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Domestic dog

Temporal range: 0.033–0Ma

Pleistocene – Recent

Yellow Labrador Retriever, the most

registered breed of 2009 with the AKC

Conservation status

Domesticated

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Canis

Species: C. lupus

Subspecies: C. l. familiaris[1]

Trinomial name

Canis lupus familiaris[2]

Synonyms

DogFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)[2][3] is a

subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of the

Canidae family of the mammalian order Carnivora. The term

"domestic dog" is generally used for both domesticated and

feral varieties. The dog was the first domesticated animal[4]

and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and

pet animal in human history. The word "dog" can also refer

to the male of a canine species,[5] as opposed to the word

"bitch" which refers to the female of the species.

MtDNA evidence shows an evolutionary split between the

modern dog's lineage and the modern wolf's lineage around

100,000 years ago but, as of 2013, the oldest fossil

specimens genetically linked to the modern dog's lineagedate to approximately 33,000–36,000 years ago.[4][6] Dogs'

value to early human hunter-gatherers led to them quickly

becoming ubiquitous across world cultures. Dogs perform

many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling

loads, protection, assisting police and military,

companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped

individuals. This impact on human society has given them

the nickname "man's best friend" in the Western world. In

some cultures, however, dogs are also a source of meat.[7][8]

In 2001, there were estimated to be 400 million dogs in the

world.[9]

Most breeds of dogs are at most a few hundred years old,

having been artificially selected for particular morphologies

and behaviors by people for specific functional roles.

Through this selective breeding, the dog has developed into

hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more behavioral and

morphological variation than any other land mammal.[10]

For example, height measured to the withers ranges from15.2 centimetres (6.0 in) in the Chihuahua to about 76 cm

(30 in) in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white

through grays (usually called "blue") to black, and browns

from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide

variation of patterns; coats can be short or long, coarse-

haired to wool-like, straight, curly, or smooth.[11] It is

common for most breeds to shed this coat.

Contents

1 Etymology and related terminology

PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K PgN

 

Species synonymy

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2 Taxonomy3 History and evolution

3.1 DNA studies4 Roles with humans

4.1 Early roles4.2 As pets

4.3 Work4.4 Sports and shows

4.5 As a food source4.6 Health risks to humans

4.7 Health benefits for humans4.8 Shelters

5 Biology

5.1 Senses5.1.1 Vision5.1.2 Hearing5.1.3 Smell

5.2 Physical characteristics

5.2.1 Coat5.2.2 Tail

5.3 Types and breeds

5.4 Health5.4.1 Mortality5.4.2 Predation

5.5 Diet5.5.1 Foods toxic to dogs

5.6 Reproduction5.7 Neutering

5.8 Communication6 Intelligence and behavior

6.1 Intelligence6.2 Behavior

6.3 Dog growl7 Differences from wolves

7.1 Physical characteristics

7.2 Behavioral differences7.3 Trainability

8 Mythology9 Gallery of dogs in art

10 See also11 References12 Bibliography13 External links

Etymology and related terminology

"Dog" is the common use term that refers to members of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris (canis,

"dog"; lupus, "wolf"; familiaris, "of a household" or "domestic"). The term can also be used to refer to awider range of related species, such as the members of the genus Canis, or "true dogs", including the wolf,

coyote, and jackals, or it can refer to the members of the tribe Canini, which would also include the

African wild dog, or it can be used to refer to any member of the family Canidae, which would also