What is Wolfiness?

The wolfiness score is an active area of research for our scientists! Importantly, it is not representative of recent wolf ancestry (which would be reflected in the breed results), but of the presence of some interesting, ancient genetic variants!

These 2 dozen or so “candidate domestication regions” (CDRs) are portions of the genome that scientists think were important in dog domestication, as they have very different patterns of genetic diversity in dogs versus wolves. We assign each dog a wolfiness score based on markers within these regions.

Interestingly, some breeds tend to have higher-than-average wolfiness scores than others, such as northern breeds (Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, etc) and some ancient breeds (Shih Tzus, Shiba Inus, etc). 

While scientists don't yet know which traits might be associated with each CDR, the hope is that linking these wolfiness markers to traits and behavioral data will help us decode what each CDR means. One of the best ways to help us make these associations is to fill out our research surveys under the "Research" section.