# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Anglachel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Anglachel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anglachel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/61 "2016-05-19T19:55:09Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Also a highly unusual animal. Not sure why dog breed sizes lend themselves to exaggeration so frequently, but the German breed standard for German Shepherds – translated into English in the link below – caps at 40 kg (88 pounds). The AKC and UKC, the most prominent American clubs, do not list a weight range in their standards, but probably conform. > > [United Schutzhund Clubs of America - Breed Standard](http://web.archive.org/web/20080610111211/http://germanshepherddog.com/regulations/breed_standard.htm) There are always outliers. I have a 105 lb German Shepherd right at my feet. It’s a legitimate weight taken by the vet. He’s not fat at all, but is thick. The amazing thing to me is that when I take him to the dog park, he’s usually not the biggest there. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/62 "2016-05-21T05:34:27Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Frankly, I’d be more worried about venemous snakes, insects, and the various natural hazards than large animals. I cosign this. I hike in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. There are mountain lions here. I have never had a face to face, but saw three strolling on a logging road and they did NOT see me. I think this is unusual and I think that I have probably been seen many times when I did not see the lion. They are cats, after all. If they were generally dangerous to humans, there would be a lot of hikers disappearing in these woods. On the other hand, they WILL take your dogs and cats. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/63 "2016-05-21T16:06:15Z")
> [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](#): > > I cosign this. I hike in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. There are mountain lions here. I have never had a face to face, but saw three strolling on a logging road and they did NOT see me. I think this is unusual and I think that I have probably been seen many times when I did not see the lion. They are cats, after all. If they were generally dangerous to humans, there would be a lot of hikers disappearing in these woods. On the other hand, they WILL take your dogs and cats. Wow … if you actually saw one … that means them hills are flat _thick_ with them. We have them here in the flatlands crossing over the urban/wilderness interface. By the time the neighborhood notices all the cats and dogs cleared out, that cougar is long gone. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/64 "2016-05-21T17:02:31Z")
Still, I wouldnt want to be lost out in wolf country with 2 broken legs. ---
**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 21, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/65 "2016-05-21T17:11:18Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Wow … if you actually saw one … that means them hills are flat _thick_ with them. We have them here in the flatlands crossing over the urban/wilderness interface. By the time the neighborhood notices all the cats and dogs cleared out, that cougar is long gone. The Trinity Alps? Of course they are there! I’ve seen one on a hiking trail right here in Silicon Valley not more than a mile from the nearest urban area. And this is a trail that it’s hard to go more than 1/4 mile without encountering other hikers-- its heavily used every day. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736/66 "2016-05-21T17:14:08Z")
I certainly would feel better knowing where I was … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-are-wolves/754736.md?page=3)