Northwest Naturals

“Your dog is a wolf in the same way you’re a ​​Pleistocene hunter-gatherer: the ancestry is real, but the creature that exists today has been ​​shaped by an entirely different world.”

​​​​Science Insights 3/28/26

In Part 1

In Part 1, we discussed the behaviors that had to change for wolves (Canis lupus) to evolve into dogs (Canis lupus familliaris). Lone wolves tend to be shy, but in packs they can be deadly predators, and neither of these behavior extreme...

The short answer is, no, of course, little Fluffy is not a big, wild wolf. When you go to sleep at night, you might worry that Fluffy will snore or steal the blankets, but you never worry about her eating you as a midnight snack. As far as behavior is concerned, dogs and wolves are quite different. While both dogs and wolves are members of the Canis lupus species, scientists ...

In 2025:   2,963,000 cats entered shelters and rescues

2,825,000 dogs entered shelters and rescues

In a country as wealthy and well educated as the United States, we should not have this astronomical number of unwanted and abandoned pets. But the above staggering and heart-breaking statistics illustrate a sad breakdown in responsible pet breeding and ownersh...