What happens if you put a puppy next to a newborn wolf?

This is a controversial issue, involving knowledge of animal behavior, evolution, genetics, and many other aspects .

Animal behavior and evolution

To answer this question, we first need to understand animal behavior and evolution. Animal behavior is the result of their adaptation and survival , and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Evolution is the process by which organisms evolve to adapt to their environment , primarily through the action of natural selection.

Wolves are wild animals with a strong sense of family and social behavior. They live in the wild and need to cooperate with each other to hunt, reproduce and protect their territory.

In a tightly hierarchical wolf pack, the female wolf usually becomes the pack leader, leading the pack and maintaining territory and pack order.

Dogs are close relatives of wolves.

Dogs are close relatives of wolves , after a long period of domestication by humans, dogs have become human pets. Compared with wolves, dogs have lost much of their original wildness and social behavior, but still have some social skills and group recognition.

From the above characteristics, it can be seen that wolves and dogs are both highly social animals . Their behavior and evolutionary process have many similarities but also some differences.

Experiments and behavioral research

To find out whether wolves treat puppies as their own, scientists conducted a series of behavioral experiments and studies. Below we will explore the results and findings of these experiments and studies.

Wolf pack.

Experiment 1: An experiment by Canadian researchers

In one experiment, Canadian researchers placed a puppy next to a newborn female wolf in a brand-new wolf den. The researchers observed the interactions and behaviors between the wolf and the puppy.

Observations showed that the female wolves did not treat the puppies as if they were their own. On the contrary, the female wolves showed a certain degree of restlessness and rejection, and would try to force the puppy out of the wolf den. In some cases, the female wolves even bit the puppy, showing aggressive behavior.

The conclusion of this experiment was that wolves do not regard puppies as their own children.

Wolves do not regard puppies as their own children.

Experiment 2: Experiment by Italian researchers

Italian researchers used a medium-sized dog and an Arctic wolf in their experiments. They placed newborn puppies between the wolf and the dog, then observed their interactions and behavior.

The results showed that the Arctic wolves displayed some curious behavior, but did not display any maternal behavior. Instead, they displayed aggressive behavior, even biting the puppies in some cases.

However, when the researchers separated the puppies from the medium-sized dogs in two cages, the Arctic wolves showed certain responses, such as sniffing the puppies and circling around the front of the cage. This suggests that the wolves may be aware of the presence of other animals around them, but do not regard the puppies as their own.

From the results of these experiments and studies, it can be seen that wolves do not regard puppies as their own children, and their behavior and expression towards puppies are also different from their own children .

 Wolves' behavior and expression towards puppies is also different from their own.

Why don't wolves treat puppies as their own children?

This refers to why animals evolve and behave. The behavior and evolution of wolves are influenced by many factors , such as environment, resources, genes, etc. They are a relatively primitive animal with strong wild and family instincts.

In the wild, wolves need to work together to hunt, reproduce, and defend their territory.

Dogs are close relatives of wolves, but as humans have domesticated and bred them, their genes and behavior have gradually changed . Humans have selected and bred dogs so that their social behavior, cognition, and emotional expression are different from those of wolves in the wild. As a result, the behavior and evolution of dogs and wolves have been affected differently.

The behavior and evolution of dogs and wolves have been affected differently.

Wolves, on the other hand, are very aggressive when their young and territory are taken away from them. When wolves encounter creatures like puppies, they do not see the puppies as their own children but as competitors or potential prey.

Additionally , dogs and wolves differ in their social hierarchies and behaviors . In the wild, wolves establish social structures and rules through kinship, status, and behavior between groups. Dogs are more likely to form close relationships with humans and play different roles in the family and society.

Therefore, the behavior and evolution between wolves and dogs are very different, wolves will not regard puppies as their own children , this is due to the differences in behavioral habits and ecological adaptation mechanisms of different species in nature.