59 Wolf Quotes, Proverbs, and Sayings (2024)

Wolves are the largest among the canines and are known for their social structure, called packs, as often referenced in wolf quotes. At the top of the hierarchy are the only breeding pairs called alphas, an outdated term we will explain further below. The rest are adolescent wolves who will leave and start their own pack once they reach maturity. 

Even if they look dangerous, wild wolves avoid humans at all costs. Domesticating or breeding them with dogs is far more complicated than wild wolves, as they can lose their fear of us and become dangerous to small children or pets.

Wolves have been studied by zoologists and referenced by storytellers throughout centuries. But there are still many misconceptions. Read our list of curated quotes about wolves to rediscover the magnificence of these famous canines.

Quick links to our selection of wolf quotes:

Best Wolf Quotes

Wolves have evolved to be tightly knit in a pack to take down large ungulates—their favorite meal. Pups cannot hunt yet, so older wolves carry meat for them in their stomachs. The little ones will devour the regurgitated food within seconds. Even if they're not the parents, they will bring food to the pups.

Contrary to popular belief, alpha males do not take the first bite of their catch. Instead, the pack usually lets the hungriest one eat first. Learn how to foster teamwork, confidence, and trust in your instincts in the workplace as we launch this list with our best wolf quotes.

"Wolves don't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep."
- Aristotle

"The wolf on the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger

"If you live among wolves you have to act like a wolf."
- Nikita Khrushchev

"Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack."
- Unknown

Wolf Quotes About Being One With The Pack

Have you read the caption of a popular internet post about the wolves' arrangement while traveling through deep snow? The old and sick are the first to set the pace for the pack. At the other end, the alpha male observes everyone and controls the group's direction. 

Although inspiring to read, the International Wolf Center debunked this as false. Wolf packs travel in a line to conserve energy. Therefore, the first in line should be strong enough to cut the snow for the rest to pass through easily. After reading these inspiring quotes about wolves running in packs, click on to our wolf facts to learn more.

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
- Rudyard Kipling

"I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack."
- Jodi Picoult

"Wolves are the ultimate team players, they know that working together benefits the whole pack."
- Unknown

Quotes About The Lone Wolf Howling In The Wild

There is something majestic, melancholy, and spine-shivering about a lone wolf howling in the wild lit by the moon. People think of a lone wolf as someone who acts alone. However, wolves belong to tightly-knit communities. 

A wolf who reaches full maturity will separate from the pack. The lone wolf, a disperser, will search for another lone wolf of the opposite sex to start a pack. Dispersers are vital in the wolf population because they allow different genes to mix instead of inbreeding, which results in stunted growth, among many other negative traits.

Do not be just a lone wolf; lead your team! The following quotes discuss the true strength of the lone wolf and how it behaves in the wild.

You might also like our night quotes and moon quotes to further picture wolves in their elements.

"In real life, wolves will do anything to avoid contact with mankind."
- Liam Neeson

"Wolves and people were not natural enemies. The humans' relationship with other animals established their rivalry with wolves."
- Jon T. Coleman

"The wolf stands on its hind legs, places its forelegs on the scientist’s shoulders, and places its jaws around the scientist’s head. This is just the wolf’s way of being friendly. If you’re an animal who doesn’t know how to talk, a very clear signal is communicated: “See my teeth? Feel them? I could hurt you, I really could. But I won’t. I like you."
- Carl Sagan

Quotes About An Untrustworthy Crying Wolf

Originating from Aesop's famous fable, the story about the boy who cried wolf created an idiom we still use today. Unlike the fable, wolves are afraid of us, but if, for some reason, you face one in the wild, lower your head and avoid eye contact. If worse comes to worst, make yourself large by holding your arms up and shouting aggressively to chase them away. Also, you could climb a tree since wolves cannot climb - or light a fire.

Now that you know how to deal with wolves in the wild remember to avoid people who cry wolf after reading these wolf quotes.

"Crying wolf is a real danger."
- David Attenborough

"Like crying wolf, if you keep looking for sympathy as a justification for your actions, you will someday be left standing alone when you really need help."
- Criss Jami

"Some people aren't who they say they are, be cautious of the company you keep, a wolf in sheep's clothing."
- Unknown

"Some girls are full of heartache and poetry and those are the kind of girls who try to save wolves instead of running away from them."
- Nikita Gill

"A wolf eats sheep but now and then; Ten thousand are devour'd by men. An open foe may prove a curse, but a pretend friend is worse."
- John Gay

Noteworthy Wolf Quotes From Poets And Authors Of The Past

Hunting in groups is not the only advantage wolf species have while catching prey. They also have a whopping 42 teeth, including 2 two and a half inches of fangs they use to puncture and grip their prey. They also have a strong jaw that produces 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch, which they use to bite through bones.

These ferocious canines smote writers of the past; no wonder. Peek into history through the following quotes by poets and authors of the past that talk to the allure of the wolf.

"The Lord God had created all animals, and had chosen out the wolf to be his dog."
- Jacob Grimm

"Fierce as the proling wolves at close of day, and swift as eagles in pursuit of prey."
- Thomas Parnell

"The wolves prey upon the lambs in the darkness of the night, but the blood stains remain upon the stones in the valley until the dawn comes, and the sun reveals the crime to all."
- Kahlil Gibran

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion."
- William Inge

Even a wolf knows how to be polite when animalistic humans have no clue about politeness.

