Key Ways My Domestic Dogs Is Not a Wolf

It’s imperative that we respect our pets as the canines they are. It’s also vital that we recognize “being a canine” does not directly equal “being a modern wolf”.

While domestic dogs and their closest relatives do share many similarities, several things set them apart — and influence the way we live with them. Here’s a look at some key differences that affect how I think about my relationship with Scout.

Table of contents and TLDR Instagram post summary

This article dives into:

• Are dogs descended from wolves?
• Domestic dogs show paedomorphism and neotenization
• Dogs have far greater interspecies sociability than wolves
• Domestic dogs have specifically evolved to live with humans

The below Instagram post summarizes key points in a more visual format.

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A post shared by Haley 👩🏼‍💻 + Scout 🐺 (@paws.andreflect)

First: Are dogs descended from wolves?

Sort of yes, and sort of no, depending on what we mean by this question.

Modern domestic dogs and modern wolves are both descended from a shared common ancestor, which scientists believe was an older version of the gray wolf we know today. The crux here is that both species have continued evolving since splitting off. Wolves did not stop changing when part of their population branched off and eventually became dogs.

This might seem like a nitpicky thing. Why not just say dogs descended from wolves, since we’d probably call that common ancestor some type of wolf anyway? But it can make a difference in the way we understand our companions — especially if we look to research on modern wolves to guide training decisions with our dogs.

Some ways researchers hypothesize modern wolves are different from the gray wolf ancestor dogs evolved from:

• Due to the way we’ve persecuted them over centuries and centuries, it’s likely that modern wolves are more fearful of humans. (More on the modern domestic dog’s reduced fight-or-flight response in a later section.)
• Population decreases might mean that today’s wolves are “pickier” and more competitive about breeding.

Dogs show paedomorphism and neotenization compared to wolves

Domestic dogs are physically similar to juvenile wolves

Traits like shorter snouts and wide-set eyes are associated with puppy and adolescent wolves — but many dogs retain them into adulthood.

Why might this be? The famous silver fox domestication experiment suggests that changes in temperament can also result in changes in phenotype (physical appearance). This makes sense given that genes are linked and affect multiple things. There is no single gene for “tameness” or so on.

People also like neoteny. It’s cute! We’ve specifically designed some types of dogs to show even more obvious juvenile traits (sometimes to their detriment, like brachycephalic breeds bred to the extreme).

Dogs retain playful behavior into adulthood

Young animals, especially social mammals (like wolves, dogs, and humans) learn through play. (This is why play has become such a huge part of my training philosophy.) While wolves tend to “grow out” of this behavior, our domestic companions show more playfulness into adulthood.

Domestic dogs show more dependency than wolves

Dogs are also more dependent on caretakers than wolves are. Again, these behaviors are seen often in young wolves — but they don’t commonly occur in adults (unlike in our full-grown pets).

Other physical differences between dogs and wolves

Breeding seasons

Wolves have only one breeding season, while dogs are known to reproduce year round. Most females go into heat twice a year. An exception? The Basenji, a particularly ancient dog breed, who has a seasonal annual estrus.

Physical variation

The domestic dog is the most diverse species on the planet. Think about the size difference between a Chihuahua and a Great Dane, for example! Dogs have far greater variation in coat, color, and size than wolves do.

Dogs have far greater interspecies sociability than wolves

Domestic dogs have a less pronounced fight or flight response

Dogs have a less pronounced fight or flight response than modern wolves do. Our pets have higher stress thresholds with reduced fear and aggression, enabling them to live in crowded environments — something that’s important for both us people and our pets.

One reason for this: Ancient proto dogs joined our human ancestors as they traveled to new environments. They evolved with us accordingly, showing something called parallel evolution. We share similarities in genes that act on the serotonin system in our brains!

There are multiple gene differences that can help explain dog sociability

Other DNA differences (some in genes associated with Williams-Beuren syndrome, which causes hypersociability in humans) align with the idea that dogs are more social than wolves, especially outside of their own species.

This is the core thesis of ethologist Clive Wynne’s book Dog is Love.

Domestic dogs have specifically evolved to live with humans

Dogs follow human cues at a young age

Dogs naturally follow human cues at just a few weeks old. They don’t have to learn through observation or exposure first — even dingos (domestic dogs gone feral in Australia) and New Guinea Singing Dogs (an ancient, rare type of dog) outperform hand-raised wolves.

Perhaps most surprising? Domestic dogs also do better than our own closest living primate relatives on these tasks. Evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare writes about these experiments and his hypotheses at length in his book The Genius of Dogs.

Dogs might seek out human company over that of their own species

It seems that dogs and people provide each other with mutual social fulfillment. Domestic dogs have been shown to choose human company over that of their own species — and even over food, too.

While the jury is out on exactly how strong this preference may be (and it’s important to realize there are always confounding variables at play) to me the data emphasizes the fact that engaged social interaction is one of my dog’s basic needs.

These traits are likely the combination of both natural and artificial selection

The differences between domestic dogs and wolves likely developed both through natural selection and artificial selection.

Natural selection

Tame proto dogs would be better at coexisting with people, managing to scavenge food from human settlements in close proximity to their own species, which would favor less aggressive animals. Evolution influenced by the surrounding environment is called natural selection.

Artificial selection

At some point (no one knows precisely when) humans also started intentionally choosing breeding pairs to create dogs for different purposes. Direct human intervention in breeding is referred to as artificial selection.

Ultimately: I want a balanced, accurate understanding of who my dog is

Domestic dogs are fascinating. They are their own creatures: not humans, not wolves, not anything else besides, well, domestic dogs. The more we understand our companions for who they are? The more we can appreciate them — and the deeper our bonds can be.

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A post shared by Haley 👩🏼‍💻 (dog nerd, writer) | Scout 🐺 (@paws.andreflect)

References and related reading

Our own blogs

• Key Ways My Dog is Not a Furry Little Human
• Imagining My Dog’s Umwelt

Books and research from experts

• Dog is Love by Clive Wynne
• The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods
• Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin
• Dog Sense by John Bradshaw
• Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
• The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell
• David Mech’s wolf research