How to Defend Against, Recognize, and Tame Minecraft Wolves

They're loyal and will protect you while you adventure

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Updated on April 24, 2020

They’re loyal. They’re fighters. They’ll do anything to protect you. With the small variety of tamable mobs in Minecraft, it seems appropriate to talk about the closest thing we have to man’s best friend in our game of blocks and bricks, the Wolves. They may not be your trusted steed, but they love an adventure! Here's what you need to know about them.

The information in this guide applies to all versions of Minecraft.

Where to Find Wolves in Minecraft

Wolves naturally spawn in many spots around Minecraft. They're more commonly found in colder areas of the game world. The exact biomes where a Wolf can be found are primarily the taiga biomes (taiga, cold taiga, cold taiga M, and the mega taiga). Wolves are also found in the forest. They can be tough to spot at times, so if you’re having trouble, be patient, and continue looking.

Wolves no longer spawn in forests and giant tree taigas in the Bedrock and Education editions of Minecraft.

The Different States of Wolves in Minecraft

A Wolf's state is determined by how the player interacts with it. The various states are tamed, wild, and hostile.

A tamed Wolf has a collar around its neck signifying the dog is owned by a player. The collar's color can be changed by applying a dye to the Wolf. Selecting a tamed wolf while not holding a dye or lead makes it sit and stay where it's placed. If a tamed Wolf is following the player and is more than ten blocks away, it teleports to the nearest available spot next to the player.

A wild Wolf is not aggressive when approached by the player, but it's aggressive to Skeletons, Sheep, and Rabbits. A wild Wolf doesn't have a collar and it has two "squinting" eyes, while a tamed Wolf has more of a friendly look. Wolves generally spawn in packs of four but can be found away from their pack.

A hostile Wolf is aggressive towards the player or a mob and will attack when provoked. When hostile, Wolves have red eyes and darker spots of fur. They attack very fast and can deal large amounts of damage if the player isn't careful.

Hostile Wolves generally don't stop attacking the player or mob until they're killed.

How to Tame and Breed Wolves in Minecraft

If you want to tame a Wolf, give it a bone. That has a 33% chance of working. When the Wolf is tamed, he acts as listed previously. If you have multiple tamed Wolves, you can breed them. Giving Wolves any type of meat allows a Puppy to be born. When a Puppy is born, they have the exact same traits as a tamed Wolf.

Meat also heals a Wolf. The lower the Wolf's tail, the less health it has. When feeding meat to a Wolf, you might notice the tail moving upwards. The moment the tail stops moving in an upward direction is the moment the Wolf is fully healed.

Man’s Best Friend and Companion in Battle

Tamed Wolves will attack various mobs and players that attack their owners. They also attack whatever mobs the player attacks. They're a great companion when fighting as they deal a hefty amount of damage in combat. Having a sidekick while fighting creatures and other players could easily save your life in a survival situation.

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