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The following written years ago
for my guide are copyright to WEV.
1) What is the difference between a dog and wolf?
A: Though a wolf is not a dog, a dog is considered a domesticated wolf.
There are no known behaviors found in wolves that cannot also be found in domestic dogs what may differ is the frequency,
intensity and in the context in which the behavior is expressed. Those differences
expressed can also differ depending on the breed and or breed type of dog. You can say through the domestication process
the behaviors have been watered down in domestic dogs, in some breeds more than
others. Some traits found in wolves and to some degree dogs as well are of the following.
Prey Driven: All
canines are predators and have a certain degree of prey drive, some much more than others depending on the type of canine. Prey Drive: meaning they will give chase to things that run, for example small animals. Once this drive(predatory/prey drive) is triggered via fast movement and the wolf gives chase, what once may
have started out as only a chase initially
can fast become a situation where the object becomes something to then kill.
Wolves, were built to be efficient predators and survivors, this predatorial instinct and drive is WELL developed
and extremely strong/intense. Which is but one reason wolves are not pets!
Dominancy issues: In the wild
wolves have a hierarchy and each one has a rank, each wolf has the instinct, drive, and incentive to climb the social ladder
of rank. Meaning they will eventually want to become the dominant leader in the pack, not every wolf however manages to do
this and a more dominant alpha leader may thwart attempts by a subordinate wolf.
This does not mean the current dominating leader cannot and is not challenged, and even taken out permanently
(killed) or driven out, by other subordinate wolves once they no longer are strong enough to maintain their alpha leader status. *Wolves will continuously
test each other starting as young puppies,and this continues throughout their lives. What may look like play
to us, may be in all actuality a test of leadership, or weakness.* (klinghammer)
| Female Wolf Asserting Dominance over young male |
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Shyness: Wolves in the wild are inherently shy creatures, this
will serve to help keep them safe from potential dangers such as hunters in the wild. After around 14-16 weeks
the window of opportunity for a pups socialization to others
is already starting to close. Meaning anything they come upon not socialized to
prior they become wary of and shy away from. In captive situations to help with this issue, and so that wolves are
comfortable in a captive situation and not stressed, pups are socialized to as many people as is possible such as veterinarians,
young people, old people, doorways, umbrellas, different clothing such as winter jackets and mittens, hats, tractors, and
other machinery, etc, otherwise the pups as adults will view such things as something to be suspicious of, and may even freak
out in fear over.
Diggers: Wolves like to dig, they can dig holes so deep that a 6 foot tall man can completely disappear. Wolves typically will dig for
a few different reasons
a) to create dens for pups
to be born in the spring
b) To dig to keep cool in the
hot summer months, the colder earth serves as a sort of air conditioning.
c) *digging up roots/shrubs,mice/voles/rabbits
they may smell
d) digging out of boredom
Territorial: In
the wild wolves are highly territorial for good reason; it is a hard life and resources (food, mating rights of females) become
a competition. Wolves will thus drive out even kill other wolves or stray roaming dogs infringing upon their marked territories. Contrary
to popular belief that wild wolves mate with free ranging dogs, most dogs will be viewed as either a meal or enemy trespassing
to be killed.
Destructiveness: Having
raised quite a few wolves over the years from infancy to adulthood in captive situations, has given me a first hand seat
into their true destructive natures. Wolves are soo intelligent ,and sooo curious they like to take things
literally apart to see how they work. By the time pups are approx. 3 monthsof age they are destroying anything and everything
they can get their paws and teeth on, and they are ready to be placed outside. You cannot train this behavior out of
a wolf pup like owners do with domestic dogs, and it would be wrong to try to. In the wild parents and the other
family members *adults* within the pack allow the pups to explore and experience, they are allowed to grab anything they want
and chew it up if they want to. Pups are allowed to get away with a LOT, a LOT more than any domestic dog pup is allowed to in a domestic living environment, this is apart of growing up as a wolf, and
is completely normal behavior. Everything a wolf does is with intensity and exaggeration.
