Maeve is a big puppy, but you wouldn’t know it when she’s next to Faelen 😆 These two are such a great pair, and bring me so much joy every day 🖤💗 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #midcontentwolfdog #blackwolf #blackwolfdog #blackphasewolfdog #germanshepherd #gsd #gsdmix #blackshepherd #dogsthathike #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #greywolf #wolf #lovewolves #amazinganimals #exoticanimal #exoticpet #earthfocus #roamtheplanet #wildlifeplanet #ourplanetdaily #highcontentwolfdog #wolf #wolfpack #animalphotography

Faelen 🖤🍃🐺 Big boy here is still rocking his ultra-naked summer coat look 😆 over the past few days though I’ve been feeling the beginnings of his super soft winter undercoat coming in! Over the next couple months it’ll grow in thick, and transform Faelen from a rather skinny looking thing into a fluffy, beautiful, wolfy looking thing (the last pic is Faelen in his winter coat!) - let’s just say, there’s a reason why most wolf photos out there are taken in the winter… summer wolves don’t appear nearly as large or impressive 😆 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #midcontentwolfdog #uppermidcontentwolfdog #blackdog #blackwolf #blackwolfdog #wolfeyes #goldeyes #blackphasewolfdog #germanshepherd #gsd #gsdmix #blackgsd #dogsthathike #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #greywolf #wolf #earthfocus #roamtheplanet #wildlifeplanet #ourplanetdaily #hikingdogsofinstagram #summercoat

Maeve’s 19 week old pic! Even though this is supposed to be pretty much the most awkward time in her puppy growth, she honestly just looks like a perfect mini she-wolf to me 😍💗 I remember at this age, Faelen was 100% paws, legs, & ears 😂 Maeve is about 55 lbs now! Based on her weight now at 4.5 month old, I expect that she’ll grow to be ~90-110 lbs as a mature adult- a big girl! I’m so happy with how she’s maturing, and glad she’ll be big enough to hold her own against Faelen’s considerable heft as an adult! While their play right now is super fun to watch, it is sometimes cringeworthy seeing Maeve go flying whenever Faelen flicks his head too much… 😆 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #highcontentwolfdogs #greywolf #timberwolf #wolfeyes #puppy #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #dogsthathike #wolfmix #wolfpack #amazinganimals #exoticpets #exoticanimals #earthfocus #roamtheplanet #wildlifeplanet #ourplanetdaily #dogsofinstaworld #impactpups #animalsinfluence #wolves #wolvesofinstagram #hikingdogsofinstagram

Morning woofer greetings 🖤💕🐾 Both Maeve and Faelen are still tired out from a big hike, which makes for some super calm and sweet pups! Greeting them each in the morning is one of my favorite things. Usually Maeve is much more energetic about it, but this morning she could barely stay awake! Faelen meanwhile was happy to stay inside and give head nuzzles before settling on the couch 😂🥰 One of my favorite things about these guys, and wolfdogs in general, is how pack-oriented they are; they are truly so family focused. They absolutely love their humans, and adore giving and getting affection from us (on their own terms/timing of course). Faelen in particular is very attuned to his family, especially me, and really dislikes when someone is “missing.” He’s always so happy upon their return, and is much more relaxed when he knows where everybody is. Maeve is less sensitive to people’s momentary locations, but is incredibly enthusiastically loving to her family whenever given the chance! For Wolfdogs, their family (both human and canine) is the center of their world, and is where they find stability and comfort even when the outside world is less certain to them. However, this family-oriented nature is often very much misunderstood and misinterpreted to mean that wolfdogs are therefore fiercely protective of their human family, always gentle with the kids, and therefore make great traditional family pets. This is extremely untrue! Rather, wolfdogs are still generally shy and cautious with the outside world (including any intruder…), won’t guard the family, and are often too playful and rough to be appropriate around small children. It’s best to instead think of the Wolfdog as *being* the child themselves! Yeah, they love their mom and dad, but that doesn’t mean they’ll guard them against scary people, or have any idea what to do in such a situation. And It sure doesn’t mean they should be trusted alone in most cases either… 😆🖤🐾

