This hormonal change is often coupled with behavioral changes in the animal. Sexual maturity of wolves signals a shift in hormone quantity and balance. Wolves and dogs mature at different rates, which makes the physical and mental development of a hybrid animal unpredictable. However, just as with any wild animal, their behavior will always retain some unpredictability. Thanks to the researchers’ hard work, we are able to understand the wolf’s reactions to different situations based on their inherent instincts. Their behavioral characteristics have been studied and observed for many decades by researchers, and much has been published about their social dynamics, hunting behavior and territorial nature. Governed by their instincts, wolves, both in the wild and in captivity, exhibit behavior that is relatively consistent. Although hybrids can occur naturally in the wild, they are rare because the territorial nature of wolves leads them to protect their home ranges from intruding canines such as dogs, coyotes and other wolves. In other words, wolves can interbreed with dogs, and their offspring are capable of producing offspring themselves. Wolves and dogs are interfertile, meaning they can breed and produce viable offspring. The genes they express, have been altered to varying degrees from their wild counterpart and help them live that domestic life well (Addams, and Miller 2012). In essence, the selective breeding process has put a different set of pressures on dogs, shaping them so that they are more dependent on humans for their survival and make them flexible to our way of living. Through this process, a dog’s behavior, life cycle and physiology have become permanently altered from that of a wolf. WolfLink Virtual Learning for adults & groups.
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