Howling:
Wolves love to howl, they howl to reunite their pack members when separated, they howl when mourning the loss of a
pack member, they howl when excited, they howl prior to a hunt and after eating in bonding sessions, they howl to alert other
wolves (wolf packs) they are in the area, and they howl just because they feel like it. I am sure there are reasons wolvs
howl, that humans are not even aware of.
| Pure wolf dharma |
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| white wolves are not born white but phase over time to the white color you see here |
Possessiveness:
To a wolf possession is 100% of the law, once a wolf lays claim to an object, usually a high cost item (food) but not
always. It is theirs, and they will guard it religiously, until they are done
with it. In captive situations when the wolf pup has something in their possession that may not be good for them I play
the trading game, this game should be taught in case the wolf ever gets a hold of something they should not have. The
trading game is just how it sounds; you have something better in trade to give the wolf for what they have in exchange.
| Wolf Guarding Bones |
|
| courtesy Mike C. |
2) Can wolves be trained like dogs?
A: Yes
to some degree and no. I have always considered wolves very cat like in how they
move, and even act in some ways, training is one of those ways. Cats are highly independent and do not like to take direction
very easily, the same can be said about wolves. However give a wolf incentive to work and they will do it, some even
happily so, as it gives them something to do, and works their minds to problem solve.
They are capable of learning commands, however one
has to use positive reinforcement such as a clicker and food rewards. Young wolves
in the wild and in human captive raised situations, look to the leaders in their canine and human pack members, for direction
as they mature, however evolution has designed them, to break out of their dependence on others, and express their independence.
I have found that wolves are of the most independent creatures around. You
can train and teach wolves to do *some* things, however I would not consider wolves bomb proof when it comes to commands and
reliability in training no matter how much time is spent.
3) What are the physical differences
between a wolf and a dog?
A) There are quite a few
physical and biological differences and I will address them below:
1) Wolves’ nails on every foot are darkly colored
as in charcoal (dark grey) (dilute black) to dark black and in the case
of Arctic wolves a taupe color. (The *tips/ends*
of Arctic nails lack color.) Due to various definitions and spectrums of the color
taupe, ranging from light taupe which appears tannish/pink to a smokey brownish color, the color of
actics nails by stating taupe can confuse some people. They do lean more towards a lighter smokey tannish/pink color,
BUT arctic nails can also be a darker taupe, they just are not black. Some dogs can have dark nails
especially dark colored dogs, but wolves do not have clear /pink/ , white/pink , or white nails like the domestic
dog. PLEASE NOTE: That just because a white wolf may have arctic colored nails does not mean it's necessarily
pure canis lupus arctos, I have a pure wolf here that is predominantly arctic and 1/4 another subspecies, besides my pure
arctics and she has the arctic colored nail.
| Wolf's black nails |
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| click to enlarge |
| PURE ARCTIC'S NAILS (light taupe) |
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| Arctics nails can be a darker taupe however (Click pic to enlarge) |
| Example of darker taupe nails on arctic wolf's paw |
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| EXAMPLE OF A CLEAR DOG'S NAIL |
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| YOU CAN SEE THE PINK QUICK |
| Wolf pups nails are light/white when young |
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| BUT by approx *8-10* wks will have started to transition, and BY 10 weeks at most have darkened up. |
| Black wolf pups nails also start off light/white |
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2)
Wolves do not have blue eyes this is a domestic dog trait only. Blue eyes is a recessive gene, both parents
must carry this gene for pups to acquire it. Wolves do not
carry this gene. Some pale colors, especially pale greens can sometimes appear bluish in tone and mistaken as blue.
| Purebred Siberian Husky with blue eyes |
|
| courtesy Jill Porter |
3) Wolves have highly slanted almond shaped eyes with
heavy dark /black eye lining.
4) Wolves have extra large feet, with two very large protruding front toes.
Not smaller and or rounded feet like a dogs.
5) Wolves will not have sharply defined white tail tips like many domestic dogs. Most often one will view wolves that have black tail tips. Some tail tips have
more of a pronounced black tip than other's might have. Please Note however, that domestic dogs
can also have black tail tips *example* included here
| Note the black tip on this wolf's tail |
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| click to enlarge |
| Picture of white tail tip on a purebred dog |
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| Black tail tip on domestic dog |
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| note the slight curl on dog in motion |
6) Wolves have a caudal mark/scent gland *often called precaudal gland* (a dark spot positioned approx. 3-4 inches down from the base of the tail,) it can tend to have a bluish tinge to it with
a few longer stiffer hairs that poke out of it. The spot can be
a few different shapes. Even Black phase wolves though it is harder to see have this spot on their tail. Some black phase
puppies have a few white or black stiff hairs poking out of this area. The spot looks a little shinier in appearance.
MOST Domestic dogs even *if* they have the mark itself on the tail (which still would not be all
that common, are most likely to be seen on dogs with wolf heritage or old working northern breed lines,) however it is
not a functioning/working precaudal gland. PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER : That there is a breed of
dog called the Rhodesian Ridgeback this older breed (often called the African Lion Dog Or African Lion Hound) surprisingly though classified as a sight
hound has a precaudal gland and it is said to be a functioning one at that. Wolves also have scent glands between the toes and on the face. (On cheeks close to the mouth, behind the ears and in the eyes) as well as a few glands
close to the anus (both sides as well as immediately below.) The wolves at AWA on a daily basis like to rub their heads/cheeks,
against objects, be it each other or even trees/fences, and even us their caretakers! This is away to let others know they
were there through scent marking.
| CAUDAL MARK ON ARCTIC WOLF |
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| CAUDAL MARK ON BLACK PHASE WOLF PUPS TAIL |
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7) Wolves’ canine teeth are very large and they are more curved and thicker
than the typical domestic dogs teeth are, they can reach lengths up
to just over a couple inches long. They are adapted to crush huge bones
in one crunch. Claws and Jaws work together to hold down the meat, (claws which also can rip up hide) and jaws to cut/slice,
shred, and break bone.
8) Wolves’ chests are so narrow their legs appear to be side by side causing their large feet to splay to the side
when standing still. Legs are long and lanky. Shoulders
& butts are narrow for faster acceleration.
| wolf front in summer appearance |
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9) Wolves back legs have a significant cow hock look to them when at a standstill. The tail is slightly in the way in this picture of Tibet
Night Song, but cow hocked means the canines hocks turn in, which makes it's toes point /splay outwards.
| cow hock |
|
| click to enlarge |
10) Wolves have banded fur
and it lies differently than a dog’s fur does. Wolves have a banded pattern
of fur ticked with stiff black hairs approx 1 ½ inches long that outline a v shape draping down their backs, (dorsal cape) some capes are more readily noticeable than others. On black
wolves it is still there but harder to see. (Banded means each individual hair has a few different colors per strand.) See
pic. The dorsal cape starts behind the shoulders and comes to a point on the mid back.
| BANDED FUR |
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| wolf dorsal cape on white wolf (click to enlarge) |
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| though not ticked with black you can clearly see the longer guard hairs making up this dorsal cape |
| Dorsal cape on grey colored wolf, click to enlarge |
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| look just behind the shoulder blades on the upper back down |
11) Wolves though they have (dew claws) a fifth digit on the front paws, they will not have rear dew claws like many dogs can and do have
12) Wolves’ tails when they walk will not curl up or
over their backs like a dogs tail will. Wolves’ tails are extremely straight.
