PART two
We all come from somewhere, right?
When I got an adorable puppy, a Labrador Dog, apparently I also got a Labrador Wolf. The tiny face looking up at me with innocent eyes evolved from a sobering game of stayin’ alive: the message from her wolf forbears. Becoming a kick-ass Lab is in her genes.
The contrast in the photos below is fascinating.
To see Indy at rest in her un-wild backyard next to the wildness of her ancestor in the woods.
Looking at her baby face above, she is fearless. No shy pup she. Without realizing it then, I see now that I had my hands full. Me a wounded widow and she just being her dog-wolfie self.
It’s common knowledge that dogs evolved from wolves. My dog hails from Canada, as does her ancestor, the white Labrador wolf:
The Labrador Retriever’s earliest origins are found across our northern border, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland. If that sounds confusing to geography buffs, that’s because it is. Yes, the Labrador Territory, after which the breed is named, is actually northwest of the island of Newfoundland. And, yes, there already is another breed from Newfoundland, called, logically enough, the Newfoundland. (The Labrador Site)
The Labrador wolf (Canis lupus labradorius) is a subspecies of gray wolf that can be almost white to dark grizzly-gray in color. It’s native to northern Quebec and Labrador, and is larger than the eastern wolf with heavier teeth and some cranial differences. The Labrador wolf is similar to the Newfoundland wolf, and is often seen in neighboring Labrador, but is rare in Newfoundland. (Wikipedia)
It was at 2.5 years that Indy earned her nickname, Indiana Jones.
I’m thinking now that this is when when her wolf-side began to show itself. In layman’s terms, it was when she thought she was “the boss of me,” I’m a non-expert with dogs so there are things I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure, she is NOT the boss of me.
Consultations with a dog behaviorist gave me some tricks to remind her that I am the alpha. As the trainer explained, your dog loves you, but does not respect you. With purposeful, concentrated effort, her defiance faded into obedience. In this area.
The point here is that it is helpful information to remember Indy’s wild side. Hence another training session brings me to “Place!” “Focus!” and holding her food dish high until she relaxes and I say, “Okay.”
Yes, it’s a lot of work to keep the title Alpha Wolf-Widow.
But Mom! Tell them about Covid and my relocation trauma!
It’s true that my sassy wolf, Indiana Jones, probably experienced a bit of re-homing trauma. Also, Covid was a miss on socialization with people, so the burden of my precious wolf-dog is that she cannot maintain her equilibrium on the street if any human being, or dog, passes her way.
It’s a problem.
Why does any of this matter?
I found out that being a widow challenges me when problems arrive and there is only me, myself, and I to figure them out. Like a dog trying to get off her leash in public when she sees a dog a block away. Or her body exhibiting the coiled up energy of her ancestors who show up when I have the least amount of energy.
It is perfectly fine for this canine to be fully herself (proved by her precious nose-face above). But it is for me (widow or not) to figure out how to stay the lead wolf in our home.
Hate to leave you on a cliff hanger, but . . . more coming later . . .
