Can a wolf be considered a dog?

Answer 1

Wolves and dogs are biologically the same species, Canis lupus. There are several different subspecies of C. lupus, most dogs are assigned to the extremely variable subspecies 'familiaris'. The dingo (the Australian wild dog) is sometimes considered a separate subspecies C. lupus dingo.

Thus all dogs are wolves, in the sense that they belong to the same species and dogs and wolves can breed with each other producing fertile offspring.

Domestic dogs however differ from wolves in certain important ways, their brains are about 20% smaller than that of wolves of the same size. And their period of imprintability lasts longer, making it easier to socialize dog puppies compared to wolf puppies. Their brains work somewhat differently from those of wolves, making it much easier for them to respond to humans pointing at objects. Dogs may be considered to be wolves that have been genetically modified (by countless generations of selective breeding) not only to have all sorts of size, color, and structural differences from their wolf ancestors which make them more suited for special tasks e.g. herding, retrieving, sled pulling, but also to have some wolf instincts e.g. prey drive to be inhibited or partially inhibited. Most dog breeds are better at 'reading people' than wolves are but are not as good at independent problem solving as the brainier wolf.

Some Dog Breeds --- particularly the Spitz breeds of Asian or North American origin such as Akitas, Siberian Huskies, and Malamutes are genetically closer to the wolves, i.e. less genetically modified, than other breeds e.g. beagles are.

So all dogs are wolves, but with a difference.

So the bottom line is all dogs are wolves, but they are genetically modified wolves, modified by selective breeding to have behavioral traits making them more suited to living with people than wolves are.

Answer 2

Yes, dogs, dingoes and wolves are the same species - Canis lupus - but different subspecies. The term "breed" applies to domestic animals such as dogs, cats, cattle, etc. and is not used to describe wild animals.

Answer 3

=Yes. Wolves are a breed of a dog and can communicate and attack them very easily.=

Answer 4

Wolves can be considered dogs, but they are not. They are wild ancestors of dogs, and are merely in the same family group, Canines.

Answer 5

No - whilst both are members of the Canidae family, they are completely separate species.

Answer 6

No, but dogs are a subspecies of the wolf - Canis lupus familiaris.