Guess My Animal

Side by side

Dog or wolf?

DogWolf

How to tell them apart

A wolf has longer legs, bigger feet, a broader head and a straight tail carried low. Many dogs carry their tails curled or high.

Quick answers

They differ on 5 of the 8 quick answers: carnivore, domesticated, awake when, kept as a pet, do people eat it.

Quick answers for the dog and the wolf
QuestionDogWolf
What is it?MammalMammal
Carnivore? differsOmnivoreYes
Dangerous?Can beCan be
Domesticated? differsYesNo
Awake when? differsDaytimeNight
Hibernates?NoNo
Kept as a pet? differsCommonlyNo
Do people eat it? differsIn placesNo

At a glance

At a glance: the dog and the wolf
QuestionDogWolf
Found in differsWorldwideNorth America, Europe, Asia
Habitat differsTowns, FarmlandForest, Grassland, Mountains, Polar
Size differsMediumLarge
Length differs–105–160 cm
Height differs–80–85 cm at the shoulder
Weight differsUnder 1 kg to about 70 kg, depending on breedAbout 25–40 kg on average, by region
Legs44
Covered inFurFur
LivesIn packsIn packs
Lives for differs10–13 years6–8 years
Can flyNoNo
SwimsYesYes
Lays eggsNoNo

About each

Dog

The first animal people domesticated, bred from wolves by hunter-gatherers more than 14,000 years ago, before farming began. There are around 450 official breeds, more than for any other mammal.

Everything on the dog page

Wolf

The largest wild member of the dog family. Wolves live in family packs, usually a breeding pair and their young, that hunt large prey together over big territories.

Everything on the wolf page

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Dog
  2. Wikipedia: Wolf

Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.

How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.