Bit to the bone
I'll testify. Once my beloved Smokey got me on the front side of my lower left leg, twice to the bone and thru thick denim overalls. He was in the kennel with me as I was cleaning poop. His eldest son had decided to rough up Smokey's largest grandson in wolfy display of Alpha. Smokey didn't take kindly to the pair scuffling so he intervened on behalf of the grandson who was only defending himself, but losing badly. Mackenzie and Smokey squared off. Smokey had almost demonstrated his superiority when JR, another of Smokey's sons decided to jump in on behalf of Mackenzie. Odds at this point were 2:1 with Smokey almost holding his own until they got him on his back. Then the real ALPHA (me) jumps in with a cattle prod and garden hose to break it up. Nothing could get them separated. Suddenly in a wild desparate action Smokey swung his head and jaws my way and grabbed the first thing he contacted, my leg. Barely clamped down, let go and lightly clamped again. Instantly the argument was over as if all three knew something bad had happened. JR and Mackenzie left the pen while Smokey recovered to al fours. Me, I'm bleeding like I was sliced open in a gang war. It was strictly an accident that I cold have avoided but my medical bills are cheaper than vet bills anyday, and fortunately this only happens once in a blue moon anyway when one of the epacks decides it is time for a new ALPHA pack leader. The whole incident took less than 30 seconds, and the leg of my overalls was never cut or torn. Stranger still, after the above incident, neither would do more than growl a bit whenever they were together w/o a fence in between. The two big bad bullies had joined together in a truce of sorts which lasted til Smokey's passing last year. Mackenzie has taken up where his father left off. He now intervenes whenever a squabble erupts.
A few months after the above incident, a pair of the females squared off. Not to criticize the lady posters or listeners out there but when two female wolves square off for Alpha supremacy it can be extremely brutal at times. Fortunately it was bitter cold this evening, as I was bringing fresh water in to replace the ice. I was wearing heavy welding gloves. Shemoun and Little Feather tied up with chain link in between. LF had her sister snagged through the snout and upper lip with a death grip. I dropped the bucket, rammed both thumbs in between her lips, and forced them into the jaws behind the teeth trying to force a gag reflex. As she let go for a better grip, I yanked her away just as she clamped down once again on my thumbs with the meaty part of her gums behind the teeth. No broken skin but have you ever slammed your thumb with a hammer while driving a nail? Multiply by two and you know how it felt. I couldn't use my thumbs for over a week.
Just as before, this disagreement was over instantly almost as if both females realized the Alpha had been injured and it was time to stop.
These are just a couple of examples why most folks wouldn't have the patience to care for these guys. To me, it just endears them more to myself. It legitimizes me as a real pack member, specifically ALPHA. You just have to understand the wolfy ways and deal with it on their terms. Besides, how often have you ever seen an animal come to the aid of another animal in distress. That's my Smokey. He was always taking up for the underdog. That is a trait many humans won't exhibit.