Quck answer
Wolves have been proven to have a greater problem-solving ability than domesticated dogs, according to a study by Austrian researchers. This is because wolves have retained some of their natural instincts, which dogs have lost through domestication. The study found that wolves were more successful in solving a problem that involved pulling a piece of meat attached to a string out of a container, as they were more persistent and didn’t give up as easily as dogs. However, dogs still have their own unique intelligence and are highly trainable due to their ability to understand human cues and language.
Pets
According to research conducted at the Wolf Science Center in Vienna, Austria, wolves have a superior ability to comprehend cause and effect compared to domestic dogs. Michelle Lampe/Wolf Science Center
My chocolate labrador, Loretta Lou, is one of the most clever dogs I know. She learned to catch a frisbee in no time at all, and can precisely identify the used cat cans in the sink’s recycling bag. (If only she could put them back.) She also sits when I raise a finger, and jumps off the bed when I nod my head. In a nutshell, Loretta is incredibly intelligent. So, I was intrigued when I read a study that suggested wolves may be more intelligent in certain ways than Loretta and all of her canine peers.
The study, published in the September 2017 edition of Scientific Reports, was conducted by a team of international researchers from the Wolf Science Center in Vienna, Austria. They discovered that domesticated dogs are unable to make the connection between cause and effect, whereas wolves can.
The team made this conclusion after testing how the two species searched for food following hints about its location. They used 14 dogs and 12 socialised wolves in their experiments. During the tests, the animals were presented with two containers, one with food and one without. The researchers first determined whether the animals could understand “communicative clues,” by pointing and looking at the container with food.
The researchers then wanted to observe how the dogs and wolves responded to “behavioural cues.” The experimenter pointed to the container with food, but did not make eye contact with the animals. Finally, in the last experiment, the animals had to deduce which container concealed the hidden food using only “causal clues,” such as noises produced when the experimenter shook the container with food.
Both the wolves and dogs succeeded in the communicative clue tests, and all of them found the hidden food. However, both species failed the behavioural cue portion. Without direct eye contact, neither dogs nor wolves could locate the food. During the final portion of the test, only the wolves were able to make causal inferences about the food’s location. In other words, the scientists stated that the wolves, rather than the dogs, comprehended cause and effect.
“The results of our study suggest that domestication has affected the causal understanding of our dogs,” said study author Michelle Lampe from Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands in a statement. “It cannot be excluded, however, that the differences can be explained by the fact that wolves are more persistent in exploring objects than dogs. Dogs are conditioned to receive food from us, whereas wolves have to find food themselves in nature.”
Researchers were surprised that the wolves were able to interpret direct eye-to-eye contact. They believe that this understanding of communicative cues may have “facilitated domestication.”
The study is also unique in that it used dogs that lived in both packs and with families. “The results of the dogs were independent of living conditions. This makes our study the first to make a valid comparison between these two animal groups in this particular set-up,” said study author Juliane Kaminski from the University of Portsmouth in England in a statement.
Meanwhile, Loretta Lou is taking a nap.
Fascinating Discovery
Scientists have recently discovered that certain breeds of dogs, such as chocolate labs and coonhounds, are believed to have evolved from a shared ancestor with wolves between 11,000 and 30,000 years ago. According to a 2014 study published in PLoS Genetics, genetic similarities between modern dogs and wolves can be attributed to interbreeding, rather than a direct lineage from one group of wolves.
FAQ
1. Do wolves have a higher intelligence level than dogs?
Yes, studies show that wolves have a higher intelligence level than dogs. Wolves are capable of solving complex problems and have a better understanding of cause and effect. They also have a better memory than dogs and can remember things for a longer period of time.
2. Are wolves easier to train than dogs?
No, wolves are not easier to train than dogs. Wolves have a strong sense of independence and are less willing to obey commands than dogs. Dogs have been selectively bred over thousands of years to be more obedient and trainable.
3. Can wolves be domesticated like dogs?
No, wolves cannot be fully domesticated like dogs. While they can form bonds with humans, they still have a strong instinct to hunt and can become dangerous if they feel threatened. Domesticated dogs have been bred to be more tolerant of humans and less aggressive.
4. Do wolves have better problem-solving skills than dogs?
Yes, wolves have better problem-solving skills than dogs. They have a better understanding of cause and effect and can solve complex problems more easily. Wolves have also been observed using tools in the wild, which is a sign of their higher intelligence level.
5. Why are dogs more obedient than wolves?
Dogs have been selectively bred over thousands of years to be more obedient and trainable. Humans have chosen the most obedient and easily trainable dogs to breed, which has led to the development of many different dog breeds with varying levels of obedience. Wolves, on the other hand, have not been selectively bred for obedience and have a stronger sense of independence.
6. Are there any advantages to owning a wolf over a dog?
No, there are no advantages to owning a wolf over a dog. Wolves are wild animals and require a lot of space and specialized care. They can also become dangerous if they feel threatened or if their hunting instincts are triggered. Dogs, on the other hand, have been bred to be loyal companions and can provide many benefits to their owners.
7. Can wolves and dogs interbreed?
Yes, wolves and dogs can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring. However, these hybrids can be unpredictable in their behavior and are not recommended as pets. In some cases, they may exhibit traits of both wolves and dogs, making them difficult to train and care for.
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