Wolves come in different species. Canadian Timber Wolves are frigging huge. Not as big as a St Bernard huge, but still 80kg huge.

Ive worked in a house where the owner had a pet wolf. It was fucking huge. Idk why you feel the need to say that there are small wolves, but i havent seen one.

Have you come face to face with a wolf before? I went to a preserve and 2 ran out to lick my face. I took one on a walk. I've played with great danes ,bernards, Irish wolfhounds, newfies, mastiffs, it's not the same.

Because humans hunted wolves nearly to extinction basically everywhere they exist because they were relatively dangerous to us.

We have made them larger in media and paintings and basically anywhere a wolf is imaged.

“Big bad wolf” is the common idea.