Grizzer – Ears Pricked and Turned Sideways

In the the Center’s Ethogram (behavioral dictionary), we code body postures to help interpret behaviors. One of the codes is EPTS, which means, Ears Pricked and Turned Sideways.  When the Wolf Care Center construction began, Grizzer showed a lot of anxiety and we decided to help him through the anxious times with a mild sedative, daily food distractions and a good layer of cover hay to find a comfortable place to watch the action.  This combination seems to have worked and while he shows anxiety by pricking his ears sideways, he shows interest in that the ears are still pricked in an alert fashion.  Wolf Care Staff need to be very cognitive of all the subtle details that might express anxiety, especially when socializing pups.