Poor analogy. A taxonomist can easily explain the differences between a dog and a wolf. A biologist can not easily define what is life. Even if you had a sea of RNA or DNA, what you would have is bunch of inert chemicals that replicate in the same manner as cyrstals. No one can call them living things.
BTW - dogs are a subspecies of wolf and while some dogs have most of the characteristics of wolves, most do not. The fur, jaws, and feet differ from wolf to domestic dog.
Humor me. Give it a try. You've already adnmitted that "some dogs" have most of the characteristics of wolves. So where exactly do you draw the line? What defines the difference other than selective breeding?
As for crystals, DNA and RNA have stable, crystaline forms, and yet they define living organisms. A human sperm cell is not much more than a packet of DMA.