Dog or Wolf? [ID, USA]

[u/dkblazy2]

My father got this on his trail camera yesterday. He thinks it’s a wolf, I say dog. Could also be the Chupacabra but not sure. What do you all think?

[u/thesleepingdog]

I'd have to say domestic dog.

It's definitely not a coyote, not that anyone was asking.

What's making up my mind is the narrowness of its tail. Wolves this time a year are usually a lot fluffier, and their tail especially appears many times larger than it actually is; more comparable to the thickness of its neck than it's lower leg.

One grainy trail cam image, though, could easily be pretty deceptive.

[u/underthehedgewego → u/thesleepingdog]

The the chest is to wide and front legs are far too far apart to be a wolf. This is a doggy.

[u/dkblazy2 → u/thesleepingdog]

Agreed, definitely not coyote. The tail and hips are what throw me off. Not to say wolves don’t get mange on their tails though.

[u/thesleepingdog → u/dkblazy2]

Totally could be mange or an injury of some kind. Now that I'm thinking of it, a strong wind could change its shape, or any movement when the camera flashed.

The coat coloration keeps making me second guess myself. That looks so much like wolf, that some kind of husky type dog is the only thing coming to mind it could be. Maybe a lightly colored German shepherd? (I'm reaching)

I'd be tempted to head right out there and look at track patterns. If it was alone, where it came from, what it did, etc.