This game is far from "twitchy" in regards to its combat. The best way to deal with wolves is to either outrun them (you're faster than they are while sprinting), or to lure them into a body of water and kill them there (they're incredibly slow swimmers relative to you). I typically ignore them as they're very lean (no fat/poor meat) and don't drop much in the line of hides.
You need to take your time when dealing with the other animals as well (such as sheep) and try to skirt around to avoid their attacks while getting a little damage in here and there. You can't just charge straight in and expect to win every encounter. Spears are very useful early on for taking down animals from a distance.
As for being two-shot, you can craft some improvised armor with firewood+grass, and if you eat a variety of things (meats, vegetables, grains, fruits), you'll increase your max health a bit.