fdd f: Canine Wolf or Wolfdog vs Dog Breed?
There are a lot of breeds, like English Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog that can kill a wolf, but it's important which of them is taller. I think wolfs are no bigger than German Shepherds that is 24 - 26 inches and 75 - 140 pounds. But I know that English Mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds, and Great Danes have to be taller. I know that the tallest is Irish Wolfhound then Borzoi and then Great Dane and English Mastiff. HOW TALL DOES A MATURE GREY WOLF GET?
Photo Credit: Tambako the Jaguar/Flickr CC
Also, Irish wolfhounds were bred to kill wolfs, actually, they made a wolf species go extinct.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Max
In Europe, people use dogs specially designed for stock protection against wolves. They work in packs and they don't fight against wolfs as single dogs. Wolf is a predator who kills dogs for food as well.
Answer by Arnold Carilo
Anytype of tall bulldog mix, mastiff/mastiff mix, great dane, pitbull can kill a wolf. They were used for these reasons in the past while herding animals and some were used for hunting bears and yes even lions which can kill a wolf easily. However, they must be fit dogs who are well exercised at least gets an hour a day walking, or else it just a poor weak dog.
There is a reason wolves hunt in a pack and that's because they are not powerful animals and need backup so I don't know why people keep saying wolves are strong and can kill such dogs. There is proof if you look really deep in these dogs' history. Wolves attack in a pack and will run away if alone.
Mastiffs were even used in wars when people used swords to fight alongside knights. Dogs and wolfs don't get alone for some reason and are each other's worst enemy so the idea that dogs come from wolves is just a theory that doesn't have concrete evidence to prove it. Just cause an animal looks like another shouldn't mean they evolve from another. Apparently, two similar-looking species couldn't be created at the same time, or it's hard to believe so.
- Can a single Irish Wolfhound kill a wolf by itself?
- Can a Caucasian Shepherd dog kill a wolf?
- A Shepherd Dog Kills Two Wolves Documentary Video
- Who would win in a fight between a wolf and a pit bull?
Answer by Cory
a lot of people think pit bulls and other dogs can kill a wolf. remember one thing all those dogs have to be trained to kill a wolf. wolves don't have to because wolves are always HUNTING AND KILLING
a lot of animals wolves know naturally how to kill a house dog has to be trained to kill one more thing when wolves are done with one meal they start hunting for the next meal so naturally wolves
are the DOMINATE SPECIES OF DOG. If you don't like what I said you can kiss my fucking ass
because I know what I said is true peace out
Answer by W.
Sounds like you have done your research on dog breeds. You can find the info on the wolf the same way. ;)
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
kaekae says
Also, I read up on Irish Wolfhounds. They were bred to kill wolves one on one and did it very efficiently for generations. So much in fact that they pretty much made wolves extinct in their homeland. Making the breed obsolete. They were said to not only kill wolves, but had the power to snatch up the dead wolf by its haunches and carry it away. So to say the wolf is superior to most dogs is believable. But to all dogs, simply isn't true. Not every wolf is equal, same as any dog. Healthy or otherwise.
Ben says
Irish Wolfhound is extinct more than a hundred years ago. Today ‘s Irish Wolfhound is a shadow of the original breed. The kind of dogs you mentioned are no match for wolves. The few breeds of dogs can take on a wolf one on one are the shepherd dogs. The great Kangals, Alabais, Tornjaks, and related breeds are the proven dogs that will give the wolves a run for their money. We also have to consider the northern wolves are bigger than their southern cousins. Grey wolves from Yellow Stone, the Canadian, or the wolves from northern Eurasian continents are huge. Can a Kangal/Alabai/Tornjak defeat an alfa wolf one on one? The logical answer is up to certain individual dog. Check out dog-fights from Eurasia or Eastern Europe. These dog-fights are necessary for the shepherds. This is a realistic way for the shepherds to breed the best fighting dogs to guard flocks against wolves, leopards. and bears. In these dog-fights, most of the dog breeds you mentioned are easily defeated by the great Alabai/Kangal/Tornjak dogs. A few game APB terrier can outlast the great flock guardian dogs but even so, took tremendous punishments. Some fights were not stopped in time, the much larger flock guardian dog killed the APB terrier.
fred says
Ben, you are right in that the irish wolfhound became extinct but not for more than a 100 years. it was extinct for less that 10. it was brought back by Captain George Augustus Graham using half-breeds, deerhounds (closely related to the wolfhound) great danes(used for killing deer and boar) russian wolfhounds and mastiffs. but mostly he used the irish wolfhound half breeds that looked like the pure breds.. when he was finished he had a dog that looked like a dog from the old bloodline. why? because it was mostly that dog. but did it have the killer instinct to chase and kill a wolf? It did. in the 1900’s a couple of CO. ranchers bought a pair from the east coast to handle their wolf problem. they put them in with the pack of dogs that they had for hunting wolves, coyotes, etc. and the next morning the alpa male of the pack was dead, killed by the male wolfhound. they took the two wolfhounds out to hunt. they saw a wolf and let the male chase it. it chased it down and killed it – its first outing. so you need to read up things before you write. the irish wolf was the same size as the timber wolf. the big difference is the irish wolf did not hunt in packs as much as the grey wolf does. wolves, for their size, have a stronger bite that a dog, it;s because their jaws are formed in a different way. their teeth are longer and sharper because that are used to bite and tear so the prey dies from loss of blood. even with these advantages, if all things are equal, a 170 lb dog that was bred to kill wolves will do a nice job on a 100 lb wolf.
kaekae says
I've breed pit bulls for years, Snooty, Tabs, Kolby, Jeeps, Alligator Lionheads and trust me, some had incredible killer instinct. So much in fact that some oils had to be separated from the litter at 6-7 weeks. They simply hated other animals and they're intent was to kill if I didn't separate them. I know someone with a Tosa Inu. Very powerful dog, much like my presa, but less agile. I once saw a video of one killing a chimp in Japan. I doubt a wolf could do that. My aunt has a Dogo Argentine. Very athletic. And my buddy owns an Akita, which is highly people and dog aggressive. The pit bull I own now is a small female around 55 lbs. She's very fast and athletic, but doesn't have dog aggression. She's simply a great pet. That's all in need my dogs to be. I've known people over the yrs to make hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting their dogs. But I would never attend. I could stand to see an animal hurt like that. But u're right, its more than just the instinct to kill, its also about pain threshold. And a game dog would rather die than quit.
houuudak says
You basically say the same about pitbulls, it's interspecies agression. You can have gamebred APBT around other animals but not around dog. My friend breed them too, they hate dogs so they must be separated but they play with other animals quite without problem. For the dogs mentioned above i just refered to people talking about best fighting dog and similiar bullshit. Everyone think his breed is the best and can(t understand that the small, well bred 20 kg pitbull will fuck their monster dog up. The big dog arent just build up for long fight they were never bred for it. In 20 minutes they get hypoglycaemic shock and refuse fight on. As for the killing chimp, i think itš sick but does it prove anything?
There used to be videos on the net where Dogos kill the cougar, Gull terr biting chained bear in Pakistan and similiar shit.. At first it's disgusting and secondly when you dig deeper, look at the video carefully so you can see the cougar doesn't have claws, is drugged and the same goes with the bear. So what do i think about these videos? Sick fun for sick people..They dont wanna see good fight they want to see dogs killing defenseless animals..
What i wanna say, wolf were created by nature to work best in nature. Since the small cub they play games, fight for hierarchy and so on. The casual dog doesn't. So for me, as i said the healthy male 50 kg wolf is a superior fighter to any dogs. As for the killer instinct I dont think that there is just one dog that has same prey drive as a wolf.
kaekae says
Yeah, that's crazy. This chimp wasn't drugged though. He'd killed several dogs prior to this Tosa getting in a crucial bite. In China and Japan, they fight any and everything. No dog nor wolf could kill a cougar one on one. He's too agile and his claws are like knives. However, they can outlast him, because cougars have very limited stamina. U're pretty much right about pit bulls, but I will say this. I knew a top notch pit bull breeder that literally paid his way thru college and med school by fighting his dogs. He was the person who first introduced me to the Presa Canario breed. He'd owned, Rottweilers, Cane Corso, Neapolitan Mastiff and English Bulldogs. He always maintained that his pits were the superior dog……until he got a 130 lb. Presa named Dirty. Dirty absolutely dominated his best 4 pit bulls, and this changed his whole mindset. He now breeds monsterous Presa!!! Incredible prey drive, pain threshold and stamina. They have a far superior bite to a pit bull, so one mistake is all they need. For fighting purposes, I'm not in need of any dog. But for guard dog purposes, my Presa is outstanding. His sheer size is so intimidating that people are afraid to even get close. But he is highly socialized and likes small animals and kids. He's just super protective of me. So what is ur opinion of the Caucasian?
kaekae says
I'm not really sure what rank that wolf held. He was by far the biggest in this pack and where I used to see them regularly, since his killing, neither I nor my neighbors have seen any of them. As far as a strange or unfamiliar area, they live in these woods and were often seen on the outskirts. I truly believe the sent of my other dog in heat made him bold. As for Roosevelt's journal, I've read much of it, and I'm not a fan. Sounds like a bunch of needless killing of animals. The dogs that he described were mostly hound dogs crossed with whatever for certain purposes. Mutts. I remember him saying his greyhound whipped a mastiff. That had to be a scary, clumsy, fat, lazy ass mastiff, because the mastiffs I know only need one bite and a greyhound would be dead. I totally disagree with dogs back then being better. Modern dogs have evolved. My presas mouth looks like a sharks mouth. Huge teeth and almost a 700 psi bite force. It's been tested. Agreed its more the individual than a particular breed though. But think about it like this. With all the money in dog fighting, there's a reason u don't see wolves fighting in dogfighting rings. Against a trained, well bred pit bull that wolf would jump out of the ring or die. I would bet its been tried before. I'm gonna research that.
houuudak says
Its pleasure to have a conversation with you:) About the journal you are right about needless killing but i refered to that just because of wolf hunting.. As for the greyhound x mastiff..Well, i dont believe hound would stand a chance nowadays but at the time why not, i guess they looked different..I have to strongly disagree what you disagree with,hehe:) The reason why i think so is then the dogs were bred for runction not like today.. What you see nowadays thats just rubbish..GSD, boxer, rottweiller, most of the mastiff breeds etc..Poor temperament, health problems..You are right about the pit, wolf would get killed there.. That was done in Russia but wolf was so shy and nervous of people and noise he didnt fight back at all… So i agree with you about ring but in wolf's territory or somewhere without people it would be different.
kaekae says
I too enjoy this debate. And my respect for wolves is definitely growing. I've been around and owned several fantastic dogs. Some of which were simply born killers. However, I would never intentionally put two animals against one another. I just like fierce, strong, aggressive animals. I'm reading more and more about grey wolves in the Midwest and Northern U.S. killing hunting dogs and backyard pets that have been left tied up. These are irresponsible owners. If u know predators, not only wolves, but cougar and bear are in the area, why would u expose ur pet to incident??? One pack of wolves recently killed a mountain lion. So a dog wouldn't stand a chance against a pack. People need to be more responsible. As for the fighting dog breeds of today, they're built to kill now, just like wolves. And unlike the hunting dogs of that era. In fact, some of these dogs are bred specifically to kill. Nothing else. I looked at that wolf's teeth and they were large, but its canines were no larger than my Presas, and the presa's head is much larger. The coat of the wolf was very thick though. So u're right, based on that alone, a good many dogs couldn't get a good enough bite, unless it was an immediate throat bite. My dogs combination of size, agility, fearlessness, and unbelievable jaw pressure was just too much. I really think he broke the wolf's neck. Either way, it'll never happen again because I'm fencing in my entire backyard, and the dogs will have their own covered area.
houuudak says
I dont like people who force the animal fight too. I think it's not about size of the canines. The best pit dog is APBT, hands down.. No other breed was specifically breed for the gameness in dog fight, although many people say other breed,Japanese say tosa inu, Argentinians talk about their mastiff, Turkish about Kangal etc. But it's bullshit, no other breed of dog is comparable to APBT. Trouble with APBt is that they dont have killing instinct they have unblocked social skills. Jagdterier has killing instinct but not APBT, it's interspecies agression.
Breeders also say that gameness is lost after breeding with wrong dogs, thats the reason why Amstaff, although biggest, stronger "show and standardized" pitbull has no chance against game bred pitbull. Although nearly the same, these are different breeds. Also, in dog fighting circles isnt most valued the dog that wins but the dog that never give ups, dog with dead game( it's also interesting as all hunt terriers that were tested against quarry are highly game dogs)
Reason why i write it, these type of selection based on survival of fittest, with killing instinct was never interrupted with volves.
houuudak says
i dont wanna argue with you. I just think you cant see it from my point of view. Just imagine fight between neanderthal man and modern man. In most of the cases modern man lose because of evolutionary body changes while older man was completely well adapted for hunting and killing. Thats all i mean, of course there are dogs that are able to take on wolf, but itš not breeed but individuals. But i still think that against healthy eastern europan or canadian male wolf, they wouldnt havce a much choice.. And to your Presa, the wolf killed definitelly wasnt alpha male as he would never go to unknown environment. It was more probably omega wolf but its my guess.
Anyway, read the Hunting the Grisly and Other Sketches by T. Roosewelt, he basically says the same I do, and the dogs at those time were gamer than now.
kaekae says
I read an article today on CNN.com where a pack of 7 wolves attack 3 women and their two dogs in Alaska. One dog got attacked by 3 of the wolves, but that dog was a pit bull. He fought all 3 wolves off by himself. I also read a story today about a Rottweiler fighting off 2 wolves that were stalking 2 children. He injured one bad enough for his owner to get a gun and finish the job. Evidently the other one ran away, but came back later and ate the dead one. So like I said, all dogs aren't punks.
houuudak says
can you post a link? i have read about the rottweiler too.. It had nothing to do with a fight, wolves were just stalking. The one was shot, not injured at all. Itš quite an old new and I have read about 4 diffierent version. As I work in media bussines i know how media works so dont trust everything you hear and read:)
kaekae says
I found both stories on Google. But the actual news link about the pit bull was on YouTube. The victims told the story. Basically the ladies were trying to save themselves, so the dog had to fight 3 wolves alone. He fought them off and was injured, but nothing serious. The link about the Rottweiler called him a hero. I've read many links now of wolf/dog conflicts. In each case, its either a whole pack of wolves on one or two dogs, or a dog being killed while its chained up and can't fight. Both incidents give the wolves an obvious advantage and most of the photos I've seen are of dogs that aren't built to defend themselves any way. Which takes me back to what I said originally. In a one on one fight with an aggressive breed that is built and trained to kill, the wolf is in trouble more times than not.
kaekae says
I have a question though. There are very few cases of wolves killing humans in the U.S. How often does this happen in other places? Or are they typically afraid of people? I was wondering because I cut my grass pretty close to the woods behind my house. Should I be looking over my shoulder, just in case?
houuudak says
You dont have to be afraid at all. I dont know how in other places but wolves try to avoid human here.
kaekae says
Ok. Good to know. I haven't seen any of them since the big one was killed. And I saw 2 rabbits in my yard yesterday. The rabbits, deer and geese had disappeared for a while there. I assumed the wolves were eating them. But now they're back, so maybe the wolves are gone. I really hate that incident happened, but my dog was defending his yard as well as my other dog. I guess its just one of those things.