Kwewu means "wolf" in the Hopi language. I'm not Native American and don't speak the language, but I have chosen to use the word "kwewu" as part of my online identity and e-mail address. I find it easiest to pronounce as 'kwey-wu'. The photo above is a facial-shot of one of our wolfdogs as a young pup.
My name is Gudrun (pronouced: goo-drun) and in 1994 together with Michael Dunn, we created -The Wolf Dunn- out of a deep and profound respect for the wolf and all members of the canid family.
We originally created this site as a forum for those who share their lives with more recent wolf - dog crosses to reach out and meet other "owners". But over time it evolved beyond just a friendly 'meeting ground' for sharing stories / photos about our beloved critters. -The Wolf Dunn- now also serves as a resource for information on hybrid wolves / wolfdogs.
In a collaborative effort with wolfdog "owners", friends and supporters of this site, plus members of the Hybrid Wolf Mailing List aka. Wolfdoglist, we help current and prospective "owners" learn more about the animals, responsible ownership and breeding practices. We do so by sharing with you, what has worked (and what hasn't worked) for us. We hope you find this site useful.
 Shiva-Vishnu as a puppy. |
But you asked for more personal stuff about me, so here goes:I currently share my life with eight fantastic furry friends. A significantly reduced number from years ago.
All the wolfy members of the "old pack" have died over the years. Old age claimed several, and others passed on in older adulthood from various illnesses (ie. heart condition, brain tumor, etc). I miss all of my 4-legged family members tremendously, each one was so very special. It is in honor of those departed wolfdogs that this website was created.
Now to introduce the remaining members of my furry family. Of the 8 I mentioned, the two senior members of the family are Louis and Schpoo (15 yr old housecats). They're indoor-only cats for a reason... even as youngsters if they were to be outdoor cats, they would have been eaten by the local Coyotes or by our other 4-legged critters (who find cats to be a delicacy). I also care for 2 feral cats and 1 hamster. "Keep the species separate" is my household motto.
Onwards to the "dawgs":
Kivalliq (pronounced: Kiva-lick) is the resident demonic snugglepuss.
All that needs to be said about Kiva can be summed up in one word; Love.
I feel extremely fortunate to share this life with her, as not only is she a very pretty girl but she's also got that wonderful 'trickster' mentality I enjoy so much. I've been told that Kivalliq and I are very similar in personality. I don't know how well that comparison would really hold up, but considering how much I love this girl any comparison to her is a real compliment. Her colorations are cream/brown/grey primarily. Kivalliq has her own webpage where you can read all about what it
has been like to raise "The 'Liq" from puppyhood to adulthood, and the special accomodations she requires.
Check out: The Dunn Wolfdogs: Kivalliq & pals 
Kiva's primary companion is Niko (an AKC-reg'd Alaskan Malamute, Goldust's Nikos Kazantzakis).
Niko's coat is longer than standard, but the term "wooley" is
too kind. His coat is truly awful, perplexing his Veterinarian.
Born in 2000, Niko was around 11 wks old in
the photo to the right, and still quite cute. As an adult, he's got a face only a momma could
love. His undershot jaw makes even eating out of a bowl difficult. Kiva and Niko get along ok,
and when the Mal is in a good mood, they play-play-play for hours on end. 
Kiva's other buddy is a rescued Siberian Husky mix named Cuda Lucky. She came
from a miserably abusive/neglectful situation, left to starve to death when a puppymill owner was
imprisoned and his amimals abandoned. Initially terrified of everything and everyone, she gradually
made the transition to tolerance and trust. Lucky is now my take-along dog. She pretty much goes
everywhere with me, and although still timid she loves (craves) human contact.
Given the opportunity, Lucky will run circles
around Kiva... even under Kiva's long legs, until the big one gives chase out of sheer annoyance. When
caught, this little Siberian dynamo has put holes in the wolfdog's muzzle. "Cuda" is short for
barracuda. Needless to say, the girls' interactions are supervised. I no longer take in permanent residents, although I do
still help out in rescue situations occasionally.  |
Where am I located?... On the Internet silly! No really, the furry bunch and I live on our 40-acre Ranch located in a very remote area of far Northern California. The Ranch is smack in the heart of seasonal cattle range, and borders BLM land and the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. For a better impression of where the Ranch is located, I refer you to GORP - Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. As well as Sean Booth's Northern California Backcountry Pages (South Yolla Bolly Wilderness).
What do my containment enclosures look like?... I haven't been to Fort Knox, but I'll betcha I've got more chainlink fencing! Seriously, with the variety of rescues/fosters and permanent residents I've had in years previous, very secure fencing has been essential (! Exclamation point !). It's hard to photograph the large enclosures to show size, but there are some photos of the enclosure expansion project during construction at: Wolfdog Containment Solutions (photo at top is mine, plus there's more if you click on "large enclosures" or "dig-guards").
As mentioned earlier my name is pronounced Goo-drun, like "drum" but with an "n", and it is a female name of ancient northern European origin. I work as a Vet Tech. My hobbies include weaving (with a preference for yarn made of the shed fur from wolfdogs), camping, hiking, motorcycle riding, home remodelling (not so much a hobby as a necessity) and fence building (for much the same reasons).
I hope that's more than you ever wanted to know about me... :-)
Peace and Keep Howlin', GD
