Meet the pack. The wolves are pretty cool overall, and I haven't lost any of them yet. Sometimes they can be a bit annoying though, by getting in the way of your mining or bumping into you near tall cliffs. They're good combatants but I'm always afraid one of them will get killed if they get in a fight with a hostile mob. It makes combat a lot more frantic, which is good!
I used to ponder a bit about Minecraft alternate game modes. You know, like Buddhist Mario. But Pacifist Minecraft (do not kill mobs etc.) or Tree Hugger Minecraft (do not cut trees or pick flowers etc.) wouldn't be much fun. But now I think I've found a truly awesome alternate game mode: Wolfman!
In Wolfman, you go the way of the wolf. You become the alpha of a pack of wolves, who you will protect and guide. You live off nothing but the spoils of your kills and your survival instinct. No crafting allowed! Let's see you get through the monster-infested night with (most of) your pack alive.