Reconciliation—friendly post-conflict interactions—is a key strategy in cooperative species to maintain group stability. In highly social animals like wolves, where pack cohesion is essential for survival through group hunting and territory defense, reconciliation helps sustain cooperation after disputes.
Cafazzo and colleagues (2018) investigated reconciliation patterns in four captive wolf packs and four captive dog packs. Their results revealed that wolves engaged in reconciliation behaviors following conflicts, balancing the benefits of repairing relationships with the risks of renewed aggression. These reconciliations were crucial for preserving functional relationships within the pack.
In contrast, domestic dogs showed avoidance rather than reconciliation after conflicts. This difference aligns with their lower reliance on conspecific cooperation, as dogs depend more heavily on human partners than on packmates for survival and social support. The study suggests that domestication has shifted dogs’ strategies away from reconciliation with conspecifics.
Interestingly, the findings contrast with at least one earlier study reporting reconciliation in dogs, indicating that social and environmental factors may influence whether dogs engage in such behaviors. In wolves, however, reconciliation appears more consistent, reflecting the importance of cooperation in their natural ecology.
Overall, the study underscores that wolves repair social bonds through reconciliation, while dogs avoid conflict partners, highlighting how domestication has reshaped social conflict management strategies.
Source: Cafazzo, S., Marshall-Pescini, S., Lazzaroni, M., Virányi, Z., & Range, F. (2018). The effect of domestication on post-conflict management: wolves reconcile while dogs avoid each other. Royal Society Open Science, 5, published July 1, 2018.
