DEC 2013 CWWC newsletter

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

DECEMBER 2013

COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER

ConsERvation · EDuCation · pREsERvation

Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center | PO Box 713 | Divide, CO 80814 | 719.687.9742 | www. wolfeducation.org

The wolves love the single digit temps we have been enduring - we, on the other hand get bored and have to entertain ourselves...

Winter Wonderland tour group placing the prayer ties on the trees by Chinook’s Memorial

Winter Wonderland


PAWS - Costa Rica: PAWS is a non-profit organization with its sole purpose to help improve the overall well-being of the animals in our area. “Our Mission is to provide no-kill solutions to reduce the number of homeless cats and dogs, through education, rehabilitation and re-homing.” www.pawscr.org

HOPE is ready for her forever home...She is ready. She has gained nearly 10 lbs. - finished the antibiotics, fungus on fur and feet gone, fur on tummy and tail almost all grown back. Now that she is feeling good, her little personality is coming out. Totally a lap dog and loves to be touched. Smart and very sweet.

Andrea

CWWC will help with transportation costs to fly HOPE to the U.S. from Costa Rica. Contact Darlene at 719-687-9742 for more info.

There are wolf kisses and then there are wolf kisses that knock your glasses off.

Wakanda and Diane

Ansel, Matt, Brian & Jacob with the Wounded Warrior Project came up to spend time with Keyni

WASHINGTON--(ENEWSPF)--December 3, 2013. The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned the Obama administration today to reform the federal wildlife-killing agency known as “Wildlife Services,” which kills nearly 1.5 million coyotes, bears, otters, foxes, birds and other animals each year without any require-ment to disclose its activities to the public. The secre-tive killing — which includes aerial gunning, traps and exploding poison caps — has gone on for decades with little public oversight or rules requiring the use of the best available science or techniques to reduce the deaths of non-target animals.

“Wildlife Services is an out-of-control, rogue agency that shoots, snares and poisons more than a million na-tive animals every year, many unintentionally — includ-ing at least 13 endangered species,” said Amy Atwood, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity and the primary author of the petition. “Despite calls for reform by members of Congress, scientists and the pub-lic, Wildlife Services is still operating without the kind of legally binding regulations that ensure transparency and accountability to the taxpaying American public, creating a free-for-all that should have been ended decades ago.”

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Petition Seeks to Reform Secretive Federal Agency That Kills Millions of Wild Animals

Wildlife Services’ Shoots, Traps, Poisons Animals With Little Regulation, Public Accountability

This is an important first step in taking Wildlife Services to task. They are killing our resources and it is our tax dollars that pays for this! Please spread far and wide and ask folks to contact their legislators. Tell them we are DONE with this wanton waste of life and the lack of transparency of this government murder machine!

Please join Project Coyote in protest of an indefensible coyote and wolf kill-ing “derby” ironically scheduled on the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s safety-net for wildlife, that brought wolves back from the brink of extinc-tion. It is imperative that everyone speak out against this atrocity scheduled in just two weeks. Time is critical.

This is not hunting but a gratuitous massacre that is legal in Idaho and across the country. Prizes will be offered to contestants who kill the largest wolf and the most female coyotes. Children as young as 10 are encouraged to com-pete, with prizes being offered to youth from the ages of 10-14.These competitions are ethically inde-fensible and ecologically reckless, as well as a public safety risk, as shooters fan out across the landscape, trying to shoot large numbers of coyotes and wolves.

