Hit by a Flying Wolf: True Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Real Life with Dogs and Wolves

by Nicole Wilde

Have you ever had to save a wolf from a rattlesnake? Or rehabilitate a dog who eats furniture and major appliances? Have you chased a stray wolf down suburban streets in the thick of a winter storm? Nicole Wilde has done all of those things and more. As a professional dog trainer and canine behavior specialist, executive director of a wolf rescue, and long-time Dog Mom, Nicole not only shares wildly fascinating stories of rescuing, training, and living with dogs and wolves, but also offers heartfelt insight into how she solved problems and repaired relationships.

You’ll meet Sierra, who will stalk a dog a mile away; Bodhi, whose idea of a good time is to dismantle a mini-fridge; and Phantom, Heyoka and Sequoia, the rescued wolves who find their way into Nicole’s heart and home, even as they turn her life upside down. Rescue and rehabilitation is rewarding, but the road isn’t always a smooth one. So buckle up and hang on. You’re in for laughter, tears, and one howl of a ride!

I have long been a fan of Nicole Wilde. She has dedicated her life to bettering peoples’ understanding of dogs and wolves through her work as a trainer, author and educator. She continues to demonstrate how even the most challenging behavioral issues in dogs such as severe separation anxiety or aggression can be worked with successfully using humane, force free training techniques and a whole lot of common sense.
A good trainer is one that is always learning and always willing to be open and embrace challenges that come their way. Wilde clearly demonstrates this in her latest book Hit By A Flying Wolf, a highly personal account of her own journey living with, rescuing and rehabilitating dogs and wolves.
- Victoria Stilwell, Dog trainer, author, and star of It's Me or the Dog

Nicole's years of laughter and tears shared with these animals comes to life on paper. As one of my closest friends, I can say that through all the ups, downs, and insanity, Nicole is all heart.
- Tia Torres, Villalobos Rescue Center, Pit Bulls & Parolees

Great writers have a knack. When you read their books , it's as if they are in the same room, sitting across from you and you're having a conversation with an old friend. And the stories you share are so good, so real, you get hooked in and find yourself laughing together when talking about the fun times and shedding a tear remembering the tragic losses of ones we loved.
All of Nicole's books hook you in. They all are easy reads and they all make a tremendous contribution in helping people help their beloved dogs.
But in this latest release, Nicole draws back another curtain. Here she reveals a more personal look. And with her usual straight-forward, humorous and intelligent style, she further illustrates why she is a great writer.
- Paul Owens, author The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2014

About the author

Nicole Wilde is an internationally recognized, award-winning author and lecturer, as well as a professional canine behavior specialist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Her twelve books include Help for Your Dog-Reactive Dog, Don’t Leave Me, Help for Your Fearful Dog, and Keeping the Peace: A Guide to Solving Dog-Dog Aggression in the Home. She is on the Advisory Board for the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, the Advisory Board for Victoria Stilwell’s Positively Academy, and the Advisory Board for Apex Protection Project. She is also the Behavior Consultant for Villalobos Rescue Center and has appeared as a trainer on the television show Pit Bulls & Parolees.
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Nicole has written training and behavior articles and blogs for various publications including the Huffington Post, as well as for her own blog, Wilde About Dogs, and is a regular contributor to Modern Dog Magazine. She co-stars in the DVD "Train Your Dog: The Positive Gentle Method," and co-hosted the Dog Talk radio show where her experience, humor and quick wit were put to good use. Nicole lectures worldwide at conferences and for training clubs, humane societies, and other groups.
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Always having had a special place in her heart for dogs in need, Nicole served as Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles’ Animal Services, where she instructed volunteers in handling and behavior, worked with hundreds of dogs, and acted as an adoption counselor. After moving to L.A. County, she volunteered for a County shelter. At both shelters, her efforts were instrumental in many dogs finding loving homes. In addition to working with dogs,

Nicole has worked with rescued wolves and wolfdogs for over twenty years and is considered an expert in the field. She was Executive Director for Villalobos Rescue Center, which was at the time a sanctuary for rescued wolves and wolfdogs, as well as pit bulls and exotic animals. Nicole’s specialty was socializing the fearful wolves who were to live out their lives at the center, and she ended up bringing home three of the especially needy residents to live out their lives with her and her husband. Nicole has presented wolfdog education seminars to animal control officers, schools and specialty groups. Her experience is rounded out by having supervised 40-50 off-leash dogs daily at a doggy daycare, working at a veterinarian’s office, serving as Editor/Chief Writer for Get-A-Pet magazine, and many years of teaching dog training group classes as well as private lessons.
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Nicole is also a photographer and digital artist who loves to use her talents to help animals in need. She photographs dogs to improve their chances of adoption, and donates artwork to various animal-related organizations to raise funds. Nicole owns and operates Gentle Guidance Dog Training in Santa Clarita, California. She lives with two rescued northern breed mixes, sled loads of dog hair, and one very understanding husband. Nicole continues to write books, teach seminars, train dogs, volunteer, assist in wolfdog rescue, and to help dogs in any way she can.
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You can find Nicole's books, seminar DVDs and Wilde About Dogs blog at www.nicolewilde.com, her pet portraits at www.goodmojopetportraits.com, and her artwork at www.photomagicalart.com.
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And you can find Nicole on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NicoleWildeA...) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/NicoleWilde)

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Nicole Wilde's blog about dog behavior, I didn't expect "Hit by a Flying Wolf" to so closely echo my own experiences. How reassuring to learn that an expert has struggled with a dog as much as I have!

The first half of the book contains stories about four of the dogs Wilde has lived with, and the second half concerns wolf rescue. The first dog, a long-haired German shepherd, had the same fear of high-pitched noises that my dog Mia has. Mojo, her "soul dog," was the crossover dog who helped her learn that positive reinforcement training is more effective than using old-fashioned choke collars.

I have a special affinity for Bodhi, who came from a shelter and shared my dog Leo's penchant for doing things like "grabbing a trailing hand and chomping down, or jumping up in front of me and placing teeth around my arm, exerting a disturbing amount of pressure." Bodhi's story hit home the most for me, because it illustrates how much dedication is needed sometimes to get through to a troubled dog, and shows that it's worth it.

The color photographs in the ebook are a real highlight. I love being able to see the animals that have been described so vividly, and the images of the dogs and wolves are stunning.

I learned about the risks of keeping wolfdogs as pets from Ceiridwen Terrill's "Part Wild." Terrill's story was heartbreaking, but "Hit by a Flying Wolf" demonstrates how wolves and wolfdogs can be safely contained and cared for after living in a home hasn't worked out for them. Wilde's stories about the wolves are touching, suspenseful, and entertaining.

[Emily Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Nicole's philosophy, photography and blog. Didn't love this book. But, to be fair, I'm also not the right audience for it. It's kind of a freshman read intended for mass consumption. The book itself is just a collection of vignettes about her own dogs and the wolves she's worked and lived with, with no real organizing framework or theme. While the stories are likely to appeal to someone just getting into dog rescue and training (or someone who doesn't know much about it and likes a good story), they lack the nuance and reflection that Nicole undoubtedly brings to her daily life and work given her remarkable knowledge and experience. There were also a couple problematic accounts of wolf interactions that were presented and analyzed in a cursory way likely to be misunderstood and misapplied by novices and folks looking for justification for their own approaches with animals.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a dog trainer and have read all of Nicole Wilde's books and recommend them to my clients. All of her books are written from the heart but this book especially. I cried through one chapter that reminded me of my "Heart" dog and Nicole states " Just like dogs, wolves pick their people. I'll never know why Phantom picked me, but I'm forever grateful that he did". This statement pulled at my heart strings. Nicole is also real. As a trainer I understand the pressure we are under to have all the answers. Her book is so real that it lets people know that we don't have all the answers and most importantly we make mistakes too. I read this book in a few days and I know this is a book I will read over and over again just like all her other books. Read this and then check out her other books. It will change the way you think and will warm your heart.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story with working with wolf mixes and wolves. Reading this book it just reiterated that wolves are not pets, they are wild animals. I admire Ms Wilde so much and epically her husband CeCe who put up with so much. I would like to work with animals in the future in particular with shy dogs. This book just help feeds that want.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, really liked it. First half mostly all dog relationships , second wolf or wolf hybrids. Very enjoyable and interesting.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this. It felt like a disconnected assortment of half-stories (lots of "we'll get back to that"), and the separation of the dog and wolf sections, though it makes sense from an animal perspective (wolves are not dogs), fragmented the feel of the story, since you knew a b c happened roughly at the same time as x y z happened back in Part 1, but now we have to mentally backtrack and re-interpret everything. Things get mentioned only in passing that could really have been taken in more detail to let you get to know people and situations better, so instead of giving depth to the narrative, "oh hey, my friend started the show Pit Bulls and Parolees!" ends up just sounding like name-dropping.
Almost halfway through, I started skimming, and I didn't end up finishing it--unexpected, since I have a big soft spot for wolves! I usually enjoy animal rescue books, but somehow this one just didn't grab my attention.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable journey into the life of a dog & wolf rescue and rehabilitation expert. The book covers some major events in her rescue days and familiarizes people with some of the problems associated with wolves & wolf-dog hybrids. While the book is short, it's a very interesting read.

[Kathy Weinberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read..

interesting book for dog lovers. I enjoyed Nicole's efforts at solving a variety of problems. not for non pet owners.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my review at my blog: http://myrubicondays.blogspot.com/201...

[Heather]

Loved it learned a lot about dogs and wolves alike..

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and truly heartfelt! This book inspired me to make some life changes, finally.