Both dogs and wolves belong to the order Carnivora. Dogs evolved as a result of their association with human tribes.
The wolves that saw piles of refuse near humans scavenged on it hence being close to humans hence dogs evolved as a result.
The two have very much in common. When many people see a wolf, they easily confuse it with a dog. However, the two are different from each other.
So, what is the difference between dog and wolf? Dogs are in body size while wolves are comparatively larger in body size.
To get more differences between dogs and wolves, read this article and you will also learn of the similarities between the two.
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Comparison Table (Dog vs Wolf)
| Basic Terms | Dog | Wolf |
| Size | It is smaller in body size. | It is comparatively larger in body size. |
| Eye color | Its eye color ranges from blue to brown. | The eye color is a shade of yellow or amber. |
| Coat color | It comes in multiple colors. | It comes in white, gray, black or brown. |
| Sound produced | They bark. | They howl. |
| Body structure | They have small heads, broad chests, and short legs. | They have large heads, long legs, and narrow chests. |
| Fertility | The females come in heat twice a year. | The females come in to heat once a year. |
| What they feed on | They feed on meat but sometimes they can feed on plant matter. | They generally feed on meat. |
| Domestication | It can be domesticated. | It is wild and cannot be domesticated. |
| Ears | Some species may have dropping or hanging ears. | All species have erect ears at the adult stage. |
| Adaptation | They can easily adapt to changing situations. | They cannot easily adapt to changing situations. |
| Sexual maturity | Females reach maturity at the age of 6 to 9 months. | They reach maturity at the age of 18 to 24 months. |
| Foreheads | They have a prominent stop. | Their foreheads are straight from head to nose. |
| Teeth | They have smaller teeth. | They have comparatively larger teeth. |
| Jaws | They have smaller jaws. | They have comparatively larger jaws. |
| Brains | They have smaller brains. | They have larger brains. |
What is a Dog?
The dog belongs to the order Carnivora. They are believed to have evolved from the wolves. The human used to keep piles of refuse near their camps and wolves saw it as a site of scavenging hence developing relationships with humans and that is how they became domesticated hence the evolution of dogs.
There are around 800 different species of dogs in the world. They have wide hips, broad chests, and short legs.
They have soft pads on the bottom of their feet that enable them to run quietly and quickly. Their claws are strong for digging and gripping.
They are carnivores but due to domestication, they have adapted to be omnivores. They can easily adapt to new changes hence training them is easier.
The female dogs come to heat twice a year and they reach sexual maturity between the ages of 6 to 9 months.
What is a Wolf?
Wolf belongs in order Carnivora. It is so much related to dogs as it is believed that dogs evolved from wolves.
There are three species of wolves around the world. They include; the gray wolf, the red wolf, and the Ethiopian wolf.
Gray wolves can adapt to changing environments and this makes it easily available in all types of terrain than the red and Ethiopian wolves.
They have large heads, long legs, and narrow chests. Their eye color is generally in shades of yellow or amber.
They are exclusively carnivores as they feed on small animals such as deer, sheep, and goats. They are wild and cannot easily adapt to new changes hence difficult to train to make them remain wild.
The females come to heat only once a year and they reach maturity between the ages of 18 to 24 months.
Main Differences between Dog and Wolf
- The dog is smaller while the wolf is comparatively larger.
- The dog has a broad chest, short legs, and smaller heads while the wolf has large heads, a narrow chest, and long legs.
- The dog is both a carnivore and omnivore while the wolf is exclusively a carnivore.
- The dog can adapt to new changes easily hence can be domesticated while the wolf cannot adapt to new changes easily hence cannot be domesticated.
- Dog’s eye color ranges from blue to brown while wolf’s eye color comes in shades of yellow or amber.
- The dog has multiple coat colors while the wolf’s coat color is black, brown, gray, or white.
- Dog barks while wolf howls.
- The dog has smaller teeth while a wolf has larger teeth.
- The dog has a smaller brain while a wolf has a larger brain.
- Some species of dog have dropped or hanging ears while wolves have erect ears at the adult stage.
Similarities between Dog and Wolf
- They both belong to the same order.
- They have a common ancestor.
- Both are carnivores.
- They both display similar body language.
- They share an impeccable sense of smell.
Conclusion
Dog and wolf belong to the same order. They have very much in common leading to many people not being able to distinguish them.
The main difference between a dog and a wolf is body size. The dog is smaller in body size while the wolf is comparatively larger in body size.
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