View source for Dog

{{good}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Dog
| fossil_range = Late [[Pleistocene]] {{br}}(c. 14,000 yrs B.P.) to present <ref name="Thalmann2018">{{cite book| last1 = Thalmann| first1 = Olaf| last2 = Perri| first2 = Angela R.| editor1-last = Lindqvist| editor1-first = C.| editor2-last = Rajora| editor2-first = O.| title = Paleogenomics| series = Population Genomics| year = 2018| publisher = Springer, Cham| isbn = 978-3-030-04752-8| doi = 10.1007/13836_2018_27| pages = 273–306| chapter = Paleogenomic Inferences of Dog Domestication }}</ref>
| image = {{multiple image |perrow=3 |total_width=300 |align=center |image_style=border:none;
| image1 = Blue merle koolie short coat heading sheep.jpg
| image2 = Dog - നായ-6.JPG
| image3 = Chin posing.jpg
| image4 = Lengthy body Kanni.jpg
| image5 = 
| image6 =
| image7 = Brooks Chase Ranger of Jolly Dogs Jack Russell.jpg
| image8 = Huskiesatrest.jpg
| image9 = Wilde huendin am stillen.jpg
}}
| status = DOM
| genus = Canis
| species = familiaris
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758<ref name="linnaeus1758">{{cite book|last=Linnæus|first=Carl|title=Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I|year=1758|publisher=Laurentius Salvius|pages=38–40|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/80764#page/48/mode/1up|edition=10|access-date=11 February 2017|language=la}}</ref>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = "wozencraft2005">{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14000751|pages=575–577}} {{cite book| last1 = Wilson| first1 = Don E.| last2 = Reeder| first2 = DeeAnn M.| title = Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA576| year = 2005| publisher = JHU Press| isbn = 978-0-8018-8221-0| pages = 575–577 }}</ref>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets=true|
|''C. aegyptius'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. alco'' {{small|[[Charles Hamilton Smith|C. E. H. Smith]], 1839,}}
|''C. americanus'' {{small|[[Johann Friedrich Gmelin|Gmelin]], 1792}}
|''C. anglicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. antarcticus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. aprinus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. aquaticus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. aquatilis'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. avicularis'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. borealis'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. brevipilis'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. cursorius'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. domesticus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. extrarius'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. ferus'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. fricator'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. fricatrix'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. fuillus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. gallicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. glaucus'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. graius'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. grajus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. hagenbecki'' {{small|Krumbiegel, 1950}}
|''C. haitensis'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. hibernicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. hirsutus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. hybridus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. islandicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. italicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. laniarius'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. leoninus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. leporarius'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. lupus familiaris'' {{small|Linnaeus,1758}}
|''C. major'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. mastinus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. melitacus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. melitaeus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. minor'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. molossus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. mustelinus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. obesus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. orientalis'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. pacificus'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. plancus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. pomeranus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. sagaces'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. sanguinarius'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. sagax'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
|''C. scoticus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. sibiricus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. suillus'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. terraenovae'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. terrarius'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. turcicus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. urcani'' {{small|C. E. H. Smith, 1839}}
|''C. variegatus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. venaticus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
|''C. vertegus'' {{small|Gmelin, 1792}}
}}
}}
[[File:GermanShep1 wb.jpg|thumb|A [[German Shepherd]] is a type of dog]]

'''Dogs''' are [[mammal]]s, usually kept as pets, for work on farms or for the police. Some dogs are trained to be rescue dogs and join teams such as mountain rescue.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-09-05|title=Dog {{!}} History, Domestication, Physical Traits, Breeds, & Facts {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/dog|access-date=2024-09-06|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> 

They have been bred by humans from their ancestral wolves. They were the first animal to live with humans.<ref>Irving-Pease, Evan K.; Ryan, Hannah; Jamieson, Alexandra; Dimopoulos, Evangelos A.; Larson, Greger; Frantz, Laurent A.F. 2018. Paleogenomics of Animal Domestication. In Lindqvist, C.; Rajora, O. (eds) ''Paleogenomics. Population Genomics''. Springer, Cham. pp. 225–272. doi:10.1007/13836_2018_55. ISBN 978-3-030-04752-8</ref> 

