Wolf’s Heart Circle
Goins Research: About Us
Denise A.K. Goins, MSW, PhD-candidate
Our Goals and Vision
My goals are pretty short as I do not believe in setting up long-term goals. However, those goals I have established are:
- Fill the participant requirement of at least 12 volunteer adults;
- Complete the interviews, color code, and analyze the data–ATLAS.ti for the qualitative data, and SPSS for the averages–mean, mode, and median–of the demographic data;
- Finish writing the dissertation, & upload it into the doctoral record at NCU website;
- Defend my study;
- Graduate and perhaps publish it online.
Any further than that becomes pure speculation. I do not like to engage in that as it tends to interfere with my listening for what I am supposed to do next.
Who We Are
At present, this puppy of a business is just an idea. It may turn from an idea to an actual job; but that is further down the road than I am ready to explore.
For right now, I am a doctoral candidate at Northcentral University, JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences. As a doctoral candidate, I am required to design a research study, and carry it out.
I have designed a phenomenological study with a conceptual framework put together with parts of three separate theories: Theory of Mind (Premack & Woodruff, 1978), Theory of Sentience (Berns, 2013, Cook et al., 2018, Marino, 2010; Mellor, 2019), and Theory of Umewelten (von Uexküll, 1934, 1936).
I am currently attempting to recruit 12 adult volunteers who will allow me to interview them about their attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, emotions, feelings, and thoughts about their dog(s) or puppy, as the case might be. My social media efforts have put me into contact with 12 people; however, thus far, only four have volunteered. This number is way too small for my study to present accurate results.
Once I have reached a saturation level, meaning there is no more to be learned from more participants, I will analyze the data, write it as part of my completed dissertation and present my findings to my dissertation committee and members of the University.
Our Story
I have had a number of people who have seen my ads/invitations to participate in my research ask me several questions: Do I sell any products? In short, No. Although I considered carrying a line of nutritional supplements, I decided against it.
The next question has been for information about my professional background. Much of that is below in the “Meet the Researcher” section. In my early career, I was a clinical social worker with my MSW from Howard University in Washington, D.C. That was followed by more than 20-year career in the field providing direct services to a wide variety of populations dependent on which field I was currently employed. Suffice to say, I worked in care management, forensic, medical, and psychiatric social work.
After we relocated from Hawaii, to Maryland, to the Republic of South Korea, and back to Maryland, my career-USAF husband was honorably discharged and went to work in the IT consulting field. As I considered all of my options regarding my PhD in psychology, I thought my husband would be the one to help me with any computer needs I had, such as advertising for volunteers online through social media platforms and developing a website for myself. However, such was not to be. He was killed in a fatal MVA. Although I took some time off, I returned to school and have since doubled down on the time I spend working toward completing my dissertation. I currently live in a Mountain state with my two cats, Truman and Buttons, rescues from Dumb Friends League, and my two Great Danes, Prince Wulfgang “Wulfy”, and Lady Sundance “Sunni”. The cats are 13 years old, the dogs are 7 years old.
I hope this has answered most of the questions that come up when people see my ad/invitations on social media platforms.
Meet The Researcher
I am a retired clinical social worker with a widely varied career, part of which was with the USAF as the Family Advocacy Treatment Manager to Osan AB, ROK. Upon my return to the US, I provided medical and psychiatric services to Maryland hospitals, various agencies, and 3 emergency rooms, two of which are the busiest in the state. I had my own private practice from 2001 to 2005 thus totaling more than 2 decades of clinical social work services.
My husband, two cats, Great Dane, and I relocated from Maryland to Colorado in 2006, where we experienced the worst winter conditions that state had recorded in 100 years. The snow drifts reached higher than I am tall and the depth was such that it completely hid the 3-foot fence in the back yard. Garrett, our Great Dane, was thrilled to be able to cross over it without any sign that he had. And my husband, a big man standing 6 ft 5 inches in his bare feet, was able to walk on top of the icy crust without breaking through.
I enrolled in Northcentral University JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences where I am currently a PhD candidate. My study focuses on the cognitive and affective human processes in choosing to live with a dog and if those same processes are visible in the dog they with whom they live. The conceptual framework for my research titled: The Merged Theory of Mind, Sentience, and Umwelten between Humans and Dogs through Cohabitation: A Phenomenological Adventure!
Canus lupus
“From the gray wolf to the African jackal are some of the ancestors from which dogs were developed as a domestic companion animal to humans… Many of their traits remain in dogs today although other traits have been bred out. For example, wolves are very empathic to others in their pack [a.k.a. family unit]. Dogs retain this quality. Wolves are very protective of their pack [family unit], especially the pups. Dogs retain this quality as well except their family unit encompasses the cross species relationship of humans as well as other dogs, and possibly other animals to include cats, horses, donkeys, and so on… This depends upon who has the family designation…”
The photo is of a wolf who, during his lifetime, was known as Lakota. He was one of the Ambassador wolf pack at the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN. His photo is on the front of their 2019 calendar. Since his death, his photo has been used by a lot of different people for different reasons. Upon their death, the ambassador pack wolves photos are released to common use by any who choose. However, not many know who he was or how important his job was as an ambassador; thus, his bio here. Further information can be found at https://www.wolf.org.
Much of the common information regarding wolves is known by scientists to be myth, wives’ tales, and superstition. Wolf biologists work hard to counter these fictions, yet they still persist. As a species, wolves are shy of humans which is a good thing given how horribly they have been treated in the past and now. For example, any excuse whether based in fact or hysteria, to kill wolves is often a motivator for an all out slaughter of these beautiful animals. Despite protests, Montana and Idaho have no legal protections established for any wolf who lives within the boundaries of either state and the federal government is ignoring pleas to put gray wolves back on the endangered species list. This is despite the rapidly dwindling numbers of live wolves, particularly in Montana and Idaho. Many organizations are working tirelessly to change that sad behavior a lot of which has its basis in believing the stories passed down from parent to child to encourage good behavior in the children (see Grimm’s Fairey Tales). It seems unlikely those parents were also hoping to instill an unreasoning hatred of wolves; however, that seems to have been one of the results of their choices.
The Internet provides a lot of information regarding the various organizations with mission statements explaining their efforts to save the wolf population from extinction. One such website lists, https://impactful.ninja/best-charities-for-protecting-wolves/ lists multiple successful charities…
These Are the 9 Best Charities for Protecting Wolves in 2023
Below are our favorite charities for protecting wolves:
- Wolf Haven International
- California Wolf Center
- International Wolf Center
- W.O.L.F. Sanctuary
- Wolf Conservation Center
- Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program
- Yellowstone Forever
- Defenders of Wildlife
- American Wolf Foundation