The last few days have been bitterly cold, and my dane can't stand to be outside for more than a few minutes. His paws get cold so quickly that even eliminating outside in the snow is uncomfortable. Regular readers of my blog will remember my previous attempts to find Savage sufficient exercise in the really cold months, namely the treadmill I bought that he refuses to walk on, and the booties I bought that are impossible for him to walk IN. Today the temperature climbed all the way up to 14 degrees, so Savage and I could finally spend a good amount of time outside. He enjoyed bouncing through the deep snow and burying his whole head into snowbanks to sniff out rabbit tracks, and I enjoyed watching, knowing he was getting a little exercise.
What surprised me today was the number of wolf tracks on our driveway and the gravel road that runs perdendicular to it. There have been a couple incidents involving the native wildlife since we've moved to our new house, but none so close as this. A few months ago Savage and I were on a walk about 1 1/2 miles from our home when I started hearing wolves howling on the ridge above us. Another time Savage woke in the middle of the night, let out a long, loud howl and went back to sleep. The next morning I found where a wolf had gone to the bathroom next to the corner of the house. As we walked today, it was kind of an eerie feeling to realize that wolves had been on the same trail only last night. Timberwolf (gray wolf) attacks on dogs are rare(though much more common than attacks on humans), but they do happen. The general theory is that wolves will seek out dogs as prey when the moose/deer population in the area is very low, and/or lack of, or insufficient snow cover, makes it easier for wolves' normal prey animals to move around, and therefore harder for wolves to kill them. In addition, wolves that have become habituated to humans get less shy and are more likely to approach a domestic dog, even on a leash and accompanied by his owner. Living on the edge of the wilderness, as I have all my life, people get used to the wild animals that live in the woods, but in my opinion, the tracks we saw today were a bit too close for comfort. All I can do is watch Savvy carefully when he's out in the yard, and I plan to start carrying my handgun again when we are out roaming around: better safe than sorry. The majority of people I've talked to about this don't seem to understand that Savage's size is no deterrent to a determined pack, or even a single wolf. Regarding wolf attacks on dogs, Alaska state wildlife biologist Bob Stephenson said, in a 2007 Anchorage Daily News article, "Newfies, Great Danes, it doesn't matter. Wolves know how to kill like nobody's business".
While not treating these situations lightly, I would still like to stress that they are indeed wild animals that try to avoid humans and our habitats as much as possible. As I said before, attacks are rare, and vary from year to year. I think that with well-thought-out population management the relationship between wolves and humans (and their dogs!) could be controlled in a way that is beneficial to all.
Note: In some states, and in Minnesota specifically, wolves and wolf management continue to be controversial because of the importance of wolves as a supposed symbol of wilderness and a protected species, and on the other side the threats (real or perceived) to deer populations and pets and livestock. I have tried to temper this post so as to not offend any readers while still expressing my personal beliefs. As always, if you have any thoughts or comments, feel free to post them!