Short answer: Foxes are in the same family (Canidae) as dogs and wolves but are not dogs – they belong to a different genus (Vulpes for most foxes vs Canis for dogs/wolves). The split happened about 7-10 million years ago. Foxes are closely related cousins, not relatives domestic dogs descend from.
What you should actually do
- Family Canidae includes: dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, dingoes, African wild dog, raccoon dog.
- Foxes diverged from the Canis lineage ~7-10 million years ago.
- Foxes have 38 chromosomes (red fox); dogs have 78 – they can’t interbreed.
- Belyaev’s Russian fox-domestication experiment (1959-present) showed foxes can be selectively bred for tameness within decades.
- Foxes are mostly solitary; dogs/wolves are pack animals – different social structure.
Modern dogs descend from a now-extinct wolf lineage, not from foxes. The Canidae family tree splits early into the ‘true dogs’ (Caninae – dogs, wolves, jackals, coyotes) and the ‘true foxes’ (Vulpini), with multiple smaller branches.
The Belyaev fox experiment is fascinating – by selecting only for friendly behavior over 60+ generations, the foxes developed dog-like coat color variation, floppy ears, curled tails, and shorter snouts. Domestication seems to come as a package.
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