Wolves & Wolfdogs – Understanding the Differences

Wolves & Wolfdogs – Understanding the Differences

In a world in which ownership of exotic animals is all the rage and glamourized, many prospective animal owners often fail to realize the reality of bringing home an animal as a pet that was never meant to be one at all.

While there are several advertisements all over the Internet marketing wolves and wolf-hybrids for sale, the truth is that there is nothing safe, smart, or even legal at all about bringing one of these animals into your own dwelling.

I recently spoke with Lauren Gaulding, the Education and Conservation Specialist at the Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary, on everything to know about wolves and wolfdogs, the differences between the two, what happens when you try to turn a wolf or wolfdog into a family pet, and so much more.

What to know about wolves in the wild and the legality of wolf/wolfdog ownership in the United States

It is thought that the last permanent wolf residents in Texas were killed in the 1940s with the extinction of the Texas Wolf (Canis lupus monstrabilis). Wolves are now “extirpated” from Texas, meaning extinct in their original range. The species was officially listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1967.

It is a felony to privately own, transport, or release a wolf in the United States.

Behavioral and everyday life differences between dogs and wolves

Wolves, wolfdogs, and dogs have multiple differences when it comes to behavior, reproduction, and how the animals go through everyday life year-round.

Wolfdogs can be defined as a hybrid between the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). These two animals are, for the most part, completely different species.

Gaulding says that all canines (animals under the genus Canis, including gray wolves, red wolves, dogs, coyotes, and jackals) can interbreed, but that they typically do not do so naturally.

Heat cycles are also different. Dogs can reproduce all year-round, while wolves only come into heat one week out of the year—between the months of January and March. They have a gestation period of 62-75 days, ensuring that all puppies are born in the springtime when there’s the best chance of survival. Gaulding notes that all animals kept at the sanctuary are sterilized.

Another thing to consider when making observations of wolves and wolfdogs is the idea of domestication and what it truly means. Many people who are looking to own a pure wolf for the exotic flair they believe it may provide them seem to not understand what the term “domestication” truly means, or that wolves themselves cannot ever become fully domesticated.

Handling a wolf at a young age can allow them to become socialized to humans and give them a sense of reliance upon humans that takes away from the way they would usually behave in the wild. But still, that does not culminate in “domestication.”

“Wolves are not domesticated, Gaulding says. “Domestication specifically involves selecting traits that work for a specific purpose over generations. Wolves retain all of the instincts that have specifically been bred out of dogs. Wolves are primarily ruled by fear, which may sound sad to a human, but keeps them safe in the wild. This is why they are so elusive.”

Gaulding also notes that bringing a wolf into a traditional home environment backs them into a corner and takes away their option to run away.

“They are wild animals and will react to unexpected things,” stresses Gaulding. “Instincts cannot be overridden in an animal’s mind. It is not a process, but a reaction as intuitive as blinking or your heart beating.”

And, in some ways, a wolf-dog hybrid can be more unpredictable to own than a full wolf itself. Dogs have been bred specifically to serve as loyal companions to humans, and in some cases, to serve as their master’s protector. Dogs, according to Gaulding, are more likely to stand their ground and do not have the same tendency to flee as wolves do. What this means is that wolfdogs possess the same unexpected triggers that wolves do, but instead of fleeing, they may stand their ground without warning.

“It is impossible to predict which instinct will come out on top in any given situation,” Gaulding emphasizes. “While we don’t typically use the word ‘dangerous,’ they are far more unpredictable than either wolves or dogs. Because of the variation in dogs, it is possible for wolfdogs to be bigger and even stronger than full wolves.”

How to tell the difference between a wolf and a wolfdog by appearance

One of the biggest things to note when it comes to wolves and wolfdog ownership is how often the public is duped into buying a “wolf” or “wolfdog” when the canine in question is neither. There is a common phenomenon across the United States in which breeders will upcharge for mixed-breed dogs like an Alaskan Malamute-Siberian Husky cross while marketing it for a higher monetary value as a wolf or wolfdog.

This practice is so extensive that some of the breeders of these “wolfdogs” have been duped by the people who sold them their breeding animals, and may unknowingly simply be breeding 100 percent dogs themselves.

Gaulding says the sanctuary gets hundreds of calls yearly from people requesting a wolf or wolfdog rescue, but reports that it is rare to find a true wolfdog and even rarer to find a wolf.