1st Annual 2 Day Coyote & Wolf Derby brought to you by Idaho for Wildlife, Salmon Chapter, Sportsman Group - Dec. 28th & 29th, 2013 154 wolves have been killed in Idaho since hunting season opened on Au-gust 30th. Idaho is showing the nation what happens to wolves following the removal of federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Voice your opposition TODAY:Idaho Department of Fish & GameVirgil Moore, Director600 S. WalnutBoise, ID 83720(208) 334-2920Email: virgil,[email protected]


EMAIL: Hello, in September I visited the wolf sanctuary, I came all the way from Europe ( Belgium ), and when coming back I had shown a photo of Micah and it is published in an animal magazine in belgium/holland, as I was allowed to speak a few words for wolves and the location of this sanctuary. I thought you would like knowing Micah stood in an animal magazine so far away from america :) -greets daila

I have added the translation of the text below:This is Micah. I think its very hard to believe that this is the big bad wolf, not? I met Micah in the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in the U.S. Here they show us how important wolves are for nature, they make an end on this fairy tale were wolves are dangerous. If you would see a wolf in the wild, there is a bigger chance they run away from you. Wolf Micah is a sweetheart and can interact with people. Micah quickly showed his gentle side. I love wolves and when I saw how much effort they did in this center to talk for the wolf, I found that I should talk about them. Wolves are amazing animals that are misunderstood by so many people. They deserve better!

EMAIL: Thank you!

I would like to thank all of the staff/volunteers at CWWC for creating such a wonderful experience for us today. My friend Janet’s favorite animal is the wolf. Her daughter passed away in October 2013 and I wanted to do something special for her. I surprised her with a trip to CWWC today. I didn’t tell her what we were doing until we were about 2 miles away. She was so excited!! When our tour was over we started to walk into the gift shop and I told her there was still had one more surprise...we were on the photo tour. She was so overwhelmed, she teared up in disbelief. She (we) had such an amazing time playing with Tala! All of the staff we encountered were so kind and accommodating. CWWC and the wonderful people there helped create an amazing and therapeutic opportunity for both of us. Today will be a lifetime memory for us. Thank you for all of the work you do for wolves and foxes...and for us humans too.

Pamela M.

Emails and Notes

ON YOUTUBE

Expose on Wildlife Services... it’s time for the public to know what our tax dollars are paying for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSV8pRLkdKI&feature=youtu.be

The petition calls for the agency to:• Develop regulations to ensure use of the best science when determining whether action should be taken against animals;• Avoid killing non-target animals, including endangered species;• Ensure ethical treatment of targeted animals and ex-haustion of nonlethal means; and• Require release of reliable information to the public about the animals it kills.

A response to the petition is required by law; any decision is subject to review by the courts. “For far too long Wildlife Services has run roughshod over America’s wildlife,” said Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of Project Coyote. “We call on the USDA to clean house and bring Wildlife Services into the modern era of predator conservation and stewardship by adopting rules that justify their actions and that allow for public input and the integration of ethics, economics and science-based ecology.”Under various names, Wildlife Services has killed mil-lions of animals since the early part of the 20th century, targeting native carnivores like coyotes and foxes, prai-rie dogs, birds and many other species at the behest of agribusiness interests. The agency contributed to the de-cline of gray wolves, Mexican wolves, black-footed ferrets, prairie dogs, and other species during the first half of the 1900s, and continues to impede their recovery today.“Wildlife Services has long ignored sound science in es-tablishing its priorities, instead taking its cues from ranch-ers and other ‘cooperators,’ ” noted Carson Barylak, fed-eral policy advisor at the Animal Welfare Institute. “The influence of these private interests has taken precedence over the ecological principles that should be guiding the agency’s decisions, and wildlife is suffering as a result.” According to the agency’s own figures, which likely under-estimate the total death toll, the agency has killed more than 22 million native animals since 1996, representing 476 different species. The past five years have been some of the most active for the agency, with more than 1.5 million native animals killed per year. The agency reports that it kills an average of nearly 4,000 non-target native animals annually, including at least 13 endangered species, such as

Louisiana black bears, Mexican gray wolves, wood storks, Hawaiian stilts, island foxes and roseate terns. “Wildlife Services has contributed to the endangerment of several species, such as wolves and grizzly bears, that play pivotal roles in the food chain and have been the subject of extensive recovery efforts,” said Atwood. “The agency is a major threat to North American wildlife and must be reined in and held accountable.” Wildlife Services employees routinely engage in unlaw-ful or inhumane activities, refusing to fire or discipline agency employees who are known to break the law or cause animal suffering. The agency is also notoriously se-cretive, shielding most of its activities from scrutiny, and routinely covering up a substantial portion of its animal killings. Lead petitioners include Center for Biological Diversity, Project Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute. The Animal Legal Defense Fund signed on as a supporting petitioner.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, non-profit conservation organization with more than 625,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.Project Coyote (ProjectCoyote.org) is a national, non-profit organization promoting compassionate conserva-tion and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy.The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedi-cated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere — in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.


