My obsession with wolves started out when I first saw a Snake-eyes action figure. Sold along with the G.I.Joe commando was a snarling plastic wolf.
Since I didn’t have the money then, I would always go to that store and gaze at the two Joes on display (Snake-eyes and Iceberg) for hours. I eventually received the Iceberg action figure as a gift from my Tita Marirose on my birthday.
I was thrilled to have a G.I.Joe although I wanted the Snake-eyes figure more.
And only because he had a wolf as an animal companion.
Me wanting to be Snake-eyes fueled that fantasy of owning a wolf as a pet, an ally, and a companion as I conquered the imaginary battlefield in my mind.
I eventually got a dog that was very much like Timber. He was an Alaskan Malamute/ German Shepherd mix that my grandfather got as a gift from a Caucasian friend. His name was Whitey.
Wolves as Pets? Not a Good Idea!
I’ve been exploring animals I’m very interested in and how they’d be as pets but it seems like most of the animals I’d love to have as my regular companion are bad ideas.
I’m adding wolves to that list.
Why?
Because a full-grown wild wolf needs the kind of room most of us can only dream about — 25 to 40 square kilometres of land to roam in and act like what they’d normally treat as their territory in the wild.
Imagine that.
That is one huge piece of land to dedicate to a wolf as an enclosure.
But, if that number doesn’t make you stop and think, nothing will.
They’ll Eat You Out of House and Home!
Wolves aren’t like regular dogs. They don’t eat kibble.
They eat around 1 to 2.5 kilos of meat daily. You’ll also need to include the bones to keep their teeth healthy like most dogs.
You Can Never Fully Tame a Wolf
They can bond to a single person but don’t expect them to be fully socialized with other people. And you can’t fully erase their wildness even if you raised it as a cub.
Even expert wolf keepers say wolves will remain wolves and you should have a healthy respect for the animal.
Wolves have a very narrow early window for social imprinting. The window closes far earlier than in dogs — so early-life handling matters, and getting it wrong creates behavioral issues.
They’re Just Too Dangerous to Keep as Pets
There’s a reason why wolves were vilified in fairytales.
Have you read Little Red Riding Hood? How about the Three Little Pigs?
Those were cautionary tales passed down from generations to remind people that wolves were not animals to meddle with.
Because they were easier to digest or remember in story form, the image of wolves as villainous creatures stuck.
But in reality, wolves are shy creatures that would much rather stay away from you than interact with you. The only time you’re really in the most danger is if you and the wolf are in a space where neither one of you can escape from each other or avoid getting in each other’s way.
A wolf may look like a big fluffy dog that’s irresistible to come over and hug but remember that these are twice the size of an average dog and can weight upwards of 80 to 120 or 130 pounds.
If a wolf decides to pounce on you, whether its because they want to play or have a more malicious intent, you’re bound to feel it. All that weight on you is going to affect how you can come out of that interaction safely.
And we haven’t included their sharp claws and teeth.
“Oh what big teeth you have Grandma” indeed.
“The better to bite you with!”
You Can’t Just Keep One
Wolves are very social creatures.
They live in packs.
If you keep one, you might need to add another because they do get lonely.
Pretty soon, you might end up with a wolf pack living in your home.
And that’s where the real danger comes in.
With a single wolf, you might still have a chance to barely escape with your life.
But a pack?
You might as well be a tiny rabbit.
A wolf pack is a highly coordinated group of animals that have a respectable success rate in the wild. They take down caribou, sheep, goats, and other large animals with ease.
Humans don’t have the speed, stamina, or tough hide to survive an initial attack from a single wolf.
How much more from a pack of 2, 3 or more animals.
So yeah, if you don’t want to find out just how low you are on the food chain when wolves are involved, I highly suggest that you don’t keep one, or two, or more.
Don’t Keep One as a Pet
So yeah.
If I haven’t stressed it enough: Don’t keep a wolf as a pet.
These are very dangerous animals and keeping one can be fatal if you don’t respect the animal enough.
You’re better off admiring them from a distance in the wild or in a good zoo.
The Next Best Thing
If you really, really, really want to own a wolf but you’re sensible enough to listen to reason, then you might want to consider owning wolf alternative or a dog that looks and acts like a wolf enough to satisfy your craving for owning one.
Alaskan Malamute
Alaskan Malamutes are big enough without the wildness associated with wolves. They’re very calm and love cuddles.
Siberian Husky
A little bit smaller but definitely a little bit more majestic looking than your average wolf or Alaskan Malamute. These are probably the most wolf-like in appearance and characteristics that are readily available to the public.
Just remember that you might end up owning more than one and they can be triggered to howl at the drop of a coin.
German Shepherd
I love these dogs. Also because another G.I.Joe character came out with a German Shepherd as an animal companion. I also had a childhood friend who owned a German Shepherd and that was a beautiful dog.
I would always make it a point to approach the cage and touch that dog through the bars which made it immediately calm down after furiously barking every time someone came inside their compound.