Distinguishing wolves from coyotes and dogs is different especially when lighting is poor, sighting is brief, or the animal is at a great distance. In general, adult wolves are much larger than coyotes. Coyote colors rarely vary while wolf colors vary widely, and solid-colored wolves are common. It must be remembers that although they resemble their domestic cousins, wolves are not dogs. They're wild and meant to stay that way.
Nature dictates that the wolf be an efficient predator in order to survive.
While fulfilling this role the wolf occupies an important niche in the ecosystem. All shades of gray and tan, even spotted. People sometimes breed wolves and dogs creating wolf hybrids that can be mistaken for wolves. Hybrids make undesirable pets. Attacks upon people and livestock by hybrids may lead people to incorrectly expect similar behavior from wild wolves and hamper wolf recovery.