oded ▁wol ves . ▁A ▁length y ▁study ▁by ▁DE F RA ▁and ▁the ▁R SP CA ▁found ▁several ▁examples ▁of ▁mis re presentation ▁by ▁bre ed ers ▁and ▁ind et erm inate ▁levels ▁of ▁actual ▁w olf ▁pedig ree ▁in ▁many ▁animals ▁sold ▁as ▁w olf d ogs . ▁The ▁report ▁noted ▁that ▁un ed uc ated ▁citizens ▁mis ident ify ▁dogs ▁with ▁w olf - like ▁appearance ▁as ▁w olf d ogs . ▁Wolf d ogs ▁tend ▁to ▁have ▁somewhat ▁smaller ▁heads ▁than ▁pure ▁wol ves , ▁with ▁larger , ▁point ier ▁ears ▁that ▁lack ▁the ▁dense ▁fur ▁commonly ▁seen ▁in ▁those ▁of ▁wol ves . ▁Fur ▁mark ings ▁also ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁very ▁distinct ive ▁and ▁not ▁well ▁bl ended . ▁Black - color ed ▁w olf d ogs ▁tend ▁to ▁retain ▁black ▁p ig ment ▁longer ▁as ▁they ▁age , ▁compared ▁to ▁black ▁wol ves . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁de w cla ws ▁on ▁the ▁h ind ▁feet ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁useful , ▁but ▁not ▁absolute , ▁indicator ▁of ▁dog ▁gene ▁cont am ination ▁in ▁wild ▁wol ves . ▁D ew cla ws ▁are ▁the ▁v estig ial ▁first ▁to es , ▁which ▁are ▁common ▁on ▁the ▁h ind ▁legs ▁of ▁domestic ▁dogs ▁but ▁thought ▁absent ▁from ▁pure ▁wol ves , ▁which ▁only ▁have ▁four ▁h ind ▁to es . ▁ ▁Observ ations ▁on ▁wild ▁w olf d ogs ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁indicate ▁that ▁in ▁a ▁wild ▁state ▁these ▁may ▁form ▁larger ▁pack