Explore Our Services Episode Summary In this debut episode, Adam Winston explores the story of North American wolves with Erik Wilber of Wolf Haven International. We cover: History of wolves from pre-colonial coexistence to the 1973 Endangered Species ActEvolutionary theories on how dogs emerged from wolvesBehavioral myths—why “alpha” is outdated and what dogs really need Read on for key takeaways, resource links, and the full transcript. Key Takeaways Europeans once paid bounties to exterminate wolves; legal protection under the Endangered Species Act began in 1973.Wolves drive trophic cascades, reshaping ecosystems—think willow regrowth and beaver habitat in Yellowstone.Domestication may have followed natural selection (wolves scavenging at camp edges) more than human-led breeding.“Alpha wolf” comes from captive-pack studies; wild packs are family units and much less aggressive. Resources & Links AmazonYouTubeDiscordRSS FeedGoogleInstagramLinkedInSpotifyTikTokTwitch Wolf Haven International – Visit information & sanctuary storiesDr. Mech’s Alpha Wolf videoArticles on trophic cascades in Yellowstone (linked in show notes)Support the show: Donate hereBook a Free Consultation with Adam Winston Episode Transcript Show Transcript Introduction With the help of some generous folks, I’m proud to finally present the first installment of what will hopefully be a monthly series. And, just so you know, links to everything we’re going to talk about in today’s show—pictures, comment sections for all of you to provide feedback, and more details—can be found at dogsinourworld.com. This episode is titled In the Beginning, and I’ve divided it into three parts. First, I’ll share what I recently learned about the history of wolves in North America and their current status here in the United States. The second part highlights popular theories on the evolutionary relationship between the wolf and dog—how we got the dog from the wolf. The third and final part explores what wolves can teach, or not teach, us about dogs. So let’s get started. Part 1: In the Beginning – Dogs and Wolves Even though my passion is for the domestic dog, as a young dog welfare professional I find it nearly impossible to avoid the subject of wolves. There’s a divisive, exhausting debate among dog enthusiasts that almost always traces back to wolves—what we think we know about them and how we compare dogs to wolf packs. If you want to see the amount of content out there, simply Google “dog dominance theory” or “dog training debate.” You’ll get around two million results—no deep digging required. But this show is our chance to get answers from the source. Instead of another dog trainer telling me about wolves, I went to someone who lives with them every day. Erik Wilber: My name is Erik Wilber, and I am an animal caretaker at Wolf Haven International. I’ve been here ten years now. I started as a volunteer in 2005, was hired in 2006, and haven’t looked back. Erik spends nearly 24/7 with wolves, wolfdogs, and coyotes. He feeds them, prepares their diets, repairs enclosures, transports them for veterinary care, and manages social groups and conflicts. Erik Wilber: It’s so much—feeding the wolves, preparing their food, repairing enclosures… When an animal needs the vet, I take them. I manage who goes where and handle every conflict that arises. First, I asked Erik about the history of wolves in North America. Erik Wilber: Wolves were everywhere in North America and coexisted with Native Americans. When Europeans arrived, they brought negativity—bounties on wolves, habitat destruction, and poisoning campaigns. From the 1600s until the 1970s, humans waged war on wolves, paying people a nine-to-five wage to kill them. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act made killing wolves illegal, and restoration began. At that point, wolves only remained in Alaska, Canada, and northern Minnesota. I was born in 1979 and didn’t realize that wolf repopulation happened in my lifetime. Today, you can find wolves—and even endangered red wolves—in many U.S. states. Erik Wilber: We now have red wolves in North Carolina, Mexican wolves in the Southwest, packs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Canada, and Alaska. At Wolf Haven International, you can see gray wolves, red wolves, wolfdogs, and coyotes up close—including rare Species Survival Plan (SSP) animals. Erik Wilber: There are two North American species: red wolves (no subspecies) and gray wolves, which have five subspecies: Arctic, tundra (Great Plains), timber, Mexican, and Arctic wolves. Mexican wolves average 60–80 lb and have a tawny coat with a black cape. Wolf Haven only breeds the federally managed Mexican and red wolves under the SSP. All other rescues are not bred to avoid adding more captive wolves. At one point, only seven Mexican wolf founders remained. Wolf Haven doesn...
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