Daizy and the Wolf

Today, we visited the dog park in Foster City, a pilgrimage we make regularly, and one, as far as our dogs are concerned, that’s right up there with cookies. There are two words in the English language that our furry beasties understand without fail and those words are cookie and dogpark. Ears go up and everybody’s alert.

We entered the special double gate today at the dog park, and Daisy was in the forefront chomping at the bit. It isn’t unusual for a dog or two or three to be waiting right there with wagging tails and drooling chins, and it isn’t unusual for Daizy to growl and snarl her way past them, strongly vocalizing her superiority to the rest of the group (who are all, by the way, three legs bigger than she is). Rather than seeing the usual welcoming committee, however, we walked in and walked right smack dab into a wolf. I’m talking about a full blood, grey, long legged and long nose, wolf. The real deal. Not a hybrid. He was there with his human, a young man who looked, well, wolfish..

At first I was concerned. Really concerned. I mean, this is a wild animal, whose instincts (and badoobies as it turns out) were well intact, and I was there out in the open with my pushy little boston terrier, my golden retriever, and my eleven year, all of which are quite precious to me. Nobody else in the fenced in area seemed concerned; in fact, they all thought the wolf was pretty cool. I expressed a bit of low grade caution and everybody thought I was being incredibly square. One woman thought there was no difference between a wolf and a rottweiler, for example, if each animal is raised properly.

No difference? How about wild instincts versus years and years of instinct suppression through domesticity?

Once I got over myself (which wasn't easy), I was able to sit quietly and enjoy the wolf’s energy as he wound his way through the crowd, up against me, and all around us. His eyes were very soft, and his coat was dense and wiry. I plunged my hand into his coat as he made his way past me. I wondered what The Great Mother had to say by dropping me right in front of one of her most amazing and beautiful creatures?

Thinking on this, tonight I dropped by A. Venifica’s website “What’s-Your-Sign” to see what she had to say about wolf totems and symbolism. The following are points that jumped out at me. All of this was written by A. Venifica, and I am simply quoting her inspired work, which can be read in full here.

To understand totem wolf symbols, one must first understand the heart of the Wolf. This takes time because the Wolf has had to endure many false stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Some common traits that accompany totem wolf symbols:

Intelligence
Cunning
Communication
Friendliness
Loyalty
Generosity
Compassionate

Not at all the picture of ferocity or terror, the Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength. Another misconception is that of the “lone wolf.” To the contrary, the Wolf is actually a social creature, friendly, and gregarious with its counterparts.

A.Venifica also writes that the wolf prompts us to ask ourselves certain questions …

Are you thinking about a different form of education?
Are you being a true friend, and are your friends being true to you?
Are you communicating yourself clearly to others?
Are you being loyal to yourself?
Are you incorporating strategies and planning to achieve your goals?
Are you spending enough quality time with yourself, friends and family?

As it turns out, the wolf’s name is Coda, and he was about a year old, not yet sexually mature, and very docile. He was submissive; in fact, to the extent that Daizy, our boston terrier, attempted to dominate him and would’ve gotten away with it if I hadn’t stopped her (I was nervous, ok?). I thought it rather ironic that Daizy discovered her inner wolf at the dark park with a real one.

Things to think on …. There’s always something.