This article is about the domestic dog. For related species known as "dogs", see Canidae.

For other uses, see Dog (disambiguation).

Domestic dog
Temporal range: 0.0330Ma
Pre

O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N

Pleistocene !ecent
Nine different dog breeds
Conser"ation stat#s
Domesticated
Scienti$ic classi$ication
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
!ecies: C. lupus
ubs!ecies: C. l. familiaris
"#$
Trinomial name
Canis lupus familiaris
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S%non%ms
!ecies synonymy
aegyptius &innaeus' #()*
alco C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
americanus Gmelin' #(/%
anglicus Gmelin' #(/%
antarcticus Gmelin' #(/%
aprinus Gmelin' #(/%
aquaticus &innaeus' #()*
aquatilis Gmelin' #(/%
aicularis Gmelin' #(/%
borealis C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
breipilis Gmelin' #(/%
cursorius Gmelin' #(/%
domesticus &innaeus' #()*
e!trarius Gmelin' #(/%
"erus C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
"ricator Gmelin' #(/%
"ricatri! &innaeus' #()*
"uillus Gmelin' #(/%
gallicus Gmelin' #(/%
glaucus C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
graius &innaeus' #()*
gra#us Gmelin' #(/%
hagenbecki Krumbiegel' #/)0
haitensis C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
hibernicus Gmelin' #(/%
hirsutus Gmelin' #(/%
hybridus Gmelin' #(/%
islandicus Gmelin' #(/%
italicus Gmelin' #(/%
laniarius Gmelin' #(/%
leoninus Gmelin' #(/%
leporarius C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
ma#or Gmelin' #(/%
mastinus &innaeus' #()*
melitacus Gmelin' #(/%
melitaeus &innaeus' #()*
minor Gmelin' #(/%
molossus Gmelin' #(/%
mustelinus &innaeus' #()*
obesus Gmelin' #(/%
orientalis Gmelin' #(/%
paci"icus C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
plancus Gmelin' #(/%
pomeranus Gmelin' #(/%
sagaces C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
sanguinarius C+ ,+ -+ mith'
#*./
saga! &innaeus' #()*
scoticus Gmelin' #(/%
sibiricus Gmelin' #(/%
suillus C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
terraenoae C+ ,+ -+ mith'
#*./
terrarius C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
turcicus Gmelin' #(/%
urcani C+ ,+ -+ mith' #*./
ariegatus Gmelin' #(/%
enaticus Gmelin' #(/%
ertegus Gmelin' #(/%
1he domestic dog 2Canis lupus "amiliaris'
"%$".$
or Canis "amiliaris3 is a member of the
Canidae family of the mammalian order Carnivora+ 1he term 4domestic dog4 is generally
used for both domesticated and feral varieties+ 1he dog 5as the first domesticated animal
"6$")$

and has been the most 5idely 7e!t 5or7ing' hunting' and !et animal in human history+
"citation
needed$
1he 5ord 4dog4 can also refer to the male of a canine s!ecies'
"8$
as o!!osed to the 5ord
4bitch4 5hich refers to the female of the s!ecies+
9ecent studies of 45ell:!reserved remains of a dog:li7e canid from the 9a;boinichya Cave4
in the Altai Mountains of southern iberia concluded that a !articular instance of early 5olf
domestication a!!ro<imately ..'000 years ago did not result in modern dog lineages'
!ossibly because of climate disru!tion during the &ast Glacial Ma<imum+
"6$"($
1he authors
!ostulate that at least several such inci!ient events have occurred+ A study of fossil dogs and
5olves in =elgium' >7raine' and 9ussia tentatively dates domestication from #6'000 years
ago to more than .#'(00 years ago+
"*$
Another recent study has found su!!ort for claims of
dog domestication bet5een #6'000 and #8'000 years ago' 5ith a range bet5een /'000 and
.6'000 years ago' de!ending on mutation rate assum!tions+
"/$
Dogs? value to early human
hunter:gatherers led to them @uic7ly becoming ubi@uitous across 5orld cultures+ Dogs
!erform many roles for !eo!le' such as hunting' herding' !ulling loads' !rotection' assisting
!olice and military' com!anionshi!' and' more recently' aiding handica!!ed individuals+ 1his
im!act on human society has given them the nic7name 4man?s best friend4 in the Aestern
5orld+ Bn some cultures' ho5ever' dogs are also a source of meat+
"#0$"##$
Bn %00#' there 5ere
estimated to be 600 million dogs in the 5orld+
"#%$