The wolfalike type of dog that we see in the UK today originated with a woman in the 1980s who had a dream about a dog that looked like a wolf but had the temperament and characteristics of a domestic dog.

 

This woman was Edwina "Eddie" Harrison, and without her vision and work, none of the wolf-like-type dogs we see today would exist. There are no surviving records of the exact dogs and breeds that formed her original lines. Still, it is said that she imported sledge-type dogs from the US and crossed them with Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and German Shepherds.

 

Sadly, Edwina’s health declined, and in the mid-1990s, some of her original foundation dogs were rescued. The Northern Inuit Society of Great Britain was then formed to preserve her work. A few years later, several breeders left the Northern Inuit Society and, following a disagreement, founded the Utonagan. The Northern Inuit Society subsequently dropped “of Great Britain” from its name and continues under that name today. The founding people of the Northern Inuit Society are still active today.

 

The Utonagan later underwent a similar split, leading to the creation of another wolfalike breed: the Tamaskan. The Tamaskan now has the strongest international presence of all the wolfalike breeds, and today there are several breed organisations dedicated to the Tamaskan Dog.

 

After the Utonagan separated from the Northern Inuit Society, further groups formed due to disagreements, including the British Inuit, the British Timber Dog, and the Anglo Wulfdog, among others.

 

Today, many groups and breeders have set aside their newer names and describe their dogs as the wolfalike type.

 

Despite their differences, all these related breeds and groups share one central aim: to keep Edwina’s dream alive by creating a wolf-like companion dog for the family sofa.

 

Here at Valkyrie Northern Inuits and Wolfalikes, we are proud to continue this dream.