Volume 171, March 2014, Pages 232–245
Review
Warring brothers: The complex interactions between wolves (Canis lupus) and dogs (Canis familiaris) in a conservation context
Highlights
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- We reviewed the various and complex interactions between wolves and dogs.
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- Our goal is to assess the potential impact of dogs on wolf populations.
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- Dogs can have both positive and negative effects on wolf conservation.
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- There is a strong need for more research on direct/indirect impacts of dogs on wolves.
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- Management of wolf–dog relationships implies a societal approach on boundaries.
Abstract
Although
both wolves and dogs have been the subjects of numerous studies in many
disciplines, the complex relationships between them have not yet been
synthesized within a common review, and neither has it been placed in a
holistic conservation context. Information and data are spread across
numerous publications from different disciplines that rarely interact.
Dogs have become the most common carnivore and their population is still
increasing. In a context of wolf recovery in multi-use landscapes,
there is a growing concern among conservationists for the potential
negative impact of dogs on wolf conservation. With this paper we aim to
review the numerous and complex interactions existing between wolves and
dogs, using literature from disciplines as diverse as history,
archeology, anthropology, genetics, ecology, and epidemiology in order
to better understand the wolf–dog relationship and its potential impact
on wolf conservation. Starting with their phylogenetic relationship and
following a summary of the current knowledge on the dog’s ancestry we
explore how dogs can represent a direct threat for wolves through
hybridization, disease transfer and competition. The review highlights a
number of ways in which dogs can impact wolf conservation, although a
general lack of data and conclusive studies is a common theme that
emerges for many topics. Then we analyse how dogs can mitigate
human–wolf conflicts through their role as livestock guardians or wolf
hunters. Finally we describe the complex phenomenon of wolf predation on
dogs before discussing the wolf–dog relationships in general, with a
special focus on including a more anthropological perspective. The
review highlights the diversity of interactions between wolves and dogs,
that can be both negative and positive for wolf conservation. However,
more important than these direct impacts, the review highlights how the
wolf–dog relationship challenges human attempts to construct simple
dichotomies between wild and domestic, or between nature and culture.
The borders between these concepts are in fact much more fluid and
elusive than is often appreciated, and wolf conservation must adapt to
this more complex reality.
Graphical abstract
Wolf–dog complex relationship in a conservation context.
Keywords
- Wolf;
- Dog;
- Phylogenetics;
- Hybridization;
- Competition;
- Predation;
- Disease transmission;
- Conflicts;
- Wild-domestic boundaries
- Corresponding author. Address: 293 rue des Oiseaux de Passage, 34 980 Saint Gély du Fesc, France. Tel.:
+33 664365126.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
