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Old 30-06-2005, 10:21   #12
Rona
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kraków
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Default hey there

Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefraven
They seem to be smaller than the regular german shepards or maybe i'm just mis-informed. And do they howl much like their wolf ancestors? Cuz if i do decide to get one I will most likely not be living in the rural area. Let me know what you think. I hope to hear from you soon.
I think you might find answers to many of your questions here, on the forum. If you read articles and the posts from the last 6-8 months you will find plenty of information about prices of pups in Western and Eastern Europe, specificity of the breed, various uses of CzWs, their character, temperament, health problems, training methods. You may also obtain practical info on the import requirements, what a good breeder should be like, what to pay attention to when you decide to buy a pup, etc.- i.e. if the puppy is well socialised from early age and if both parents have good HD results. (and what HD is )

I'd also like to confirm and stress what other people have already stated earlier- CZWs are not wolf hybrids, but dogs! It is a relatively young, but well established breed of a dog. It is true, that they have 25-30% of wolf's genes, but the last "addition" of wolf's blood was conducted about 30 years ago. You cannot compare CzWs with wolf hybrids, which are much less predictable as far as the pups' looks and character are concerned, i.e. with wolf hybrids the proportions of dog's and wolf's genes cannot be easily established/calculated/predicted and may vary from pup to pup even in the same litter - one pup may be more like a dog, and another - more of a wolf. And this, of course, affects the animal's looks, character, and to some extend - behaviour.
There are plenty of irresponsible breeders all over the world, and CzW breed still needs special protection of responsible and wise breeders and owners - otherwise it could be easily spoiled and destroyed.

Since honest, creative breeding does mean production of puppies for money and requires a lot of knowledge of genetics, herd books, rules and principles, etc. etc. if you decide to buy a CZW you'll have to undertake a bit of this responsibility....
There has to be certain number of studs and bitches relatively genetically remote, from a few herd lines, to start reasonable breeding in a given area. Thus for geographical reasons it is easier to breed CzWs in Europe and mix dogs form various countries, regions etc.

I'd really advise you to conduct reserach before you take any decisions - though the Czechs are great dogs, this is not an easy breed and its relative "freshness" puts an extra challenge on the owner, not to mention the breeder. Good luck!
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