diff --git a/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/entity/CraftWolf.java b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/entity/CraftWolf.java
index 7bcb75be1e..ffd46dc6f4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/entity/CraftWolf.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/bukkit/craftbukkit/entity/CraftWolf.java
@@ -3,10 +3,14 @@ package org.bukkit.craftbukkit.entity;
 
 import net.minecraft.server.EntityWolf;
 import org.bukkit.craftbukkit.CraftServer;
+import org.bukkit.entity.AnimalTamer;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
 import org.bukkit.entity.Wolf;
 import net.minecraft.server.PathEntity;
 
 public class CraftWolf extends CraftAnimals implements Wolf {
+    private AnimalTamer owner;
+
     public CraftWolf(CraftServer server, EntityWolf wolf) {
         super(server, wolf);
     }
@@ -25,41 +29,85 @@ public class CraftWolf extends CraftAnimals implements Wolf {
 
     public void setSitting(boolean sitting) {
         getHandle().setSitting(sitting);
+        // TODO determine what the following would do - it is affected every time a player makes their wolf sit or stand
+        //getHandle().ay = false;
+        setPath((PathEntity) null);
     }
 
-    public boolean isTame() {
+    public boolean isTamed() {
         return getHandle().m_();
     }
-    
-    public void setTame(boolean tame) {
+
+    public void setTamed(boolean tame) {
         getHandle().d(tame);
     }
-    
-    public String getOwner() {
+
+    public AnimalTamer getOwner() {
+        // If the wolf has a previously set owner use that, otherwise try and find the player who owns it
+        if (owner == null) {
+            // TODO try and recover owner from persistence store before defaulting to playername
+            owner = getServer().getPlayer(getOwnerName());
+        }
+        return owner;
+    }
+
+    public void setOwner(AnimalTamer tamer) {
+        owner = tamer;
+        if (owner != null) {
+            setTamed(true); /* Make him tame */
+            setPath((PathEntity) null); /* Clear path */
+            /* Set owner */
+            // TODO persist owner to the persistence store
+            if (owner instanceof Player) {
+                setOwnerName(((Player) owner).getName()); 
+            } else {
+                setOwnerName(""); 
+            }
+        } else {
+            setTamed(false); /* Make him not tame */
+            setOwnerName(""); /* Clear owner */
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The owner's name is how MC knows and persists the Wolf's owner. Since we choose to instead use an AnimalTamer, this functionality
+     * is used only as a backup. If the animal tamer is a player, we will store their name, otherwise we store an empty string.
+     * @return the owner's name, if they are a player; otherwise, the empty string or null.
+     */
+    String getOwnerName() {
         return getHandle().x();
     }
-    
-    public void setOwner(String player) {
-        EntityWolf e = getHandle();
 
-        if ((player != null) && (player.length() > 0)) {
-            e.d(true); /* Make him tame */
-            e.a((PathEntity)null); /* Clear path */
-            e.a(player); /* Set owner */
-        }
-        else {
-            e.d(false); /* Make him not tame */
-            e.a(""); /* Clear owner */
-        }
+    void setOwnerName(String ownerName) {
+        getHandle().a(ownerName);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Only used internally at the moment, and there to set the path to null (that is stop the thing from running around)
+     * TODO use this later to extend the API, when we have Path classes in Bukkit
+     * @param pathentity currently the MC defined PathEntity class. Should be replaced with an API interface at some point.
+     */
+    private void setPath(PathEntity pathentity) {
+        getHandle().a(pathentity);
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * This method requires a(boolean) to be made visible. It will allow for hearts to be animated on a successful taming.
+     * TODO add this to the API, and make it visible
+    private void playTamingAnimation(boolean successful){
+        getHandle().a(successful);
+    }
+    */
+
     @Override
     public EntityWolf getHandle() {
+        // It's somewhat easier to override this here, as many internal methods rely on EntityWolf specific methods.
+        // Doing this has no impact on anything outside this class.
         return (EntityWolf) entity;
     }
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        return "CraftWolf[anger=" + isAngry() + ",owner=" + getOwner() + ",tame=" + isTame() + ",sitting=" + isSitting() + "]";
+        return "CraftWolf[anger=" + isAngry() + ",owner=" + getOwner() + ",tame=" + isTamed() + ",sitting=" + isSitting() + "]";
     }
 }