shadow – May 11, 2009 12:00 AM

Shadow and Malik turned 9 years old on May 8th and Shadow received his Rabies vaccination, but not on the same day as the other wolves. Initially, it was our goal to do Shadow first, but as soon as he saw the syringe, he decided avoidance behavior was more appropriate. After the syringe was taken back to the lab, he came over and allowed staff to go through the whole motion of vaccinating by hand, but when the syringe came back out, avoidance again. So, how do you vaccinate a dominant wolf that is smarter than the Curator? You bribe him with social contact. Later in the week, we brought in one of Shadow's favorite new people, Rusty Wetzel, and had Rusty and Curator, Lori Schmidt, down low on the ground so Shadow could do a full greeting. Once he was involved with greeting Rusty, Lori came up behind him and did a quick subcutaneous injection. He was a bit irritated with Lori, but he quickly returned to greeting. The Vet Care Plan calls for discontinuation of Parvo vaccines for any wolf over 8 years of age, so Shadow and Malik only get their annual rabies vaccination. Shadow continues to be a strong source of social acceptance for the yearlings, showing them their rank in the pack. Aidan is continually seeking acceptance from Shadow and seems to seek him out if he's anxious.