In the News

DENVER — Canadian gray wolves are by all accounts thriving in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes region, but getting the wolf ’s removal from the En-dangered Species List won’t be easy.Even as children in rural New Mexico take refuge from wolves in “kid cages” at school bus stops, wildlife lovers and environmentalists are fighting tooth and nail the pro-posal by the Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the species.The standoff over wolves comes as the latest example of conflict over the Endangered Species Act, which marks its 40th anniversary this year amid what critics describe as its use as a tool by environmental groups to stunt economic growth and development.“As is obvious with the wolf, we’re talking about a spe-cies that is not in danger of extinction by any definition or any standard,” said Greg Walcher, former head of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and author of Smoking Them Out: The Theft of the Environment and How to Take It Back (American Tradition Institute, 2013.).“There’s no way you can escape the conclusion that there’s some agenda at work here other than the Endan-gered Species Act or other than the environment. It’s all about power and money and control,” Mr. Walcher said. “There’s a reason they haven’t reintroduced grizzly bears in California, and of course there’s a lot of cynical West-erners like me who say if they want to reintroduce wolves, let’s put them in Boulder where they want them. But that isn’t where they go.”

Advocates oppose delistingWolf advocates may or may not have the facts on their side, but there’s no doubt they have the passion: Every one of the 100-plus speakers at the agency’s hearing last week in Denver’s Paramount Theater testified against the delisting proposal. Some of them cried during their com-ments, while others waved signs and wore wolf hats.

“I beg you guys not to de-list these animals,” said Phil-lip Trella, a volunteer at the Colorado Wolf and Wild-life Center in Divide. “Don’t be blinded by the politics of those who wish to hunt and massacre these beauti-ful creatures. To exterminate the wolves is downright wrong. Wolves cannot vote, but those who embrace them can.”And Colorado doesn’t even have wolves in the wild, at least not yet. But the turnout at the Denver hearing was typical of what the Fish and Wildlife Service has encoun-tered as it gathers public comments in anticipation of a 2014 ruling.“Over 900,000 public comments have been submitted, and probably 90 percent of those are against delisting the wolf,” said David Spady, a filmmaker and media consul-tant with Americans for Prosperity-California. “The sup-port for the wolf is very adamant, especially within those groups, and it has taken on this iconic sort of mystical status with a lot of these environmental groups.”Drowned out in the din are the voices of rural Westerners who have struggled to live alongside the predators. They are the focus of Mr. Spady’s 2013 documentary, “Wolves in Government Clothing.”Mr. Spady spoke in Denver as part of a screening tour for his film, funded by Americans for Prosperity, which he is bringing to every city on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s public hearing schedule.

Tourism versus safetyThe wolves have drawn tourists to Yellowstone National Park, but they’ve also brought economic challenges and public safety concerns to rural communities across the Northern Rockies, where the animals were flown in by helicopter from Canada and released in 1996 as part of the federal government’s wolf-restoration program.In the film, residents talk about losing livestock, horses and dogs to wolves, along with hunting revenue stemming

N.M. students take refuge in bus stop ‘kid cages’ as gray wolf population soarsWildlife lovers and environmentalists oppose proposal