There was a lot of different types among wolves in the Late [[Pleistocene]].<ref name="Thalmann2018" /> The [[dingo]] is also a dog, but many dingos have become wild animals again and live in the wild, away from humans (parts of [[Australia]]).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cairns|first=Kylie M.|last2=Crowther|first2=Mathew|last3=Letnic|first3=Mike|date=2023-05-29|title=New DNA testing shatters ‘wild dog’ myth: most dingoes are pure|url=https://theconversation.com/new-dna-testing-shatters-wild-dog-myth-most-dingoes-are-pure-206397|access-date=2024-09-06|website=The Conversation|language=en-US}}</ref>

Today, some dogs are used as [[pet]]s, and others are used to help humans do their work. They are popular pets because they are usually playful, friendly, loyal, and listen to humans. Thirty million dogs in the [[United States]] have been [[wikt:register|registered]] as [[pet]]s.<ref>{{cite book| last = Gifford| first = Clive| title = Family Flip Quiz Geography| year = 2002| publisher = Miles Kelly Publishing| isbn = 978-1-84236-146-7| author2 = Lisa Clayden }}</ref> Dogs eat both [[meat]] and [[vegetable]]s. Often mixed together and sold in stores as [[dog food]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=CVA|first=Julie Buzby DVM, CAVCA|date=2023-12-21|title=14 Vegetables Dogs Can Eat (And May Just Love)|url=https://toegrips.com/vegetables-dogs-can-eat/|access-date=2024-09-06|website=Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips for Dogs|language=en-US}}</ref> Dogs often have jobs including police dogs, army dogs, assistance dogs, fire dogs, messenger dogs, hunting dogs, herding dogs, or rescue dogs. They are sometimes called "canines" from the [[Latin language|Latin]] word for dog - ''canis''.  [[wolf|Wolves]] are also canines. A baby dog is called a '''pup''' or '''puppy'''. A dog is called a puppy until it is about one year old.<ref>{{Cite web|title=When Does My Puppy Finish Growing? How Long Do Puppies Grow?|url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/when-does-my-puppy-finish-growing/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=American Kennel Club|language=en}}</ref>

Dogs are sometimes known as "man's best friend" because they are kept as pets, are usually loyal, and like being around humans. Dogs like to be petted, but only when they can first see the petter's hand before petting. One should never pet a dog from behind.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Editorial|first=Chewy|date=2018-04-05|title=Why Your Dog Is Actually Your Best Friend|url=https://be.chewy.com/dog-actually-best-friend/|access-date=2024-09-06|website=BeChewy|language=en-US}}</ref>

August 26 is National Dog Day worldwide.<ref>[https://www.nationaldogday.com/ National Dog Day &#124; Celebrating Dogs]</ref> While March 26 is National Puppy Day in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-puppy-day-march-23/|title=NATIONAL PUPPY DAY&nbsp;— March 23|date=23 March 2023 }}</ref>

== Appearance and behaviour ==
Dogs can smell and hear better than humans but cannot see well in [[color]] because they are [[color blindness|color blind]]. Due to the structure of the eye, dogs can see better in low light than humans. They also have a larger field of vision.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Do Dogs See the World?|url=https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/how-do-dogs-see-world|access-date=2024-09-06|website=www.petmd.com|language=en}}</ref>

Like wolves, wild dogs travel in groups called [[pack (canine)|packs]]. Packs of dogs are listed by rank, and dogs with low rank will submit to other dogs with a higher rank. The highest ranked dog is called the [[alpha male]]. A dog in a group helps and cares for others. Pet dogs often view their owner as the alpha male.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RQ63-D3C9wcC&dq=domesticated+dogs+view+owner+as+alpha+male&pg=PA52|title=Domestic Cats: Their History, Breeds and Other Facts|last=Robbins|first=Nancy|date=2012-02-14|publisher=Nancy Robbins|isbn=978-1-4700-7538-5|page=52|language=en}}</ref>

