Why Wolves, Though?

                Yeah, I know, people talk about werecats and weresharks and werebuffalo and werelizards and all whatnot, but at least in Western culture, it seems to keep coming back to wolves.  Why might that be?

                I think it’s got to do with dogs. See, it’s hard to relate to imagine going from being a human to being a shark or a lizard. There’s just no context for it. Too wide a gap. A shark is a shark is a near-mindless eating machine. But dogs- we live with dogs, we love them, we treat them as part of the family. And at the same time, we’re aware that there’s only the briefest of steps between our beloved companions and wolves.

                I’m not much of a dog person, myself.  They just make a good metaphor. I don’t have anything against the species in general, but there’s a little rat-dog in the yard across the street from my building who delights in yapping his head off all night, and that’s kind of colored my perception.