Although this sometimes stems from disingenuous breeders trying to charge more by calling a normal dog a “wolfdog,” it can also be derived from a lack of knowledge about the differences
between wolves and dogs in regard to things like coat pattern or behavior.

Here’s a look at how to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf, according to Gaulding:

• Ears: Wolf ears are short and round with no point at the tip. The insides are full of fluff, and they will sit closer together near the top of the head. Dog ears are typically farther apart on the head, taller and more pointed, and will have less fur inside. Wolves also do not have floppy ears!
• Eyes: Wolf and wolfdog eyes are golden. Blue eyes are a trait specific to domestic canines and do not occur in the wild except through genetic deficiencies. If you meet someone who
  says they have a wolf or wolfdog, and you see blue, green, or gray eyes, that’s not a wolf or wolfdog!
• Forehead: Wolves have gentle slopes from forehead into nose with hardly any dip in between the eyes. Dogs have a dip between their eyes and a steeper slope where the muzzle meets the forehead. I like to describe it like this—dogs have a bridge to their nose just like us, where they can rest their glasses. Wolves don’t have the distinction between forehead and muzzle, so their glasses would slide right off. A dramatic example of this is a Boxer. Dogs also have specialized muscles above the eyes that act like eyebrows, allowing them to make “puppy dog eyes.” Wolves do not have this muscle.
• Chest: Wolves have thin chests to help them navigate through high snow and move around in their dens. This thin chest causes their legs to be directly underneath their body with a close, thin stance. Dogs have wider chests which cause their legs to stand farther apart in a wide, open stance. This also means that wolves have a rectangular body shape while dogs will have a thinner waist and deeper chest.
• Legs/paws: Wolves have large, webbed paws, and have thin legs with spreading toes, whereas dogs have thicker legs and their toes do not spread as much. Typically, dog paws will be only as wide as the leg. Wolves also have bigger paws in the front and smaller paws in the back.
• Tail: Wolf tails have no curl and will lay straight down between the legs when at rest. Many dogs have tails that will curl. Wolf tails are also fluffy on all sides, while most dogs have smooth fur on the top and fluff on the bottom.

A day in the life: transition to a sanctuary for wolves and wolfdogs

There is a lot that goes into caring for a wolf or wolf-hybrid, and sanctuaries like the one that exists at Saint Francis are the best option for wolves/wolfdogs that cannot live in the wild or are transitioning out of private ownership.

“Our animals come from a variety of places, including zoos, animal control, and game warden confiscations, but the most common is illegal private ownership,” Gaulding reports. “Many of our animals come to us with extreme trauma, malnourishment, or physical injury; because of this, we prefer to focus not on their pasts but on their futures here with us!”

Diet is one thing that private owners frequently get wrong when trying to illegally own a wolf/wolfdog, and there’s more that goes into making sure they get the proper nutrients they need than may meet the eye.

At Saint Francis, the wolves are fed once a day with a mix of raw red meat, white meat, and supplemental Mazuri large carnivore canine kibble to provide micronutrients not otherwise provided by domestic beef and chicken.

The days at the Sanctuary start with something Gaulding refers to as “morning rounds,” where the keepers walk the line and hand out treats to do a head count and give morning medicines to the older residents. After this, the keepers do a training session with their assigned animals before preparing the food bowls.

The pack at the Sanctuary does not live in one huge society, but instead, they live in pairs.

“Wolf packs in the wild consist of a family, not a group of strangers. Mom and dad lead the pack, and under them are their own puppies,” Gaulding says. “Putting all of the animals together would cause significant stress and most likely injury. Because we do not breed any of the animals here at the sanctuary, our animals stay in that pair relationship, typically male and female. Each pair has their own enclosure, and the bonding process is incredibly involved. However, once a pair is established, they are never separated. This is essential to their well-being, as wolves are monogamous.”

Each enclosure in the Sanctuary has a shift for every animal—a space of concrete where their food bowl is placed down. They walk into the shift, and the gate is closed behind the animal to ensure it is secure while breakfast is eaten.

This protocol gives each animal a private place where it doesn’t have to worry about its enclosure mate stealing any food. This also ensures that Gaulding and her fellow Sanctuary workers can track exactly what each animal eats in a day.

While the wolf or wolfdog is secure, the keeper goes into the enclosure (which the animal can’t access) and cleans the main area, picking up scat daily, doing maintenance tasks like filling holes or mowing, and setting up daily enrichment. Once the keeper has left the enclosure and secured it, the animal is done with breakfast and then released back into the enclosure.

