Dog Training, Breeds, Care, And Health! - Canine HQ
Home / Dog Breed / Czechoslovakian Vlcak
Fine By Breed Name

Explore By Characteristic or Group

View all Breeds

RESOURCES FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE DOG OWNERS

Find Your Match

Answer a few simple questions and find the right dog for you

Compare Breeds

Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side

Find a Puppy

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Choose your Breed

View the collection of dog breeds we have information on.

Why Get a Dog?

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Breeders

Aenean feugiat metus ac nisi dictum tincidunt Interdum et.
Exclusive Deals, 50%+ Off Good & Toys, Health Information & More!
Register your Dog Today!

Czechoslovakian Vlcak

loyal / intelligent / active
Foundation Stock Service >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

Minimum: 25.5 males; 23.5 females

Weight

Minimum: 57 males; 44 females

Life Expectancy

12-16 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    20% 20%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    20% 20%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    20% 20%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    20% 20%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

Very self-aware and clever, but not well suited to a job that requires the dog to focus for extended periods of time, such as service work or repetitive activities.
a wolf-like canine with alertness and savage appearance. They are extremely bright, strong, active, devoted to their owner, and loyal. They are renowned for having exceptional stamina and endurance and have extraordinary eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell. In the 1950s, border patrol activity in Czechoslovakia led to the development of the Czechoslovakian Vlcak (CSV). Currently, they are utilized in Europe and the US for working dog sports, tracking, obedience, agility, drafting, and search and rescue.
The CSV is far more autonomous in nature than many other working breeds because it is bred for versatility and resilience in tough environments. They make a great companion for energetic owners who enjoy spending time outdoors engaging in outdoor activities like bicycling, running, or hiking. They are also a wonderful choice for tracking or following sports or jobs. However, they are not advised for first-time buyers.
What To Expect When Caring For a Czechoslovakian Vlcak

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Czechoslovakian Vlcaks is a very healthy and robust breed. It is wise to ask the breeder what health concerns they have seen in each genetic line.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Degenerative Myelopathy DNA Test
  • DNA Repository
  • Cardiac Evaluation (Optional)
  • Pituitary Dwarfism DNA Test (Optional)
  • Eye Examination by a board Certified ACVO Ophthalmologist
  • Elbow Evaluation

Grooming

The weather-resistant coat of Czechoslovakian Vlcaks spontaneously rids itself of mud and grime. They hardly ever require a bath, and they hardly ever smell. Twice a year, they shed, and during that period, daily brushing is necessary. Because the winter coat is longer, thicker, and heavier than the summer coat's shorter, thinner hairs, it could need more care in the winter. Regular trimming with a nail clipper or grinder is advised to prevent overgrowth, splitting, and cracking of their robust, quickly developing nails. To prevent a buildup of wax and debris that could cause an infection, examine their ears frequently. You should brush your teeth frequently.

Exercise

Particularly throughout puppyhood and the early stages of puberty, this breed is renowned for possessing unlimited activity. Long daily walks or runs paired with mental challenge are beneficial. It is ineffective to let them roam free in the backyard. A Vlcak performs best when they can devote themselves to a "meaningful" career. They enjoy engaging in conversation with their owners. Activities that can help you burn off energy include swimming, hiking, retrieving balls, and flying discs. Having a CSV on a leash or in a gated enclosure is always a smart idea because they may have a predation drive for small animals.

Training

The Czechoslovakian Vlcak is a primitive breed of dog with a dominant and independent personality and so requires a different approach to training. Consistency and patience is a must. The CSV is confident, lively, active, high stamina, high energy, tough and obedient with quick reactions. They are also highly intelligent, versatile and curious. Early socialization and training is very important. With proper training, Vlcaks can excel in many different types of activities, but they need to see a purpose for the desired task. They bore very easily, do not like to do repetitive tasks and often refuse to perform the tasks regardless of treat incentives. Positive reinforcement training methods are highly recommended. The Czechoslovakian Vlcak is not recommended for first time owners as they need strong pack leadership and structure.

Nutrition

The Czechoslovak Vlcak does best on a raw diet, but a high-quality, grain-free kibble with raw supplements is also suitable. Breed-specific recipes are available from several dog food manufacturers for small, medium, big, and extra-large breeds. Medium-sized Czechoslovakian Vlcaks are a breed.     Choosing what to feed your dog is a personal decision, but the best method to choose how frequently to feed him as a puppy and the best adult diet to lengthen his life is to consult your vet and/or breeder. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.

History

A biological experiment involving the crossing of a German Shepherd Dog and a Carpathian Wolf occurred in the CSSR of 1955. The experiment proved that both the offspring of a male dog and a female wolf, as well as those of a male wolf and a female dog, could be raised. The vast majority of the offspring from these matings have the genetic makeup needed to continue breeding. After the experiment was over, a breeding strategy for this new breed was developed in 1965. This was done to mix the advantageous traits of the dog with the useful traits of the wolf.

The general committee of the breeder’s associations of the CSSR at the time recognized the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog as a national breed in 1982.