== Lifespan of dogs ==
[[File:Dog and human year graph(fixed).png|thumb|This graph shows the correlation between weight and lifespan.]]
Different dog breeds have different lifespans. In general, smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/good-dogs-live-longer.html |title=Good Dogs Live Longer&nbsp;— ScienceNOW |access-date=2011-05-18 |archive-date=2011-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129221514/http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/good-dogs-live-longer.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The size and the breed of the dog change how long the dog lives on average. Breeds such as the [[Dachshund]] usually live for fifteen years, [[Chihuahua (dog)|Chihuahuas]] can reach age of twenty. On the other hand, the [[Great Dane]] has an average lifespan of six to eight years; some Great Danes have lived for as long as ten years. An American Bulldog lives for around 15 years. Bigger dogs will have smaller lives than smaller dogs because of the pressure on its heart to move around.<ref>{{Cite web|title=50 Fascinating Facts About Dogs|url=https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/50-fascinating-facts-about-dogs/|access-date=2024-07-14|website=www.petassure.com}}</ref>   

== Dogs and humans ==
Dogs are often called "man's best [[friend]]" because they fit in with human life. Dogs can serve people in many ways. For example, there are [[guard dog]]s, [[hunting dog]]s, [[Sheepdog|herding dogs]], [[guide dog]]s for [[blind]] people, and [[police dog]]s. There are also dogs that are trained to smell for diseases in the human body or to find bombs or [[illegal drugs]]. These dogs sometimes help police in airports or other areas. Sniffer dogs (usually [[beagle]]s) are sometimes trained for this job. Dogs have even been sent by [[Russia]]ns into [[outer space]], a few years before any human being. The first dog sent up was named [[Laika]], but she died within a few hours.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-10-08|title=Why Are Dogs Man's Best Friend? The Unbreakable Bond Explained - Vet Advises|url=https://vetadvises.com/why-are-dogs-mans-best-friend/|access-date=2024-07-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

There is much more variety in dogs than in cats. That is mainly because of the way humans have selected and bred dogs for specific jobs and functions. It may also have something to do with the fact that dogs are pack animals, whereas cats are not.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why are there so many dog breeds but only a few cat breeds?|url=https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442154-why-are-there-so-many-dog-breeds-but-only-a-few-cat-breeds|access-date=2024-09-06|website=CORDIS {{!}} European Commission|language=en}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:A SAR dog of Iranian Red Crescent.jpg|A search and rescue dog searches for victims in the debris of a collapsed building in Tehran
File:Sheep at watering place in Bulgaria.jpg|Dog herding sheep
File:SVVP Klikatá, pes scházející schody.jpg|A guide dog
File:Treibjagd0001.JPG|Many dogs are used for [[hunting]]
Agents de sécurité au défilé avec les chiens.jpg|Guard dogs in [[Cameroon]]
</gallery>

== Dog breeds ==
[[File:Big_and_little_dog_1.jpg|thumb|200px|Dogs are bred into very different breeds: here a [[Great Dane]] and a small [[Chihuahua (dog)|Chihuahua]].]]
:''See also [[List of dog breeds]].''
There are at least 800 [[list of dog breeds|breeds]] (kinds) of dogs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=PhD|first=Caroline Coile|date=2024-03-20|title=How Many Breeds of Dogs Are There in the World?|url=https://www.rd.com/article/how-many-dog-breeds-in-the-world/|access-date=2024-07-14|website=Reader's Digest|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Photo gallery ==
<gallery>
File:A Golden Retriever-9 (Barras).JPG|[[Golden Retriever]]
File:Betty the Boxer.jpg|[[Boxer (dog)|Boxer]]
File:Dob-3ans.jpg|[[Dobermann]]
File:2 yr old Dalmatian.jpg|[[Dalmatian (dog)|Dalmatian]]
File:Briard 2 jaar.JPG|[[Briard]]
File:Scottish terrier .jpg|[[Scottish Terrier]]
File:Cachorro de Bichon Maltes.JPG|[[Maltese (dog)|Maltese]]
File:Kurzhaardackel.jpg|[[Dachshund]]
File:German Sheperd.jpg|[[German Shepherd]]
File:Adult Black Pug.jpg|[[Pug]]
File:Chihuahua1 bvdb.jpg|[[Chihuahua (dog)|Chihuahua]]
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{authority control}}
{{Carnivora}}
[[Category:Dogs| ]]