- Coat colours are from light to dark shaded black-tipped game-colour (boar, hare) also called wolf-grey and from light to dark shaded brown-tipped game-colour.
- Typical wolf-markings are from light creamy white to white.
- These pale markings, typical of the wolf extends to the underside of the body, the inner side of the limbs
- backside of legs, breeches and under the tail.
- Pigment of nose, eye rims, lips and nails should be black in a wolf- grey, white and white cream Saarlooswolfdog.
- In brown coloured dogs it should be liver coloured.
- Both colour varieties show a darker nuance of the colour on the outside of the limbs.
- They should also have an expressive mask
About the Saarloos Wolfhond
Origin: The NetherlandsSaarloos Wolfhond
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Origin
- The Netherlands
- Also called
- Perro Lobo de Saarloos
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- The Saarlooswolfdog was not bred with any aim for a particular utilization. He possesses qualities which enable him to be a faithful and reliable companion and house dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“A lively dog, bursting with energy, with evidence of a proud independent character. Known to foremost obey his own will. Towards his master he is devoted and reliable to a high degree. Towards strangers he might be reserved and usually does not seek contact. The reserved and wolf-like manner to avoid unknown situations is typical for the Saarlooswolfdog”
Quoted from FCI standard n°311. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Characteristics
- Size
- —
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “The Saarlooswolfdog was not bred with any aim for a particular utilization. He possesses qualities which enable him to be a faithful and reliable companion and house dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 2 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 5 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Saarloos Wolfhond
What you get with the Saarloos Wolfhond
- Purpose stated in the standard: “The Saarlooswolfdog was not bred with any aim for a particular utilization”
- The standard describes the breed as: “A lively dog, bursting with energy, with evidence of a proud independent character”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “In winter the undercoat predominates mostly, which together with the guard hair of the…”
- Expect a lot of shedding — “The summer coat differs greatly from the winter coat.”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Saarloos Wolfhond
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
The summer coat differs greatly from the winter coat.
In winter the undercoat predominates mostly, which together with the guard hair of the topcoat forms a profuse coat, covering the whole body and forming a distinct collar (ruff) round the neck.
With the summer coat, the guard hair of the topcoat predominates.
Temperature changes in autumn and winter can have a great influence on the undercoat
but the disposition to this should always be present.
It is essential that the belly, the inner side of the upper thighs and the scrotum are covered by hair
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°311 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Saarloos Wolfhond down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Lack of breed type.
- Coat colour other than those permitted
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Saarloos Wolfhond in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Saarloos Wolfhond
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Saarloos Wolfhond on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Saarloos Wolfhond owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Saarloos Wolfhond breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.