How to Socialize a Pet Wolf

Socialize a Pet Wolf

• Step 1:
  Wean the wolf cub away from its mother as soon as possible, roughly 2 weeks after it is born. If you wait any longer than this, the wolf will start to be socialized by its mother, and will not respond as favorably to human training.
• Step 2:
  Use a cotton swab to clean out the anal sac of the wolf cub in order to facilitate the emptying of the bowels. Usually the mother accomplishes this by licking until the cub is old enough to do this on its own.
• Step 3:
  Expose the cub to other dogs in a carefully controlled atmosphere, ensuring the safety of the baby wolf at all times. This will teach the wolf to lose its fear of other dogs as it grows older, and to not depend completely on human contact once it becomes fully grown.
• Step 4:
  Let both male and female humans have contact with the wolf cub to help socialize it properly. Wolves can smell the difference between the sexes, so this will help it to become familiar with both scents.
• Step 5:
  Allow the wolf cub to approach you first, instead of the other way around. It also helps to have contact with the cub on familiar ground, such as its living quarters, instead of a new area it has not yet seen, in order to reduce the amount of fear and apprehension it might experience.
• Step 6:
  Have the pet wolf cub get used to wearing a collar and a leash. Always shower praise on the cub for wearing these items, and never let it associate wearing a collar and a leash with any sort of punishment.
• Step 7:
  Find out more about how to socialize a pet wolf on websites such as the Wolf Trust (see Resources below).