from depleted elk and deer herds. Wolf attacks on humans are rare, but locals say they’ve been fright-ened by wolves approaching them on remote roads and appearing on front porches.In Catron County, N.M., local authorities built wooden out-house-sized structures called “kid cages” to protect schoolchildren at bus stops from the Mexican gray wolf.“The wolf issue is an example, es-pecially with the kid cages, about how you’re putting the interest of wildlife over the interests of human beings,” Mr. Spady said. “Every American should be con-cerned about seeing kids in cages and wolves out wandering around freely.”There are an estimated 5,360 Ca-nadian gray wolves in the North-ern Rockies and Great Lakes re-gion. The wolf already has been delisted in the Great Lakes states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wis-consin, as well as in Idaho, Mon-tana and Wyoming.The latest delisting proposal would cover states where the wolves are migrating, includ-ing Oregon and Washington, which have reported seven packs or about 40 animals per state. At least one wolf has been sighted in California, while Colorado and Utah are also seen as likely desti-nations for the wolves.The Fish and Wildlife proposal would also keep the Mexican gray wolf on the list as an endangered subspecies, but return manage-ment to state wildlife agencies in

Arizona and New Mexico. The wolf ’s population is estimated at about 75 between the two states.At the Denver hearing, those tes-tifying said they feared the delist-ing would result in an open hunt-ing season on the wolves. In states where the species is delisted, state wildlife agencies have taken over managing the animals, and have allowed limited wolf hunting and trapping.“I frankly am very ashamed of what we are doing to the wolf. I do not understand a nation that will bring back the wolf just to go out and hunt it to extinction again,” said Barbara Burton, a Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center volun-teer. “How do we know at what point to stop the hunting and the slaughter to prevent that?”Wildlife groups argue that the wolf occupies only 8 percent of its historic range, but federal agents counter that their job is to protect the wolf from extinction, not re-store the species to 100 percent of its previous habitat.Mike Jimenez, wolf management and science coordinator for FWS Northern Rocky Mountains, said at the hearing that the agency’s recovery programs have worked “exceptionally well.” The recovery program has exceeded the agency’s targets by as much as 300 percent.“They’ve dramatically expanded the range of over 5,000 wolves in the Lower 48,” Mr. Jimenez said. “We believe that this recovery will ensure that wolves will no longer be endangered in the Lower 48, and it’s time to move forward.”

Letter To Editor in the Denver Post

DON’T DELIST THE GRAY WOLFRE: “Little gray area in delisting of wolves,” Nov. 20 news story. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-vice held a hearing in Denver Tuesday night regarding delisting gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act. The fact that this is even up for debate is disconcerting. What once was decided by scientific evidence is now a thing of politics, favors and special interest. The low numbers recited by the USFWS do not represent a healthy wolf popu-lation. Without healthy numbers of wolves, there can be no healthy habitat for wildlife. In order to please ranch-ers and hunters, the USFWS’s may re-duce these living symbols of the West to mere game animals, making a mockery of the spirit, history and culture of our Western states. What is being decided is not whether to strip wolves of their protection, but rather whom does the USFWS’s serve? Does it exist to protect natural treasures for all or does it exist merely to give favors to special-interest groups?LaNell Haydon, Denver

Darlene, my experience of visiting your center is now on wolfwatcher.org! Check it out...

Sande Parkerwww.windsongphotographytoday.com


JANUARY 114:00 check-in4:30-6:30 pm event

• Meet Keyni our Ambassador wolf• Wear warm clothes and good boots• Bring a camera and a flashlight• Cocoa and coffee will be provided

WOLF MOON TOUR

COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTERReservations Required 719.687.9742

ADULTS: $30KIDS: $15 (8-12 years) No children under 8

This is a request for help with a wolf/dog in Kittredge, Co. Her owner has been devastated by a fire that killed her husband and several of her animals. She is now living in a rented space and has no safe outdoor area for Spirit and Animal Control wants her to surrender Spirit for euthanasia. Spirit is a loving girl and needs the right home. She has lost her pack mates and her “Dad” in the house fire and she is lonely and unhappy. Her owner’s situation is quite desperate, and she is distraught that this girl might be prematurely euthanized. Spirit could go to a Sanctuary or to an appropriate private placement. If you are aware of anyone who might be able to help Spirit, please contact the owner Brenda by phone (303) 674-8774 or Eric Jones ([email protected]) who has an email and is helping Brenda. This situation is tragic and Spirit is in increasing jeopardy from Animal Control. If she escapes again, they will trap her and euthanize her.

