The Moment of Truth

I could begin this post with some poetic, flowery prose about ending one chapter of life and beginning the next or insert one of the many common cliches about life’s many milestones. But nothing I put on paper could properly convey the emotions we Puppy Parents have all felt as we have concluded a summer spent raising and socializing Unalii, Ela, Ahuli, and Takoda. They have finally joined the adult wolves, and from now on we can only interact with them from outside the fences.

Last week I spoke about the importance of putting the camera down sometimes and living in the moment, but for this final installment of the Puppy Press, pictures are the best way to tell the story. The introduction process took place from evening to morning and relied on a thorough understanding of wolf behavior to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Put the Camera Down

I’ve been writing the Puppy Press for about three months now, and each time I write a post, I always make sure to include plenty of photos and videos to help you visualize my experiences. I capture images of sleeping puppies, cuddling puppies, and playful puppies, but photos don’t tell the whole story.

Photos may not tell the whole story, but they’re still pretty darn adorable.

The best times I’ve had with the wolf puppies have occurred when I’ve put the camera down. When I’m not concentrating on image sharpness, lighting, and guarding my camera from inquisitive puppy teeth, I experience each moment more deeply and intimately.

Cameras can never fully capture the emotions and thoughts behind the images. The past three months, I argue, are not the sum of the photos you see. They are the sum of countless emotions, anecdotes, and experiences that didn’t make it into the photo albums because we were too busy living those experiences in the moment.

To show you what I mean, I’ve asked a few Puppy Parents to share their stories.

Confessions of a Puppy Parent

When I first started the Puppy Press, I wanted to make it more about the wolf pups and less about me. I figured people would rather learn about the pups and look at adorable pictures than read about me.

I think I’ve largely succeeded in this goal, so I was pleasantly surprised when some of my fellow Puppy Parents said, “You should write about your own experiences. Not many people get this opportunity.”

And you know what? They’re exactly right. After spending so much time on a project, sometimes all I need is a fresh perspective from a reader to leave me saying, “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?”

For this week’s Puppy Press, I’m going to share my Top 10 Confessions as a first-time Puppy Parent.

Training in Social Graces

The wolf puppies will join the adults as one big pack of seven by the end of the month, which means we’re starting to wind down the Puppy Press. By this time, you have probably heard the term “socialization” to refer to the process of raising the pups.

But how exactly does socialization work, and how do we go about the process of introducing the pups to the adults?

Clearly, the pups are already very social with each other.

On this week’s Puppy Press, we’re going to break down the process of raising and socializing the wolf pups. As you will see, it’s much more complicated than raising a domestic puppy due to the complexity of wolf behavior.

Meet the Puppy Pack – Part 2

If you’re a parent, you have probably said aloud or thought to yourself, “They’re growing up so fast!”

I’m not a parent and don’t plan to be for a long time, but I think I’m getting a sneak preview as a Puppy Parent. Wolf pups aren’t human children by any means, but they’re still growing up too fast. In about a month, they’ll join the adult pack, and our roles as Puppy Parents will end. Human parents get 18 years to come to terms with their children reach adulthood and leaving the nest, but we only get about three months.

For this week’s Puppy Press, we’re going to re-visit an earlier post called “Meet the Puppy Pack” to see just how far the pups have come since arriving at Bays Mountain Park. For those of you who haven’t seen them in a while, the changes may surprise you.

The Art of Puppy Zen

I’ve recently had a couple of days that just weren’t that great.

I could tell you the reasons, but they wouldn’t add anything to the story. We’ve all had bad days, and it’s hard to feel happy, motivated, or productive during those times.

But after an evening with wolf pups, it was as though all the stress in my life had never existed.

I always feel relaxed and mentally refreshed after some quality time with the puppy pack and have taken to calling this phenomenon “Puppy Zen.”

From the Sandbox to the Jungle Gym

Do you remember playing in the sandbox as a kid?

Some of you probably did so because you were too small to play on the big-kid playground, which included fun toys like big-kid swings, big-kid slides, and the pinnacle of all playground activities – the jungle gym.

Oh, the jungle gym. It’s the children’s equivalent of Mt. Everest. You thought that if only you could climb it, then surely you would reach heaven itself. And you would totally be the most popular kid on the playground.

Socialization Versus Domestication

After working with the wolf puppies for a few weeks now, my fellow volunteers and I have noticed a few trends with the park visitors. First, they often raise a curious eyebrow at the sight of humans sitting in the pen with the puppies. Second, they often have similar questions, such as…

“Why are you in the pen with the puppies?”

“Why won’t the people talk to us?”

“Are you making the puppies tame?”

How to (Not) Speak Wolf

In last week’s Puppy Press, we learned about how wolves communicate vocally through sounds such as howling and whining. As a recap, please enjoy the following video of the Bays Mountain puppies testing out their adorably high-pitched howls:

But spoken language is only half the story. Wolves use a surprising number of non-verbal body gestures along with vocalizations to maintain order in the pack. We’ll go over some of the most common ways wolves use body language, broken down into three main categories: Tail, Body, and Slightly Unconventional.

How to Speak Wolf

Today we’re going to learn how to speak wolf.

Wolves exhibit complex social behavior and use vocalizations and body language to maintain their pack dynamics. The puppies exhibited the same behaviors almost as soon as they arrived at Bays Mountain, from working out who’s the boss to communicating with the adult wolves.