Michael Somers, age 13, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for his question:

How can you tell a wolf from a dory?

A wild wolf looks a lot like a tame German shepherd dog. However, his legs are longer and stronger and his feet are larger. He has a more powerful jaw than a dog of his size, his head is wider, his ears are shorter, rounded and they always stand erect. A wild wolf does not hesitate to bare his fangs and show his fierce wolfish character. In the evening, he loves to sing in loud, long, trembling notes. Dogs shudder at the sound of his blood curdling howl and so do even horses.

Some domesticated dogs bear litters of 20 pups or more. A litter of wolf pups is never more than six or seven. The wolf cubs seem to be all heads and ears and are less chubby that puppy dogs. Their wolfish traits soon become noticeable and they grow to adulthood in about one year. Wolf pups often have been raised in captivity. Many reports say that they are as gentle as dogs and often smarter. German shepherds, huskies and other dogs sometimes breed with wolves and Eskimos often use the cross breeds or even wild wolves as sled dogs.