1106. To put it simply, Otis looked like a dog rather than a wolf, something very unacceptable in their community and a thing that happened rarely. If you considered Otis as a dog rather than a wolf it was another thing completely. As a dog he was very acceptable looking, entirely black, long legged, narrow in the hips, if you did not know he was a wolf you would have mistaken him for a breed called the Belgian Shepherd.
1107. The Belgian Shepherd is very similar to the German Shepherd except that it is all black, better proportioned, and more intelligent. In short, the Belgian is the best of the best, but an inferior wolf. The Belgian face lacks that Asiatic turn of the eye, the slanted eye that seems to give the wolf his sinister look at least to a westerner's perception. The Belgian has instead the knowing, sympathetic and wise look of the intelligent dog.
1108. What this meant for Otis was a childhood of constant fights. Always on his guard against sudden ambush by his various brothers and sisters over time he became a formidable fighter. Otis was never rejected outright by his wolf family for two reasons, first because of his strength, second because of his ability to pass for a dog.
1109. Although wolves that look like dogs are generally rejected by their families, they do have a very important role to play in the life of the pack. They are often assigned the role of spies, and it is their duty to infiltrate human infestations. They have to pass as dogs. This makes them even more hated by their own kind, yet though they are despised, they are indispensable. Otis was given such assignment.
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