Dogs and wolves are genetically similar but behaviorally different. Using wolf behavior as a guide for dog training is just wrong.
Dogs and wolves are cousins, but differ in every way
There’s a popular misconception that since dogs evolved from wolf-like ancestors, we can and should draw parallels between the two, and use what we see in wolf behavior to understand our domesticated dogs. Although wolves and dogs share some traits, they are far more different from each other than traditional pack theorists would have you believe. Simply, dogs are not socialized wolves, and we need to interpret their behavior with that understanding.
Even though dogs and wolves are genetically similar, they are separated by at least 15,000 years of domestication and that has changed them physiologically, socially, and behaviorally. Today’s domestic dog is approximately as genetically similar to the wolf as we humans are to chimpanzees.
Captive wolves: not a good model for dogs OR wild wolves
The behavior of dogs is often mistakenly characterized by misinterpreted studies of captive, unrelated wolves. Based on observations, scientists concluded that within a wolf pack, there was a rigid hierarchy in which “alphas” (leaders) had priority access to resources. This interpretation has since been rejected by many, including the scientists who conducted the original studies. It turns out that the wolves in the captive “pack” weren’t acting like a natural wolf pack because they were unrelated.
If captive wolf behavior doesn’t reflect natural wolf behavior, it certainly doesn’t reflect domesticated dog behavior. But unfortunately, this was the predominant thought in dog training for many years. The use of “pack theory” to train dogs – usually involving physically intimidating and sometimes painful techniques – can cause, rather than solve, behavior problems.
“Natural” dogs: feral and village dogs
Observing feral dogs gives us a much more accurate picture of the domestic dog’s social structure than either wild or captive wolf packs. It is more likely that modern domestic dogs are descended from solitary feral dogs that scavenged human garbage for food than from a true familial pack. Scavengers do not need a team to track and bring down prey; they are usually more successful when operating by themselves rather than being reliant on other members of their group to find food.
The mating behavior of feral dogs and wolves is also different because feral dogs don’t stay in fixed family packs. In a wolf pack, the only wolves that mate are the breeding pair. In a feral dog population, mating is unrestricted and can occur among dogs within a family group or between dogs of different groups.
The difference in developmental stages between wolves and dogs in early life affects how each species forms social relationships throughout their lives. Dogs generalize their social relationships to humans and are good at adapting to changing situations, while wolves are very specific about their social attachments and do not adapt well to novelty, even when raised in captivity with or near humans.
Bottom Line: if you want to know about dog behavior and training, study dogs. Wolves are a misleading model.
Similar genetics and sometimes appearance can make it tempting for us to assume that dogs and wolves behave the same way. But they are two distinct species that are dissimilar enough to warrant separate studies of their behavioral tendencies. Dogs and wolves learn and act in different ways and place contrasting premiums on the value of interaction with other species.
Misapplying behavioral concepts from wolves to dogs leads to gross misconceptions. These misunderstandings can cause people to assign wrong and unwarranted motives to a dogs’ behavior, when dogs are just trying to be safe and survive.
