Galomy Oak Kennel
Czechoslovakian Vlcaks
Breeding for excellence in Temperament, Health, Working Ability and Conformation
Gloucester~Virginia
***Be sure to check out the extensive section devoted to Training with
a Czechoslovakian Vlcak, with photos and videos ***
Click Here

How it began...

The fascination with this breed began while we were in the hospital with our son, Christian.
Christian's brilliant neurosurgeon was from former Czechoslovakia, and shared with us some of
his past. Our deep respect and admiration for the doctor led us to have an interest in the central
European nations of the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Our journey with the Vlcak has become a
tremendous part of our healing since Christian's passing...

One day, while browsing the AKC website, I stumbled upon a link for the "Czechoslovakian Vlcak" -
which contained a few photos, a brief history - and no information on contacts for the breed. As I
continued my exploration of the "Vlcak", I learned that there were no breeders, and less than 20 of
the dogs in the United States, One litter was born in Canada a few years back.

When I knew that my son's cancer was terminal, I spent 3 months living at the hospital and ROnald
McDonald House before his passing. My son, sick from chemo and the disease itself, slept for many
hours. My computer was my escape in those quiet times. As I learned more about the CSV, and began
to consider how my life would continue after my son's death, ownership of a CSV seemed like a
healthy goal.

Life with Vlcaks
My first Vlcak, Anthea, came to me as a 12 week old puppy. Purchasing a dog from overseas - well
before I knew many of the CSV community members that I know today - was an adventure that involved
language barriers, money getting lost (and thankfully found!) in the wire transfer process, 2 trips
to NYC, and a journey through the cargo and customs area of JFK. Anthea, at 4.5 years old has
been a blessing. She is a dominant bitch, sometimes very jealous, very obedient and smart, an
awesome tracker and good mama.

The next Vlcaks to come into my life were Roni (at 11 months old), followed by his little sister, Ice.
With the purchase of Roni, I also got a great friendship with their breeder, who flew from FInland
to my house to make sure things were going to be okay. It was a great week - which led to another
great week spent in FInland, the year after, for me. Following my divorce with Ryan, Roni and Ice
went to live with "their dad". We are cordial though, and live in the same county, so I am still able to
see "my kids".

In 2009 I was able to attend a bonitation and national breed club meeting in the Czech Rep., as well
as visit with several breeders and owners in central Europe. This was a most amazing trip, where I
was able to interact with some of the canine legends of our breed - as well as one of our breed
founders, Karel Hartl. I was able to experience the essence of what our breed should be, and gain
some experiences in my goals of breeding.

Bongo came to me in the summer of 2009 from Italy. He was a golden child - super social, and
dubbed "the Italian Lover". He is a wonderful dog in the show ring, and also out tracking.
Following my first breeding (the first in the US), I decided to keep one of the male puppies from the
litter - COrgan. Corgan is a perfect blend of both of his parents - a cuddler in the house, a little
sharp, obedient, dominant with other dogs, and totally driven in tracking. Asha came in 2011 - an
incredible blend of Slovakian lines, gorgeous in structure, and absolutely an outgoing dog with
all people - fearless. She has also been a pleasure in the show ring, and will get a chance to prove
herself in obedience and tracking this year (2012). Paco came to me as a 5.5 year old male - smart,
bold, stubborn. He was truly a gift, moving here after his owner fell ill. He brings the addition of
some of the old, sought after lines to the US breeding program, as well as good health, training
ability, social nature and good looks.

The past 5 years have also brought 2 litters, and wonderful friendships with owners and
co-owners, as well as increased involvement with the national breed club, and local dog clubs. We
look forward to welcoming more litters in the future, building the Vlcak community in the United
States in coming years, and improving the breed for future generations through careful selection
for health, temperament and structure.

A brief History...

The Czechoslovakian vlcak or vlciak (pronounced "veal-chuck")  (CSV) originated from an experiment
performed by the government of Czechoslovakia in the 1950's. In it's search for the ideal border
patrol dog, the government made an attempt to cross the working abilities of the German Shepherd
Dog with the Usable qualities of the Carpathian Wolf, such as a tough, weatherproof exterior
(coat and build), good health, independence, and endurance. The experiment was Successful - and
through many more decades of refinement in breeding, and eventual recognition by Czechoslovakian
Kennel Club in 1982, the CsV has come to be.

The breed was bred from the hard working line of German Shepherd Dogs known as "Z Pohranicni
Straze" - these dogs were not bred for beauty or as lazy housepets - German Shepherd fanciers
today still recognize the hard working qualities of the descendents from this line. As such, the
Vlcak also carries many of those hard working qualities (in addition to wolfish characteristics) -
and may not make a suitable pet. Brief history of the z Pohranicni Straze line:

Jinipo.cz

Who recognizes the CSV as a dog breed?
The CSV is recognized by:
The American Kennel CLub FOundation Stock Service
The United Kennel Club
The Federation Cynologique International

Why the CSV and Why Not for Some people?
The CsV is not a status symbol. Nor is it a dog for the beginner. These dogs are intelligent in a way
that I have rarely seen in other dogs. They do not forget things or people - including mistakes. The
Vlcaks learn commands much more quickly than many other breeds - but do not blindly perform
them as many other breeds do - They think first, and will sometimes make their own decisions about
given situations. Motivation (such as food or toys) can be a powerful training tool, Training must be
short and frequent, and in a variety of places, to prevent boredom. Dogs will generally perform
best for their owners. It is best to keep training positive and pain free. Tools such as shock collars
and prong collars can have negative consequences which may not be immediately seen in the young
dog, but may resurface as the dog enters adolescence or adulthood, if used for general purposes.

