Comparing the tractability of young hand-raised wolves (Canis lupus) and dogs (Canis familiaris).

ABSTRACT: Dogs live in 45% of households, integrated into various human groups in various societies. This is certainly not true for wolves. We suggest that dogs' increased tractability (meant as individual dogs being easier to control, handle and direct by humans, in contrast to trainability defined as performance increase due to training) makes a crucial contribution to this fundamental difference. In this study, we assessed the development of tractability in hand-raised wolves and similarly raised dogs. We combined a variety of behavioural tests: fetching, calling, obeying a sit signal, hair brushing and walking in a muzzle. Wolf (N = 16) and dog (N = 11) pups were tested repeatedly, between the ages of 3-24 weeks. In addition to hand-raised wolves and dogs, we also tested mother-raised family dog

SUBMITTER: Ujfalussy DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7477132 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature