Wild Animals, Especially Large Ones, Make Painful Pets for Untrained Owners

I think the time has come for me to set the record straight on how I feel about just anyone keeping a wolf or a wolf hybrid as a pet.

I've asked this before and I'll ask it again: why do people insist on keeping large, semi-domesticated wild animals as pets? Especially, as I've already mentioned, wolves or wolf hybrids.

I'm often astounded that people expect these animals to behave like cuddly house pets.

What bothers me the most though, is when I hear of someone who has kept a wild animal as a pet and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, (according to the owner), the animal bites or mauls and is then deemed undesirable,... viewed as a threat, and put down.

Statistically, this appears to be a recurring problem. Reports are often made, after an attack, that the animal had a wonderful nature.. why even the kids could pull its tail. Then suddenly one day, (for some strange reason), the animal snaps!

I've often wondered, ' what were they thinking? when he or she first took possession of the animal. Did they just assume that this animal would have the temperament of Bambi?'

When a wild animal is kept domestically, but then put to sleep for behaving as nature intended it to, it is a sad situation. Frankly, the only one I empathize with in these cases is the animal.

I can't count the number of times the general public has been told that pure-blood wild, or hybridized wild animals in MANY cases do not make good pets, wolves especially. Only qualified and knowledgeable people should be caring for these creatures because it's usually when they are in incapable hands that things go seriously wrong.

When in the care of untrained owners, the animal's unpredictability can have serious results. Although, in all fairness, I should mention that this is not the case with all wolves or hybrids. In fact I have seen relatively domesticated wolves and hybrids that were calm, laid back, quite approachable, and friendly. Each animal is different, as are the owners. It is fair to say that this can have a profound effect on the animals demeanour. But problems usually arise when a person lets down their guard or does something without thinking.

CASE IN POINT: Some years ago I knew a fellow who cared for a large male cougar. He new the animal well and had as good a friendship as one can have with this kind of large carnivore. However, one day while he was cleaning the cats large outdoor pen, and had his back turned to the cougar, it pounced. The large cougar's full weight landed on his back and broke it in several places. Luckily for this man, the cat had only been wanting to play and thought there was nothing wrong with what it did.

So, there you have it. Sometimes even when a large animal is simply playing, injuries can still occur. This accident occurred because the owner let his guard down...and he was very knowledgeable.

We are all guilty of instilling human codes of conduct and behaviour on animals we own or that we come into contact with. This is called anthrapomorphism.

However, often when trying to teach these codes to a wild animal species (like a wolf) most attempts usually end in failure. As one endeavours to force or enforce a human set of rules on a wild animal, like a wolf or wolf hybrid, they had better be prepared for a semi-turbulent relationship.

For instance, some years ago when my wolf/collie hybrid was alive, he used to instinctively cache every bone or spare chunk of meat I gave him if he was not hungry. My back yard was beginning to look like a piece of Swiss cheese - holes everywhere! However this was simply part of his normal behaviour and it would have been impossible and unfair for me to make him stop

Another of his wolfish traits which most people found rather disconcerting was that at times he enjoyed his solitude and if disturbed would quietly growl a message that he would rather be left alone. I understood and accepted his behaviour, just as I accepted the fact that when we played and tussled about, he would become easily excited and aggressive and my chances of being bitten too hard were fairly good.

He could also be difficult to discipline. His belligerence and defiance was met by my scolding tone of voice and in most cases this was enough to make him stop what he shouldn't have been doing.

He had his own highly defined sense of discipline; however it was his own, I had nothing to do with it. Physical reprimand was out of the question because in his mind he was behaving as he was programmed to.  (Using force, hitting) would have only confused and angered him and accomplished nothing. In a nut shell,  he simply wouldn't understand.  My tone of voice was a far more effective tool for letting him know of my disapproval.

Other indicators of his wolf genes shone brightly through when he greeted me if I'd been separated from him for any length of time. His mannerisms tended to be somewhat different than those of a domestic dog. During those greeting rituals his tail wagged briskly and was kept low, his body, also kept low, gyrated and bent around my legs and he enjoyed mouthing my wrist and fingers gently between his jaws. I have known other pure blood wolves to do the exact same thing.

Fortunately, I imprinted on him while he was a very young pup, and therefore accepted me as the alpha male (the dominant leader of the pack). In all the years that he was a part of our family, I was challenged only once.

I tried my best to allow him to be as natural as possible and did not attempt to control or change his entrenched and highly developed characteristics and personality. Those who lack the knowledge and understanding of how to care for these mammals are usually quick to run out of patience.

Regretfully, many who try to keep a wolf or hybrid usually exert their own expectations and ideologies on the animal. I have also found over the years that many people appear to have very dichotomous views about what an obedient wolf or hybrid should be, and what will be tolerated and what won't. Usually when the owners patience runs out, the poor animal pays the price.

The first thing I ask someone who wants to own a wolf is WHY? I immediately try to dissuade them by explaining the following: 1) they are very independent, 2) they can sometimes be highly stressed, 3) they have complex personalities, 4) they can be extremely stubborn, 5) they can be unpredictable in the presence of a human that is not skilled in reading wolf behaviour. 6) there exists no such thing as a totally tame and obedient wolf.

Most people who attempt to keep a strong-willed animal ,(i.e. wolf), find that they cannot deal with its free-spirited nature and the fact that it will not do what it is told when told.

In fact, some people (a very few) have appeared almost insulted when I have politely tried to explain that they would be better off and likely a lot happier with a lap dog rather than a wolf. A wolf does not want to be owned or does it care about stroking the human ego.

Rather, it is quite the contrary: these mammals march to the beat of their own genetically programmed drum.

When the keeper of a wolf refuses to accept this, the problems begin.

In most cases wolves are often owned for very wrong reasons and become abused and neglected when it is found that they can't be controlled. They become nothing more than an added chattel.

Too often, at the first signs of aggression or misbehaviour, (which the owner sees as unacceptable but the wolf does not), this highly intelligent, sociable and independent creature is usually physically and mentally abused, and usually put down.

The fault is with the owner 99 percent of the time.  One must be prepared to meet and interact with a wolf or wolves (such as I have done with a wolf pack in Northern Michigan and with other wolves over the years) on their terms only and not the other way around.

Despite the variables, it is worth mentioning that pure blood wolves are wilder than hybrids in terms of gene purity, but hybrids still deserve respect. This also depends on what the hybrid has been crossed with, since this can have a role to play in the animal's aggression level.

In any event, people with no experience with wolves, hybrids or other carnivore species should not be in the care of these animals.

Incidentally, it is illegal in Ontario to keep possession or be found in the possession of a wolf or other wildlife without proper authorization. This law was passed into effect for good reason and I applaud the Ministry Of Natural Resources for this action. Too many people were ending up with private ownership of cougar's, wolves, bears, etc, etc.   Often these animals were kept in deplorable conditions where they were abused and suffered mental and physical trauma. Often, in the case of wolves, captive females were forced to mate with domestic dogs and then the pups would be sold to anyone able to fork over the cash.

I grew tired of hearing the sad stories and seeing the unnecessary suffering of these animals just because someone thought it was "cool" to own a wolf or a hybrid while not having the first clue about the responsibilities involved.

CASE IN POINT; Some years ago I saw a pure blood female timber wolf who's owner thought it would be just fine to leave her in a cramped pen with five or six male German shepherds. Over a period of time, in their attempts to mate with her, the dogs chewed and bit her tail so badly that it required amputation about four inches down from the base of the spine. Wolves, as with domestic dogs, rely heavily on their tails to signal various messages to others of their kind, but now she was unable to do this.

As a result, coupled with not being able to communicate with her tail, the amputation also affected and damaged her scent gland which was located where the tail was removed.

At a later date, when she was introduced into a captive pack, the pack did not accept her due to her missing tail. She was never again able to live with her own kind. As a result she was forced to endure a substantial lack of social interaction with other wolves. This was no doubt very stressful for her, considering that wolves are a highly social and interactive species.

The fellow who owned her had been attempting to breed her so that he could sell off the pups. This activity, has been and still is, big business in some parts of the United States.

CASE IN POINT: In a separate case a wolf was seized (or should I say rescued) by officials from a group who was using it in rituals of some sort. I visited this pure blood (frail) female and noted she was underweight, highly stressed and very fearful of humans, all symptoms of psychological and physical abuse.

 In this article I have mentioned two cases where wolves have been kept and mistreated in one way or another, but there are many others. It is because of these examples that I am highly critical of untrained individuals keeping wolves, or for that matter, other large carnivore species.

For the sake of common sense and safety, it is best to leave the care of these intelligent and powerful mammals in the hands of  Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre's, Orphaned Animal Sanctuaries or those individuals who are knowledgeable and possess the proper expertise.

Bill Leeming is a naturalist and wildlife columnist who has studied and interacted with wolves for many years.