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Ok for those of you who don't know, it isn't a show about werewolves. Awww. But it's pretty close!

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/wolfman/

This guy's goal is to understand wolves by living with / behaving like them. The purpose of the show seems to be from his fiancee's point of view, as he tries to teach her the lifestyle. Shaun Ellis, the "Wolfman," at least seems to be a genuine researcher and ecologist. Overall I think it'll be a pretty awesome show! (He also did a previous documentary, "A Man Among Wolves," which aired on BBC/National Geographic some time ago.)

Yeah, it's something that I really want to watch. GO WOLVES! I've never seen actual wolf socializing, so I can't wait for the show.

That, and I want to watch It's Me or the Dog U.S.A.. I really like Victoria Stilwell's way of handling dogs, and I write down almost everything that I need when we (hopefully) adopt a dog next summer.

Dude. I saw "A Man Among Wolves". I've got it on DVD. That guy is certifiably crazy.

Uniform Two Six wrote:Dude. I saw "A Man Among Wolves". I've got it on DVD. That guy is certifiably crazy.

Hehe how so? (I can guess.)

Moss27 wrote:I write down almost everything that I need when we (hopefully) adopt a dog next summer.

I would be cautious about that. I doubt that the majority of dogs have problems that necessarily need corrective action. Just like with humans, it's important to distinguish actions within the normal spectrum of dog behavior, versus actions that seem out of bounds.

Wolves are living beings, they have spirits just like humans. Humans are interconnected with the canid family in some relation.

But, humans forgot that wolves are their brethren and kindred. Its the reason why most of the wolves are hunted toward extinction in all of United States because of the fear, hatred, and misunderstanding of these wonderful creatures.

Things are changing, because many humans are beginning to understand the wolf.

Berserker wrote:

Uniform Two Six wrote:Dude. I saw "A Man Among Wolves". I've got it on DVD. That guy is certifiably crazy.

Hehe how so? (I can guess.)

I'd have to say taking road-kill, removing the liver, cooking the liver, stuffing it back in the carcass, dragging the carcass into the wolf enclosure, and then eating it so the wolves can see that he's getting the "choicest" part in order to establish alpha-dominance -- Yeah, that was probably my first clue.


Getting into a staring/growling contest with a 125 lb. timber wolf was probably my second one.

Man what a wuss. Why'd he cook it?

According to him, he couldn't digest it otherwise. (Which means he probably tried at some point)

Admit it, Uniform Two Six: there's a lot of people on these forums who would do all that in a heart beat, given the chance.



I can't WAIT for this show!

Berserker wrote: I would be cautious about that. I doubt that the majority of dogs have problems that necessarily need corrective action. Just like with humans, it's important to distinguish actions within the normal spectrum of dog behavior, versus actions that seem out of bounds.

I know. I'm also researching the particular breeds that are suitable for my family life and so that I won't mix up their natural behaviors with bad behaviors. I really like the Papillion/Bichon Frise mixed breed so far.



Livers might also have impurities or toxins within them, so cooking livers wouldn't hurt.

outwarddoodles wrote:Admit it, Uniform Two Six: there's a lot of people on these forums who would do all that in a heart beat, given the chance.

Dude, I could have lived without knowing that. *Shudder*

Uniform Two Six wrote:

outwarddoodles wrote:Admit it, Uniform Two Six: there's a lot of people on these forums who would do all that in a heart beat, given the chance.

Dude, I could have lived without knowing that. *Shudder*

Not me. I love wolves and all but people idolize them. Ill take my nice warm bed and my big lovable mutt thank you. The best of both worlds.

The show airs tonight.

I watched both episodes last night. So far I'd rate it a 7.5/10.

Most of it was about Helen, which was expected, but I was hoping to see more wolf interaction and behavior. I think they just needed to set up the details about their house, lifestyle, etc.

It was also a little melodramatic at points. Like when Helen was getting ready to meet Matsi muzzle to muzzle, they had this huge buildup, made it seem like such a big deal, and then it wasn't really. The wolf came up to her and gave her a kissy just like a pet dog. I have a feeling he would have done that regardless, given how acclimated the wolves have become to Shaun and Helen. If there was some nuance of wolf behavior that was supposed to be evident, they didn't do a very good job of presenting it.

Helen also portrays this stereotypical English cluelessness that gets annoying at times.

The show is intresting, but the human interaction evident in the introduction of Helen is odvious. There was no real caution to her introduction. In some ways they act tame.

Grrr the TV guide said the new episode was supposed to be on last night, but instead it was just a rerun of some other dumb show! >.< They must have postponed the new episode due to the election.

I remember watching it several months ago on National Geographic. I have it recorded and I was going to make a thread about it, but I got too lazy

What you saw was probably "A Man Among Wolves," which was a one-time thing. This is an all new show with a more laid back focus.

What worries me is that they could become like the bears at yellowstone.

What about the bears at Yellowstone?

Oh, the bears became so used to thier human visiters, that they became less and less wary about comming too close. To any animal, that can be a fatal mistake.

There's several different things you should consider there.

First of all, there have been reports of people in wilderness areas dumping trash illegally and wolves get into it, or even feeding the wolves. At that point, the wolves become acclimated to humans, but in a bad way: they learn that humans = "I get food," so if they ever come around looking for food and are refused, or startled, they can potentially lash out dangerously. Same thing for wolves in a run-of-the-mill zoo; they might attack their feeders unexpectedly. Any situation where the interaction between a person and an animal is completely one-dimensional is a recipe for failure.

However, that's not what people like Wolfman and other wolf caretakers are about. What they do is very different. Their goal is to study and understand wolf behavior, to the point where they can meaningfully interact with the wolves. They want to become ambassadors, if not full-fledged members of, the wolf pack. The interaction between wolves and humans here is multifaceted, cautious, nurturing, and one of mutual trust.

Lastly, the reason why this is possible, is because wolves are different from bears or cougars. They follow intricate social rules, are remarkably intelligent, and portray relatively complex emotions. Because of all this, wolves are actually similar to human beings in many ways, and that allows us to potentially bond with them: we did, after all, befriend wolves a long time ago, until eventually they joined our families as dogs. The same can't be said for bears.

It's always been about treating animals the right way.

I absolutely adore this guy being able to live so close to the wolves and understand their lives and true nature, I've been watching every episode each Tuesday that comes around and gotta say I'm very proud of his fiancee for putting up with her emotions to be accepted by the pack