Asociación del Perro Lobo Español

Litters

Responsible breeding and traceability

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Every litter published here and on the forum has been reviewed and approved by the association, with parents identified and registered in the Studbook.

Read the Association's official notice on breeding and the placing of litters →

Official clarifying notice

On the nature of the Spanish Wolfdog, the purpose of its breeding and the terms on which its litters are placed

Courtesy translation. In the event of any discrepancy, the Spanish version shall prevail.

I. What the Spanish Wolfdog is

The Spanish Wolfdog is an indigenous canine ethnic group, not yet recognised as an official breed, selected over centuries and above all by the country people of rural Spain for the various tasks that country life demands: the care and defence of the home, of people and of livestock alike, the handling of stock, and sundry other duties. It was not bred for the drawing room or the show ring, but for the fields and the mountains, for the night and often for the open air. Its morphology is a consequence of its work, not the other way round.

From this follows the selection criterion this Association upholds: what is selected is working aptitude, temperament, hardiness and freedom from disease, not aesthetic whim. It is a working dog: it is judged by what it does, not by what it looks like, and its orientation is towards work and function.

II. Applicable legal framework

Spanish Law 7/2023 of 28 March, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals, expressly excludes from its scope dogs engaged in certain functions. Its Article 1.3(e) provides:

«The following are excluded from the scope of this law: […] e) Animals used in specific activities (sports recognised by the Higher Sports Council, falconry birds, shepherd dogs and livestock guardian dogs), as well as those used in professional activities […]. All of them are regulated and shall remain protected under the applicable European, national and regional legislation that applies to them outside this law.»

By its history and by its aptitude, the Spanish Wolfdog is a guarding and working dog: used as a herding dog, used by the Spanish Navy and Army to guard munitions depots, and used by the Guardia Civil for rescue and various other duties. When it performs that function it falls within the exclusion the law itself provides for, and the corresponding sectoral, regional and European rules apply to it — which in no way leave it unprotected.

This must be said plainly, for the good faith of this notice depends on it: the legal exclusion attaches to the function, not to the breed. If a puppy joins a household as a companion animal — a perfectly valid choice — it is fully subject to Law 7/2023 and to whatever regional and municipal rules apply. No one should read this notice as a dispensation from the duties of the final owner.

III. Purpose of the breeding

Neither this Association nor the breeders who publish their litters on this website pursue profit. The purpose is the conservation and survival of an ethnic group that came close to disappearing, and which survives only if it continues to be bred with judgement, if every birth is documented, and if every bloodline is recorded and verifiable.

That is what the Breeding Book is for: every published litter requires registered and identified parents, undergoes an inbreeding check, and is permanently entered in the Association's register, whatever its later outcome may be. The memory of the lineage is the patrimony kept here.

IV. On cost and on value

Breeding well costs money. It would be dishonest to pretend otherwise, and harmful to let anyone believe that a well-raised working puppy can be had for nothing. Before a puppy is ready to leave, its breeder has borne at least the following:

  • the upkeep and health care of the breeding animals throughout their lives, and not only during the breeding season;
  • veterinary supervision of pregnancy, whelping and the first weeks, with all its unforeseeable emergencies;
  • deworming, vaccination and microchip identification in accordance with current legislation;
  • feeding the dam and the litter, which in a dog of this size is no small matter;
  • and, above all, time: early socialisation, daily handling and the honest selection of homes, which cannot be bought with money and are what distinguish a properly raised litter from mere breeding.

Weighing all of this, the Association considers reasonable and recommends as an indicative reference the sum of 500 €. It is not a tariff, nor an imposed price, nor an obligation upon anyone: it is a reference offered to guide breeders and interested parties alike, and to discourage both speculation and the thoughtless giveaway, which is usually the first step towards abandonment.

The final sum is freely agreed between breeder and acquirer. The Association does not set prices, takes no part in the transaction, receives no commission or payment of any kind for the litters published here, and does not mediate in any dispute that may arise between the parties.

V. Duties of those who take a puppy

Whoever receives a Spanish Wolfdog receives a working animal, with the needs for exercise, space, occupation and bonding that this entails. They also assume the obligations imposed by law:

  • to identify the animal and register it in their own name; handing over an animal that is not identified and not previously registered in the transferor's name is expressly prohibited (Art. 27.m of Law 7/2023);
  • to attend to its health, feeding and welfare throughout the animal's life, which in this population commonly exceeds twelve years;
  • to prevent uncontrolled reproduction: breeding may only be carried out by those entered in the corresponding Register of Companion Animal Breeders (Arts. 26.d and 27.k of the same law);
  • and to comply with any additional obligations laid down by the regional legislation and municipal by-laws of their place of residence, which vary from one territory to another.

VI. Disclaimer

The Spanish Wolfdog Association publishes its breeders' litters as an information service and as an instrument for the conservation of the ethnic group. The particulars of each litter — number of puppies, health status, terms of placement and any others — are declared by the responsible breeder, who alone is bound by their truthfulness and by compliance with the rules applicable to them, including, where relevant, entry in the required administrative registers.

The Association verifies the declared genealogy against its Breeding Book, but is not a party to any sale or transfer, does not guarantee the individual qualities of any animal, is not answerable for the agreements reached between breeder and acquirer or for their breach, and assumes no liability whatsoever for loss or damage arising from such relations, which are foreign to it.

This notice is informative in character. It does not constitute legal advice, nor does it replace consultation of the legislation in force or the opinion of a professional. In case of doubt as to the obligations applicable to a particular case, we recommend consulting the relevant regional legislation and, where appropriate, seeking legal advice.

Text approved by the Spanish Wolfdog Association (A.P.L.E.). Legal reference: Law 7/2023 of 28 March, on the protection of the rights and welfare of animals.
BOE-A-2023-7936 · Subject to revision as the implementing regulations of that law develop.