Have you ever watched a dog try to break ice by pounding on it with their front legs? This usually comical behavior is actually an official recognized behavior among wolves. It is known as a stiff legged jump, and it includes the wolf rearing up on his hind legs and slamming both straightened and held rigid front legs down to the ground. The wolf throws significant weight into the pounding of the front legs creating a great deal of downward force.

Just like dogs, this behavior is most commonly used to break ice in order to obtain the unfrozen water below. Dogs may do stiff legged jumps on frozen puddles or ponds by rudimentary instinct, but when remaining hydrated in the wild is a factor of life or death, the behavior could hold significant importance. However, at some point the ice becomes too thick to break, at which point wolves (and dogs) simply eat snow to obtain water.

Another important function of the stiff legged jump is to pin small mammals when hunting. Such small prey as voles and mice become trapped by the fast and heavy front legs, allowing the wolf to easily inflict a lethal bite and successfully obtain the nutrients of the small snack. Foxes and coyotes also use this behavior when hunting, but occasionally jump off the ground to increase speed and weight, which creates the well-known exaggerated hunting leap of a fox.

So the next time you witness this quite funny behavior in a dog, while you are smiling and laughing at them you can also realize the behavior has a history with a very serious purpose among wolves and other wild canids.

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