Wolves & Dogs: Understanding Canine Behavior

Wolves & Dogs:  Understanding Canine Behavior

Join us for three full days to immerse yourself in wolves and learn about wolf and dog behavior!  What better way to learn canine behavior than to be up close and personal with wolves?  Along with meeting our resident wolves, there will be many interesting sessions comparing wolves and dogs, and exploring their behavioral signatures. 

Based on the experience of Wolf Park’s staff-- Pat and Monty alone have more than 50 years of canine behavior experience combined-- and utilizing information gathered from many sources, talks will include:

Wolf behavior and ecology

Comparison of wolf and dog body language

Wolf x dog hybrids

Dominance and aggression in wolves and dogs

Raising and socializing wolves

Cognitive ability

Training with positive reinforcement

Evolution of dogs from wolves

Wolf Park staff members Monty Sloan and Pat Goodmann will be the main presenters at this fun and educational seminar.  Monty has been a wolf handler and photographer at Wolf Park since 1988.  Pat has been studying wolf behavior since she came to Wolf Park as a graduate student in 1974.  Both have spent years studying wolves and their cousins the dog. 

Along with the talks listed above there will be chances to watch wolves in the early morning, and to enter the wolf enclosure and interact with some of the resident wolves under staff supervision.  Participants will also attend a Howl Night program, and see the unique Wolf -Bison Demonstration on Sunday.  We keep you busy during your three day stay! 

Seminars include three full days of activities, plus some meals.  All three lunches plus two simple breakfasts are included in the fee, plus a one year single membership to Wolf Park.  We provide you with a ceramic Wolf Park mug for use all weekend, and as a souvenir.  A binder with all basic information about Wolf Park will also be provided.  Our Wolf Ethogram and Wolf Management Chapter will be given to participants upon arrival. 

Our gift shop is stocked with much Wolf Park related merchandise, as well as many photos of our resident wolves and other animals.  All purchases support our work at Wolf Park, educating the public about wolves, canid behavior, predator’s roles in nature, and the web of life. 

Due to the interaction with the wolves, participants must be 18 years or older and in good physical health.  If you are uncertain as to whether your health condition would prohibit entering the wolf enclosure, feel free to contact us to discuss your concerns.  It is always ultimately at the discretion of the staff, whose primary concern is the safety of all involved.  You could also choose to participate in the seminar without entering the wolf enclosure, since this is a small portion of the weekend.  Individuals aged 16-17 can register for the seminar if accompanied by an adult, and knowing they would not be eligible to meet the wolves.

Tentative Schedule 

Friday

9am  Seminar Begins

9-Noon   Introductions, Orientation, Talks

Noon  Lunch Break

1-5 pm Talks, tour of Park

5:30 pm Dinner together

7:30 pm Howl Night 

Saturday

7:30 am   Wolf Observation with Pat Goodmann

8:30 am  Continental breakfast

9-11 am   Talks

11 am     Meet wolves

Noon    Lunch

1-5 pm   Talks and activities

5-7 pm   Dinner break

7:30 pm  Howl Night 

Sunday

7:30 am  Wolf observations with Pat Goodmann

8:30 am  Continental Breakfast

9-11 am   Talks

11 am    Meet wolves

Noon Lunch

1-4 pm   Wolf and Bison demonstration, feed the wolves

4pm       Seminar concludes