NPR

Fetching With Wolves: What It Means That A Wolf Puppy Will Retrieve A Ball

Some wolf puppies will unexpectedly play "fetch," researchers say, showing that an urge to retrieve a ball might be an ancient wolf trait and not a result of dog domestication.
Scientists put several litters of wolf puppies through a standard battery of tests. Many pups, such as this one named Flea, wouldn't fetch a ball. But then something surprising happened.

Some wolf puppies are unexpectedly willing to play fetch, according to scientists who saw young wolves retrieve a ball thrown by a stranger and bring it back at that person's urging.

This behavior wouldn't be surprising in a dog. But wolves are thought to be less responsive to human cues because they haven't gone through thousands of years of domestication.

Exactly how dogs emerged from a now-extinct population of ancient wolves is a mystery. Wolves are large, dangerous carnivores, and yet they were the first cozying up to people, eventually becoming their "best friend."

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
Sam Bankman-Fried Is About To Get Sentenced For His FTX Crimes. Here's What To Know
Prosecutors are asking for 40 to 50 years, citing the severity of Bankman-Fried's crimes. Lawyers of the disgraced former head of FTX are asking for far less.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
Legal Experts Worry About Presidential Abuse Of The Insurrection Act. Here's Why
Experts say the Insurrection Act gives a president too much sweeping power to deploy troops on American soil without guard rails or proper oversight from Congress.
NPR6 min read
Next U.S. Census Will Have New Boxes For 'Middle Eastern Or North African,' 'Latino'
Biden officials approved proposals for the U.S. census and federal surveys to change how Latinos are asked about their race and ethnicity and to add a checkbox for "Middle Eastern or North African."

Related Books & Audiobooks