[tessierashpool]

Yeah, you can't pet it as much as you would with a dog. Instead, when you first come home, you put your hand out, just a bit above its nose, so the dog/wolf can touch your hand with its nose. It's this very peaceful and utterly simple ritual whereby the dog/wolf acknowledges that you're in charge.

When my dad and I started doing this, the dog/wolf calmed down incredibly. Pretty sure he had thought that he was in charge of our pack, but the responsibility was stressing him out because had no idea how he was supposed to organize our hunting, and couldn't figure out where we went during the day, either.

You also can't let it beg, because it doesn't really understand begging as begging. You have to eat first, then give the dog/wolf their food, the same way that I think you do with a Rottweiller.

[hyp0]

There was a fad a while back, less popular now, that you need to assert dominance, in raising all dogs. Sounds like it's been nuanced to wolf-like dogs.

At least the study shows a genetic behavioural difference between dogs and wolves.

[tessierashpool]

actually a lot of those ideas come from research around wolves which is very very discredited. they overgeneralized from things which were true of wolves in captivity but untrue of wild wolves.

but yes, you do kind of have to have a tougher attitude.

one day we got a new puppy. puppy ran up to the dog/wolf and barked at him, tried to get him to play with her. bit his tail to get his attention. he turned around, grabbed her head in his jaws, and held her head against the floor for at least 30 seconds. then he just walked away.

my suspicion is that domesticated animals have less adrenaline or something. there's some kind of hardwired seriousness in a wolf, where dogs seem a lot more daffy.