# How dangerous are wolves? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736 "2016-05-14T00:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/1 "2016-05-14T00:40:53Z")
I know there’s no objective answer to this, but as a general point of discussion, are wolves more dangerous than, say, German Shepards? Or pit bulls? Is there some physical aspect of a wolf that sets it dramatically apart from a dog? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/2 "2016-05-14T00:49:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I know there’s no objective answer to this, but as a general point of discussion, are wolves more dangerous than, say, German Shepards? Or pit bulls? Is there some physical aspect of a wolf that sets it dramatically apart from a dog? They hunt in packs. And are very good at it. So do some other canines, I think coyotes will too. But they are half the size of wolves. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/3 "2016-05-14T00:57:38Z")
Dogs will hunt in packs in the feral state. Considering Northern Grey Wolves, packs and individuals of equal size, you’ll have roughly equal danger. As long as you don’t have a taste for mutton, [watchwolves](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83625) are completely harmless … I’m not lying to you here. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/4 "2016-05-14T01:11:40Z")
Wolf attacks on humans are rare. There must be many more dog attacks on humans, but of course they live in and amongst us unlike the wolves. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/5 "2016-05-14T01:17:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Is there some physical aspect of a wolf that sets it dramatically apart from a dog? No. They are, however, not domesticated, which means their behavior is different. If you apply “pressure” to a domesticated animal, it gives up and stops. Wild animals (and cats) don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Stinky\_Pete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Stinky\_Pete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinky_Pete)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/6 "2016-05-14T01:20:10Z")
A wolf and your average dog of equal size, lets say 70 pounds each, are about equally dangerous. HOWEVER, some breeds of dogs are bred to be more dangerous than your average dog. Best example is the pit bull which is bred to be aggressive and also bred to have particularly powerful bone breaking jaws. If a wolf and a pit bull were the same size then the pit bull would be a more dangerous animal. And from another perspective wolves will normally avoid humans. Many dogs are not in the least bit afraid of being in a human’s vicinity and for that reason they are also more dangerous to people. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/7 "2016-05-14T01:22:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > They hunt in packs. And are very good at it. > > So do some other canines… Like [chihuahuas](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/packs-of-chihuahuas-arizona_n_4848543.html)! ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/8 "2016-05-14T01:23:45Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Wolf attacks on humans are rare. There must be many more dog attacks on humans, but of course they live in and amongst us unlike the wolves. Humans taste bad and dogs have no taste … ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/9 "2016-05-14T01:36:55Z")
This might be of interest [Cranial dimensions and forces of biting in the domestic dog - PMC](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673787/) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/10 "2016-05-14T01:43:43Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > They hunt in packs. And are very good at it. > > So do some other canines, I think coyotes will too. But they are half the size of wolves. All dogs hunt in packs. Pack instincts are inherent to dogs, and is a central part of why we were able to so successfully domesticate them. Still, a wolf would be signification more dangerous than an equivalently sized wild dog. Wolves have one of the highest bite pressures among canines somewhere between four and five hundred pounds per square inch. Pit bulls are roughly half that. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/11 "2016-05-14T01:55:20Z")
> [@Stinky\_Pete](#): > > A wolf and your average dog of equal size, lets say 70 pounds each, are about equally dangerous. > > HOWEVER, some breeds of dogs are bred to be more dangerous than your average dog. Best example is the pit bull which is bred to be aggressive and also bred to have particularly powerful bone breaking jaws. Ugh…we’ve been over this extensively before. Everything quoted above is false, and established scientifically as false. Aside from the NIH article linked by **spamforbrains** , which shows that bite force varies _almost exclusively_ by size of dog, not breed or putative differences in jaw structure, there is [no evidence of so-called locking jaws in any breed](http://www.pbrc.net/mediacenter/mediaqa.html) or, indeed, significant skeletal difference. The entire internet is full of citations that pit bull terriers are not bred to be aggressive _toward humans_, and indeed only some “bloodlines” are regarded as aggressive _toward other dogs_. Meanwhile, an extremely commonly-cited difference between wolves and domesticated dogs is that wolves have bigger teeth relative to their body size. Not that wolves are a serious danger to you unless you’re Doctor Zhivago. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/12 "2016-05-14T02:07:10Z")
Wolves are stronger and smarter than dogs. On the other hand, dogs don’t fear humans and are far more likely to be around us, and not be noticed as a threat for that matter. As far as wolf aggressiveness goes, it depends if they are American wolves or “Old World” wolves. American wolves will\* virtually never\* attack a human unless provoked or rabid. Old World wolves are _much_ more willing to attack humans. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/13 "2016-05-14T02:17:14Z")
Are the new coywolves any more dangerous? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/14 "2016-05-14T03:21:27Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I think coyotes will too. But they are half the size of wolves. I’ve run into coyotes on the golf course [here](http://milwaukeecountygolfcourses.com/dretzka_details/). They’ve always run away but still startled the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/15 "2016-05-14T03:31:22Z")
There are two different issues here, and I think folks need to be clear which one they’re addressing, the behavioral and the physical. First, is a wolf or a dog more likely to (attempt to) attack a human? And second, if the animal does decide to attack, how much damage will it do? There are chihuahuas out there that are more aggressive than any pit bull, but nobody cares, because what can a chihuahua do to you, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/16 "2016-05-14T03:38:43Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Are the new coywolves any more dangerous? [They](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_coyote) have at least [one human kill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Mitchell), and have been confirmed to be able to hunt and kill moose; so they aren’t afraid of going after big game. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/17 "2016-05-14T03:38:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Is there some physical aspect of a wolf that sets it dramatically apart from a dog? > [@spamforbrains](#): > > No. Absolutely false. As already noted, the bite force of a wolf is stronger than a typical dog. When consider the danger of an animal, bite force is a major factor. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/18 "2016-05-14T04:00:17Z")
**Bricker** Could you elaborate on “dangerous”? Are you looking for information about camping in wolf country, or danger to livestock, or danger to humans only if it’s just you and a wolf (or you and a German Shepherd)? Some context would help us to answer your question. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/19 "2016-05-14T05:52:49Z")
Here’s a simple thought experiment. Imagine we took away 1/2 of all the dogs in the country that people have living in their homes and replaced them with wolves. Do you think there would be an equal number of dog attacks and wolf attacks on their owners? Would you trade in your dog for a [wolf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolves_as_pets_and_working_animals), or adopt a wolf when you dog dies and you want a replacement? ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/20 "2016-05-14T08:14:54Z")
Theres a band of coyotes at one of our factory locations, totally harmless. Beautiful animals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736.md?page=2)