A lot of people got confused when they see a husky and wolf together and believed that husky and wolf are long-lost brothers. Many scientists also assumed that dogs are evolved from a wolf as a result of cross-breeding, but the reality is, both of them are a separate breed of animals, and there are significantly higher numbers of differences between them.
The main difference between wolf and husky is the breed. A wolf is the largest member in the canine family while husky is a breed of dog.
Let’s understand the comparison chart to clear our confusion!
Comparison Chart
| Wolf | Husky | |
| Origin | Many scientists believed that the wolf originates from the Eurasian continent around a million years ago and migrated to North America 700,000 years ago | Thousands of years before, Siberian Husky was bred by the Chukchi Tribe in Russia since then Husky has been amongst the most popular in the family of dogs across the world |
| Appearance | Body of a wolf is covered with a thick fur that keeps them protected from the cold weather | The body of the husky is also covered with a thick fur, and both of these have an undercoat which insulates and retains their body heat |
| Height | The average size ranges from 31 – 34 inches long | On average, a male husky is in between 20 – 24 inches long while the female husky is in between 20 – 22 inches |
| Weight | Depending on the species, the average weight of a wolf is in between 50lbs to 200lbs | The weight of male husky is in between 45 – 60lbs while the weight of female husky is in between 30 – 50lbs |
| Head | It is universally said that “Wolves are highly intelligent and have bigger heads to support their big brains.” | The head of a husky is comparatively smaller than a wolf |
| Eyes | Wolves have beautiful coloured eyes that can go from sky gold to chocolate brown | Huskies also possess beautiful coloured eyes that can go from black, blue, to brown and sometimes they are even bi-eyed |
| Teeth | Wolves have larger canine teeth to enable him to hunt in a wild | Huskies also have large canine teeth but it is much smaller than wolves |
| Climate | Wolves can live and survive in almost all kinds of weather conditions (warm/humid/dry/cold) | Huskies cannot survive in hot and humid places |
| Temperament | A wolf is a wild carnivore animal who is fully mature enough to survive on his own | A husky is a domestic dog who is friendly with people |
| Legal Status | It is illegal to keep a wolf as a pet | It is permissible to keep husky as a pet |
What is Wolf?
Wolves belong to the class of the canine family that live in groups known as packs. It is a wild carnivore animal that can be found in many places throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Wolves are known to be brilliant creatures and become independent at a very young age (minimum of two years old). By nature, wolves are wild and temperamental who are not easy to train. Wolves are social animals that mostly live in a pack of 5 to 20 members in a usually quiet area far away from the human population.
They range in size considerably depending on where they live and from which species they belong. Some of them are only 55 pounds, while others can be up to 200 pounds. Unlike huskies, the wolf has much longer legs with larger paws which enable him to walk across many different landscapes such as from snowy glaciers to boiling desert sand.
Wolves generally have a big large head with golden or brown eyes. Its body is fully covered with a greyish-white thick fur with a much narrower chest and a reserved body language.
From research, it is found that the average lifespan of a wolf is from 6 – 8 years. At present, many species of wolves are considered to be endangered because people are hunting them to the point of extinction.
What is Husky?
Husky is a domestic dog that resembles a lot to the wolf. Thousands of years ago, husky was used to pull sledges in the Chukchi Tribe. They were trained to pull light loads at moderate speed through the snow.
The word “Husky” is derived from the word “Eskimo” to refer to Arctic people. Huskies are medium-sized dogs that are covered with a thick double coat which keeps them protected from the harsh climate. According to some researches, the Siberian husky is capable of working temperature as low as -75 degree F.
A husky has almond-shaped fierce blue eyes, although they can also be green, yellow, brown, or heterochromia (two colours). Their tail is thick and bushy enough to wrap their faces while they sleep. Their breath warms the tail to keep the face and nose protected from the cold.
Like other species of dogs, huskies are energetic and have high stamina. They need plenty of exercises and playtime to keep them happy. Huskies are often used as a pet for households with children due to their friendly nature.
Key Differences between Wolf and Husky
- A wolf is a wild carnivore animal that belongs to the canine family while a husky is a domestic dog.
- Wolf prefers to live in a pack far away from the human population while a husky is a family-friendly dog that prefers to live with human beings.
- Wolves are hunters and have long teeth that enable them to hunt large animals such as deer and small animals such as rodent while huskies need very little food to survive and what whatever is given to them.
- Wolves are rigid and can survive in a variety of climate conditions while huskies are sensitive and cannot survive in hot and humid weather conditions.
- Wolf has a large head and is more intelligent among many others in the canine family while a husky has a smaller head.
- Wolf has gold or brown eyes while husky has sea blue or brown eyes.
- Wolves have large feet with relatively large middle toes, giant claws, and sloping pasterns while the feet of huskies are smaller and rounder with upright pastern.
- Wolves have no marks or specks on their forehead while huskies have a small white marking on their forehead.
Comparison Video
Conclusion
Some people believe that huskies are evolved from the wolves, but in reality, they are not. A wolf is not only more giant with long legs, but also have a different colour and texture coat, different eye shape and colour, and a long narrow head and snout. Unlike huskies, wolves have a narrow chest with different size and shapes of ear. Lastly, a wolf is a wild animal that is aggressive by nature and is untrainable while a husky is a domestic dog that can legally be kept as a pet due to its loving and friendly nature.