How to Care for a Wolf Pup

Choosing to care for a baby pet wolf requires a few critical steps necessary for the successful socialization of the animal. Wolves are animals with very strong instincts. It will take perseverance on your part to ensure those instincts will not interfere with your care process.

Things You'll Need

  • Quality meat
  • Other dogs
  • Fencing
  • Formula
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Instructions

  1. Care for a Baby Pet Wolf

    • 1

      Separate the baby wolf from its mother no later than 2 weeks after birth. A baby wolf will not properly socialize with humans and other dogs if you wait any longer than this. Note that this may be especially traumatic for the mother, especially if this is her only cub.

    • 2

      Swab out the anal sac of the baby wolf continually to help it relieve itself. The mother wolf would usually do this for them through licking, so you will have to take on this duty.

    • 3

      Bottle-feed the baby wolves with specially designed formula for at least another 2 weeks, and then wean them on a diet of meat. Pet food will not suffice. You must feed them quality meat, such as steaks and chops, preferably with bones and even the fur still intact.

    • 4

      Socialize your wolf cub by exposing it, in carefully controlled circumstances, to other dogs. This will help the cub to not fear other dogs later in life and to not develop too close of a dependence upon humans.

    • 5

      Allow the cub to have regular contact with humans, making sure they familiarize themselves with both sexes. Always let the baby wolf approach the human on its own terms, not the other way around. Take care that this initial contact always happens on the cub's home ground to make it feel safer.

    • 6

      Train the wolf cub to accept a leash and collar by using it in conjunction with rewards and praise. Never train the cub to associate the leash and collar with any sort of punishment.

    • 7

      Build appropriate housing for the wolf so that it will be protected from others and can't get out to roam. Give the wolf plenty of room to run around and develop. A chain-link fence at least 6 feet tall is recommended.

    • 8

      Check out online resources such as the website for the Wolf Trust for more tips on raising baby wolves (see Resources below).