| We have been taking glimpses into wild wolf society | | | | that it would make human eyes water. They groom |
| to help us understand dog instinctive behavior (both | | | | and lick every bit of the new members to remove the |
| good and bad) that we observe in our pets. We find | | | | scent of the old wolf pack, and then they rub their |
| fascinating organization and rigid structure in wild wolf | | | | own scent on them. |
| society, with swift, consistent, fair discipline and clearly | | | | Contrary to popular belief, much communication |
| drawn lines of leadership, support, and boundaries. The | | | | between rival wolf packs is simply that -- |
| importance of coordinated participation from every | | | | communication -- and not a challenge or threat. The |
| wolf pack rank in the hunt, territorial fights, and really all | | | | alpha leaders constantly howl back and forth to each |
| other times, help us to understand the roles of dogs | | | | other about such things as how that year has been |
| with different personalities, how they seek to interact | | | | for them, if the pack is well or if they have had hard |
| with us and with other animals, and the kind of | | | | times, their victories, how much stronger the pack has |
| leadership and boundaries that your domestic dog | | | | grown, and such. |
| expects from you -- without which he is miserable! | | | | Wild wolves also howl friendly greetings to their |
| A wolf's sense of smell is at least 20 times stronger | | | | relatives. For example, an adolescent female may |
| than ours (and so is that of your domestic dog). A wild | | | | cross over to a rival wolf pack and become a part of |
| wolf's hearing is more than 40 times better. So the | | | | it, never to return to her birth pack. Still, those in her |
| scent of a wolf pack that is trespassing is picked up | | | | birth wolf pack will howl news and salutations to her. |
| by the pack that owns the land even if they are hours | | | | Relatives can cross territorial borders for a visit if first |
| away from the trespassers. The wind carries scents | | | | given an invitation; without invitation, though, the visitor |
| and sounds. | | | | would be fought for breaching the border. Her own |
| Territorial fights are rare among rival wolf packs. Nine | | | | pack would attack her, too, because that is against |
| times out of ten, the trespassing wolf pack flees when | | | | wolf law. |
| the wild wolf pack who owns that land shows up. | | | | Rival wolf packs always respect each other, and their |
| Even if the owning pack consists of only three wild | | | | respective alpha leaders honor the position of the |
| wolves and the rival wolf pack consists of nine, the | | | | other as the leader of the pack. They acknowledge |
| trespassers will still run. The landowner is the winner. | | | | the achievements and activities of the other wolf pack. |
| If the trespassers refuse to leave, then the male alpha | | | | Sometimes a wolf pack is more led by its female |
| leaders will begin a fight. The wolf pack members on | | | | alpha than a male alpha leader. There is no sexist |
| both sides will stare as they look on to see who will | | | | attitude in the world of animals. She will scratch the |
| win. (Mares do the same thing when stallions fight.) | | | | ground and lift her leg to remind the trespassers of the |
| The two alpha leaders rarely decide to draw blood on | | | | proper border. Only the alpha pair lifts legs to mark. All |
| one another. It is more so a question of who raises his | | | | of the other members (male or female) squat. If a |
| head the highest, or the first one to be pinned down on | | | | territorial dispute should erupt when one of the wolf |
| his back has lost. | | | | packs is female led, the dispute might be settled by a |
| Sometimes during the fight, in a clever ploy, a wild wolf | | | | voice contest (howling) instead of an actual battle in |
| on the side of the defending wolf pack will cross over | | | | which the pregnant leader could not participate. |
| to the other pack and steal a couple of adolescents. | | | | So as you see, territorial fights are not all that common |
| The leader of the trespassers will look at the theft, and | | | | among wild wolf packs, and when they do occur, |
| thus lose the fight because of the distractions. The | | | | bloodshed is rare because things are normally worked |
| victor alpha leader will not allow the adolescents to | | | | out another way. Wild wolf society is replete with rules |
| return. They will become part of his wolf pack. | | | | that apply to all wolf packs and which lend stability to |
| After a fight, the victors remark their borders. They | | | | their members. |
| completely drench the borders with such potent scent | | | | |