The gray wolf or common wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest extant member of the dog family of mammals, the Canidae. The species was the world's most widely distributed mammal but has become extinct in much of Western Europe, in Mexico and much of the USA. Wolves occur primarily but not exclusively in wilderness and remote areas. Gray wolves are social predators that live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair, their offspring and, occasionally, adopted immature wolves. They primarily feed on ungulates, which they hunt by wearing them down in short chases. Gray wolves are typically apex predators throughout their range, with only humans and tigers posing significant threats to them. Genetic studies reaffirm that the gray wolf is the ancestor of the domestic dog.

The domestic dog (a union of Canis lupus familiaris and Canis lupus dingo is a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of the Canidae family of the mammilian order "Carnivora". The present lineage of dogs was domesticated from gray wolves about 15,000 years ago. Remains of domesticated dogs have been found in Siberia and Belgium from about 33,000 years ago. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. Most breeds of dogs are at most a few hundred years old, having been artificially selected for particular morphologies and behaviors by people for specific functional roles. Through this selective breeding, the dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal.

Gray Wolf                                                                   Dogs

Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Subfamily: Caninae Tribe: Canini[2] Genus: Canis Species: C. lupus

Conservation status Domesticated Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Species: C. lupus

Gray wolves are slender, powerfully built animals with large, deeply descending ribcages and sloping backs. Their abdomens are pulled in, and their necks heavily muscled. Their limbs are long and robust, with comparatively small paws. -          The front paws have five toes each, while the back paws have four. They are also capable of running at speeds of 56–64 kilometers per hour (35–40 mph). -           In cold climates, wolves can reduce the flow of blood near their skin to conserve body heat. The warmth of the footpads is regulated independently of the rest of the body, and is maintained at just above tissue-freezing point where the pads come in contact with ice and snow. -          The teeth are heavy and large, being better suited to bone crushing than those of other extant canids, the canine teeth are robust and relatively short (26 mm). -           The animal can develop a crushing pressure of perhaps 1,500 lbf/in2 compared to 750 lbf/in2 for a German shepherd. This force is sufficient to break open most bones, as well as cut through half inch lassos with one snap. -          The wolf relies on its sense of hearing as well as smell more so than sight. Their vision is comparable to that of humans. The wolfs eyes lacks a foveal pit. A depression at the back of the eyeball. This is what is used to focus at greater distances. It is believed that they can not distinguish much beyond 100 to 150 feet.

Like most predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, a cardiovascular system that supports both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching, holding, and tearing. -          A Siberian husky is a medium-sized dog. It has a compact and furred body. A male is about 21 to 23.5 inches and 45 to 60 pounds (20.5 to 27kg). A female is about 20 to 22 inches and 35 to 50 pounds (15.5 to 23cm). It has lots of colors and patterns. Common colors are black and white, grey and white, copper-red and white, and all white. -          The Siberian husky’s coat consists of two different layers, an undercoat and a topcoat. It helps the dog resist the rough weather. It can stand up to the temperature as low as -58℉ to -76℉ (-50℃ to -60℃). It does not have the undercoat during the shedding twice a year -          Dogs have disconnected shoulder bones (lacking the collar bone of the human skeleton) that allow a greater stride length for running and leaping. -          They walk on four toes, front and back, and have vestigial dewclaws on their front legs and sometimes on their rear legs -          Dogs are predators and scavengers, possessing sharp teeth and strong jaws for attacking, holding, and tearing their food. -          Like most mammals, dogs are dichromats and have color vision equivalent to red-green color blindness in humans. -          Dogs detect sounds as low as the 16 to 20 Hz frequency range (compared to 20 to 70 Hz for humans) and above 45 kHz (compared to 13 to 20 kHz for humans), and in addition have a degree of ear mobility that helps them to rapidly pinpoint the exact location of a sound.