The pups had so much fun playing and running around! Maeve and Faelen are really finding their groove playing together, and it’s such a joy to watch 💗 Finding remote, quiet, peaceful places like this is challenging (especially as we live in very crowded Southern California), but so important and rewarding. Seeing the pups run and play freely and uninterrupted by other people and dogs (for which we always leash up until they pass) makes the days of planning and hours of driving to these spots so worth it. It can be very stressful having big, active, high maintenance dogs in a non-rural environment. Yes, they have a decently sized backyard/containment to hang out in and play (an absolutely requirement), but that’s not nearly enough for them. They need exercise and mental stimulation every day, usually multiple times per day. When they aren’t actively sleeping, they generally need/want sometime from me, whether that be interaction, exercise, feeding, or play! These guys are truly a lifestyle choice, and dictate every second of my free time. Many people see and want northern breeds/wolfdogs because they’re beautiful and engaging. However, it’s absolutely crucial to accept and want them not for their looks, but for the lifestyle and activities they come with too! Getting any dog based on looks alone is a terrible mistake. However, getting these types of dogs based on just looks will almost invariably result in an unhappy (and shocked) owner, and disaster for the dog once they’re no longer wanted due to their extreme maintenance requirements and quirky personality. In short, do your research and get experience with any breed before deciding it’s for you!!

Sometimes you’ve just gotta howl it out… 🎶 🐺 For reasons that I’ll be ready to reveal quite soon now (but not yet!), our family has been going through a pretty stressful and unstable time the past few months. Anxiety levels are high, the weather is hot and hiking is a more limited option, and summer crowds are everywhere making it much more difficult to find peaceful backcountry adventures. While of course the dogs don’t know exactly why their humans are a bit more on edge lately, they certainly pick up on our feelings acutely (especially Faelen, who is incredibly finely attuned to me and my feelings in the moment). One result I’ve noticed is an increase in their howling, often for no discernible reason but maybe just to release the sound, and some stress too! I’ve been doing my best to try to stay calm and happy for them, and hopefully convey that everything is really ok despite more tension in the air 🖤 Right now we’re taking it day by day: napping during the heat of the day, enjoying local nighttime walks, and so looking forward to cooler weather and many brand new adventures soon 🐾💕🍃 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #midcontentwolfdog #uppermidcontentwolfdog #blackwolf #blackwolfdog #blackphasewolfdog #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #timberwolf #greywolf #wolf #animalsinfluence #highcontentwolfdog #wolf #wolfpack #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #wolfhowl #wolveshowling #howl #howlingwolf #howlingwolves #howling #doghowling #howlingdog

Maeve got her final puppy and rabies shots yesterday! We went to the local clinic at the pet store, which was surprisingly busy. Maeve handled the hour long wait and big crowd of people and (very loud!) dogs like a champ. She was happy to say hi to everyone then conked out in the aisle for a good nap. She didn’t even notice the shots and was a sweetheart for the vet! Afterward we sat on the grass and got used to street sounds for a little (no concerns there either) before heading home for a snack and nap time! This girl is soooo bombproof, confident, friendly, and overall so stable. She really is a wonderful example of both intense selective breeding, and thorough early socialization, but such crucial things for wolfdogs! I couldn’t be more thrilled with her disposition 💕💗 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #highcontentwolfdogs #greywolf #timberwolf #wolfeyes #goldeyes #wolf #wolfpack #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #wolfpup #adorablepuppies #cutepuppies #babyanimals #germanshepherd #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #lovewolves #wolflovers #wolfpack #livewithwolves #puppysocialization #puppyshots

Feeding time! 🥩🍖🍗 Faelen gets through his chicken pretty quickly… swipe 👉 to see how much longer Maeve takes! 😆💗 One very important reality to be aware of with wolfdogs, especially higher contents like Faelen and Maeve, is their tendency to be extremely possessive and heavily resource guard things, including their food. This is a pretty strong instinct that they’re simply born with, and is a key thing to work on in puppyhood but also throughout life. For this reason, both Faelen and Maeve are hand-fed all their meals. This is a great way to establish trust with them. Rather than me giving them a bowl of food to hunker over and guard, I retain control of the bowl and freely offer them pieces from my hands. This shows the pups that I have absolutely no interest in messing with or taking their food for myself; that even though the food is mine, I’m giving it to them and will never remove it! Over time, they learn that human hands are not a threat to their food, and that guarding food from humans is unnecessary; in other words, they learn to trust others around their food, against their natural instincts to do so. The last video (which is all black, it was filmed just for the sound one night) is a good demonstration of Faelen’s feelings about his food when he was a young puppy, before he learned to trust me with it. At that point, he still felt the need to intersperse his chewing with fierce little growls, as I sat with him to hold his meat! After several weeks of consistent work and reassuring him that there was no need to worry, he calmed down well. Today, he is pretty much competent trusting of me doing whatever with his food, as he knows well by now that I will never take it from him and will only ever be a provider. Maeve has taken very well to hand feeding as well, and doesn’t have many concerns around people with her dinner! We’ll continue on with our feeding routine, and continue building as much trust as possible with both pups 🖤💕

