A message from the Founder of the Western Timber Dog

It was the winter of 2006 when Leslie Madafari-Whisenant, of Tacoma Washington, went in search of her first wolf hybrid as they were called back then. After years of working with Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Husky’s and German Shepherds, it was time for a change. Something new, something mystifying, and a wolf-hybrid fit the bill. After months of searching, she found the perfect pup right here in the Pacific Northwest. She called him Achilles.   Achilles was a stunning Silver Sable, with a thick, heavy V cape, long spindly legs, almond shaped eyes with glowing amber orbs. He grew quickly, he grew large and then larger, reaching 100lbs by his first birthday. As his massive body continued to grow, so did his mischievous nature and appetite for destruction. By his second birthday he was 130lbs, had destroyed all of the furnishings in the home and made short order of tearing out the wall. But it wasn’t all damaged material items and a never ending wild anxiety. There was more to Achilles, a soft side, a bond that Leslie had never experienced with another dog. There was intelligence, problem solving skills and an ability to read and communicate with his human companion. She began to wonder if there was a way to harness the numerous positive attributes of Achilles, but with less wild behavior, less kitchen chairs used as chew toys and maybe even a more manageable size. She chose to call them Timberwolf Dogs, and eventually, Timber Dogs.    

These were the days before doggie DNA, before wolf experts were available on social media. Leslie set out on her first breeding program with only her knowledge of primitive breeds and the hope that this might work.  The first mate chosen for Achilles was Perseus. She was a German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute cross. Achilles and Perseus were a wonderful pair; their pups took on beautiful coats and markings, more even and predictable temperaments, significantly improved trainability, but they grew even larger than Achilles.  The males from this litter were every bit as tall as Achilles, but with the heavy, robust build of the Malamute. Some of these dogs reached a full 145lbs. The smallest of the males was Scipio, who grew to be 110lbs. He would go on to become one of the breed's founders. Generation after generation, she continued to make adjustments to the breeding strategy, adding Siberian Husky to reduce the size.     The owners of these puppies were in awe; they were keeping a wolfdog in their home and they weren’t having any troubles.  Several people who purchased these pups reached out and asked to join Leslie in her breeding program. More active breeders meant more opportunity for breed improvement, she finally had the help she needed to start working toward breed conformation. Working together, the breeders focused on delicate wedge shaped skulls, longer legs, breeding out the curly tails. Through selective breeding, they reduced the wolf behavior while maintaining the wolf look and generous genetic diversity.    

In 2014, the group of Timber Dog breeders came to realize that they would need a way to keep track of the dogs they bred as a registry of their own, and thus was formed the Timber Dog Association.  While some breeders continued to work at improving existing lines, other breeders went to work on creating new founder stock lines to ensure a healthy genetic future.   By 2018, wolfdogs and wolfdog clubs began popping up at a seemingly alarming rate. Some of these clubs were using names with the word “ Timber” in it, club names that were too close for the comfort of the Timber Dog Association. It was agreed amongst the breeders that they needed to add something to the title; something to further separate them from other clubs. The Western Timber Dog Association, also known as the WTDA, and later the Western Timber Dog Association of America.  With the advent of canine DNA testing came great advancements in genetic diversity, allowing the breeders to bring in more founder stock lines, knowing in advance exactly what they would contribute and which dogs should be excluded for genetic defect. The WTDAA went to work eliminating defects, locking in a phenotype and continuously improving trainability.    Today, the Western Timber Dog has a formal breed standard, is excelling in trainability, temperament and health. Western Timber Dogs are enjoying life in family homes with children, and all the other activities enjoyed by other breeds of companion canines.