All Wolf variants and where to find them in Minecraft

Wolves are an iconic part of Minecraft, serving as the player's faithful companion in battle. There are eight variants of the classic Wolf mob; below, you'll find out what all Wolf variants look like and where you can find them in Minecraft.

How to get every Wolf variant in Minecraft

While each Wolf variant looks different, the process of taming them is the same: feed them bones until hearts pop up over their heads and a red collar appears around their necks. Most Wolves spawn in groups, making it easy to tame multiple at a time. You can also breed Wolves to create more, and the resulting Wolf will have the same color as one of its parents.

Each Wolf variant spawns in a different biome, meaning some are rarer than others. To tame all of them, you'll need to explore your Minecraft world in search of these biomes.

Pale Wolf

The Pale Wolf retains the classic appearance of the Wolf mob and is found in the Taiga biome. Spawning in packs of at least four, the Pale Wolf is common in Taigas and will often hunt for wild Sheep and Rabbits.

The best way to find a Taiga biome in Minecraft is by looking for mountains or hills, which are visible from a distance and typically generate alongside Taigas. Keep an eye out for any wool, raw mutton, or rabbit hides on the ground, indicating Wolves are close by.

Woods Wolf

The Woods Wolf is a tri-colored variant with dark brown, beige, and white fur. You can find Woods Wolves in the Forest biome, making them the most common variant you'll encounter in Minecraft. Like the Pale Wolf, it spawns in packs of at least four.

Forest biomes generate frequently and are a common spawn location in Minecraft. However, I recommend steering clear of Deserts and Badlands, which are large in size and don't often appear near Forests.

Ashen Wolf

Ashen Wolves are a Wolf variant with white and gray fur, found exclusively in the Snowy Taiga biome. These Wolves also spawn in packs of four, but the rarity of Snowy Taiga biomes makes them more difficult to find. Furthermore, their fur allows them to blend in with the snow; as such, they're hard to spot from afar.

Snowy Taigas most often spawn near standard Taigas, as well as Snowy Plains. To find a Snowy Taiga, look for snowy regions of your Minecraft world, especially in mountainous areas. They typically feature frozen rivers and thin layers of powdered snow.

Related: Minecraft Animal Breeding Guides

Black Wolf

As the name suggests, Black Wolves are completely black in color and spawn in Old Growth Pine Taigas. Combined with their smaller pack size (between two and four), Black Wolves are somewhat rare compared to other variants. Their dark coloration is hard to spot, especially at night, so I suggest looking for them during the day.

Old Growth Pine Taigas are notable for their 2x2 spruce trees, which spawn throughout the biome. You'll also encounter masses of mossy cobblestone and podzol. Old Growth Pine Taigas most often spawn near standard Taigas, as well as Dark Forest biomes.

Chestnut Wolf

The Chestnut Wolf variant has beige fur and a black face. You can only find them in Old Growth Spruce Taigas, a biome closely related to Old Growth Pine Taigas. Like Black Wolves, they spawn in smaller packs and are equivalent in rarity.

Old Growth Spruce Taigas differ from Old Growth Pine Taigas in the appearance of their 2x2 trees, which sport more leaves in a pyramid shape around the trunks. Chestnut Wolves blend in well with dirt blocks and spruce, so I suggest listening for their barks and footsteps to find them.

Related: All axolotl colors in Minecraft

Rusty Wolf

Rusty Wolves are a variant with brown, orange, and white fur. They spawn in a biome previously uninhabited by Wolves: the Sparse Jungle, a Jungle biome with fewer trees. Like Black and Chestnut Wolves, Rusty Wolves spawn in packs of two to four.

Sparse Jungles generate near regular Jungles, though they can occasionally appear on their own. Furthermore, they typically border Deserts, Forests, and Plains.

Spotted Wolf

Resembling African wild dogs, the Spotted Wolf sports a vibrant coat of orange, black, and white fur. You can find them in Savanna Plateaus in groups of four to eight Wolves.

Savanna Plateau biomes generate on hilly areas within regular Savanna biomes. The best way to find them is to look near Forest and Plains biomes, which often border Savannas. The larger pack size and bright colors of the Spotted Wolf make it an easy variant to tame.

Striped Wolf

The Striped Wolf is a variant with unique coat markings, featuring prominent black stripes on their backs. Striped Wolves spawn in the Wooded Badlands biome, and like their spotted counterparts, are found in groups of up to eight.

Badlands biomes, also referred to as Mesas, are rare compared to other biomes. Like Savanna Plateaus, Wooded Badlands occur as part of the standard Badlands biome, appearing in areas of high elevation and featuring oak trees. Badlands are almost always found on the borders of a Desert biome.

Snowy Wolf

Snowy Wolves are mostly white with a few gray patches on their sides. The rarest Wolf variant, they are found in Groves. They can be difficult to pick out from the snow, similar to Pale and Ashen Wolves, but are unique in that they spawn alone rather than in packs.

Groves generate on mountains, featuring spruce trees, snow blocks, and powder snow. Be careful while traveling in Snowy Groves; you can easily sink through the snow and freeze to death.

For more Minecraft guides, check out Where can you find sniffer eggs in Minecraft? and How to find the Deep Dark biome in Minecraft here at Pro Game Guides!