welping hybrid wolf

Question
hi i have a malamute x wolf and she was last bred on dec 12008 so is due soon we built a welping pen but she has been and dug herself a den under the outdoor kennel in the run she shares with our male malamute.is this normal practice for hybrids?we have had her vet checked and the vet says she is not pregnant unless she has them tucked up inside her ribs but she has almost doubled in weight....confused  Ally

Answer
Hi Ally

Pseudo pregnancy can result in weight gain.  However, the best way to determine if a female is pregnant is to measure the chest and stomach during the course of the pregnancy.  Both should expand at the same rate.

The second is to do x-ray's when the female is approximately 50 days when calcification occurs.

Most females will look to whelp their litter in a "den", regardless of the breed.  She must become accustomed to the whelping box/pen prior to whelp.

I have my own opinions about breeding wolf hybrids which I will keep to myself. However, I would recommend that you read "Dogs, A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution" by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger. Or read works by Erich Klinghammer, psychologist,  animal behaviorist and director of Wolf Park, the worlds leading expert on "taming" wolves and wolf hybrids.  Both will give you a better insight and understanding.

Good luck