Galomy Oak's CSVs hate to be alone. As puppies, they would bark, whine and howl for hours if left
on their own while crated- which could have been a problem if there were nearby neighbors. This
disappeared completely as they matured, but they still always seek out the comfort and security of
our pack. The dogs are able to make contact with the other dogs when people aren't around. Some
CSVs will act very suspiciously towards strangers - not aggressively,not shyly, but with a distinct
aloofness - they are loyal to their owner, and will tolerate new humans and dogs playing with
them, and eventually accept new people - but they need to have their master's approval first, and they
need to trust the person. Some dogs become dog aggressive (especially with the same sex) as they
enter adulthood. This may not be acceptable to a social family that is looking for a dog that
quickly and easily accepts strangers like a beagle or a retriever. It is very common for our dogs to
give strangers a cold-shoulder, and ignore attempts to get their attention. Shyness is a known
problem for CsVs (it is forbidden in the standard), and must be addressed through breeding, and
proper socialization from a puppy's first days. Housebreaking can take longer with the csv - Anthea
was nearly 9 months before she could be fully trusted, The boys seem to housetrain a little more
quickly.

For the right owner - who is willing to share their home and family with their CsV, as well as devote
time and energy to the correct care, socialization, upbringing, and training, the CsV is an amazing
creature. Owners must also be willing to accept the unique challenges of this breed (such as high
energy, difficulties in containment, personality, and diet requirements.) bred for versatility, CsVs
work in Search and Rescue, SChutzhund, Therapy, Agility, Endurance, sledding, herding...if it can be
done by a dog, the CsV is able to do it, though not always by the same route as another breed, or
(debatably) as well as a specialized breed. Speaking only from my experience, the Csv is the most
loving, spirited, challenging, and rewarding breed that I have had the pleasure of being owned by.

Currently, the dogs of Galomy Oak train in tracking, obedience and agility.

A wolf, or a dog?
One of the most stunning qualities of the CsV is it's extremely wolflike appearance. While walking
the dogs in public, there is almost always a nervous onlooker who will ask if the dogs are hybrids,
or even pure wolves or coyotes. The answer is a resounding "NO!". There are wolf genes in the
Vlcaks, as there are in all dogs. In fact, the DNA from a dog is almost indistinguishable from that of
a wolf. The vlcak's wolf heritage is just more recent - which gives the breed very unique qualities
(good and bad) over other breeds. The biggest difference between the Czechoslovakian Vlcak and
hybrids, is that Vlcaks have been selectively bred over many decades for character and working
ability in addition to conformation - dogs in the original breedings of the 1950s were culled if they
did not meet the standard. The AKC recognized breed with possibly the next most recent addition of
wolf blood is the German Shepherd, which was at one time called "The Alsation Wolfdog" in the
United Kingdom.(For an interesting article on this topic, click here  Taken from another site, but the
original link was changed or removed). In a more legal sense, a hybrid is marked in generations - with
f1 being the first generation of a cross between a wolf and a dog, f2 when that cross is bred to
another dog, and f3, f4, and so on. The Humane Society of the United States doesn't recognize any
dog after an f5 as a hybrid. Galomy Oak's dogs are all f8 or beyond - there has been no wolf in 8
generations of breedings, and only one in that generation, in the early 1970s. In fact, the breed is
comprised of the genes of only 5 wolves - and 48 German Shepherds!b That said, however, in the
creation of the breed mixes were line-bred to other mixes, so the percentage of wolf genetics is
somewhat higher than that of a true f8. But again, selective breeding has stabilized the temperament
and appearance of the breed. New owners can have the expectation that their dog will relatively
embody (no dog is perfect and within every breed there is some variation) a set standard of
characteristics - that which is accepted by the FCI and AKC/FSS.

In terms of personality, Czechoslovakian Vlcaks generally prefer their human friends above their
dog friends - but they certainly enjoy tearing up the yard with the other dogs. Vlcaks have more
dominant personalities than many other breeds,  they will test their owners, especially as
adolescents. It is imperative that CsV owners maintain control of their dogs, and that the dog
knows who is in charge.  Galomy Oak's dogs do not stalk people or challenge humans aggressively
(although adolescents of any breed are capable of trying to test the limits, especially males). They
will sometimes try to dominate other dogs, particularly of the same sex - knowing the body
language of dogs is very beneficial to the owner. Especially as older puppies/adolescents, Vlcaks
may show their wariness of strangers - again, addressed through socialization and training.

It is important to never forget that ALL dogs are strong, intelligent carnivores...albeit domestic.
Dogs usually look to please us, and enjoy working at various tasks. Wolves, and many hybrids are
much more independent and instinctual in their behavior, and do not immediately look for guidance
from humans. The key to a good working dog and companion? the dog must work with their humans,
and enjoy a mutual relationship based on trust, understanding and respect. The owner must strive
for great communication with the dog; the dog must know it's leader will protect, correct, love
and guide it. A trained dog is a journey, not a destination.
Czechoslovakian Vlcaks around the world