Less dominant wolves exhibit submissive behavior by holding their tails down and often lower their bodies while pawing at the higher ranking wolves.
You can see active submission in the form of crouching, tail tucking and even the licking of the higher ranking wolf's muzzle. As adults this form of behavior is usually a sign of respect to the higher ranking wolf, the submissive wolf is accepting their place in the pack.
The omega wolf, the lowest member in the pack hierarchy, displays its role physically by assuming a crouched position when approaching another wolf.
Two main forms of submissive behavior occur in wolf and dog: active submission, derived from begging for milk or food, and passive submission, derived from the posture which the cub adopts when cleaned by its mother.
Wolves are complex, highly intelligent animals who are caring, playful, and above all devoted to family. Only a select few other species exhibit these traits so clearly. Just like elephants, gorillas and dolphins, wolves educate their young, take care of their injured and live in family groups.
Lone wolves typically fall into two categories. One is the senior alpha who used to be the head of the pack. Such a lone wolf was driven out of the pack by a younger rival who took his place. The other is the younger rival who challenged the alpha, lost, and wasn't permitted by the alpha to remain in the pack.
Ever hear of “kiss and make up?” Immediately after a conflict, subordinate wolves will often touch noses and lick their more dominant pack mates. Researchers think that this nose touching behavior is a way of apologizing and asking for forgiveness.
When wolves are together, they commonly indulge in behaviors such as nose pushing, jaw wrestling, cheek rubbing and facial licking. The mouthing of each other's muzzles is a friendly gesture, while clamping on the muzzle with bared teeth is a dominance display.
“Alpha” implies competing with others and becoming top dog by winning a contest or battle. However, most wolves who lead packs achieved their position simply by mating and producing pups, which then became their pack.
The alpha holds his tail and head high, he lifts his leg to urinate while subordinate males usually do not. He is continually vigilant, not simply responding to obvious threats but maintaining a watchful eye at all times.
Zeta (1-3) - The war general of the pack. They take direct orders from the Alpha in case of a war. The Alpha may be the one to declare war, but the Zeta leads the army and plan the plans for war. They also train new recruits for position as a Eta and Eta or more to take his or her place in future.
In most wolf packs, there will be an alpha male and female and frequently an omega male and female. In wolf hierarchy, the males tend to dominate other males and the females dominate other females so that there is generally a low ranking member of each sex.
Wolves Say "I Love You" with Face Bites and Nibbles.
If you encounter a wolf or pack of wolves at close range do not run or turn away. If you are approached, act aggressively and maintain eye contact if the wolf is looking at you. Aggressively use poles, pepper spray, rocks, limbs, noisemakers or other handy items to discourage wolves.
Tactility. Wolf affection lies heavily in close tactility. By huddling up together and touching directly, wolves exchange positive feelings and make their bonds tighter. When a couple of wolves snuggle together in this manner, you may even notice one placing his head right on top of the other individual's neck.
The dominant male and female are in charge of the pack. To communicate dominance, they carry their tails high and stand tall. Less dominant wolves exhibit submissive behavior by holding their tails down and often lower their bodies while pawing at the higher ranking wolves.
Social dynamics within a pack
“Alpha” status implies intense competition among pack members to improve and/or obtain the highest rank. Leadership positions in most wild wolf packs are determined by parents being dominant over their offspring.
Wolves determine a leader of the pack by selecting a wolf who they deem to be the strongest and wisest. The chosen wolf still has to prove to the pack that he/she can lead, and must work to gain the trust of the pack in order to be deemed the alpha.
Their favorite prey is large ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as deer, elk, moose, caribou, and bison. Since many of these animals are larger than wolves, the only way wolves can catch them is to live and hunt in groups. Wolves will also catch and eat rabbits, mice, birds, snakes, fish, and other animals.
Wolves are one of the most loyal animals. They mate for life, care for their young and return to their parents each year. With human interaction, they can be as loyal as domesticated dogs if they feel comfortable.
A male wolf will mark his mate by smelling the female wolf's genitals. She will produce sex hormones that he will be able to smell when ready to breed. This can be picked up by many other males in the wolf pack, however the alpha male is usually the only one to breed in a pack.
Wolves – Power couples
In a grey wolf pack, it is usually only the male and female alpha who are allowed to breed, The pair mate for life as a way to cement their position as pack leaders, producing a new litter each year and ensuring the stability of the rest of the pack.
Wolves are faithful animals. They stay true to their pack and know what they need to contribute. They know they work better together than apart. In any pack or team, it's important to stay loyal.
In intact packs, social carnivores like wolves suppress reproduction among others in the pack, essentially preventing them from breeding. But when the alpha pair is killed, there is no suppression, and as a result more and younger wolves tend to breed.