THE SSPCA has warned people not to risk buying rare and potentially dangerous wolf-dog hybrids as family pets.

Monikie man Rab Collins recently purchased an eight-week old puppy that was claimed to be a cross between the Japanese breed Akita and a wolf-hybrid from a breeder in the Aberdeen area.

Although he originally intended to sell the pup, which he has named Zico, he has now decided to keep it as a pet and company for his German Shepherd, Sam.

He said, “I saw him advertised and I got him from a guy in Aberdeen. His father was a wolf-husky hybrid and his mother was an Akita,” said Mr Collins.

“I’ve already spoken to a woman from Fife who has an Akita and she has asked if I want to let them breed when he is older.”

Owners of first and second-generation wolf-dog hybrids require a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 to keep them, as their behaviour cannot be predicted accurately.

Although sometimes less aggressive than normal dogs because of wolves’ social nature, many wolf-dogs retain their need to assert their dominance within their pack.

This can result in constant challenges to the alpha- animals which, if they are being kept as pets, is likely to be the human owner.

It is also believed that children are more likely to give off signals, which trigger their predatory instincts, as well as being likely targets for challenges as the animal attempts to move up the social ladder.

However, Mr Collins said that although he had noticed Zico’s aggressive nature, he believes good training will ensure he is safe.

“I’ve seen a wolf kept as a pet before and it is all down to how you bring them up,” he said.

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said that although there have been no reports of any injuries caused by wolf-dog hybrids in Scotland, they should not be viewed as possible family pets.

“The wolf-hybrid lineage is often very unclear and hard to determine,” he said.

“However, generally speaking, we would not recommend this type of dog as a family pet. We are aware of wolf-hybrid attacks against humans in the United States. These have all happened after the dog has reached full adult maturity at three years of age. There have been no reported incidents in this country.”

In 2001, the Department for Environment, Food, and Environmental Affairs and the RSPCA published research into the occurrence of wolf-dog hybrids in the UK.

Although it was believed that dogs could be smuggled into the country from Northern Ireland—where the Dangerous Animals Act 1976 does not apply—they found there was a very small number of illegal wolf-dogs in the country. They also estimate that the number of animals being kept illegally was no more than 10.

The dogs are common in the United States, where 12 deaths were attributed to wolf-dog hybrids between 1989 and 1994.