Dog–wolf differences: caution is needed to avoid overgeneralisation of scanty data

Published on July 13, 2022

Imagine you meet two people and based solely on their appearances, you conclude that all humans have the same personality traits and behaviors. It’s not a fair assessment, right? Well, the same caution should be applied when comparing dogs and wolves. A recent review of dog domestication theories challenges the idea that dogs and humans went through a similar process of self-domestication. While we agree with this claim, we believe that making sweeping conclusions such as ‘dogs lack enhanced social and cognitive skills, and are not less aggressive than wolves’ is problematic. The data supporting these claims is limited and not well-defined. As scientists, we need to be wary of overgeneralizing from scanty information. By delving deeper into the topic, we can explore other potential factors that may contribute to the behavioral differences between dogs and wolves. It’s an exciting field of study that invites us to question our assumptions and have a more nuanced understanding of our furry friends. To learn more about this fascinating research, check out the full article.

A recent review of dog domestication theories claims that dog–wolf comparisons do not support the idea that dogs and humans underwent a similar ‘self-domestication’ process [1]. Though we agree with this claim, we argue that conclusions such as ‘dogs do not show increased socio-cognitive skills and they are not less aggressive than wolves’ (abstract) are neither well-founded nor adequately specified.

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