"The alpha female, now the dominant wolf in the pack until the pups are old enough to travel, often decides to relocate to a new den when the young are a few months old.
At this age, the pups play a great deal. They are a constant bother to the adult pack members which show a remarkably high tolerance for rough-housing pups. Early wrestling contests between litter mates already demonstrate signs of hierarchical positioning, with the top pup showing dominance by standing over a defeated sibling in a rigid pose with tail erect.
During the move to a new den site, pack members will station themselves at both sites to protect the offspring until the move is complete."
Copyright Michael H. Francis
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