The folk of the Marish near the Shire's eastern borders were untrusting of strangers and cautious of intruders. Farmer Maggot of Bamfurlong was one of these, and to protect himself from unwanted visitors he kept three large dogs: Grip, Fang and Wolf. All three dogs were wolf-like in appearance, which is doubtless the source of Wolf's name. Of the three, circumstantial evidence suggests that Wolf was the largest, and the one who threatened Frodo when he encountered Maggot while travelling to Buckland.