Beautiful evening at the beach, definitely one of the pups’ favorite places to play! 🌊🌤🐾 The interactions in the first video cracks me up (🔊 on): Maeve grabs Zeke’s tail and gets yelled at. Faelen yells at Zeke for yelling at his baby. Then Faelen tells off Maeve for bothering his best friend Zeke. Maeve continues to go for Zeke so Faelen reiterates his point. Maeve responses ultra dramatically, but then keeps going for Zeke cause she does what she wants at all times… 😂😂😂🤦‍♀️ Wolfdogs are such intelligent, complex, and dramatic creatures. While this can and does make them much more needy and challenging to keep happy than normal dogs, it also makes them just so much more engaging and captivating to watch, and to be around! Never a dull or casual moment, and there’s never a single moment where I’m left wondering what they may be thinking or feeling- it’s always abundantly clear! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #midcontentwolfdog #uppermidcontentwolfdog #blackwolf #blackwolfdog #blackphasewolfdog #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #greywolf #wolf #lovewolves #wolflovers #wolfpack #animalsinfluence #highcontentwolfdog #wolf #wolfpack #puppy #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #beachvibes #beachday #beachdogsofinstagram #dogbeach #beachdogs #californiabeaches

Right now our hot weather means we aren’t doing too much besides playing with the hose, and taking evening walks. It’s not super exciting, but right now it’s our reality! We’re looking forward to some much more exciting times ahead for our family and for the pups... very soon! 🤫😁💗 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #wolf #wolfpack #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #wolfpup #adorablepuppies #cutepuppies #babyanimals #wolfmix #dogsofinstaworld #animalsinfluence #kiddiepool #waterdog #summervibes #summerfun

Maeve, 17 weeks old ☀️💕 This week Maeve began to lose her baby teeth and grow in her first adult teeth!! First to come in are her adult incisors, or the row of smaller front teeth used for nibbling, grasping, and tearing. While these baby incisors fall out and the adult ones come through, Maeve is also sprouting 2 brand new adult pre-molars on each side, which are two smaller teeth lined up in front of her large carnassial teeth (the big sharp teeth in the mid jaw, used like scissors for cutting and shearing). Next to fall out and grow in will be her four long canine teeth (used for puncturing), followed by a total of 10 molars, flatter teeth in the back of the mouth used for crushing. By 6-8 months old, Maeve will have her full set of adult teeth! Maeve is clearly teething badly right now, and is exceptionally mouthy when conscious! She’s luckily quite good at directing her attentions to approved items such as toys and frozen treats, but definitely needs constant supervision to redirect her when necessary. It must be a pretty painful time for her, and I try to remember that when I feel frustrated or overwhelmed with her constant need to be chewing things! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #highcontentwolfdog #greywolf #wolf #wolfpack #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #dogsthathike #wolfmix #wolflovers #wolfpack #instagramanimals #livewithwolves #amazinganimals #exoticpets #exoticanimals #earthfocus #roamtheplanet #wildlifeplanet #ourplanetdaily #dogsofinstaworld #babyteeth #teething #teethingpuppy

What’s funny about this video is that, despite all the dire sounding growling, the only point at which Maeve was actually worried she’d gone too far occurred (about 1.5 mins into the video) when her tooth accidentally got a little too close to Faelen’s mouth, and she shrunk back, expecting a rebuke. Faelen wasn’t bothered though, and tried to re-engage her in the game with friendly body language, including his wagging tail and his long streeetch towards her. She declined, and Faelen became distracted for a moment to have a good scratch. At this point Maeve attempted petty thievery of the toy, and Faelen gave her a vocal correction for the offense, to which she responded with her typical “I’M PUPPY DONT KILLLLLL ME!!” screeching response (honestly I don’t even know what the neighbors think is going on at this point...) Faelen rolls back goofily, trying to make it clear that the correction is over and invite her to play with him. Maeve however is still fixated on the toy, and continues her screechy/chirping begging for it. At this point, Faelen loses interest as she clearly won’t wrestle him, and he has clear possession of the toy which is rather boring. He leaves, and Maeve grabs her prize! Of course, 10 seconds later she became disinterested and ran after Faelen looking for a a new game... 😆 . . . . . . . . . #wolfdog #realwolfdog #wolfdogsofinstagram #wolfdogsofig #wolfhybrid #wolfdogs #midcontentwolfdog #blackwolf #blackwolfdog #blackphasewolfdog #germanshepherd #gsd #wolfmix #livingwithwolves #greywolf #highcontentwolfdog #highcontentwolfdogs #wolf #wolfpack #puppy #puppiesofinstagram #wolfpuppy #wolfdogpuppy #wolfpup #tugofwar #playtime #doggyplaytime