My First Steps: Becoming a Wolfdog Owner By Eliezer Morales From the National Lupine News (Fall 2016) I grew up around my family’s dogs most of my childhood. It seemed that there was always a dog or two at our house. We had many different kinds of dogs, but mainly the type that would be considered a “mutt.” These dogs were my constant companions and playmates during my early childhood—until our fam- ily had to move and we could no longer have any dogs. A long time would go by before I’d be able to have another dog. By this time I would be in my early teens. Our family situation had changed, and we were now settled in a new city. I could once again start thinking about having a dog, my own dog. I went to my local library and read up about dogs and dog training. I purchased a few books, which I still have, to help me prepare for the arrival of my new pup. This would be the first dog I could call my own. He was a Cocker Spaniel that lived to be 13 years old. Yari, 8 weeks old, timid and hiding What I didn’t know back then is that all of the tioning by people if he was “part wolf” introduced me reading and learning I was doing would eventually to the fact that there was such an animal as a wolf- help me understand and prepare me for the arrival dog. of my second pup, as well. He would be a Northern mix dog—and my introduction to wolfdogs. Yojimbo lived a relatively short time; he was sev- en years old when he passed away due to an extend- Yojimbo arrived home at four months of age. He ed illness. This was a hard time for me since I was was a Northern mix dog that I adopted from my local very attached to him, and I’d like to say he was very shelter. He turned out to be a wolfy looking dog that attached to me. A long while passed before I decided probably had no wolf content, but the constant ques- I was ready for another dog. I adopted a Terrier and Australian Shepherd from a local shelter, but I was still intrigued by wolf- dogs. So I began to do research on them and search for a breeder. I joined several social media groups, reading information and opinions posted by people on these forums and asking more experienced people for leads and advice. I also called many breeders to learn more about their animals and to get acquainted with them. Almost a year went by before my first le- gitimate wolfdog would arrive home. This time it was a female, and I named her “Yaretzi,” which means “You will always be loved” in Nahuatl, an Aztec lan- guage. “Yari,” as we now call her, came to me at eight weeks of age. She was a sweet puppy but very timid. Yari, 9 weeks old, checking out the car She spent the first few days hiding behind the couch- Yari was very shy and timid, wanting nothing to do with strange people. I noticed this very quickly when I took her to a local park. After a few minutes, she wanted to flee back to the car because she had seen some people at a distance. At that moment I realized I had to take a step back and take her to more secluded areas. I kept on doing this for a few weeks, slowly building up her confidence around those places while also taking my other two dogs with us as her motiva- tion. Pretty soon I noticed that she wasn’t running away anymore. We had made enough progress to step up her socialization. Our progress was not without hiccups, however. There were a few times along the way when I thought I was way over my head and that perhaps I had made a mistake. I felt as if we would make a little progress, Yari, 6 months old, loving her hikes only to take a few steps back. For every two or three with her Dad and canine companions steps forward, we seemed to be taking one step back- ward. We kept at it, though. es and trying to avoid contact with me or my family. I gradually introduced her to more transited My arms were full of bloody scratches those first places like bike paths, shopping centers and pet few weeks because she didn’t want to be held. She stores, only doing as much as she could handle, al- would also defecate at the sight of strangers and once ways reading her stress levels, and voluntarily taking or twice on me while I was carrying her. I knew I had a step back, if necessary. my work cut out for me, and I needed to take a grad- Sometimes I would take her for car drives ual approach towards socialization. around busy shopping centers, just so she would I began this gradual socialization around the gradually get used to the busy atmosphere but still house and in the car. I introduced her to the sounds feel safe inside of the car. made by the vacuum, television, blender and things By five months of age, Yari had been to the of that nature. We then moved to the typical sounds beach, more hiking trails, shopping centers, pet and strange noises found outside of the house, like stores, and multiple car rides. She had met some of the loud noise of the garage door opening and clos- my friends and was making constant improvements, ing, or the car engine turning on and off. becoming more and more social. Once she became comfortable with those things, we then moved to socialization outside of the home. I also had the help of my other two dogs, the Australi- an Shepherd and Terrier. Yari instinctively followed their leads and fed off of their energy when the so- cialization moved outside of the house. One of the things I like to do is explore the out- doors and nature. I had told Yari’s breeder that I wanted a wolfdog I could take hiking with me. I wouldn’t ask too much of the animal, just to be my companion during those hikes as all my dogs had been. This was the main reason I had devoted much of the time socializing Yari outside of the house, but it was the most challenging part of her socialization, as well. Yari, 7 months old, at the dog park By six months of age, she had been to a few dog parks and had completed her first real hike up to the mountains. Even though she had made tremendous progress, she still didn’t care too much for people, and she would often avoid them and not want to be touched or petted. I always respected that and never forced her do anything she didn’t want to. I made it a point to tell these folks that she was shy and just to let her be. This behavior worked to build up her trust in me and in situations I would put her into. I continued this steady socialization well into her first birthday. By the time Yari was a year old, I could take her anywhere. She was no longer that shy pup that had Yari & Lycan arrived home at eight weeks old. She was now confi- She also has become what my other two dogs dent around new places, noises didn’t bother her, once were; she now leads and helps me socialize my and she enjoyed each new adventure. second wolfdog, a four-month-old pup named Lycan. This was also around the time when something She is calm and confident, and Lycan can now feed pleasantly unexpected started to happen. Yari had off of her positive energy. turned out to be the pup I had hoped for when I Socializing a pup like Yari hasn’t been easy by spoke to her breeder that first time—before I’d ever any means. Many times I had to remind myself to be brought Yari home. patient and find encouragement with small accom- I didn’t mind if she didn’t care for strangers; she plishments. There were days when I felt I had made a was all I wanted her to be. But this, too, would even- mistake and was in way over my head, but I would tually improve. Yari would become friendlier with just take it one day at a time and do it again the next people and would even allow some to pet her. She day. did this all on her own; I was just there to guide her Two years have quickly gone by, and it seems through it. like it wasn’t too long ago when a shy and timid pup Yari is now over two years old, but her socializa- arrived here. All of those constant trips, miles trav- tion continues to this day (and will for the duration eled, and time spent with her paid off. Yari is now a of her life). I keep taking her out to different places confident and social wolfdog. and environments, exposing her to as much as I can. Now the work continues with another pup. This time is a little different because I know that all the work I do now with Lycan will pay off in the future. I feel that one will get as much out of the animal as the work one puts in, that even if it is not so apparent at the begin- ning, a social animal is there; one just has to work with them and help to bring it out of them.

This article was printed in the National Lupine News, Fall 2016 and is copyright © NLA, 2017. We have reprinted it in the hopes that future and current owners might be able to learn more about wolfdog behavior and Yari, almost two years old, at one of her favorite off-leash beaches training techniques from Eliezer and Yari.