What are Czech wolfdogs used for?

[Seijun]

Hi, I was wondering--what kind of working activities are these wolfdogs used in, and how well do they do in those activites? What job was the breed originally created for?

~Seij

[saschia]

The first purpose of the CsV was for army, mostly the border protection. So the protection work is often done with them. They have a very good nose, so the search and rescue would be perfect, but they are not used like that often yet (but it's getting better it seems). In Slovakia the wolfdogs were used as sled-dogs, but now don't compete (I think also because they are better at long distances). Agility is getting popular with some owners. Also dog-trekking and similar sports are perfect for wolfdogs. You can say that the wolfdogs can be used for almost any sport or work, although they are usually not the ideal breed (except long-distance competitions).

[Seijun]

Cool, so the Czech wolfdog is kind of like the "all-purpose dog." I'd love to have one someday.

~Seij

[Pavel]

Let me little bit correct the Saschia's comment. I wouldnt say, that CsW was created not for pure "protection of border", because lot of readers will imagine, that CsW catching the people on border. Primary mission of CsW were search the trace of people, which want illegal cross the border. Mostly were not used for attack but only for search and the final action made the border policements. Its only my short notice.

[Rona]

Originally Posted by Seijun

Cool, so the Czech wolfdog is kind of like the "all-purpose dog." I'd love to have one someday.
~Seij

My husband is a geologist and sometimes takes the dog when doing fieldwork reserch Without any special training Tina has always been very helpful when exploring new sites, old quarries, caves, etc.: skillfully discovers access to remote outcrops, finds shortcuts, tests how solid the path or the edge of the precipice is, warns against dangers, etc. etc. - she's a sort of a "natural guide". Her training has been rather instinctive - just through acompanying teams of geologists for years she taught herself how to be useful. The older she gets, the better she understands her role and my husband now easliy recognises different kinds of signals she utters... What's more, she loves her 'job', protecting her pack, being useful and is very proud when praised for "real achievements"

However, in artificial setting she tends to ignore the tasks and either just sits and obsereves, or plays and 'laughs' like Margo described ). Once we took her for agility track and she couldn't have been more explicit in showing her contempt and indifference But under the true field conditions she just thrives !!

[saschia]

Yes, as Rona says it is important that the CsW finds the work it is supposed to do interesting. But in my opinion it usually finds interesting those things as its master. So my dog was doing agility (first CsW ever I think I can say for sure), but her attitude was similar to mine - I knew she has no real chances against all those "workoholic" breeds or mixes so we had it as fun and possibility to show how beautiful she is And sometimes we won minor races almost accidentally. But she made both A1 and A2 exams before I became too busy to train.

[Seijun]

Here is another question: Do you think this breed will eventually split off into two groups, a working group and a show group, or has this already begun to happen? I know with dogs like German shepherds, there are breeders who breed entirely for looks/show purposes, and there are breeders who breed entirely for the animal's ability to work/perform tasks. German shephers who are bred just for the show ring look much different than those who are bred not for looks, but on how well they do a job. Is this happening, or going to hapen, with th Czech wolfdog?

~Seij

[saschia]

Well, all of us hope that not. Some propose that this might happen if we do not require work-exams for allowing the animals to breed, other think it would happen the other way. But there is difference in numbers and also in character between CsW and GSD so one can never be sure I think (unless it happens). That is why I think that at least some proof of the dogs ability to work has to be the condition of its use in further breeding. But unlike others I think that also simple exams can show it. So we still have some discussions about it but fortunately friendly ones and I hope it stays so.

[Rona]

Originally Posted by saschia

Well, all of us hope that not.

The problem with CzW seems to me the problem of genuity and sincerity. You can't fool a CzW. If the owner is an active person, who does sports, works outdoors and/or would spend much time on various external activities anyway- CzW would easily adapt to his paricular life-style, accompany the master and find pleasure in "working" whatever one understands under this term. And would instinctively try to fit itself in the activities of the pack and "serve" to his/her best abilities since it loves being active and has fantastic energy and lots of stamina. I imagine CzW could be a great working dog with rescue teams (however much more independant than other dogs), sportsmen (runners, swimmers, skiers), geologists, etnologists, soldiers, etc. maybe even sheperd dogs (under specific conditions?). And training the dog in these spontaneous conditons is rather easy due to CzWs' natural working instinct. Great results may be obatined just by food reinforcement and praise ( e.g. see the photos of Akim in the mountains and in the sea)

But training them just for exam results is probably hard (I've never tried), because the "pragmatic" element seems to stronger in CzW than other dogs that are more mentally dependant on their owners and perform tasks just to please them...

That's why it is so hard to specify the exact "sport" or "work" CzW are good at - they're good at what members of their "packs" are keen on.

[saschia]

Yes Rona. I personally think that that which we call "work" the dogs regard as game. And so it is hard to persuade the dog to do something if it is not fun for him. At least not CsW. They learn well because of their intelligence, but the intelligence is a two-way gun as we call it in slovak. You can also see it in the long-distance run - the dogs don't want to go the same lap again - not because they are tired (if you want to play and fight with other dogs you are not tired) but because they know they have been there and don't see the reason to go again. That's why I consider also a long-distane run as a work exam - because to make the dog run the second lap you have to work with it, it is necessary for you to train and for the dog to consider it as kind of work - so that it obeys you. Otherwise it is very easy to injure its pads or make a bad time. I have seen it just this saturday - the dogs which I know are fit and with handlers which are fit - most of them made it very good or good, not excellent - because of the hot weather and because the dogs hesitated in running the second lap. On the other hand, Akim Slnecny dvor made it excellent - because he is used to working like this (and he went the 70 km - actually 3.5 laps).

[Rona]

Originally Posted by saschia

Yes Rona. I personally think that that which we call "work" the dogs regard as game. And so it is hard to persuade the dog to do something if it is not fun for him. At least not CsW. .

Exactly! This is the intrinsic sort of motivation which babies and children have when learning how to walk and speak and when they discover the world around them. And later most people get this motivation subsituted by the "musts" and "oughts to" and can only enjoy it when performing their hobbies.... That's why we love it so much in our CzW! They seem to manage to keep this internal independence which we, for various and obvious (!) reasons - cannot.

To Seijun:
Here is the link to a description of CzW as rescue dogs:
http://www.wolfdog.org/php/index.php...e23506845eede7