The domestic dog was originally classified as Canis familiaris and Canis familiarus domesticus by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758, and was reclassified in 1993 as Canis lupus familiaris, a subspecies of the gray wolf Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. Overwhelming evidence from behavior, vocalizations, morphology, and molecular biology led to the contemporary scientific understanding that a single species, the gray wolf, is the common ancestor for all breeds of domestic dogs. Although mDNA suggest a split between dogs and wolves around 100,000 years ago no specimens predate 33,000 years ago that are clearly morphologically domesticated dog.

The wolf looks like its distant cousin the dog with the exception of longer legs and larger paws. One major difference anatomically speaking is a pre-caudal gland on the upper surface of the tail, a feature totally absent in all domestic dogs.

DNA evidence suggests that the first wild canine that was domesticated was the grey wolf; however, other types of wolves and also jackals, coyotes, wild dogs, dingoes, and even some varieties of fox got into the mix as well, as a result any dog may have a combination of genes from all these various members of the canine family. Researches know this fact because domestic dogs can interbreed with most of this species ( with some exceptions) so the offspring from such mating are live, healthy and fertile which is taking as evidence that they are all the same species or according to evolutionary theory have a relatively common ancestor. No wonder why so many different breeds have so many different physical appearances, behavioral styles and personalities.

The definition of Phenotype is "the genetically and environmentally determined physical appearance of an organism." In other words, (the parents and) the conditions create the appearance.

Malamutes & Siberians Husky’s LOOK like wolves, and in certain instances, ACT like wolves, because:

All dogs and wolves descended from a common ancestor (or primitive version of the wolf, the debate rages); and, the phenotype of the Northern Breeds is the best solution to the problem of the Arctic weather and conditions. The Northern breeds did not evolve MUCH past that phenotype, as other breeds have because most variations to the phenotype would be killed off.  A boxer would not survive because he wasn't built for the situation.

The phenotype for Northern Breeds describes what works in the Arctic:

-          Thick, waterproof, double coat;

-          Bushy tail he can curl around his nose to warm his breath while sleeping; Long nose to warm the air before it reaches his lungs;

-          A seasonal oil deposit under his eyebrows which moves when he shakes his head and helps to shake off accumulated snow;

-          Thickly furred, prick ears to prevent frostbite;

-          Long legs to get through accumulated snow;

-          Pain tolerance;

-          Ability to think for himself in order to survive in a hostile environment;

-          Pack mentality that helps hunting & pulling (i.e. community survival);

-          Friendliness to strangers (lack of guarding instinct) in a nomadic community where people come and go frequently;

-          Howls, to communicate across large distances with the rest of the pack/family; and almond shaped, obliquely shaped eyes to keep them from freezing in the cold wind.

So any Northern Breed that did NOT have these specific characteristics would have a harder time surviving in the Arctic, whether it was a wolf or a dog. Manipulation of the phenotype is nothing new for the domesticated dog breeds. We have manipulated every breed of dog for desired results.

-          Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve, and you can't stop them from chasing a tennis ball;

-          Australian Shepherds have had the "kill" instinct modified to make them good herders;

-          Basset Hounds have been bred for short legs to go to ground easier;

-          Bloodhounds have been bred to produce the floppy jowls and ears that aid tracking;

-          Afghans are leggy sprinters with keen eyesight to chase prey visually;

-          Malamutes were bred big and strong to pull great weights; and

-          Siberians are small and energetic to move cargo quickly.

In summary, environmental pressure has kept the Northern breeds close to the original phenotype. In the process we have tailored these dogs to their specific job, i.e. pulling in harness and living in human society; but the Malamute and the Siberian DID evolve past the original phenotype because of the changing environment. Northern breeds are puppy versions of the wolf.  Compared to adult wolves, they have shorter & blockier muzzles, shorter legs, stockier bodies, larger heads, and they are smaller (with a few individual exceptions). Their behavior is also puppyish, i.e., submissive to humans, and generally friendly to other dogs (again exceptions).  These are important differences.  Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years; at best, wolves are socialized or tamed, but they are NOT domesticated