Squeak - Pups Grow Quick

Isabeau’s antics and wolf puppy personality have been very invigorating for all of us at the Sanctuary. Squeak is an amazing contrast to many of the geriatric animals and the concerns about them which we deal with on a daily basis. It has also taken us back to when Kasha, Shaman and Tunyan were pup­pies. Although they are very dignified adult wolves now, their puppy behaviors and our responses to those behaviors are wonderful to reminisce about, bringing much needed happiness and laughter to the Sanctuary.

    

Because Squeak was taken away from her parents at a very young age and did not have the opportunity to be taught “Wolf Manners”, she has been a challenge to all of the Staff and Volunteers. Kasha was two weeks old when he arrived at the Sanctuary with Shaman, who was just eight days older. Tunyan was four weeks. Although Tunyan (Brat) was a handful, Isabeau makes her seem like a little tiny angel.

 

Because Kasha, Shaman and Tunyan were so small, (2.5 pounds, 3.0 pounds and 4.2 lbs respectively), they were able to live in our claw foot bathtub for several weeks. Isabeau arrived weighing thirty seven pounds and had to live outside with Shaman and the other adults.

Wolf pups have baby teeth, forty of them, which can slice and dice your skin as they play but they are not very big. Squeak only had a couple of baby teeth remaining, the rest are full blown choppers! Of course, her gums were still sore and she loves to chew on clothes, furniture, rugs, other wolves and her favorite chew toy - people. We call it “being a little mouthy”, if you can call being chewed on by a wolf a little mouthy.

Isabeau is a juvenile, if she were living in the wild, her parents would have taught her not to jump up on shoulders, (in our case canine or human), not to bite ears and tails, or once again in our case, fingers. Squeak would have been shown what she could eat and where to find it, she would have learned what her position in her pack is, and who would eat first. These are just some of the things a wolf pup needs to learn.

      

Unfortunately, for us and Shaman, Squeak was not taught any of these things. Her parents were not there to teach her and her humans didn’t know how to teach her. One of the funniest things our little girl does (funny if your not Shaman or Chocolate), is attach herself to their tails. In Chocolate’s case, she grabs and runs. Chocolate gives her a very disgruntled look and barks at her which of course makes the pup want to play more. Shaman, on the other hand, doesn’t stand a chance. He loves to play “chase me, chase you”, better known as wolf tag. As Shaman runs up the side of the mountain, Squeak attaches herself to his tail and he drags her up the mountain. Not so terrible when she first arrived weighing in at 37 pounds but at over 65 pounds… well, I believe you get the idea!

Because Squeak was fed incorrectly, receiving only goats milk, cottage cheese and some dry dog food, she has a ravenous appetite. Squeak can polish off between 4-6 pounds of meat a day. In addition she will eat all the treats you give her or she can steal. Sometimes, when you don’t expect it, she will take food off your plate or out of your mouth. She will drink anything in a cup or bottle so we must always be on guard.

Shaman, Kasha and Tunyan were all bottle fed. We remember trying to give them their bottles and discovering the nipples no longer had tops. That was when Frank and I looked at each other and very astutely said, “I think it is time to start them on meat.”

Frank was an excellent Wolf Dad. That day he prepared Shaman and Kasha’s first dinner of elk. Thinking the “babies” would need their meat pre-chewed, he spent 20 minutes cutting the elk into very small bite size pieces. He lovingly carried the bowl of meat out to the deck to feed the pups. Frank was back so quickly I assumed the pups didn’t want it -- WRONG! As I glanced over to question Frank about what had happened, I noticed little bloody wounds all over his hands! Not only were the Pups ready for meat, they weren't waiting for Dad to handfeed them. Frank called them Piranhas, and we no longer had to cut up meat for them, let alone bottle feed them. They ate everything you put in front of them. Although, once when Tunyan was growing up, Shaman saw the bottle and decided he wanted some. He was three years old at the time but he remembered good things came in bottles.

Our memories go on; Kasha swimming in a 5 gallon bucket, Shaman learning to howl, all the pups shredding newspaper or towels, finding Kasha in our very large bird aviary -- before he did any major harm. Tunyan eating a brownie out of my mouth when I didn’t know she was coming. Sitting up all night with Kasha after major surgery.