Dr Robert K Wayne, canid evolutionary biologist and Geneticist at UC-Davis, USA, quotes that his studies on wolves and dogs quite clearly show that the domestic dog is an extremely close relative of the grey wolf. He states that they only differ by at most 0.2% of their mtDNA*. In comparison the grey wolf differs from its closest wild relative the Coyote by about 4% mtDNA* sequence. He goes on to say that in fact based on his recent genetic studies, the “Mammal Species of the World (1993)” published by American Society of Mammalogist and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, reclassified the dog from Canis familiarise to Canis lupus . This text is the primary accepted reference on mammal species of the world. (Information gathered from “Of Wolves & Dogs: Dispelling the Myths by Kim Myles, FLA Director and Editor).
* (mitochondrial DNA sequence)
If we look at the physical appearance of a dog we can see some similarities. Some dogs look a lot more like their wild relatives; i.e. the Irish Wolfhound, Siberian husky and the Alaskan Malamute. Over many years of selective breeding, the physical
appearance of dogs has changed to suit its domesticated environment. In this time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. For example, height to the shoulder ranges from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colours range from white to black, with reds, greys (usually called blue), and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns. If you look at the German Shepherd it looks like a larger version of the Coyote with its bushy tail that is tipped with black. Most coyotes are grey but some show rust or brown colouration like the German shepherd. Dogs like all predatory animals of the wild have their eye set to the front of their head. They share the same acute eyesight and hearing as the wolf, which is used for hunting. The wolf, coyote’s and also the fox are diurnal which means they can hunt during the day and at night; they prefer to hunt at dusk and dawn. The domestic dog is more active at these times as well spending the majority of the day resting.
The domestic dog shows also some of the instinctive behaviour associated with its wild relatives. One of the most prominent is the pack instinct. In the case of the grey wolf the pack follows a strict hierarchy to help maintain order. The Alpha wolf is usually female and rules the rest of the pack. The domestic dog when they enter our home follows this instinct; if you have more than one dog within the home this is more noticeable. They have their own way of sorting the hierarchy; they like order and stability within the pack and only challenge other members of the pack when they feel threatened. Dogs like its wild relatives are about 90% body language and 10% vocal. They greet each other by rubbing up against each other and smelling each other anal glans. To keep in touch with the pack a wolf and coyote will howl and whine; domestic dog dogs will do the same if separated from us. Dog will pick up on the body language and react accordingly, in the same way the wild relatives will react to certain situations that may threaten the pack. The dog loves to hunt; even if it is not a working dog like a spaniel, Labrador or a hound type dog it still has the same instinct. The domestic dog, like the coyote, is omnivorous. The domestic dog will eat as part of their diet; fruit, grass and vegetables along with some form of meat, were as the wolf is predominantly carnivorous eating a diet of large ungulates (hooved mammals), beaver, small mammals, domesticated animals and rubbish. The female dog shares the same gestation period as its wild relatives, carrying her young for about 9 weeks. The grey wolf and the coyote are the same. They also share the nesting instinct, this has some what been taken over by us building whelping boxes or areas for the female to give birth and look after her young. The instinct is to hide away and protect its young.
In conclusion the evidence shows that the domestic dog is not that dissimilar to its wild relatives. It is only the invention by the human that has created this diversity of shapes and sizes. It matters not the changing appearances of the dog the underlying genetic make up, characteristics and behaviour are similar to that of the wolf, coyote and fox.
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