boltz – Dec 21, 2012 12:00 AM

Boltz is gaining confidence, but still seems more like a pup than Luna. It's encouraging that Aidan takes the time to engage in social behavior with Boltz and we can really see the compatibility between Boltz and Aidan. This will be important when Boltz nears maturity and the behavioral drive to climb rank intensifies. We always want to prepare people for the potential for rank order changes and the aggressive interactions that lead to change. We experienced it in 2010 when Aidan and Denali reached 2 years of age, but the difference for Boltz is that Aidan is a strong and confident leader who is forming alliances. In 2010, we removed Shadow from the Exhibit and we left a pack with no definitive leader. Boltz may mature and test, but he is maturing in the presence of a leader that is clearly defined.