Wolves and Dogs–Same? Different?
I’m looking forward to giving a talk in Madison on April 5th about comparisons between dogs and wolves (alongside a much-anticipated talk about wolves in Wisconsin by expert Adrian Wydeven). The photograph above came to mind while I was thinking about what to say.
That’s me and Ayla at Wolf Park in Indiana. It’s pretty clear I was in rapture about being next to a wolf. It’s also pretty clear, based on her eyes and posture, that I was not sitting next to a golden retriever. Before I was given permission to enter her wolf pen, I was told “absolutely don’t look her in the eye, and if she nips at your pants, immediately push her head away.” (The instructions were more detailed, but not relevant here.)
I did not do that. I felt a light touch on my leg, and while deciding—was that a nip? should I do something?—the keeper instantly swept in and did what she’d suggested. But why was the caretaker so concerned about the wolves’ reaction? Wolves, after all, are our dog’s closest living relatives, sharing so much of their behavior with dogs. Wolves, like dogs, are uber social, remarkably so—so much so that they will feed and care for the young of others, rare in the world of mammals. They are exceptionally family oriented, they hunt together strategically, and they are super playful as adults, also rare in the animal world.
But here’s the thing: If you came over to visit, Skip would jump up on the couch and cuddle with you. (Especially if you were a woman; he’s a player) Ayla, however, was clearly not cuddly. If, however, I owned a wolf myself who I myself could cuddle with, I’d never let a visitor together on the couch with him. I’d put Wolfy away and keep you apart.
The similarities between dogs and wolves may be deep, but so are the differences, a reaction to strangers being one of the most obvious. Of course, many of these differences are because of “artificial selection.” (I dislike that term—humans are animals, not artificial Christmas trees.) But how is it that we ended up with the extreme variety of shapes and sizes we have now in the domestic dog? We’ve had plenty of time to create vastly different morphologes of cats, yet the physical variations in cats pale compares to dogs.
You can see this in the development of the cranial bones, for example, of dogs and cats. Puppies and dogs have very different cranial bone ratios (just think of the face of a puppy vs the face of a full-grown greyhound). Cats, on the other hand, have pretty much the same ratios from when they’re born to when they’re fully grown. This is a good thing: Imagine if a shelter had to deal with cats who sizes varied as much as a Mastiff and a chihuahua?
Okay, so genetics gave us a lot to play with when we first started having an effect on the genetics of Canis lupus. (This is not to diminish the effect of wolves’ own behavior—ie, the more docile possibly more likely to hang around humans.) But again, there’s that wolf on the couch thing.
Of course, there’s been a lot of” artificial selection,” for docility, although a certain amount that probably happened organically. We know that docility is a heritable trait—look at the work of Belyayev & Trut, who bred fur foxes for docility and ended up in just a few generations with foxes who wagged their tails, and greeted strangers enthusiastically, instead of hiding in the back or snarling and biting. (Note that some have challenged his hypothesis of the “domestication syndrome,” but the heritability of docility seems robust.)
But there’s more to it than that. In 2017 VonHoldt et al, curious why dogs are so much friendlier than wolves with the same developmental experience with people, published a study that found, in dogs only, mutations on Chromosome 7, similar to the ones in humans that lead to Williams-Beuren syndrome. These mutations cause, along with some physical changes, “hyper-sociability,” in that individuals exhibit extreme trust and affection toward strangers. I met a girl with this syndrome, and before knowing the above, we called her, lovingly, a human golden retriever.
Thanks to an increase in research on canine behavior in the last few decades (YAY!), there are some other fascinating differences that we’ve discovered between dogs and wolves. Here’s another one of the many things I’ll talk about on April 5: (Just fyi, seating is limited and ticket sales close March 25–just don’t want you to get left out if you want to come.)