Susan Weidel · [email protected] · (307) 399-4746Rescue Coordinator - WOLF Sanctuary

A single woman would be best, quiet environment, home a lot if she does not have another male companion. At this time, due to her torn ACL injury, Sadie would prob-ably be better without another dog so she doesn’t hurt herself more. She is very playful for a 9 year old! An old male companion would work though. The woman would have to be very patient with her in the beginning until Sadie adjusts. She does not do change very well and stops eating, gets diarrhea, etc. No stairs for at least 6 months.

Sadie is very wolfy and definitely needs a wolfdog-experience home. She is very sensitive and is quite shy, but once she gets to know you she is sweet and very affectionate. She is great with women but very shy of men. At the pres-ent time her knees are healing well without the surgery and she is walking without a limp, but still putting most of her weight on the front quarters. She would be difficult with post-op treatments so we are hoping to avoid surgery altogether. She needs to continue laser and acupuncture treatments, with calm walking for the next 5-6 months, no running or playing. She loves being out-doors and craves a male companion, but currently she has to live indoors due to her not being able to climb stairs (living on second floor) and has to be car-ried downstairs to go for walks. Her foster mom is leaving for London at the end of January and we are hoping that we can find a permanent home before February. She would be ok in a sanctuary if she had lots of human interaction and a calm male companion. She is not ready yet to play. Her coat is fluffy but not that thick for extremely low temperatures (i.e. sleeping outdoors), albeit she does love to lie out in the snow and is ok with temps in the 30s. Warm regards and many blessings,Pamela Jo - Executive Director Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue - NV(775) 833-2066 · www.laketahoewolfrescue.com

UPDATE ON SADIEShe desperately needs a good forever home

Spirit - Female WOLF/DOG Kittredge, Colorado

Needs immediate help

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR ALL TOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 719-687-9742

Standard tourS one-hour educational tour of the sanctuary. 10 am, noon and 2 pm tuesday-Sunday $15 per adult · $8 per child

Feeding tourS enjoy this one-hour educational tour while your guide feeds the wolves! Learn about hunting, howling and hierarchy and communicate with the pack in a group howl!

$20 per adult · $10 per child tueSday, WedneSday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

youth FoX PhotoS your child will have their picture taken with our red fox!

$100 for up to 4 children (must be 8 or older)

WaLk on the WiLd Side What could be better than a guided nature walk in the beautiful rocky Mountains with a wolf?

$75 per person reServe For thurSday & Sunday

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR ALL TOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTS 719-687-9742

FuLL Moon tour Meet and greet Keyni - our ambassador wolf before the tour. Tour starts immediately after and lasts approx 1 hour

FuLL Moon Feeding FeSt tour Combines our FEEDING TOUR with our FULL MOON TOUR...

Wear warm clothes and good boots. Bring a camera and flashlight. ADULTS: $25 (13 years+) KIDS: $15 (8-12) · No kids under 8 please

Dedicated to educating the public about wolves, wolf dogs, foxes, and coyotes. Although these elusive animals are not often seen in the wild, through our guided tours you will have the opportunity to view them in the most natural setting possible. You will have the chance to view some of some of the endangered species that live at the Center.

TO: _______________________________________________________________________________

FROM: ____________________________________________________________________________

FOR THE AMOUNT OF: _________________________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED BY: ______________________ EXPIRES: _____________________________________

Excludes holidays and special events · Please mention you have a gift certificate when making reservationsYear round tours by reservation only: Tues - Sun 10am · 12pm · 2pm + 4pm in the Spring and Summer

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center GIFT CERTIFICATE719.687.9742 · w

ww

.wolfeducation.org

P.O. Box 713 · Divide, CO 80814

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center Gift Certificates make the perfect gift yearround!

Dedicated to educating the public about wolves, wolf dogs, foxes, and coyotes. Although these elusive animals are not often seen in the wild, through our guided tours you will have the opportunity to view them in the most natural setting possible. You will have the chance to view some of some of the endangered species that live at the Center.

TO: _______________________________________________________________________________

FROM: ____________________________________________________________________________

FOR THE AMOUNT OF: _________________________________________________________________

AUTHORIZED BY: ______________________ EXPIRES: _____________________________________

Excludes holidays and special events · Please mention you have a gift certificate when making reservationsYear round tours by reservation only: Tues - Sun 10am · 12pm · 2pm + 4pm in the Spring and Summer

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center GIFT CERTIFICATE719.687.9742 · w

ww

.wolfeducation.org

P.O. Box 713 · Divide, CO 80814

All tours have limited space and we have a no-cancellation policy Reschedules are allowed May-October only

neW For 2014 ALPHA PHOTO SESSIONget up close and personal with our wolves or foxes. not only will you be able to interact with our wolves, but a staff photographer will also capture this once in a lifetime experience. each group will receive up to 15 photos on a Cd to take home.

$150 for the first two guests, and $50 for each additional guest, up to four people. (must be 18 or older)

We do our very best to capture the perfect photos with our animals, however, some days may be better than others, as each animal has an individual personality. you will receive up to 15 photos. Some will be natural and it is possible to get a posed shot, but there are no guarantees. your time in with the animals can vary, depending on how cooperative they are.

Visit wolfeducation.com and click on the CALENDAR for dates and times


VIEqUES HUMANE SOCIETy - Vieques, Puerto Rico, a small island located off the mainland’s east coast, for many years offered no veterinary or animal rescue services. During the early 1980’s, a handful of concerned immigrants from the states and a few local residents took a serious interest in improving the welfare of the animals. They began by feeding the island’s multitudinous strays and soliciting the help of veterinarians from Puerto Rico to sterilize them. By 1987, the Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue, Inc. was officially established as a non-profit organization. Today they still offer the only veterinary services on the island and have developed strong community based programs.

See available dogs at www.viequeshumanesociety.org · CWWC will help you cover adoption fees - 719.687.9742

looking for a forever home

SLV Animal Welfare Society · 719-587-woof (9663)www.slvaws.org · PRIVATE SHELTER - MONETARY DONATIONS NEEDED

PeGGy SWaGer is a behaviorist and dog trainer. She has written extensively about dog behavior issues and won awards for her articles. She is also the author of several books, including Training the Hard to Train Dog. Her DVD Separation Anxiety, a Weekend Technique has helped many dog owners solve their separation anxiety issues. More information is available at her website www.peggyswager.com.

PeTeyA young male Aussie complete with blue eyes and a stub tail. He likes people and dogs. He doesn’t hurt cats but would be best in a home without them.

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and announce that I’ve agreed to do some writing for this newsletter. My name is Peggy Swager. I’m a behaviorist and dog trainer who has a lot of experience working with both problematic horses and dogs. I’ve written a lot of training articles. My first one was published in the 1970’s in a horse magazine. The last twenty years, I’ve focused on dog behavior issues. I’ve written many dog articles, two of which won awards. I also have a few dog books published and a DVD about solving separation anxiety. You can find more about that at my website peggyswager.com. Each month you’ll find one of my articles in this news-letter. Sometimes I will answer specific training questions submitted by my readers. Here is a specific issue from one of the newsletter readers:The dog is a wolf-malamute mix. He was rescued at four months, and stated to have little human interaction. The dog is now two years old. The dog’s problem is overly sub-missive behavior. He urinates when other members of the family come in, and will occasionally do so for the owner.

RESPONSE: Submissive peeing issues typically begin during dog ado-lescence, which happens around four months of age and continues until the dog is a year old. For most dogs who have submissive peeing issues during adolescence, this is-sue often resolves after a year of age, as long as you handle it correctly. Incorrect ways to deal with this issue include punishing the dog for peeing or scolding the dog. Another reason you may see this issue hang around in a dog after a year of age is if the dog remains too insecure. Ironically, one of the things which helps build security in a dog is when we are a strong leader to our dog. Strong leaders control the resources and are calm as well as com-passionate. Dogs look up to strong leaders and bond to them. To help you sort through any misperceptions about what dogs do and don’t consider a strong leader, think about what you see as a strong leader. With that in mind, ask yourself how many people you respect as a strong lead-

