48 Wolf-Like Dogs That Are Actually Just Big Floofs

Some time ago, Bored Panda published an article about a woman who brought her rescue dog to the vet for a regular checkup. Upon entering the office and seeing the dog, the vet dropped whatever he was holding in his hands. It turned out that what the woman thought to be a really big dog was, in fact, a wolf dog. “But what is a wolfdog?” you may ask. The name itself sounds like it came from a fantasy tale. To be honest, they do look like some mystic creatures.  

It is common knowledge that dogs and wolves come from the same family and are very closely related. And while big dogs and wolves generally look a lot like each other, there are some wolf-like dogs that are very difficult to distinguish from real wolves. Most dog breeds that look like wolves are hybrids, meaning they are part dog, part wolf. The closer the wolf part is on their family line (for example, one of the parents was a wolf, as opposed to a great aunt a couple of generations in the past), the more the pup will look like a wolf too. This type of crossbreeding is mostly done for scientific purposes, though sometimes it can very well occur naturally. 

If you are wondering which dogs look like wolves, check out Northern Inuit dogs. Remember the dire wolves from Game of Thrones? Yep, that’s the one. Others include the Swedish Vallhund, Belgian Tervuren, and more. Even more common Alaskan malamutes and Siberian huskies are considered wolf dogs.  

Wolf dogs are regarded as pets even though they come with extra responsibility for their owners due to their sheer size and also because they have more acute prey instincts. But if you are thinking of acquiring a pet wolf, this might not be the best idea. Don’t forget that wolves are wild animals and, as such, need to live in nature. If you happen to have rescued a wolf (congrats!) and, for certain reasons, it can’t return to its natural habitat, consider handing the animal over to a sanctuary or other professionals who are equipped to handle wild animals.  

Check out the photos of dogs that look like wolves that we collected for this article, and if you happen to know another gorgeous creature from this family, share their pics in the comments.