Each animal also has a 50-gallon stock tank in the shift as well as a pail of water. These are cleaned and refilled daily, twice daily in summer. The stock tub allows the animal to fully submerge and cool off, while the pail gives clean water that they can’t put dirty paws in. After food is served and the water is cleaned, the animals have free access to the shift and the main enclosure for the rest of the day.

Enrichment is one of the biggest aspects of what the Sanctuary does as it’s essential to keep the animals’ minds and bodies healthy, preventing any stereotypic behaviors.

“Stereotypic behaviors are repetitive behaviors with no purpose that can even go as far as to harm the animal; think pacing until the paws crack or licking until a hot spot forms,” Gaulding says. “Humans do this too—ever find yourself on social media even when you aren’t enjoying it, or channel surfing even though nothing good is on? These behaviors can stem from boredom and a lack of species-appropriate stimulation.”

Meet the Wolves and Wolfdogs of Saint Francis

Wolves and Wolfdogs at sanctuaries across the nation may share similar backgrounds and descent, but all are very different creatures as individuals.

Here’s what some of these specific differences look like at Saint Francis, in the words of Gaulding:

• Lapua: Lapua, one of the wolves at the sanctuary, is the cleverest of our pack—she is always on the lookout for guests! She has a silly quirk where she pushes her nose to the side in a little smirk, usually right before getting the zoomies! She lives with her enclosure mate, Rajah, who can often be found lounging on his raised platforms with his paws crossed, looking out across his “kingdom.” Rajah is a mid-content wolfdog, and his favorite activities include sleeping in the sunshine, watching Lapua play, and occasionally engaging in games of tag.
• Calypso: Calypso, the low-content wolfdog, is well known for her beautiful voice. She loves to greet her keepers with a little “woo!” every morning and has a distinct voice, even among the whole pack’s howling. She is absolutely smitten with her enclosure mate, Romulus. Romulus may be a Malamute mix, but nothing stops him from running with the wolves! Before coming to Saint Francis, he was mislabeled as a wolfdog. He is, in fact, 100 percent dog, but he has made such an impact on the heart of the Sanctuary that he has remained here to help us show the public the physical differences between wolves and dogs.
• Alex: Alex, the high-content wolfdog, is a quiet soul who likes to spend a lot of his time observing the world around him. Nothing happens at the sanctuary without Alex’s watchful eye! He loves lounging in his water tubs, taking long soaks on hot days, and digging a new bed to sleep in every day. He lives with his full wolf companion, Raksha. While she spends the heat of the day staying cool in her den, Raksha knows how to network. She has a loud personality that’s known by the whole pack!
• Meeko: Meeko, the mid-content wolfdog, always gives a lot of laughs on tour! The Algonquin name “Meeko” means “little mischief” and boy does that suit Meeko! Nothing can stop the smile on his face as Meeko keeps all our days lively. He is one of the biggest charmers of the pack and he knows it! With his low-content wolfdog companion, Kaya, they are all smiles. He is quick and clever, like most wolfdogs!
• Kaya: Kaya, also known as “Sunshine Girl” for her indomitable cheer, is a wolfdog with a lot of husky in her—mixed with the athleticism of a wolf, she hardly ever sits still! Luckily, the plethora of enrichment at the sanctuary gives Kaya plenty of outlets to run, jump, shred, and destroy in a productive manner!
• Ryu & Raksha: Ryu and her sister, Raksha, earned the nickname “Shadow Sisters” early on in their journey, but Ryu has grown to love the sunshine! Like her sister, Ryu has the natural neophobia that comes with her full wolf genetics. She may not always be the first to greet a tour, but she has gained a lot of bravery in her time with us.
• Koa: Full wolf Koa has created strong bonds with her keepers and has found a steadfast companion in McQuade, a young and boisterous wolf! He has taught her lots about how to let loose and be a puppy again, and she has taught him a little about respect! The two of them make an adorable pair and look forward to many happy years.
• McQuade: McQuade earned his name from the one and only Texas icon, Chuck Norris! The actor and martial artist, along with his wife, Gena, helped welcome SFWS Grimes County by naming this impressive wolf after his 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade!

Anyone interested in obtaining more information on wolves, wolfdogs, and the Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary’s activities and upcoming events, or to make a donation or schedule a tour, can visit: https://www.saintfranciswolfsanctuary.org/ or visit them on Facebook and Instagram at: Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary.

All photos used in the article are courtesy of Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary.