interesting sport as bike joring (dog sledding). Not being able to fully run around and jump to its fullest, the animal gets bored and depressed. And he cannot stand long loneliness at all. And he may even try to escape from the "confinement". Therefore, people who lead a more measured lifestyle, who are neither fishermen, nor hunters, nor tourists, or whose profession is associated with constant long absences, should look for a calmer and more self-sufficient dog.
Utonagan is a very intelligent animal with high intelligence and learning abilities. The training of a wolf dog from England is not difficult (here the genes of the progenitors - disciplined German shepherds apparently affected).
Despite their completely peaceful and good-natured disposition, these wolf-dogs are very proud, they have a good sense of the hierarchy, allowing only a person with strong leadership qualities to manage themselves. They may not be up to a weak or not very energetic person.
Utonagan health
The creators of the breed claim the uniqueness of their dogs, their excellent health, excellent resistance to low temperatures and phenomenal endurance. And if one can easily agree with the endurance and resistance to frost, here the lean-muscular appearance of the animal and its beautiful fur speak for themselves, then doubts arise regarding the absence of genetic predispositions to certain (breed) sores. Too many dog breeds with genetic health problems have participated in the selection of the Utonagan.
So far, very little research material has been published related to the health of the newly introduced wolfdog (and this is understandable, the breed is still "untwisted"), but from what it is already clear that the Utonagan inherited from the German Shepherd such an unpleasant thing as hip dysplasia. What hereditary problems malamutes and huskies have awarded him is still unknown, and one can only guess. Time will tell.
The life span of an utonagan is in the range of 9-13 years, which is not so little for a dog of this size.
Wolf Dog Care Tips
Utonagan is a dog with a very energetic character, rich "wolf" fur and not small size. Therefore, keeping it in a small apartment or even a small house is problematic. And the wolfdog himself adores fresh air and nature. Therefore, such a dog feels best when he is on the street, and even better in a forest somewhere outside the city. There he is more free, there is an opportunity to run and it is not so hot in the summer. And in winter - and not bad at all.
The wolfdog needs compulsory physical activity and stable (preferably long-term) walking (at least twice a day).
Nothing new in terms of grooming. Standard care, as for all long-haired pets with a thick undercoat, is regular brushing and not too frequent bathing.
Similarly, with food - everything is quite standard. It is best to feed the utonagan with a well-balanced commercially made holistic or super premium food, supplemented with mineral complexes and multivitamins to improve the quality of the coat and the general well-being of the animal. This feeding method is the most economical for the owner. Can you imagine how much meat a pet weighing under 50 kg can eat in a week, with the appetite of a good wolf? And this is not an exaggeration. Volkops are big food lovers, and therefore it is necessary to keep their diet under strict control, especially if it is not possible to give the dog a full run to burn extra calories.
Nuances of training Utonagan
These dogs are intelligent and perfectly amenable to training, without requiring any special tricks for their upbringing.
Interesting facts about Utonagan
Even despite the fact that this breed has not yet been officially recognized by the UK canine structures, this does not in the least deprive it of its popularity among fans of the animals of Foggy Albion. There are more than enough people who want to buy an utonagana dog.
Moreover, this wonderful good-natured dog is officially allowed in the UK to participate in canistherapy programs for the rehabilitation of people with mental disabilities, disabilities and incurable diseases along with such good-natured large breeds such as Chinook, Husky, Malamute, Taimyr and Chukchi sled dogs.
Utonagan puppy purchase price
Unfortunately, the breed is only gaining momentum in its development. Therefore, as such, utonagan kennels have not yet been registered on the territory of Russia, there are only the first modest experimental attempts by breeders to breed these dogs from representatives of the breed imported directly from the UK. The lack of official recognition of these dogs also contributes. It is difficult and economically unprofitable for dog breeders to breed animals with an uncertain status and a complete lack of breed standards. Nobody knows who to grow, nobody wants.
For this reason, it is problematic to buy a dog wolf in Russia, you can easily run into scammers who will sell you for a lot of money a mestizo husky or a malamute, or even a purebred "nobleman" disguised as a scarce and expensive utonagan.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that it is best to buy a dog wolf puppy right now directly in its home territory - in the UK. There, the price of a Utonagan puppy, depending on its size, sex and color, will cost from £ 600 (approximately $ 780) and more. But on the other hand, you will be completely sure of the origin of your pet and will be able to get the necessary professional advice on its maintenance.
For more informative information about the Utonagan, see this video:
