People frequently ask how a Dog Behaviorist and Dog Obedience Trainer relates to dogs and earns their respect and control . . . and especially that of the Dominant Dog. The first part of that answer is simply stated but difficult for many people to internalize and act upon: To relate to a dog, you must first see and treat him fully as a DOG!

Before you can deal with a dog dominance issue at home or in dog obedience training, you must recognize that dog behavior and dog communication are NOT in line with human psychology. After all, your dog is a CANINE (canis familiaris of the Family Canidae), and not homo sapiens. So he thinks like a canine, not like a person. Your dog responds as one might in a wolf pack, not as a human family member. He or she has real emotions, but they are canine emotions, not human emotions, and not to be mistaken as such.

The basic communication system of dogs involves three critical elements –silence, submission, and leadership — sometimes referred to generally as the dog whisper technique, with elements of wolf pack communication. We will use these elements in this and subsequent dog training articles about solving Dog Dominance problems. You and I need to understand, read, and use your dog’s own communication system for optimal effectiveness in working with him.

Dogs have an inherent Pack Psychology which governs their thinking and actions. In a pack, there is one dominant one, and the rest are all followers. There is one Alpha male and one Alpha female. To relate to a dog from a position of strength, respect, and control, YOU must be the Alpha Leader, the Pack Leader, and you must use pack psychology and pack communication.

Often we see dominant dogs taken home as young pups, because people are amused by their spirited behavior. Actually, they are usually the first puppies chosen, the proverbial Pick of the Litter. However, if this high-spirited nature is not controlled, then things get out of control quickly . . . becoming worse over time . . . until the situation sometimes becomes dangerous. Dominance can lead to violence.

So you might look for a mature dog, such as a Shelter Dog or Rescued Dog. However, looking for a less dominant pet is not so easy in shelters. There a dog’s true nature is difficult to discern without the aid of an experienced person. While in the shelter, the dog rarely has an area or anything that is under the dog’s control, so there is little opportunity to observe possessiveness and dominance problems.

Nor are dogs cooped up in shelters able to burn off excess energy. It’s very hard for an untrained eye to differentiate between an excited “Please take me home” and the more troublesome “I want to control you!” of the hyper-active, dominant canine.

But the dominance problem quickly becomes evident when you go home and relax, for dominance shows up where perceived weakness is present. For example, petting your dog when it is submissive (e.g., sitting or lying down) is appropriate and desirable, but not when it is in an aggressive or dominant stance.

If you display any sign of soft laxity at the wrong time because of your affection, that will be interpreted by your dog as weakness . . . and then, “Katie bar the door!” With dominant types, you simply cannot afford to let down your guard or to make an exception “just this once” because the pup is so cute.

You must establish and maintain firm, consistent control of the Dominant Dog at all times. These eye-catching, spirited animals are highly intelligent and have great potential, but they also are usually very willful, stubborn, born leaders who seek to control you, other animals, and their environment. They want to rule the roost!

You cannot give them an inch . . . or they will take it, and take it, and take it . . . over and over, time and again. These dogs are persistent!

For example, one friend had an Old English Sheepdog puppy, an Alpha Female about eight months old, who had a very bad reaction to a toxic flea dip back in 1976. As the puppy started to tremor, the frightened owners lifted their darling onto the foot of the bed, both for her comfort and to ease their own backs as they nursed her.

MISTAKE! That one incident led that puppy and her litter-mate to sneak onto the bed whenever possible . . . a pattern the owners never succeeded in terminating for the rest of the dogs’ lives!

Too many owners just coddle the two-and-three month old “babies” and think that puppy training can start later. NO! The intelligent, spirited ones, especially, must be “trained” from day one with consistency, with You clearly as the Master!

Because of their high intelligence, they are ready much earlier than others for more formal types of training, too. Training helps remove boredom and release energy, while giving the prideful animal a proper goal for which to strive, and achievement about which to strut with regal, dignified, proud bearing and the clear satisfaction of pleasing.

DON’T MOVE WITH THEM, YOU LOSE THEM!

I, too, have had a trying personal experience with an aggressive Alpha Pup. I brought home a beautiful Rescued Dog, an eight-week-old retriever puppy from the Humane Society. She turned out to be the most willful and stubborn dog I have ever seen, striving for dominance in all things! There is no way she would have lasted in a “normal” home. However, because of my sheer determination with consistent, proper training, she is becoming a loving, playful, and obedient sweetheart who, without loss of any spunk or pride, nevertheless submits to my command by a mere glance. I am her undisputed Pack Leader.

Still, it wasn’t easy to get her to that state. In great frustration, I eagerly sought the advice of two other trainers with vast puppy experience. So I say to beleaguered Owners of aggressive, dominant puppies and dogs, “Don’t be embarrassed. This can happen to anyone! Never be ashamed to ask for help from a Dog Trainer.” (Just make sure they really understand pack psychology.)

If you have a dog dominance problem, there IS a specific training technique that will work for you, and it centers on FOCUS. It applies the communication system of “silence, submission, and leadership” and is a dog training technique which is effective with most dog dominance issues. [It’s much more effective and pleasant than hitting and yelling!]

So get help with control of the dog dominance behavior, and restore a right relationship with your pet, and peace and harmony in your home!

PawPersuasion © Copyright 2006. This article may be freely distributed if Rena Murray’s author resource box and this notice stay attached.

About The Author

Expert Author RENA MURRAY is a no-nonsense Dog Obedience Trainer & Dog Behaviorist who publishes Articles, free email Newsletter “PAW PERSUASION POINTERS” & Blog to help you better select, communicate with, train & control your dog. Catering to serious dog trainers & dog lovers alike, Rena also provides Dog Products & Dog Behavior Consultations through http://www.pawpersuasion.com.

Technorati Tags: wolf problems

People frequently ask how a Dog Behaviorist and Dog Obedience Trainer relates to dogs and earns their respect and control . . . and especially that of the Dominant Dog. The first part of that answer is simply stated but difficult for many people to internalize and act upon: To relate to a dog, you must first see and treat him fully as a DOG!

Before you can deal with a dog dominance issue at home or in dog obedience training, you must recognize that dog behavior and dog communication are NOT in line with human psychology. After all, your dog is a CANINE (canis familiaris of the Family Canidae), and not homo sapiens. So he thinks like a canine, not like a person. Your dog responds as one might in a wolf pack, not as a human family member. He or she has real emotions, but they are canine emotions, not human emotions, and not to be mistaken as such.

The basic communication system of dogs involves three critical elements –silence, submission, and leadership — sometimes referred to generally as the dog whisper technique, with elements of wolf pack communication. We will use these elements in this and subsequent dog training articles about solving Dog Dominance problems. You and I need to understand, read, and use your dog’s own communication system for optimal effectiveness in working with him.

Dogs have an inherent Pack Psychology which governs their thinking and actions. In a pack, there is one dominant one, and the rest are all followers. There is one Alpha male and one Alpha female. To relate to a dog from a position of strength, respect, and control, YOU must be the Alpha Leader, the Pack Leader, and you must use pack psychology and pack communication.

Often we see dominant dogs taken home as young pups, because people are amused by their spirited behavior. Actually, they are usually the first puppies chosen, the proverbial Pick of the Litter. However, if this high-spirited nature is not controlled, then things get out of control quickly . . . becoming worse over time . . . until the situation sometimes becomes dangerous. Dominance can lead to violence.

So you might look for a mature dog, such as a Shelter Dog or Rescued Dog. However, looking for a less dominant pet is not so easy in shelters. There a dog’s true nature is difficult to discern without the aid of an experienced person. While in the shelter, the dog rarely has an area or anything that is under the dog’s control, so there is little opportunity to observe possessiveness and dominance problems.

Nor are dogs cooped up in shelters able to burn off excess energy. It’s very hard for an untrained eye to differentiate between an excited “Please take me home” and the more troublesome “I want to control you!” of the hyper-active, dominant canine.

But the dominance problem quickly becomes evident when you go home and relax, for dominance shows up where perceived weakness is present. For example, petting your dog when it is submissive (e.g., sitting or lying down) is appropriate and desirable, but not when it is in an aggressive or dominant stance.

If you display any sign of soft laxity at the wrong time because of your affection, that will be interpreted by your dog as weakness . . . and then, “Katie bar the door!” With dominant types, you simply cannot afford to let down your guard or to make an exception “just this once” because the pup is so cute.

You must establish and maintain firm, consistent control of the Dominant Dog at all times. These eye-catching, spirited animals are highly intelligent and have great potential, but they also are usually very willful, stubborn, born leaders who seek to control you, other animals, and their environment. They want to rule the roost!

You cannot give them an inch . . . or they will take it, and take it, and take it . . . over and over, time and again. These dogs are persistent!

For example, one friend had an Old English Sheepdog puppy, an Alpha Female about eight months old, who had a very bad reaction to a toxic flea dip back in 1976. As the puppy started to tremor, the frightened owners lifted their darling onto the foot of the bed, both for her comfort and to ease their own backs as they nursed her.

MISTAKE! That one incident led that puppy and her litter-mate to sneak onto the bed whenever possible . . . a pattern the owners never succeeded in terminating for the rest of the dogs’ lives!

Too many owners just coddle the two-and-three month old “babies” and think that puppy training can start later. NO! The intelligent, spirited ones, especially, must be “trained” from day one with consistency, with You clearly as the Master!

Because of their high intelligence, they are ready much earlier than others for more formal types of training, too. Training helps remove boredom and release energy, while giving the prideful animal a proper goal for which to strive, and achievement about which to strut with regal, dignified, proud bearing and the clear satisfaction of pleasing.

DON’T MOVE WITH THEM, YOU LOSE THEM!

I, too, have had a trying personal experience with an aggressive Alpha Pup. I brought home a beautiful Rescued Dog, an eight-week-old retriever puppy from the Humane Society. She turned out to be the most willful and stubborn dog I have ever seen, striving for dominance in all things! There is no way she would have lasted in a “normal” home. However, because of my sheer determination with consistent, proper training, she is becoming a loving, playful, and obedient sweetheart who, without loss of any spunk or pride, nevertheless submits to my command by a mere glance. I am her undisputed Pack Leader.

Still, it wasn’t easy to get her to that state. In great frustration, I eagerly sought the advice of two other trainers with vast puppy experience. So I say to beleaguered Owners of aggressive, dominant puppies and dogs, “Don’t be embarrassed. This can happen to anyone! Never be ashamed to ask for help from a Dog Trainer.” (Just make sure they really understand pack psychology.)

If you have a dog dominance problem, there IS a specific training technique that will work for you, and it centers on FOCUS. It applies the communication system of “silence, submission, and leadership” and is a dog training technique which is effective with most dog dominance issues. [It’s much more effective and pleasant than hitting and yelling!]

So get help with control of the dog dominance behavior, and restore a right relationship with your pet, and peace and harmony in your home!

PawPersuasion © Copyright 2006. This article may be freely distributed if Rena Murray’s author resource box and this notice stay attached.

About The Author

Expert Author RENA MURRAY is a no-nonsense Dog Obedience Trainer & Dog Behaviorist who publishes Articles, free email Newsletter “PAW PERSUASION POINTERS” & Blog to help you better select, communicate with, train & control your dog. Catering to serious dog trainers & dog lovers alike, Rena also provides Dog Products & Dog Behavior Consultations through http://www.pawpersuasion.com.

Technorati Tags: wolf problems

Eastern Timber Wolf

The big bad wolf to many, the Eastern timber wolf has its own characteristics and behavior patterns. Here are some interesting facts about the Eastern timber wolf given below.

Humans have always feared wolves for years. Who can forget the big bad wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood! I am sure many of us must have hated them at some point after listening to such tales. Today, the Eastern timber wolf has more reasons to worry than humans. These are now an endangered subspecies of the Gray wolf. The Eastern timber wolf is found in the forested areas of the North America.

Facts about the Eastern Timber Wolf:

• The Eastern timber wolf is also known as the gray wolf. These have silvery gray-brown backs with light tan on the undersides. The winter season sees these wolves grow a darker fur on the neck areas and the shoulders.
• The length of the Eastern timber wolf generally varies from 150 cms to 180 cms. (This length includes the tail.) Their height varies from 65 cms to 85 cms. The male timber wolves are larger than the females. On an average, the Eastern timber wolf can weigh up to 45 kilograms.
• The Eastern timber wolf is a social animal and these prefer to live in a family group or pack. A pack of timber wolves can have six to ten animals. This would include the breeding pairs and the pups at times. Here, the dominant pair is always in charge of the entire pack. These are the ones who select the areas to rest and the hunting grounds as well.
• The Eastern timber wolves use various ways to communicate with each other. A variety of vocal sounds such as growling, and howling are used to indicate their behavior towards each other. These are also combined with various positions of the body such as flattening of the ears or having a stiff tail to even the hair on the back that can be erect or laid flat. All such patterns are used to communicate in various situations.
• Eastern timber wolves do not always make regular use of shelters. Here, the den is constructed for the purpose of giving birth and raising pups. This den is generally used for a period of 2 months. Such dens are located on slopes, ridges and are always found near sources of water.
• An Eastern timber wolf’s pack territory can cover 20-120 square miles. This itself shows that wolves require a lot of space.
• There are times when neighboring wolf packs may share a common border. This would mean that various territories might overlap by more than a mile. In such cases a wolf that trespasses in another pack’s territory can face the risk of being killed by that pack. Therefore Eastern timber wolves use their urine to mark their territory. The manner any wolf howls is also a way to announce its territory to the other packs and is also a way to bring those wolves together who may have been lost from the pack.
• The diet habits of the Eastern timber wolf include the deer and the elk and smaller animals such as the beavers or the rabbits. The prey for the Eastern timber wolf also depends upon the seasons. The summertime sees them hunting for beavers and the winter season sees them hunting down White-tailed deer and the Caribou.

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Wolves love each other’s company; they are social animals, which live in packs or family groups. Each pack has the parent wolves, their pups, which were born within a year or the previous year and ccasionally, a wolf family will let a stray wolf join their pack. The leader of the pack makes this decision, which is one of the parents. The parents of the pack are called the alpha pair and if one dies, the other wolf will find another mate that’s not from its pack. A normal pack does not contain many wolves, on average there are seven wolves in a group. Sometimes packs are larger, a bigger group contains 20 or more wolves because one female may have 2 to 3 litters of pups.

Normally, male adult wolves weigh 85 – 115 pounds but they can weigh up to 145 pounds. Females however are 5 to 10 pounds lighter, rarely weighing over100 pounds; all wolves become adult size in about a year.

Wolves like to hunt big animals; they are carnivores and when they hunt in the north, caribou are their prey. In the southeast wolves hunt the Sitka black-tail deer and throughout the states they hunt moose. One wolf cannot bring down a large animal; the entire pack helps by working together. Large animals are not the only source of food for wolves; they supplement their diet with voles, lemmings, ground squirrels, snowshoe hares and other small mammals. They also eat carrion and whenever they are near a source of water, they will catch salmon. Food gives wolves energy; they need at least seven pounds of meat a day to stay strong.

When wolves are not hunting, they defend their territory from other wolves, which may try to take their home. The area which contains prey or food supplies changes, which means a pack will not stay within a territory for a long time. Many deer roam on the islands in Southeast Alaska, however a wolf’s territory is smaller there, but in Interior and Arctic Alaska, the quantity of prey is lower but the area has larger wolf territories. Wolves are not lazy, they can travel 20 miles in a day and sometimes even farther. Wolves may search and travel hundreds of mile from their home to find new territory to own.

February and March are the normal months that wolves breed; in April or May, wolves have an average of five pups. At 22 months, a wolf can start breeding; its pups are born in a den, which is dug in soil that is drained. Some wolves have their pups in a tree and will take them to the den later. Parent wolves focus all their activities on their pups when they are young; the adult wolves always travel to find food and then carry what they find back to the den. During the midsummer, pups are weaned, then, when winter arrives, parents lead their pups away from the den.

Alaskan wolves are excellent hunters, live in packs and raise their families in groups.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Alaska

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Author: Michael Russell

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Since the beginning of time, the Native Americans have been associating their lives with that of animals in the wildlife kingdom. One of the most misunderstood of these animals is the wolf. For years, the wolf has been seen as an aggressor, when in reality they are very loving and social creatures. This side of the animal was first seen by the tribes of the Americas. The Native American tribes recognized this and they have incorporated the wolf into many of their myths and legends. The wolf will forever be associated with the Native Americans, and learning more about this relationship can help one to better understand the world of Native Americans.

One can look to the many tribes of the Native Americans to see stories that tell about wolves. The Sioux, Cherokee, Lakota, and others all have stories about how the wolves helped in the development of man. The creation story of the Cherokee has a wolf in it as well as the story of the woman who was left behind in the Lakota tribe and the wolf saved her. Just as Romulus and Remus were supposedly saved by a she wolf and they then founded Rome.

Wolves have been in the world of Native Americans since the beginning. They are revered not only for their strength but also for their endurance. Wolves can sustain life with little food or water for extremely long periods of time. This was something that the Native Americans hoped for in their own selves.

Today, the wolves can be seen in numerous Native American arts. They are depicted by watching over people while they sleep or as a journey to the spirit world. Owning these magnificent creatures is not something that most are encouraged to do, however, you can own a piece of Native American art that showcases these incredible creatures. If you do not live in or near an Indian reservation or land, then you can use the internet to search for beautiful artwork that is all hand made by Native American artisans. Everything from wolf jewelry to wolf dream catchers can be located online. Often you will see women with the wolves in Native American art due to the stories that depict women and wolves together.

Another place that you can cuddle up with a wolf without having to ever touch one is Wolf Blankets. Here you can purchase a cozy wolf blanket that is a work of art all within itself. You can also display these blankets in your home if you want. All you have to do is to purchase a special rod that is meant to hang blankets or tapestries and attach these unique art pieces to it. Channeling your inner wolf spirit is very easy these days thanks to the use of the World Wide Web and the Native American ancestors of the past. They have made the wolf more approachable and lovable with their unique look at this wild and sometimes hated animal.For more information on these and other types of blankets you can visit My Animal Blankets. This is a great site for anyone who loves animals and being snuggled by a warm and cozy blanket.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_Gelby

Author: Duncan Gelby

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Sentinel Wolf

A short story allegory of a wolf going through life and discovering and paying the price for love.

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The bitter winds wailed, biting through the night and sweeping across the empty, rocky hollows of the arctic fields. The land was a barren, rolling expanse of blowing snow butting up against the dark forest, staggering under its own coat of white. The sentinel hid deep under tangled interlocking branches along the tree-line, protected from the winds. His bright yellow eyes took in the open areas before him. His quiet breaths frosted his muzzle in the cold. His layered gray fur and undercoat kept him warm. His lone companion was the distant circular moon hanging high over the somnolent land, gracing it with a silver glow.

But the emptiness was alive and deceptive. He knew the wolves were coming, hungry for his territory with its rich protection of trees and food supply. He had spied their probings and encroachments the previous day. The wolves other natural enemy, the grizzly bear, had not been seen for a long time. The sentinel’s breaths quickened and his muscles tensed as he sensed a difference in the night. His ears quivered and hackles bristled at an approaching danger he sensed but couldn’t define. Those bitter winds had carried his scent and revealed him to the eager noses of the other wolf pack, who then circled in the trees behind him. The fight was quickly over as a tracker wolf leaped on him from behind. Slashing teeth tore into him as, one after another, the whole pack fought him, tearing at muscle, smothering him in a spasm of flying snow.

By himself, he was no match for the marauding wolves. He stood no chance. His now leaderless pack as well as his territory was quickly claimed by the tracker wolf. Sentinel was left for dead, hovering on the edge between light and darkness on blood red snow. Hours later the cool morning sun rose briefly over the bleak land for its short winter day. The sun’s wan rays glanced off the flinty snow. The day slid back into darkness as the sun slunk below the trees and the returning moon took its place. It was on the second such day that he stirred, crippled and stiff in his wounds, a new badge of his defeat.

He finally stood up on his paws, quivering in place as he sought his balance. Little yelps rose from him like he hadn’t heard since he was a pup. He limped through the woods as he followed the tree-line away from his former home. He spent the rest of Winter rejected by other packs, never strong enough to fight for a place and protection. He almost starved before Spring eventually broke through with warmer days and hope of survival.

After many runoffs with other packs, Sentinel found a lonely niche in the rocks and claimed it as his own. The niche was a rocky enclosure suited to protecting him against surprise. It was a den from which to grow a new territory not yet claimed by others. His emptiness howled out of him each night up at the heavy moon hanging over the dark horizon. But the moon seemed never to understand him, so he howled at it again and again, then limped back to his den. Each night he curled up by himself, burying his nose in his fur, sniffing and licking old scars.

Each morning he climbed up the high hilltop of his territory, keeping watch, catching prey as he could and regaining strength. He never stayed still for long, otherwise his damaged muscles would stiffen up. It was during one restless patrol that he saw the intruder, a lone wolf nearly blending into the gray rock, spying on him from a distance. Sentinel felt some of his old aggressiveness return and would not allow this stranger on his territory. He resigned himself to a fight as he circled the other wolf from a distance, closing the circle on each turn. He bared his fangs and gave a low growl as he came in on the final pass, ready to drive off the stranger.

And discovered that the he-wolf was a she-wolf. Sentinel froze in his discovery as did the she-wolf as well, frozen as she watched him. He was immediately distrustful, fearing an attack from her pack, maybe even sneaking up behind her, using her as bait. But he saw that she was watchful and calm, not nervous, as she waited for him to approach. He looked around everywhere as he slowly came up to her.

