Axel – Attitude Abound

Axel is frequently posturing with a dominant attitude.  These behaviors include the chin rest as shown in this photo, a T-1 tail displayed high above his back and new found confidence while Luna postures at the fence.  Initially, both pups were a bit reserved about greeting Luna when she was showing some focused and often vocal behavior towards the pups.  In the last few days, Axel seems to seek her out and stand his ground, keeping his tail erect despite the noise.   We always document the pup interactions and are interested in how each pup processes experiences.  We know from experience, what we see now may or may not be the behavioral response when they mature to adulthood.  But so far, Axel is showing some behavioral patterns that might indicate his pack interactions when he becomes a permanent member of the Exhibit Pack.  We have a new saying in the lab that is somewhat prompted by Axel’s interactions:  “I don’t have an attitude problem, you have a problem with my attitude and that’s not my problem”…  Wolf care staff get the benefit of seeing these individual personalities develop through the socialization process.  Along with attitude, Axel is gaining some size.  Yesterday morning’s weight for Axel was 11 pounds, today (June 18th) he weighs 12 pounds, a gain of 1 pound in a 24-hour period.  This is certainly the stage of a pups life where we see the fastest weight gain.