Day Two - Mission: Wolf

Posted by on September 19, 2006 in Mission Wolf.

09.19.06 - 6:49 AM - 37 degrees






There seems to be a "Good Morning Howl" as I get up this morning. One wolf sounds similar to my Shepherd puppy Elvis when he whines out of excitement. I didn't get much sleep because I was pretty cold last night. I brought the wrong sleeping bag - big mistake! I've piled a lot of clothes on top of me to keep warm. Well, sounds like the beginning of a new day as far as the wolves are concerned. Better get up and make some breakfast...

11:33 PM

If there's one thing I got out of today's experience, it's that we have come a long way from wolves in our pet dogs. My intuition was right - dogs have become more like humans over the years and less like their distant cousins.

I was greeted this morning by Cathy - a resident staff member who has been here off and on since 2002. She was very kind in sharing with me her knowledge and experience as well as being interested in my thoughts on dog behavior. I was given a tour of the facility as well as introduced to some of the wolves. To start things off, we went into the only dog enclosure at Mission: Wolf. This enclosure housed three dogs - two of these dogs, though resembling some features of a wolf, tail markings, etc. actually have no wolf in them whatsoever. But they were either classified as a wolf or dangerous animal. These dogs were given to the sanctuary as a last ditch effort prior to euthanization. Again, these so-called wolves were the farthest thing from that in their behavior as domestic dogs. Many people don't realize the implications of a dog merely resembling a wolf trait, yet they are euthanized or given up to a refuge everyday.

The next wolf we visited was Daisy who was raised as a dog by a woman for four years. The woman was forced to give Daisy up after she bit her husband several times. Daisy is very confused. She doesn't really know how to be a wolf, yet she craves human affection due to her upbringing as a dog. She doesn't howl but seems to become agitated when the other wolves do as if her instincts are telling her one thing, but her brain is telling her another thing.

After this, we visited two adolescent wolves placed in an area that they call the "Puppy Palace". The Puppy Palace is a smaller enclosure near many people so that they are forced to get over their natural fear of humans in order to receive medical attention, etc.

I spent a majority of the day exchanging thoughts with Cathy and helping change, rinse and fill water tubs for the enclosure. No need for a gym here - this is a work out!

As the day progressed, a call came in that a local rancher had a dead cow to donate for the wolves. Here at Mission: Wolf, they accept donations in the form of frozen meat or large dead animals such as horses and cows. The cow (which ate itself to death) was brought by truck and gutted for the wolves to eat in the morning. Volunteers once threw fresh meat over the fenced in enclosure. Now, they trick the Alpha into feeling he is receiving the most food, but all the wolves are actually fed the same amount. Each portion of meat is weighed and placed in buckets for each wolf.

Wow - there is a big wind storm that just rolled in over the valley, but my tent is perfect under these conditions. I borrowed another sleeping bag so I'm a little warmer for tonight - Thank God!




The best part of my day was when I was introduced to Maggie. Also known as Magpie, she is the Ambassador Wolf of Mission: Wolf. Maggie travels around the country educating adults and children about wolves. She's a beautiful girl but gave me my first lesson in knowing wolves are a lot more intense than dogs. As I walked into the enclosure, Maggie was so excited to greet me she jumped up in the air off all fours to lick my mouth and teeth. This is a way in which wolves display affection but it can be dangerous to humans as they like to lick and chew your face. Founder and Co-owner of Mission: Wolf, Kent, taught me the best way to deal with this, is to clench your teeth and squat down to the wolf's level. Once you are eye-level, you have to open your mouth with teeth clenched and allow the wolf to lick you. This seems to allow the wolves to say "hello" so they can then go about their business. If they can't say hello, they get agitated and will playfully try to chew on your neck - which is not a good thing. You can't teach a wolf things like a dog because they have a mind of their own. So, next time you meet a wolf, make sure you allow them to greet you first! Today has been life-changing, mind blowing and allowing me to know that wherever I am in life, this is exactly where I should be for right now.

All My Best, Jennifer

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