The difference between wolves, coyotes, and dogs

Depending on where you live in the world, you may see a wild canine animal out and about and not know quite what it is. Below are a few key traits that can help you tell the difference between wolves, coyotes, and dogs.

Size

The most basic trait to examine when determining the species of canine is the size of the animal.

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) are usually about 30 in (76 cm) tall at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere between 60 lbs and 160 lbs (27 kg - 73 kg) depending on the health, age, and habitat of the individual wolf. (E.g. Gray wolves that live in colder climates are generally heavier.)

There are many dog breeds that could be confused with wolves given the right circumstances. Alaskan Malamutes and huskies tend to be the ones that people confuse with wolves most frequently. Alaskan Malamutes are about 25 in (63cm)  tall at the shoulder and weigh around 70 lbs - 90 lbs (32 kg - 41 kg) depending on the individual. Siberian Huskies are approximately 22 in (56 cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh 45 lbs -60 lbs (20 kg - 27 kg.). This video shows a wolf by the name of 'Romeo' playing with some Labrador retrievers in Alaska, which demonstrates how small most dogs are when sized up next to a wolf.

Shape

The shape of a canine can help determine whether it is a wolf, dog, or a coyote from a distance, especially if you cannot gauge the size of the animal.

Wolves generally have block-like features. Their bodies are rectangular with robust heads, long legs, large paws, and relatively short ears. Dogs are usually less blocky in shape. Even hefty dogs like malamutes have more rounded features than wolves. By contrast, coyotes are very slender animals with a sloping shape, relatively short legs, and large ears.

Ears

The ears of wolves, coyotes, and dogs can be very helpful when determining what kind of canine you may be looking at. As aforementioned, wolf ears are relatively short while coyote ears are relatively large compared to their heads. Additionally, wolf ears tend to be the widest in the middle of the ear while coyote ears tend to be widest at the base.

When looking at the ears of a dog, it can be somewhat difficult to tell the difference between dog ears and wolf ears because dogs can also have short ears. However, dog ears tend to come to a very sharp point at the top. Wolf ears stay fairly broad at the top.

Tail

The tail can be one of the most helpful features when determining the species of a canine.

Looking at the tail in conjunction with size, color, and circumstance can be one of the main deciding factors in classifying an animal as a wolf, dog, or coyote. 

Wild canines such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, and jackals have straight tails. Domestic dogs usually have some kind of a bend or curl in their tails. Dogs that have straight tails could potentially be confused with a wolf. However, wolves do not have near the amount of fluffiness in their tails that huskies, malamutes, or even coyotes tend to have.

Color

Unfortunately, coloration is not an exact science

Canines come in many different colors, which makes identification somewhat tricky. Despite this, color can be one of the most helpful features when trying to tell the difference between wolves, coyotes, and dogs.

Generally, wolves will look more grizzled than dogs and will often be more gray than coyotes. This is not always true and can depend quite a bit on location as well. Eurasian gray wolves will often be more brown while North American gray wolves will often be more gray. Red wolves (Canis rufus) do appear to have more of a reddish hue, but not always.

What makes things even more complicated is the coywolf. A coywolf is a hybrid between a wolf and a coyote. These animals are most prevalent in the eastern United States and have characteristics of both wolves and coyotes. Coywolves are usually larger and more gray in color than coyotes, but these animals can be very hard to differentiate between their two parent species.

Dogs tend to have very particular color patterns, i.e. colorations that look intentional. Humans have bred dogs to behave and look a certain way. Even mixed dogs tend to have color markings that are breed-specific based on their lineage.

Location

Based on location alone, you can almost always rule out a wolf or a coyote. Gray wolves are found throughout Canada, Eurasia, and the Middle East with a few pockets in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and as of January 2020, Colorado. Red wolves are found exclusively in North Carolina and coyotes are found throughout North America.

Other considerations

• Coyotes and foxes can be melanistic (black in color) but it is very rare. Therefore, any animal you may see in the wild or in photos that is black will either be a wolf or a dog, usually. 
• As a general rule, wolves and coyotes do not have blue or green eyes. Usually their eyes are yellow or brown and very rarely gray. Any canines with distinctly blue or green eyes will be dogs. Also, be aware of photo manipulation on the internet; wolf pictures are often modified to look more mystical. 
• Foxes are tiny in comparison to wolves, dogs, and coyotes so there should never be any confusion. 

Sources

1."Alaskan Malamute." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 10 Aug. 2017. Web.

2. "Red Fox." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 8 Aug. 2017. Web.

3. "Red Wolf." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 7 Aug. 2017. Web.

4. Ried, Fiona A. A Field Guide to Mammals of North America. New York: Hougton Mifflin Company, 2006. Print

5. "Siberian Husky." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 3 Aug. 2017. Web.