This is a controversial issue, involving knowledge of animal behavior, evolution, genetics and many other aspects.
Animal behavior and evolution
To answer this question, we first need to understand animal behavior and evolution. Animal behavior is the result of their adaptation and survival, and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Evolution is the process by which organisms evolve to adapt to their environment, mainly through the action of natural selection.
Wolves are wild animals with a strong sense of family and social behavior. They live in the wild and need to cooperate with each other to hunt, reproduce and protect their territory.
In a wolf pack with a strict hierarchy, the female wolf often becomes the leader of the pack, leading the pack and maintaining territory and pack order.
Dogs are close relatives of wolves, after a long period of domestication by humans, dogs have become pets of humans. Compared with wolves, dogs have lost many of their original wildness and social behavior, but still have some social skills and group recognition.
From the above characteristics, it can be seen that wolves and dogs are both highly social animals, their behavior and evolution have many similarities but also some differences.
Behavioral experiments and research
To find out whether wolves regard puppies as their own children, scientists have conducted a series of behavioral experiments and research. Below we will learn about the results and findings of these experiments and research.
Experiment 1: An experiment by Canadian researchers
In an experiment, Canadian researchers placed a puppy next to a newborn female wolf in a brand new wolf den. The researchers observed the interactions and behaviors between wolves and puppies.
The observations showed that the female wolves did not treat the puppies as if the puppies were their own. On the contrary, the female wolves showed a certain degree of restlessness and rejection, and would try to force the puppies out of the wolf den. In some cases, the female wolves even bit the puppies, showing aggressive behavior.
The conclusion of this experiment was that the wolves did not treat the puppies as their own children.
Experiment 2: Experiment by Italian researchers
The Italian researchers used a medium-sized dog and an Arctic wolf in their experiments. They placed the newborn puppies between the wolf and the dog, and then observed their interactions and behaviors.
The results showed that the Arctic wolf showed some curious behaviors, but did not show any maternal behaviors. Instead, they showed aggressive behavior, even biting the puppies in some cases.
However, when the researchers separated the puppies from the medium-sized dogs in two cages, the Arctic wolves showed certain reactions, such as sniffing the puppies and circling around the front of the cage. This suggests that the wolves may be aware of the presence of other animals around them, but do not regard the puppies as their own.
From the results of these experiments and studies, it can be seen that wolves do not regard puppies as their own children, and their behavior and expression towards puppies are also different from their own children.
Why don’t wolves regard puppies as their own children?
This refers to the reason why animals evolve and behave. The behavior and evolution of wolves are influenced by many factors, such as environment, resources, genes, etc. They are a relatively primitive animal with a strong wild and family nature.
In the wild, wolves need to cooperate with each other to hunt, reproduce, and protect their territory.
Dogs are close relatives of wolves, but as humans domesticated and bred them, their genes and behavior gradually changed. Humans selected and bred dogs so that their social behavior, cognition, and emotional expression were different from those of wolves in the wild. Therefore, the behavior and evolution of dogs and wolves were affected differently.
As for wolves, they are very fierce when their own children and territories are taken away. When wolves encounter creatures such as puppies, they do not regard the puppies as their own children but as competitors or potential prey.
In addition, dogs and wolves differ in their social hierarchy and behavior. In the wild, wolves establish social structures and rules through kinship, status, and behavior between groups. Dogs are more likely to establish close relationships with humans and play different roles in the family and society.
Therefore, the behavior and evolution between wolves and dogs are very different, wolves will not regard puppies as their own children, this is due to the differences in behavioral habits and ecological adaptation mechanisms of different species in the wild.