He took tentative sniffs around her, but she didn’t bolt away at his familiarity. He didn’t recognize her scent, but saw she had deep scars running through her fur. She had been attacked and rejected too, a castoff of some pack. She had some untold story in her. But Sentinel was still wary. He left her and retreated back to his den. He didn’t feel like arguing with the moon that night.

Sentinel didn’t quite know what to do about Watchful. Old scarred wolves like him never got second chances in life. By not attacking her he was allowing her to remain in his territory. By accepting her into his territory he took on himself the mantle of her protector. The next day he brought fresh killed rodents to her, which she tore apart and quickly ate. She then lowered her head in submission and laid her ears horizontal as she faced him, wagging her tail in friendliness.

Sentinel took the challenge to play, but their common instincts to leap and jump were hampered by their old wounds. They weren’t young pups any more. They then moved in and out of bushes, spying and chasing each other, a more genteel form of play. Finally exhausted, they lay and panted next to each other. Sentinel then lead and nudged Watchful towards the hidden entrance of his den. He decided to extend its protection to her.

They settled into an uneasy arrangement that night, each sniffing different places in the den to curl up into. Sentinel felt dismay the next few nights as Watchful always took his favorite spot, knowing a good place when she found one. Exasperated, he finally approached her and tried to nudge her away, but she instead accommodated him next to her. So, he settled down and they curled up into a ball of fur together, accepting each others warmth.

In the following weeks they created a routine, hunting for prey together, guarding their territory together. Sentinel liked her scent and would often follow her around the hills, tracking where she had just been. They would frequently play down by the spring swollen stream, splashing in the water.

And then one night Watchful acted differently, sensing her yearly change coming on her. The next day her urine was laden with scents that excited Sentinel. She went into heat and they mated frequently in the following week. As time went on, Watchful pulled back from their hunts as she grew swollen and needed to adjust to the new growth in her. After two months her litter of pups was born, blind and defenseless. Weeks passed as they gained sight and grew bigger under her constant nurture.

Tracker wolf observed the first outing of the new wolf pack. Spying from a distance, he saw the pups lurch and stumble in excitement around Sentinel and Watchful. He also caught the limping and uneasy gait of the two parents as they guarded their pups, watching the skys. Sometimes eagles would swoop down and quickly grab a pup in their claws. Tracker saw it could be an easy challenge to fight the alpha dog of this small pack. Blood lust roused him as he circled them out of sight, knowing the pups distracted their parents from seeing him.

Tracker followed them and sprang on the wolf family as they neared the stream to drink water. He instantly remembered Sentinel as he leapt on his back and caught him by surprise. Sentinel had regained much of his old strength, however, and the two fought with a fury, slashing and tearing, fur flying as their teeth ripped into each other. But Sentinel soon knew he was no match, his old wounds slowing him against Tracker’s greater strength. Tracker was determined to destroy him, to finish what he had started in their last combat. The fight gave Watchful some time to push her terrified pups away from the bloodletting. She scolded them to hurry as she frantically lead them back to their den.

Sentinel was weak and wounded as he and Tracker circled each other. Tracker was impatient to finish the fight and claim his new pack. He snarled as he bid his time and then lunged at Sentinel’s throat, sure of a quick kill, but not before the claws of a grizzly bear sliced through his body, breaking his back and crushing him to the ground. The grizzly bear had been hunting salmon at the stream, sight unseen around a bend and downwind of the wolves. His eager ears had picked up the sounds of their fight. Hungry, he knew he could easily approach his natural prey without being discovered.

As the grizzly finished up with Tracker, Sentinel crept back to the safety of his den. He collapsed on the floor. Watchful bound over to him in alarm. She circled him as his pups cowered in the back of the den, fearful of his sight. Throughout the night Watchful curled up close to his broken body, licking his deep wounds, watching over him. But with the coming of a gray dawn into the den, she saw he was stiff and still, having defended his family to the end.

Over the next year the pups grew in size and confidence under the constant care of Watchful. Often at night she would wait on the hilltop for her old friend, the moon to rise up into the heavens. For hours she would sing her lament for Sentinel. Her half-grown wolves also stood behind her and howled at the moon, asking for it to come closer, but the moon only listened to their mother.

Copyright 2006

Technorati Tags: wolf stories