The Wolf – Wild and Tame: Instructive Facts About the Largest and Most Ferocious of the Canine Family

The above headline and sub-head appeared in the Jan. 1, 1892 issue of The Saratoga Sun. Accompanying the headings were the following article and illustrations.

In its native state, the wolf is the largest and most savage of the canine group. It is so fierce, many of the older naturalists regarded it as utterly untamable. In countries where they abound, wolves destroy not only cattle and horses, but men.

The wolf is a very widespread animal, with slight variations in color and size. It extends from east Asia, through India and Europe to North America, having in all these countries the same ferocious character – killing, especially in the cold season, when much pressed by hunger. 

But, the wolf taken young becomes perfectly tame, is attached to its master, learns to live with dogs and acquires from them the habit of barking, which is entirely unknown to it in the wild state.

Even when taken older, wolves may be tamed, and our engravings show the performances of a pack which have recently been exhibited in London. 

Each of these animals, as may be seen, knows its own kennel and takes to it at command. They climb stairs at the order of the keeper and assume positions at command. They will leap onto the shoulders of their keeper and form vary striking tableaux.

The wolf, which is one of the origins from which the domesticated dog has doubtless sprung, is, needless to say, a most intelligent animal, and hence, it can be tamed by appealing to its mental faculties. At the same time, as in the case of dogs, it must be impressed with the sense of the superior qualities of its master. 

There is no doubt the instincts of the wolf reappear from time to time in its descendants, the domestic dog, and the actions of no untamed wolf can be more terrible than some of the accounts one occasionally reads of savage and mad dogs.

After scanning this issue of the newspaper and several others, it couldn’t be determined if the performances of the wolves were ever held in Wyoming or other parts of the U.S.