er who have used brute force or bullying to assert leader-ship. Those are not the kinds of leaders we bond to or respect and neither do our dogs. A good place to begin to build security in a dog is with structured training using positive techniques. This builds a cooperative and enjoyable relationship. That relationship helps overly submissive dogs feel comfortable and become less submissive. On the other hand, punishing behaviors you don’t want can undermined security in a dog. Many people who do activities such as agility find those kinds of event help dogs become more secure. However, coddling a dog who is feeling insecure will only work to increase insecurity in the dog. Understanding why a dog submissively pees can help with the problem. When a dog submissively pees, the dog is offering a symbolic gift. That peeing “gift” is a dog’s way of saying “you are the great and all powerful boss.” How you react to that gift tells the dog if the dog needs to con-tinue that kind of behavior. A human faux pas that can perpetuate submissive peeing is for the dog owner to show disapproval or anger. Dogs who get this kind of reaction quickly realize they didn’t do a good enough job offering that submissive pee, and need to try harder to appease the person. Some dogs who are determined to appease their owner may try peeing longer or quicker when the human approaches. Adding to your problem is that a very insecure dog may become fright-ened from your discipline which can result in the dog at times fear peeing in addition to submissive peeing. When I work with people to change this problem, one of the first things I do is teach people not to cue the dog to submissively pee. Some of the ways humans unintention-ally cue dogs is by making the wrong kind of eye contact, approaching a dog when the dog is signally you not to, and looming over a dog-sometimes done when you plan on petting the dog. The good news is that dogs who have submissive peeing problems can learn not to do that kind of behavior. All it takes is the right kind of training for the dog, and some retraining of the human.

This is Arni a Great Dane mix puppy who just came in- huge already. Was dumped - fortunately a kind

soul brought him to us or he’d really be suffering. He is the most loving dog we have had in a long time -

calm and soothing to be around. The bigger the dog the more loving they are I have found.

Adoptions this time of year is very slow...MONETARY DONATIONS BADLY NEEDED TO cARE fOR THESE ANIMALS

Hi there, my name is Kunie and I came to TCRAS scared and untrusting. While I am still working on my issues I am getting better. I need to have a big yard with a 6ft wood fence to keep me contained. I do like to run and because I am so timid I am really hard to catch. I am quite the lover once I get to trust you but it will take me a while to get used to my new diggs. I am a playful guy who enjoys being outside and hanging out with you once I am comfortable. NOTe: He is extremely cautious of new people, so we ask that anyone interested in him come and spend time with him, to build his trust, before he goes home. Once he knows you he is as sweet as can be and a wonderful dog. He gets along with cats and dogs. He just needs that special someone to give their time to him so he can fall in love!

TcRAS, the no-kill shelter in Divide, cO · 719-686-7707 www.tcrascolorado.com


The World of Wolves iPad app featuring The Colorado Wolf and

Wildlife Center is NOW AVAILABLE on iTunes. Also on iTunes, download the free CWWC

app for your iPhone or iPad

To get Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

on your phone!SCan ThiS Code

free fact-filled app about wolves

Information presented on this newsletter is considered public information (unless otherwise noted) and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credit is requested. Some of the documents in this newsletter may contain live feed references (or pointers) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that CWWC does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

working together to make

a difference

Newsletter Designed By Melissa Macis

Freelance Graphic [email protected]

“We can judge the heart

of a man by his treatment of animals.”

~ Immanual KantNatural Resources Defense Council

www.nrdc.org

Mexican Grey Wolveswww.mexicanwolves.org

www.defendersofwildlife.org

For current wolf articles and to be a voice

through knowledge

WilD EaRth GuaRDiaNswww.wildearthguardians.org

www.projectcoyote.org

www.aza.org

“An animal’s eyes have the

power to speak a great language.”

~ Martin Buberwww.bornfreeusa.org

DEC 2013 CWWC newsletter

Documents

Transcript of DEC 2013 CWWC newsletter