~ Munia Khan

The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it's the wolf inside who will tear you apart.

~ Jennifer Donnelly

"I am not a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I’m a wolf in wolf’s clothing.”

~ Ricky Gervais

Other Quotes In Modern Literature That Reference Wolves

Fictional stories shaped our view of animals. And as researchers studied wolves further, these stories also evolved. This is what happened with wolves in modern literature. Since wolves are social creatures, it is hard not to see our similarities with them. 

Thus, authors have humanized wolves in recent decades through fantasy werewolf stories. While this might not be everyone's taste, these stories have undoubtedly put wolves in a much more positive light than in the past. 

When we empathize with creatures, even in stories, we are more inclined to make efforts to protect them. So here are some wolf quotes from modern authors you could start reading.

"A man might befriend a wolf, even break a wolf, but no man could truly tame a wolf."
- George R.R. Martin

"That night the wind was howling almost like a wolf and there were some real wolves off to the west giving it lessons."
- George R. R. Martin

"The Canis Lupus, both wolf, and man were meant to be a family with one another. We gain strength through our bond with each other."
- Quinn Loftis

"The black wolf's curse awakes every time that a full moon points in the middle of the sky."
- Pet Torres

"We both fell asleep wrapped up together with the wolves still lullaby-ing us in the background."
- April Genevieve Tucholke

"We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves."
- Gerald Hausman

"She slept with wolves without fear, for the wolves knew a lion was among them."
- R.M. Drake

"What's that supposed to mean? A wolf's head on a stick. Big wolf barbecue tonight? Bring your own wolf?"
- Eoin Colfer

"The wolves knew when it was time to stop looking for what they'd lost, to focus instead on what was yet to come."
- Jodi Picoult

Wolf Proverbs And Sayings Across Centuries

The term alpha wolf is widely used, but it misleads the public about wolf behavior. Dr. Mech, the author of a famous study published in the 1970s that gave rise to the renowned concept, stated that it is outdated. Wolves don't fight with each other to grab alpha status. Instead, a wolf becomes alpha simply because it mated and produced pups that became members of the newly formed pack. 

Essentially, "alpha wolves" are the group's father or mother figures. Hence, it is more appropriate to call the alphas breeding male or female, male or female parent, or dominant breeder. Even if the following wolf proverbs are archaic, like the term alpha wolf, they can still teach us about life.

"Make yourself a sheep and the wolf will eat you."
- German Proverb

"If the wolf had stayed in the wood, there would have been no hue and cry after him."
- German Proverb

"It is madness for a sheep to talk of peace with a wolf."
- French Proverb.

"If the wolf would cease his running, the people would cease their shouting."
- German Proverb

"Report makes the wolf bigger than he is."
- German Proverb

"The wolf attacks with its fangs; the bull with its horns."
- Horace

"As wolves love lambs so lovers love their loves."
- Plato

Metaphorical Wolf Quotes To Ponder

Wolves converse with each other through sounds, scent, and body language. Aside from a marked territory, they can also communicate if food is unavailable or if a female is ready to mate through the chemicals of their urine. You can spot the dominant pair when you see them standing tall and confidently compared to other wolves in the pack showing submissive behavior.

Learn more about how wolves communicate after reading the following metaphorical wolf quotes.

"Wolves go after a wounded deer, it is the nature of the beast."
- Barbara Delinsky

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."
- George Carlin

"I am not a wolf in sheep's clothing, I'm a wolf in wolf's clothing."
- Ricky Gervais

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."
- James Bovard

"Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper."
- Larry Flynt

"Wolves fail to hide their integrity just like the way men fail to hide their own animality."
- Munia Khan

"The lone wolf howls to mark the beginning of his journey. A hungry wolf in all the herd will run in hopes, through many, to ensure one."

~ William Congreve

“A wolf is no less a wolf because he’s dressed in sheepskin and the devil is no less the devil because he’s dressed as an angel.”

~ Lecrae

"Those are the voices of my brothers, darling; I love the company of wolves."

~ Angela Carter

Short Wolf Captions For Social Media

We all know man's best friend evolved from wolves, most probably from friendlier wolves fed by kind humans. Throughout the years of evolution, wolves became closer to our ancestors and became their hunting companions. Their teeth grew smaller, muzzles became shorter, and overall size got shorter until they became the dogs we have today.

To finish off this list, share the short wolf captions below on social media to show your love for wolves, their intuition, and their prowess.

"Careless shepherd make excellent dinner for wolf."
- Earl Derr Biggers

"The wolf may fight the bear but the rabbit always loses."
- Robert Jordan

"The gaze of the wolf reaches into our soul."
- Barry Lopez

"Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey."
- Lord Byron

"Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs."
- Isaiah Berlin

"In the calm, deep waters of the mind, the wolf waits."
- F.T. McKinstry

"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf."
- Lana Turner

"Man is to man either a god or a wolf."
- Desiderius Erasmus

"Wolves are the witches of the animal world."
- Katherine Rundell

"The strength of the lone wolf is in its solitude.”

~ Unknown

"A fox is a wolf who sends flowers."

~ Ruth Brown

Being a lone wolf isn’t about loneliness; it’s about mastering the art of self-reliance.

~ Unknown