What Dog Is Closest in DNA to a Wolf?

All dogs are close relatives of wolves—after all, domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) descend from gray wolves (C. lupus). Yet, several breeds, including the Shiba Inu, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, and Chow Chow, remain genetically closer to wolves than others. Because of this, they are often grouped together as the so-called ancient breeds.

Genetic evidence indicates that the domestication of dogs occurred at least 15,000–35,000 years ago. Rather than a single event, domestication probably occurred multiple times across different regions of Eurasia. Wolves may even have played an active role in their own domestication, scavenging the kills of nomadic hunters and gradually forging a mutually beneficial relationship with humans. From these early interactions, the ancient breeds emerged—arising in East Asia or the Arctic long before modern kennel clubs and selective breeding practices began to shape dogs for particular jobs or appearances.

The wolflike legacy of these breeds is still visible at the genetic level. Comparisons of mitochondrial DNA and whole-genome sequences consistently show that ancient breeds retain markers more closely aligned with wolves than with the majority of modern dog breeds.