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Wolf Content
Although the Tamaskan Dog is designed to physically resemble a wolf, the breed cannot be considered a true wolfdog breed due to a lack of significant wolf content. Originally coined “the Wolfdog without the Wolf” these gentle dogs are designed to look as wolflike as possible, without the typically associated behavioral traits of true wolfdogs. Unfortunately, it was later discovered that the breed founders deliberately used wolfdogs (Czechoslovakian Vlcak mixes and American Wolfdog mixes) as foundation dogs for the creation of the Tamaskan breed, and then denied doing so.
However, by now, most Tamaskan bloodlines only contain trace amounts of wolfdog content further back in the ancestry, which has been subsequently diluted via successive generations of selective breeding to the degree that any wolf content is now pretty much undetectable via DNA testing, or to the point of being virtually negligible (less than 5% wolf content). Moreover, some registered Tamaskan bloodlines contain absolutely no wolf content whatsoever (0%) while other registered Tamaskan bloodlines only have very low/no content wolfdogs (under 10% wolf content) in the recent ancestry.
That being said, SOME registered Tamaskan Dogs (specifically some recent outcross progeny) may have up to approximately 30% wolf content: the maximum amount of wolf content permitted within the breed. This is roughly equivalent to the approximate amount of wolf content found in the Saarloos Wolfdog and Czechoslovakian Vlcak (both FCI recognized dog breeds). This is because, in keeping with the breed’s heritage, low content wolfdog outcrosses are occasionally added to the genepool in order to strategically increase genetic diversity within the breed whilst preserving certain wolf-like characteristics (appearance traits) that would otherwise be lost over time.
Potential new wolfdog outcrosses must be under 30% wolf content (pedigree analysis) and are only accepted into the Tamaskan breeding program pending full review and subsequent approval by the ITR’s Committee of Breeders (CoB). Under the watchful guidance of the CoB, the maximum permitted wolf content for any registered Tamaskan offspring is 30% wolf content (pedigree analysis) so this must be kept in mind when planning any breeding combinations. The ultimate goal of the TDR is not to simply create yet another wolfdog breed. Despite trace amounts of wolf content within the breed and the occasional addition of low content wolfdogs to the genepool, the Tamaskan is by definition: a wolf-lookalike breed with very low/no wolf content, not a true "wolfdog" per se. Emphasis is placed on health and temperament rather than wolf-like appearance alone.
ITR registered breeders must follow certain regulations with regards to wolf content and any puppies that do not qualify within these rules would not be eligible for registration with the ITR:
All new Outcross / Foundation Dogs must be under 30% wolf content and the resulting offspring (registered Tamaskan Dogs) from any breeding combination must be less than 30% wolf content (pedigree analysis).
Tamaskan Dogs with the maximum permitted wolf content (30% according to pedigree analysis) shall only be bred to Tamaskan Dogs with less than 15% wolf content (pedigree analysis), resulting in offspring that have approximately 22.5% wolf content (pedigree analysis)... the next generation must then be less than approximately 20% wolf content (pedigree analysis) and so on.
Tamaskan Dogs with the maximum permitted wolf content (30% according to pedigree analysis) shall not be bred to a purebred Czechoslovakian Vlcak (outcross) or a purebred Saarloos Wolfdog (outcross) or an American Wolfdog (outcross); nor mated to the direct (first generation) mixbreed offspring of any of those breeds: 50% Czechoslovakian Vlcak or 50% Saarloos Wolfdog or 50% American Wolfdog.
Should an Embark DNA test reveal a different amount of genetic wolf content than the pedigree analysis, the owner/breeder will submit these results to the CoB for approval prior to breeding a combination as outlined in this section.
Overall, the average amount of wolf content for all registered Tamaskan Dogs worldwide is around 10% while the breed’s ideal range of wolf content is 0% to 15%. The ultimate aim of the ITR is to gradually decrease the amount of actual wolf content within the breed. With that in mind, the wolf content (pedigree analysis) of any litter combination registered by the ITR must be either maintained at extremely low levels and/or steadily declining through each successive generation. Moderation and common sense are the key.
Average wolf content for registered Tamaskan Dogs = 10% wolf content
Ideal range of wolf content for registered Tamaskan Dogs = 0 – 15% wolf content
Maximum wolf content for outcross dogs / Tamaskan offspring = 30% wolf content*
*There is a small margin of tolerance (up to 5%).
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