Highuponthemtn Philosophy
Our statements here are our personal experiences and only to be used as such. We are NOT experts, but have had years of experience with wolf-dogs. We make no warranties neither expressed or implied.
Here at Highuponthemtn we strive to provide the best possible care of our family pack and follow an Exercise\Discipline\Affection (EDA) philosophy. We use and recommend Caesar Milan: "The Dog Whisperer" techniques. We live with our "kids" just as that. This means when we are ready to be in the house the "kids" come in as well. In the house our "kids" have free run, however, we recommend you have a place for your family member that is strictly theirs. We have in the past set up a kennel cage, leaving the door open, placing a dark sheet or lightweight blanket over the top to simulate the "den" a safe haven for your friend if he\she needs it. This is also good as this breed is very destructive! They will chew on just about anything, so if left alone they will destroy your property. Cage training is not cruel! As long as they are not left in the cage for extended periods of time. You may find after some work they will only chew on their stuff and not have to close the door of the cage when unattended.
When we eat they get fed as well, not our same food but their own diet which is the best we can provide. Some say you can feed them RAW meet, we do NOT! And we do not recommend it, this is our personal preference. Their diet needs to be balanced and nutritious to their needs. We have researched and found that Soy additives are not healthy for them, so dry food without Soy is recommended. Also a food that is LOW in CORN. We make broth for them from turkey, chicken, venison, & beef. Homemade broth is much better than canned food, as canned food tends to cause diarrhea or extreme soft stool. Also it allows you to control the sodium and other ingredients your pup is getting. We have found they eat and digest the dry food better as well as seem more satisfied. We also encourage fresh fruit & veggies, you would be surprised what they like.
Your companion will need lots of room to run & play! Without proper exercise, they will be more destructive, especially when in the house. Being kept on a chain or any type of tie out is not acceptable except for short periods of time. Daily exercise is a must That is why we will only sell to people who have an adequate area fenced in for this. The "playpen" as we call it, must be DIG & JUMP proof. Mind you this breed can jump quite high. And adequate housing should be available if the animal is left outside. Not that they will use it, but that's their option.*** As you may have seen on Timber & Indigo's pages, we ourselves had a mishap with our playpen. a tree located close to the fence was up rooted and caused the fence to be raised. the kids had been cool with us being with them while they played Indigo & Timber escaped and Timber has not been seen since, and may have been KIA although we are still hopeful . Indigo lost a hind leg to a gunshot, so this is the MOST important part of having this breed. A SECURE PLAY PEN / FENCED IN AREA
Wolf-dogs must have the same immunizations as domestic dogs. Your veterinarian can provide you the information for your area as some area's require the Rabies Vaccine at different intervals. (Our experience is they get a little sick afterwards, but it only last a couple days and is usually not severe-get the vaccine!) they can also suffer from some of the same illnesses, so a veterinarian is a must. A note from us: We had to look around our area to find one who would treat Wolf-dogs, so do some research in your area. We also recommend a heart worm preventative as well as a flea & tick spot on. Heart worms will kill! So it is very important that you make sure it is prevented.
We encourage new companions to have their new family member spayed or neutered. We do this because we believe that if you are not ready to be a breeder and if you do not want a lot of extra work it is the best for you and them. We only breed if we have enough people willing to put a deposit down to ensure our pups get great homes. It can be difficult to place pups with any "wolf" in them it is also a huge responsibility. If pups are not raised properly they can be not only destructive but dangerous. This is why our policy is to offer a Spay\Neuter incentive to new companions.
We prefer pups to be picked up( WE DO NOT SHIP) no later than the 6th week of age as they need to bond with their new pack members ( YOU BEING THE ALPHA). We believe in the pup choosing their human as well as you choosing your new pup. We introduce the pups to cats, all ages of people and to normal household noises. We do not introduce them to any road ways, but we do take them for short rides. They normally do not "bark" however unchecked in an urban area with barking dogs, they will learn to bark. We try to discourage this behavior as we have a little barker and there are some others around us. We shush the barker and howl and try to get them to talk with their howls in place of the barking.
Wolf-dogs can be dangerous without proper socialization. Especially around small children. We do not recommend this breed to anyone who has small children that may be left unsupervised with this breed. Sometimes without trying children can unknowingly pose a threat or show weakness and this can cause the Wolf-dog to become agitated or defensive and will result in major problems. We have never had any problems, however we NEVER leave children alone with our "kids". Responsible adult supervision is a must at all times!!! No Excuses!!!
Ok, if you are sure this is the breed for your family, and you would like to have a pup from Highuponthemtn, then proceed to our "Contract" page and read it very carefully.