It’s about eye contact. When and for how long we meet the gaze of others is critical in our own relationships, both human and canine. Think of how often you look at your dog, and your dog looks at you. It turns out that dogs initiate eye contact with people far more often than do wolves. (When I make these comparisons, it’s always between dogs and wolves raised in the same circumstances with the same amount of contact with people.) One study compared wolves, Australian dingoes—believed to be midway between wolves and dogs in term of domestication, and dogs, and found that dogs initiated eye contact with people most, wolves the least, and dingoes in between. But perhaps my favorite study found this:
Mutual gazing had a profound effect on both the dogs and their owners. Of the duos that had spent the greatest amount of time looking into each other’s eyes, both male and female dogs experienced a 130% rise in oxytocin levels, and both male and female owners a 300% increase. From the article:
Mutual gazing had a profound effect on both the dogs and their owners. Of the duos that had spent the greatest amount of time looking into each other’s eyes, both male and female dogs experienced a 130% rise in oxytocin levels, and both male and female owners a 300% increase. (Kikusui was one of them, participating in the experiment himself with his two standard poodles, Anita and Jasmine.) The scientists saw no oxytocin increase in the dogs and owners who had spent little time gazing at each other, or in any of the wolf-owner duos.
In a second experiment, the team repeated the same essential procedure, except this time they gave the dogs a nasal spray of oxytocin before they interacted with their owners. There were also no wolves this time around. “It would be very, very dangerous to give a nasal spray to a wolf,” Kikusui laughs. Female dogs given the nasal spray spent 150% more time gazing into the eyes of their owners, who in turn saw a 300% spike in their oxytocin levels. No effect was seen in male dogs or in dogs given a nasal spray that contained only saline.
Nagasawa et al, Science 2015
It has been speculated that this oxytocin feed-back loop, the same as seen between mothers and babies, may explain much of our profound bond with dogs:
“I definitely think oxytocin was involved in domestication,” says Jessica Oliva, a Ph.D. student at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, whose work recently showed that the hormone enhances the ability of dogs to understand human pointing. Still, she says, mutual gazing doesn’t happen in a vacuum; most of these dogs probably associate the behavior with food and playing, both of which can also boost oxytocin levels. So although we may view our dogs as our babies, they don’t necessarily view us as their mothers. We may just be cool friends who give them an occasional massage.”
Fun stuff, hey? If any of you have direct experience with wolf versus dog behavior, jump in! I can’t wait to hear more. And if you’re in the Madison area on April 5th and come to the talk, come up and say hi!
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Here, to me, is a the perfect image symbolizing this time of year. Winter is dying out, spring is spring.
But wait, there are flowers outside too–check out these tiny snow drop buds in a sunny garden by the house:
Nonetheless, it’s still a sea of brown and grey here. We missed the huge storms sweeping the country (needed the rain but not all the destruction), so the mud is gone, but far too early for any color. (I usually call this time of year March Mudness.)
I had planned to get some photos of Maggie and Skip playing Keep Away with their favorite toy, but Maggie demurred and decided to pee instead. Very atypical. When she walked away from the toy with a slight limp it became clear. Something hurts, so no play. Wise girl my Maggie. (Who turned 12 a few weeks ago!) Paws crossed it’s minor.
Here’s to you, friends. May you only drop your toy when you pee because you’re busy enough as it is.
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About the Author
Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.
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My Uncle who had collies, once had a wolf. It was an orphan and he raised her, and I visited him once. She was very different from the collies. She moved differently and reacted differently and I kept my distance. Though raised by uncle, a park ranger, you could tell she was still a wild animal and she fascinated me.
As long as I’m careful where I drop my toy!
I’ve always been curious (from afar) as to the genetic, physical, behavioral, and emotional differences between wolves and dogs. My understanding is that there hasn’t been a definitive conclusion on the question if dogs evolved from wolves or are they two very similar but distinct species that didn’t drop their toys 😉 from time to time. Is that still the case or did I miss a key piece of information?
Daisy has the calmest and most sustaining gaze. I’ve never had a dog that will look at you for as long as you like and simply be so present. It’s fabulous. It’s definitely an oxytocin enhancer. (I’m snickering because I remember someone admonishing you for promoting oxycodone in a long-ago blog post!)
LisaW: You are right on about the wolf-dog connection being complicated. I alluded to that when I said “wolves are dog’s closest living relatives,” but I see that later on I didn’t make that distinction quite that clearly. As best as I understand, although genetics are not my wheelhouse by an means, is that currently it looks like dogs evolved from a now-extinct wolf relative. However, dogs and wolves are now also classified as the same species (Canis lupus and Canis lupus familiaris), so a person can start licking their paws or stress whining trying to get their brain around it all.
