Nubee has been riding up on Grizz. She is showing greater control over tail position and movements as well as her ears. Nubee did well during the first program. She tried to dominate Grizz & Groan, and became very vocal when they tried to dominate her. She also explored the pup pen and the rock. She appears to be relaxed and at ease during the programs. Nubee did well during the second program. She played with Grizz and Groan and explored the pup pen. She was also interested in smelling the rubber Kong stuffed with deer meat. Nubee was a little anxious during the last program and wanted to climb into Donna's (a member of the wolf care team)lap. She explored the pen a little and played with Grizz & Groan.
Nubee is 27 days old today. Nubee is initiating dominance interactions over Grizz and Groan. Nubee was anxious in response to Groan during pen cleaning. She was very active and showed much greater motor control. Her ears are also more erect. Nubee is also growling at staff but submits after being rolled over. Nubee was anxious during a presentation today and was not interested in anything but getting out of the pen. She briefly chewed on the beaver tail but Groan and Grizz took over. She was removed early due to excessive panting. Nubee was taken to the new pup facility. Nubee whined and briefly greeted Shadow and Malik. She then went down into the pond hole, climbed out, then sought refuge at the side of the pen with Groan and the nanny.
Visitors frequently ask about the Name the Pup contest and how/why the names were chosen: Groan was nicknamed for her bold personality, as the Name the Pup contest advances, there are 3 names that may be relevant for Groan. Maya – which symbolizes her birth on Cinco de Mayo – May 5th. Tala and Misha were other names that were chosen by the judges.
Today, Grizz is 36 days old. Grizz was very active in the outside puppy pen. He was running, jumping and investigating his future packmates(Malik and Shadow) through the fence. Staff has been noting an increase in his dominant behavior. Grizz frequently growls at both his littermates and handlers. He was very relaxed during the 3:00 pm program. Providing stimulus such as beaver tails, deer legs, toys, etc. helped to calm the pups during programming. He has also been howling more frequently.
Today, Nubee is 29 days old. Nubee has been increasingly asserting her dominance over her littermates. Despite her smaller size, she often holds her own. She frequently initiates contact and maintains dominance. Nubee has also been very active in exploring the outer puppy pen. She is very mobile, but not quite as much as Grizz and Groan. Staff is concerned Nubee may have a possible bladder infection. We will be closely monitoring her urinary output over the next several days.
Today, Groan is 36 days old. When she was in the outside puppy pen she immediately ran over to greet Malik and Shadow with intense tail wagging. She also displayed caching behavior with stuffed animal. During the pup programs, she is finding items, such as deer legs, that are hidden in the straw. Staff has experienced difficulty in weighing her. We are now using a canvas bag which helps to make the measurements more accurate. She is also showing improvement in her tracking skills. She watched as a stuffed animal was tossed across the pen and she then proceeded to retrieve it.
Grizz is 37 days old today. When pups were taken out to pup pen Grizz explored a den dug previously by Shadow and Malik. When the pups were brought back into the wolf lab Grizz became very distressed and searched for a way out of the pen. Grizz was exhibiting stressful behavior during programs such as whining and pacing. He didn't appear comfortable during the morning programs at all, but was fine during the 3:00 pm program.
Nubee is 30 days old. Nubee and her littermates were all showing nervous behavior during morning programming. Staff is amazed how quickly Nubee's motor skills have developed in this past week. She very mobile now and is often initiating the contact with her littermates. She has been making more of an effort to assert dominance over her littermates. Although Nubee is still much smaller than Grizz and Groan when she is confronted by them she can readily defend herself. Today, when Nubee was in the outside puppy pen she romped around in an explorative manner as well as spending time greeting Malik and Shadow.
Grizz is 38 days old today. Grizz was very anxious during pup programs. He was pacing, panting and whining throughout programs and had to be pulled early. Grizz still seems to prefer bottle feeding over the weaning formula, but with persistence from staff he does eat some of the weaning mix. Staff took the pups to their outside puppy pen following the 1:00 pm program. Grizz was very explorative and showed heightened interest in Malik and Shadow's den which they had dug several weeks ago. Grizz has been less assertive when it comes to dominance. He often doesn't react at all when Nubee is biting and chewing on him. Staff is becoming more vigilant in thwarting aggressive behavior directed at personnel. When he growls and bites staff they turn him over on his back in a submissive position.
Today Grizz is 57 days old. Since it was warm weather today, Grizz was not very active. When he was being fed, he tried to take his bowl and cache it away.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.