Even dog breeds that have straighter tails (Like Geman Shepheds for example) will still have a slight curl to them
when they run or walk/prance. A Wolf's tail will however depending
on their mood, show a lot of different emotions, and can be held in various positions from straight out in a horizontal position,
to straight up in a vertical one, and everything inbetween.
| wolf at a trot |
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| German Shepherds Tail Curling Up |
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12) A
wolf’s
fur (pelage)changes color consistently as it ages. Some more drastically than others. A black phase wolf can be born pitch black, yet
phase so light they can appear almost solid white or bright silver by the time it is 6 years of age. Black dogs even though they may get a few white hairs as they get to
be seniors, stay black. Even grey/silver colored wolves change color, although may not appear as drastically to phase
as black wolves do over time.
| blackphase pure wolf pup |
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13) Wolves can have many vocalizations, but do not bark like the typical domestic dog does. They have an alarm bark that sounds like a rapid
blowing, fast puffing like sound, or a high-pitched yip that can almost be coyote like and are alarm calls. Wolves can also scream when agitated/alarmed. Wolves are by nature very quiet shy animals, and unless you
live with them you would be hard pressed to ever hear them
alarm bark/scream, since wolves are not easy to view in the wild to hear such sounds.
14) Wolves howl, and though domestic dogs
can howl some being pretty darn good at it even, I have yet to hear this
howl mimicked by a domestic dog in quite the same way and range/pitch as a wolf’s howl. A wolf’s howl
is one of the most haunting beautiful sounds to ever hear. And for the most part unrivaled by domestic dogs.
15) Male
wolves testicles will be peanut sized all year round (and not fertile) until mating season once a year in the winter months
to correspond with a female wolf’s estrus, after mating they will once more shrink down so as to barely be noticeable,
unlike a male domestic dog whose testicles remain the same size all year, and is able to mate any time of the year.
16) Wolves will not have pink/black, pink reddish noses.
| Siberian Husky and Malamute cross |
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| This dog has a pink and black nose seen often in northern breed dogs. NOTE: the open white face |
17) Wolves eyes can be various shades of amber from light to dark
( yellow orange- brown orange) various shades of yellow from pale lemon colored to a deep gold, various shades of
green, and yellowish green, in the case of arctics they have a brown looking eye when young which lightens up some over
time but will still not be light yellow,(in certain light and when photographed actics eyes can appear a lot lighter than
they actually are) What wolves won't have is blue eyes. (wolves do not carry the blue eyed gene which is
a recessive trait in domestic dogs) Wolves eyes are
characteristically marked with a heavy dark black eye lining. Wolf
pups eye's start off with various spectrums of blue from light to dark, they will go though a few different color changes
till their final color by a few months of age, although they will tend to lighten up a bit over the first year. Wolf
pups eyes transition from either blue to blue green/ blue to grey colored or grey green, or green to finally their
determined genetic shade one of the above colors.
18) A wolf’s nails/claws
are thicker and larger than the typical domestic dogs used for helping to rip open prey’s tough hides during hunting
and for then eating.
19) Wolf pups are not
born with distinct markings & masks like Siberian huskys, German Shepherds or Alaskan malamutes. Please look at the domestic DOG pictures provided,
CAREFULLY. PURE wolf pups including arctic wolves are born darker colors,with well-blended
fur. Not sharply defined white markings on their feet, on their noses, on their foreheads, or
have *large* white chest markings. Arctic wolves are NOT EVER
born WHITE please look at the photo of the young pups said to be arctic wolfcross pups, being born WHITE is a DOG trait NOT
a WOLF trait. Many white DOGS and crosses are sold as arctic crosses when they simply are NOT. Please go to legend
and ecos page on this site to see how true arctic wolf pups look like when young.
| wolfpups uniform in color |
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| NO sharply defined white markings such as white booties, white stars on foreheads,open white faces |
| Purebred GSD puppy |
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| courtesy Jill Porter |
| Purebred Alaskan Malamute Puppy |
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| courtesy Jill Porter |
| PUREBRED registered Samoyed |
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| Samoyeds are born white |
| Young Purebred Siberian Huskys |
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| Few different color ranges. PLEASE look at the open white faces ,and masks these purebred DOGS have |
| Purebred white siberian husky (BORN white) |
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| courtesy Jill Porter |
| Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky with blue eyes |
| |
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