Hey why dod dogs have a 30% smaller brain than wolves?

[Cherolei]

Why are dogs' brains smaller?

[SolitaryHowl]

Dogs, as they are domesticated, do not need the brain capacity to survive like wolves have to survive.

We provide our dogs with food. The wolves have to hunt for their own food.
We provide our dogs with water. The wolves have to find their own water, sometimes have to travel long distances for nourishment.
We provide our dogs with shelter. The wolves have to find their own shelter.
We protect our dogs from predators. The wolves have to avoid and keep a look-out for predators/danger at all times.

[Keeva]

That is all true but i would also like to point out that dogs are smarter than wolves when it comes to tricks and performing. Wolves can learn tricks but not as quickly as dogs, that is why they use hybrids in movies. But us as humans have bred this quality into them, while wolves are born to be all nature. Wolves are smarter in the sence of surviving, while dogs are bred to learn tricks and how to herd and track and retrive.

Hope i helped...... Rottweilers rule

[Fawnir]

Ok domesticated dogs are "watered down" The have been bred and bred down from their wolf cousins . Wolves are pure from thousands of years. They may have cross breeds but they are not bred for a specific look or purpose. So that is why they have larger brains.

Also as to the other comment. Wolf are EXTREAMLY smart and CAN learn tricks. I was at the Wolf Park and she was able to make the wolves do tricks. There was a seesaw there and the wolf balanced on this. They also have places they are told to go when they are needed for a photo session. They are taught tricks to make them easier to handle. In the movies some times hybrids are needed but wolves are often used for the movies. Just because a wolf is wild does not mean they are unable to learn things just like a dog can.

[Songdog]

That is all true but i would also like to point out that dogs are smarter than wolves when it comes to tricks and performing. Wolves can not learn tricks what so ever

This is because we domesticated dogs. They are tame.

A wolf can learn tricks, but it probably won't. You can train tigers and lions for movies, and they do. It's just difficult, and potentially dangerous. Why use a wolf when you can use a wolf-dog, or a dog look-alike? They're much easier to train, and few people will know the difference.

Some dogs have more brain mass than others. Dogs bred for herding and field work, such as collies and shepherds, are known to be some of the smartest dogs. Wolves have to be well-rounded in their traits, dogs do not. We have selectively specified which trains in dogs we want to stand out as superior. Scent hounds didn't need to be smart, because they were specialized in tracking. Fighting dogs don't need to be fast, because they were bred to be strong. Nowadays most dogs are just household companions, but they were originally bred to work.

When you specialize one trait, you neglect the other. Dogs don't need to use their brains to think or process as much information, but they are more capable of being taught to do tasks.

[Keeva]

See Songdog gets my point and she explained it way better than i did

[Songdog]

See Songdog gets my point and she explained it way better than i did

No, I refuted your points as being misleading or incorrect. You can teach wolves tricks, it's just easier and safer to use dogs or wolfdogs. Learning tricks doesn't necessarily mean it requires less brain mass, for dogs that are bred to herd sheep are very intelligent and often times free-thinking (Working without the shepherd's command)

Also, this does not account for feral dogs: dogs which do not rely on humans and are virtually untrainable. They are more or less 'wild animals' that survive on their own.

Your post was very general and did not provide the correct statements. I do not agree with it.

Saying that all dogs are smarter/stupider/faster/slower/stronger/weaker etc is a fallacy. Dogs vary from breed to breed, and cannot be compared on a large scale.

[Keeva]

See Songdog gets my point and she explained it way better than i did

No, I refuted your points as being misleading or incorrect. You can teach wolves tricks, it's just easier and safer to use dogs or wolfdogs. Learning tricks doesn't necessarily mean it requires less brain mass

There i rephrased my 1st reply better so you could get my point. I agree 100% with what you are saying I just didnt say it in the correct form like you did. It is correct that it vary form breed to breed. Some breeds have more skill in sertone things than others, 4 example: The bloodhound is better at tracking than the lab but the lab is better at retriving than the bloodhound, and the rottweiler is a better gard dog than the bichon frise but the bichon is better at circuse stuff than the rottei. Tell me you get my point..... Im totally agreeing with you i just didn't word it right.