What makes a dog a dog and a wolf a wolf?
I can’t recall why it was many months ago that I came across the website of Frontiers in Science. But I did and, in particular, I came across a fundamental difference between the two species. In an article entitled: A simple reason for a big difference: wolves do not look back at humans, but dogs do. I’m going to take a chance, as in not having formal permission to republish it, in reposting it in full here. Because it means so much to me and other dog lovers!
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A simple reason for a big difference: wolves do not look back at humans, but dogs do.
Adám Miklósi, Enikö Kubinyi, József Topál, Márta Gácsi, Zsófia Virányi and Vilmos Csányi
Department of Ethology, Eötvös University, Budapest, Pázmány P. 1c, 1117, Hungary. miklosa@ludens.elte.hu
The present investigations were undertaken to compare interspecific communicative abilities of dogs and wolves, which were socialized to humans at comparable levels. The first study demonstrated that socialized wolves were able to locate the place of hidden food indicated by the touching and, to some extent, pointing cues provided by the familiar human experimenter, but their performance remained inferior to that of dogs. In the second study, we have found that, after undergoing training to solve a simple manipulation task, dogs that are faced with an insoluble version of the same problem look/gaze at the human, while socialized wolves do not. Based on these observations, we suggest that the key difference between dog and wolf behavior is the dogs’ ability to look at the human’s face. Since looking behavior has an important function in initializing and maintaining communicative interaction in human communication systems, we suppose that by positive feedback processes (both evolutionary and ontogenetically) the readiness of dogs to look at the human face has lead to complex forms of dog-human communication that cannot be achieved in wolves even after extended socialization.
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Actually, that article from the Department of Ethology at Eötvös University in Budapest is just an excuse for me to post three photographs confirming the good scientists results!
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There’s no question in my mind that millions of dog lovers across the world know the intimacy that is conveyed in a dog’s eyes!
Learning from Dogs 
That makes so much sense. My dog Coco always positions herself so that she can keep an eye on me.
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Thank you so much for your response and welcome to this place. What breed is Coco and how long has she been with you?
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we have this saying in my house – before we leave – we say – ‘don’t look at ’em’, ‘don’t do it’, ‘just don’t do it’ – ahhhh you did it……It is as if a knife is stabbed right in the heart – THOSE EYES! and she pours it on so thick. She does the ‘woe is me’ in the way Bette Davis could do the Bette Davis eyes. 🙂 Oh well, what can we do right?
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Know exactly what you mean! Yesterday, around the time we take Pharaoh, Hazel, Sweeny and Cleo for an afternoon walk Jean and I wanted to look at a possible project outside. Those four pairs of eyes made it very hard to close the door of them!
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When Jordan said goodbye to Pee before he left for college and all the subsequent exits, he cried/cries. He said it was the eyes. It reminds me of when I left my boys in preschool for the first time. I remember the teacher saying turn and go – don’t look back. It is hurting you more than it is hurting them. With my Pee, I am not so certain. I mean I know she goes right to sleep, but after almost 8 years of being taken to work everyday and now – no – it is hard to say goodbye. But every morning I leave her on her couch with a cookie, kiss her head and say see you in a few hours. I turn and scram. Fast.
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Then again if Pee didn’t know how much he is loved then he wouldn’t be so ‘clingy’!
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Loved this post Paul.. and yes ‘that look’ is there .. You can see it when they are happy or sad…I watched a Dog rescue programme only the other week.. of a breeding farm raid.. So many poorly treated dogs… The look of someone giving them affection.. And their transformation stories was tear jerking to say the least.. But one only had to look in the dogs eyes to know they said thank you and were now in a happier state..
Thank you for this Paul
Sue
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Sue, you know as well as I do that I only write the posts for this place because of the wonderful support I receive from people such as your goodself!
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I met a huge wolf in the wild, from 3 meters away. I will never forget it. He had complete capability to look at me in the eye, and he indulged in it thoroughly. He was immensely intelligent, more like a baboon than like a dog. We read each others’ eyes. I had interrupted his hunt by accident. Complete understanding was achieved on both sides, silently, and efficiently.
So I do think that what is deficient in the wolf is not the capability, but the INCLINATION, to look in a human eye. I would also be careful with the concept of “socialization” in wolves.
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Patrice, your replies are always appreciated, of course. But the authors of the science paper were comparing the behaviours of wolves and dogs that had become familiar with humans. As the text above explains.
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I understand. And I understood. The behavior space of wolves is much bigger than that of wolves. Thus they are less inclined to look to men as gods as dogs are.
Thus a wolf will never become as “familiar” with humans as a dog is. It’s, basically, below the dignity of the wolf.
The same sort of problem occurs when comparing intellectual performances of variegated species. A chimp can perform much less well than a border collie. Because the latter is anxious to please, and the other has different things to do, plus very bad character, if demeaned, and the ability to destroy any unarmed human in seconds.
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The science paper referred to made a very interesting study. Much of what you say is in alignment with the research scientists.
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I am curious if anyone else has had this happen. Our beautiful female Doberman was 15 when she became terminally ill. Up until then, she ALWAYS looked us in our eyes with her beautiful calm gaze and have numerous photos. But, the last couple weeks of her life, we attempted to take her photo and she would look away from our camera. Our last ‘shots’ of her are of her averted gaze. Any thoughts or experience? Thanks, love all your efforts here, I’m a recent subscriber!
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Oh Glenda, that is such a sad tale. Albeit, fifteen is a grand age for a Doberman! In the next hour I will ask Jeannie if she has had such experiences. Over her many years of rescuing and re-homing dogs Jean has accumulated an enormous experience of dogs. Indeed, when we first me, Jean had sixteen dogs at home! Sadly we are now only eight.
And welcome to my funny old blog! Lovely to have you leave a comment and I do hope you will be a regular participant. Paul
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Thank you sir, I will consider it an honor! She was a lovely lovely girl…I first brought her home as an 8 week old from just outside of Grants Pass. I lived in MFR at the time. She was the second of my 2 ‘red’, ears down Dobermans, stunning dogs, I miss them to this day. They both made it to 15…I’M the lucky one…
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Glenda, I’m Paul not ‘Sir’! 😉
Chatted to Jean and she hadn’t had similar experiences. In fact, we lost Dhalia a little over a month ago from bone cancer and the night before she died, both of us can recall Dhalia looking at us.
Can’t close without mentioning that we live on Hugo Road, a few miles from Merlin. Small world.
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Yes, found your blog before I knew where you call home! Brought a smile to my face to know we shared that southern Oregon experience. Moved there in ’78, didn’t leave until ’01. My other Dobie came from Shady Cove! Also found friends at southern Oregon Humane Society AND knew the postmaster in Merlin waaaay back and he found us our Shepard/Collie mix, Booker. ALL SUCH good dogs. Much good fortune to you and Jean always. Will look forward to more ‘get-togethers’ here in the virtual… !! Yes, the world IS small, and getting smaller, in a GOOD way!
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Us too! Just read your reply out to Jean. Best wishes!
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A few years ago there was a show on National Geographic called “Dog Genius” and it dealt with the evolution of dogs from wolves and how they had become socialized to live with humans in a cohesive manner. It was a great segment and I have looked for it since, but with no luck. If you run across it, watch and see if you like it as much as I did.
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Thanks for that mention. Will make a point of looking for that.
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Oh by the way, your photos of your dogs are so sweet. What beautiful babies.
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Thank you! 🙂
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