A unique experience is nestled between Ghost Lake and Cochrane, giving viewers the opportunity to see and interact with an interesting breed of canines. The experience is provided by the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, and there is plenty to see and learn.
Wolfdogs are a combination of domesticated dogs and their wild ancestors, wolves. To be classified as a wolfdog, experts say around 15 to 20 per cent of the animal must be of wolf blood. The sanctuary houses 43 unique wolfdogs, each with a different percentage of wolves in them.
Besides wolfdogs, there are also goats and chickens on the property, which staff kindly ensure are not fed to the wolfdogs as a treat.
The manager of fundraising and events at the sanctuary, Kara Dowhaniuk, hosted a Halloween-inspired event this fall. The event helped educate and showcase the fascinating breed after dusk, when the animals are most active and not often seen by the public.
Loud howling echoed throughout the sanctuary as the nighttime approached, and the wolfdog’s energy rose dramatically.
The purpose of these events, and of the sanctuary more generally, is primarily to showcase just how wild in nature this breed is. During their visit, people are informed that caring for these animals can be a very hard process and best left to professionals.
“The biggest thing that we look for, for people who do want to own wolfdogs, is first, the understanding that these animals are not going to be companion animals,” Dowhaniuk says. “More often than not, they want nothing to do with you.”
Education, conservation, and rescue efforts create the foundational cores of the team at the sanctuary, something that is especially important to Dowhaniuk.
“We want to ensure that we’re providing education to the public to really understand these animals and kind of bridge that gap between wolf dogs and humans so that they have a better perspective if this is a pet for them,” Dowhaniuk says.
Maddy Case, an attendee of the recent event, once liked the idea of adopting a wolfdog, but her visit to the sanctuary gave her insight into how difficult they can be to manage.
“After learning the behaviour of the dogs, I had no idea most of them weren’t interested in hanging out with humans,” Case says. “Since I live in the city, that’s definitely not an option either.”
Case is thankful for the learning experience and for the chance to get up close and personal with the dogs.
Over 90 per cent of wolfdogs older than the age of two, risk being euthanized largely due to their wild behaviours. Many new wolfdog owners don’t realize how much effort it takes to properly raise the breed under the right conditions.
The sanctuary provides the necessary information about the species. More importantly, it is a safe place for the wolfdogs to live through their rescue efforts, in the case of unfit owners.
The staff at the sanctuary encourages visitors to ask any question they might have and would love to introduce visitors to these fascinating and beautiful animals.
“They are very challenging animals, but they do have a very sentient loving side of them too, so we do want people to understand that as well,” Dowhaniuk says.
More after-hours events are planned, giving new visitors a chance to experience the unique wonders of wolfdogs after dusk. For more information visit yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com.