Fascinating – wish I could come to your talk.
I am nursing Sophy, my 16 year old papillon, through pneumonia (18 days in and she seems to be recovering slowly but steadily) and one problem has been to keep her eating enough. She does not usually eat kibble but for some reason it became the one thing she wanted for a while, but only if the bag was freshly opened and not the same one as yesterday, so I got as many inexpensive samples of good quality biscuits as I could find. Many of them are from a European company called Wolf of Wilderness, marketed on the basis of ancestral diets, with rugged mountains and forests and a large, glint eyed wolf on the front of the packaging. The contrast between the wolf and small, fluffy, Sophy has made me smile every time, although I bet she could give any wolf a run for its money when it comes to the strength of her opinions and her determination to have her own way!
Frances: Kisses to your dear Sophy. I hope this isn’t intrusive, but of course I think of kidney disease when I think of dogs who won’t eat what they ate the day before (because it made them nauseous).
Interesting point about neoteny in cats which I hadn’t considered – thank you!
Also, aneuploidy can lead to bigger phenotypical variation given that dogs have 78 chromosomes and cats 38.
Tragically, extreme brachycephalia has been bred deliberately into cats too and horrendously extreme dished faces into horses. Humans eh?
(If anyone wants to help fund my PhD this is what I want to study!)
Charlotte–first, wish I was wealthy, I’d fund your research in a minute! Second, thanks for teaching me a new word, aneuploidy (having an abnormal number of chromosomes)! And oh yes yes, the awful effects of brachycephalia. Grrrrrr.
Interesting stuff. Given that a National Geographic study once determined that the Shiba Inu had the most wolf DNA of any domesticated dog, we always observed our Shiba to see what wolf behavior she exhibited. There was really not much, other than people remarking, “she looks just like a wolf” Our Shiba was not social, nor did she like to be in packs of her contemporaries. She did follow one wolf trait though, and that was to never really gaze into our eyes — but how our little wolf LOVED people; the stranger to her, the better. She never met a human (except for us) that she didn’t scream and wolf howl over in pure delight.
This reminds me of Temple Grandin’s amazing book called Animals Make Us Human. The first chapter was partially about different dog breeds and their behaviors when compared to wolf communication behavior. Some dog breeds only displayed a couple of the (more negative) wolf communication behaviors, while the huskies displayed all of them. One of my prior foster dogs, a husky mix, was adopted and the new owners immediately did a DNA test. There was about 10% wolf in the DNA, along with 50% husky and other northern breeds. This very large dog is a loving, affectionate boy who bonds easily with women and is cautious around men.
Thanks MinnesotaMary! You might be interested that, if I have it right, the dogs most closely related to wolves are the northern breeds like Huskies, but are Shiba Inu’s. Interesting though about your dog’s 10% wolf–add that to the independent nature of the northern breeds and I’ll bet your foster dog was interesting!
Have my ticket for the 5th! Hope for good travel weather as my morning is full, and I just have enough time to make it to Madison!
Yay Barb! Come up and say hi! Paws crossed for good weather.
I completed an internship at Wolf Park 10 years ago. It was an amazing experience, of course, but it really gave me a new appreciation for our dogs. When we were working around the wolves or visiting with them, it was always emphasized to us that it was critical not to show any hint of being sick or injured, because that could trigger the wolves to become predatory. On one occasion, another intern I was working with collapsed in a wolf enclosure due to low blood sugar. The staff members who were with us immediately recalled the wolves to a holding area, while the rest of us interns sort of intuitively surrounded the person on the ground and made a barrier. Nothing happened, but it was still a scary incident.
I know that it’s possible for dogs to be predatory towards people, especially young children. But I’ve personally never met a dog who acted like they wanted to eat me!
Loved this post! I was very fortunate some years back to take a “Train the Trainer” multi-day seminar at Wolf Park. I loved working with ALL the different species but my standout moments were with the 4 month old pups who had been born that spring to Timber. During one of our training sessions with the pups, one of the pups (Mani) came over to me, laid across my lap briefly and licked my cheek. It was magical. From then on I’ve told friends “I was kissed by a wolf and I liked it!” I get an oxytocin rush just thinking about it!
Thanks for your ever interesting insights. Wish I could make your talk but alas, not possible. Was hoping a Zoom feature was being offer for a similar fee- maybe next time. I recall seeing a program on wolves that demonstrated their pack dynamics and saw how different they are to dogs,with far fewer similarities than one would have thought. How they hunt was fascinating. They even chased down an elderly buffalo and rather than “go in for the kill”, waited for it to die before acting. I many time ponder how our casting anthropomorphic characteristics on wild animals does more harm than good. Wolves are to be admired, from afar.
Thank you for the link and all the other fascinating information. I had never read the history of the Silver Fox Domestication experiment before. If only all little girls could save the world from their daddies!
I have gotten to know the sometimes called “Carolina Dog” next door. She is friendly in a way one would not understand if not educated . My neighbor gave me a book to read about this “breed” that came over on the land bridge and are also found all over Europe? I’d love to see an article by you about this dog. Is this a domesticated wolf? What has been discovered about its DNA and wolves?
[OT, but thanks Trish – I too suspected kidney failure in Sophy when her drinking and pee patterns changed last year, but thorough blood tests showed absolutely everything was normal, even SDMA. Given the coincidence with pneumonia and hefty doses of antibiotics I am hoping she will feel more able to eat once she feels better. Meanwhile she sits on my lap and licks enough sticky chicken gloop off my fingers four times a day to keep her weight steady – just as well she is not a wolf, perhaps!]
Thanks Patricia! As part of my job, I teach a class to help prep people working on their GED exams. These studies will be great fodder for thinking about the scientific method. 🙂
There are many discussions of dogs and wolves. I rarely hear any comparison of dogs and coyotes.
My dog barks vigorously when a coyote goes through our yard, which is frequent. She reacts about the same when a bobcat appears.
If a dog comes she tends to want to play. Why does she not want to play rather than bark at a coyote?
Thinking of Louise Wholey’s comment about her dog alerting to coyotes. I notice on our walks in the woods, all of our dogs pee on coyote scat more often than other types of scat or old dog poop. (Wonder why we don’t say dog scat?) I always assumed that the coyote scat smell said something different, which needed to be addressed more so than with other animals. Coyotes are close but not close enough in terms of species/familiarities and that calls for a response!
Hi Patricia!
Your article on the similarities and differences between wolves and dogs was a fascinating read. It’s intriguing to consider that, despite sharing approximately 98.8% of their DNA , these two species exhibit such distinct behaviors and physical traits. Your insights into how domestication has influenced dogs’ adaptability and reduced fear of humans, contrasting with wolves’ inherent wariness, shed light on the profound impact of human interaction on animal evolution.
I was particularly struck by your discussion on social structures. While both species thrive in pack environments, the hierarchical dynamics differ significantly. Wolves maintain strict pack hierarchies essential for survival in the wild, whereas dogs have adapted to more flexible social roles within human families. This flexibility likely stems from selective breeding and the need to coexist harmoniously with humans. Your exploration of these nuances not only enhances our understanding of canine behavior but also deepens our appreciation for the unique bond between humans and dogs.
Thank you for sharing such an enlightening perspective!
My mother’s dog once dropped her frisbee just as she slowed to defecate. Her forward motion meant that the load dropped right onto the frisbee, which had landed upside down like a dish… the poor dog seemed mortified, frantically running to my mom then back to the frisbee, which she refused to touch, then back to my mom. When she could stop laughing, my mom saved the day by scraping the frisbee off with a stick and then hosed it off and ran it through the dishwasher, before returning it to a very relieved dog.
Just come across a discussion on dog emotions and body language in The Conversation that refers to UK research that the “puppy dog eyes” expression was the one observable behaviour in shelter dogs that correlated with speed of finding a new home (https://theconversation.com/humans-are-bad-at-reading-dogs-emotions-but-we-can-learn-to-do-better-252773?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20March%2027%202025%20-%203312633824&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20March%2027%202025%20-%203312633824+CID_7d7fadbf496b7463681c77e170f32f9c&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=humans%20have%20a%20lot%20to%20learn) and that the change of musculature needed to produce this human-like expression is one of the few differences in underlying physiology between dogs and wolves (https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.1820653116). Just another fascinating tidbit!
Frances: This is fabulous!!! I didn’t know about this study; you rock for highlighting it. I’m going to incorporate it into my talk!