Dog

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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
!ine different dog breeds
Conser"ation stat#s
Domesticated
Scienti$ic classi$ication
"ingdom# $nimalia
%hylum# Chordata
Class# &ammalia
'rder# Carni(ora
Family# Canidae
)enus# Canis
*pecies# C. lupus
*ubspecies# C. l. familiaris
Trinomial name
Canis lupus familiaris
%&'
S(non(ms
*pecies synonymy+show,
The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris is a canid that is known as man-s best friend. The dog
was the first domesticated animal
+.,+/,
and has been widely kept as a working, hunting, and pet
companion. 0n .112, there were estimated to be 311 million dogs in the world.
+3,
Contents
2 4tymology and related terminology
. Ta5onomy
/ 'rigin and e(olution
3 6oles with humans
o 3.2 4arly roles
o 3.. $s pets
o 3./ Work
o 3.3 *ports and shows
o 3.7 $s a food source
o 3.8 9ealth risks to humans
o 3.: 9ealth benefits for humans
o 3.; *helters
7 <iology
o 7.2 *enses
7.2.2 =ision
7.2.. 9earing
7.2./ *mell
o 7.. %hysical characteristics
7...2 Coat
7.... Tail
o 7./ Types and breeds
o 7.3 9ealth
7.3.2 &ortality
7.3.. %redation
o 7.7 Diet
7.7.2 Foods to5ic to dogs
o 7.8 6eproduction
7.8.2 !eutering
o 7.: Communication
8 0ntelligence and beha(ior
o 8.2 0ntelligence
o 8.. <eha(ior
o 8./ Dog growl
: Differences from wol(es
o :.2 %hysical characteristics
o :.. <eha(ioral differences
o :./ Trainability
; Cultural depictions
o ;.2 &ythology
o ;.. )allery of dogs in art
> *ee also
21 6eferences
22 <ibliography
2. 45ternal links
)t(molog( and related terminolog(
The term "domestic dog" is generally used for both of the domesticated and feral (arieties. The
4nglish word dog comes from &iddle 4nglish dogge, from 'ld 4nglish docga, a "powerful dog
breed".
+7,
The term may possibly deri(e from %roto?)ermanic *dukkn, represented in 'ld 4nglish
finger-docce ("finger?muscle".
+8,
The word also shows the familiar petname diminuti(e -ga also
seen in frogga "frog", picga "pig", stagga "stag", wicga "beetle, worm", among others.
+:,
The term
dog may ultimately deri(e from the earliest layer of %roto?0ndo?4uropean (ocabulary, reflecting the
role of the dog as the earliest domesticated animal.
+;,
0n 23th?century 4ngland, hound (from 'ld 4nglish# hund was the general word for all domestic
canines, and dog referred to a subtype of hound, a group including the mastiff. 0t is belie(ed this
"dog" type was so common, it e(entually became the prototype of the category "hound".
+>,
<y the
28th century, dog had become the general word, and hound had begun to refer only to types used
for hunting.
+21,
Hound, cognate to )erman Hund, Dutch hond, common *candina(ian hund, and
0celandic hundur, is ultimately deri(ed from the %roto?0ndo?4uropean *kwon- "dog", found in
*anskrit kukuur (),
+22,
Welsh ci (plural cwn, @atin canis, )reek kn, and @ithuanian u.
+2.,
0n breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female is called a bitch
+2/,
(&iddle
4nglish icche, from 'ld 4nglish icce, ultimately from 'ld !orse ikk!a. $ group of offspring is
a litter. The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother is called the dam. 'ffspring are, in
general, called pups or puppies, from French poup"e, until they are about a year old. The process of
birth is whelping, from the 'ld 4nglish word hwelp (cf. )erman #elpe, Dutch welp, *wedish $alpa,
0celandic h$elpur.
+23,
The term "whelp" can also be used to refer to the young of any canid, or as a
(somewhat archaic alternati(e to "puppy".
For other uses of the term dog see Dog (disambiguation.
Ta*onom(
*ee also# *ubspecies of Canis lupus
0n 2:7/, the father of modern biological ta5onomy, Carl @innaeus, listed among the types of
Auadrupeds familiar to him, the @atin word for dog, canis. $mong the species within this genus,
@innaeus listed the fo5, as Canis $ulpes, wol(es (Canis lupus, and the domestic dog, (Canis canis.
0n later editions, @innaeus dropped Canis canis and greatly e5panded his list of the Canis genus of
Auadrupeds, and by 2:7; included alongside the fo5es, wol(es, and Backals and many more terms
that are now listed as synonyms for domestic dog, including aeg%ptius (hairless dog, a&uaticus,
(water dog, and mustelinus (literally "badger dog". $mong these were two that later e5perts ha(e
been widely used for domestic dogs as a species# Canis domesticus and, most predominantly, Canis
familiaris, the "common" or "familiar" dog.
+27,
<y 2>>7 with ad(ancements in molecular biology, the D!$ analysis of e5tant (i.e. li(ing today
Canidea species indicated that the wolf and the domestic dog were so genetically similar that the
wolf may ha(e been the ancestor of the dog.
+28,
<y 2>>>, further genetic analysis indicated that the
domestic dog may ha(e emerged from multiple wolf populations.
+2:,+2;,
<ased on these indications,
the domestic dog was reclassified in .117 as Canis lupus familiaris, a subspecies of the gray wolf
Canis lupus in a professional reference.
+2>,
<ased on these pieces of research and the reference
reclassification, canis lupis familiaris is the name for the ta5on listed by 0T0*.
+.1,
9owe(er, canis
familiaris is also accepted due to a nomenclature debate regarding the naming of wild and domestic
sub?species.
+.2,
Origin and e"ol#tion
&ain articles# 'rigin of the domestic dog and )ray wolf
For the origin, domestication, D!$ e(idence and archeological e(idence for the dog, see 'rigin of
the domestic dog
!oles +it, ,#mans
$ *iberian 9usky used as a pack animal
$ )erman *hepherd with a football
Domestic dogs inherited comple5 beha(iors from their wolf ancestors, which would ha(e been pack
hunters with comple5 body language. These sophisticated forms of social cognition and
communication may account for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human
households and social situations, and these attributes ha(e gi(en dogs a relationship with humans
that has enabled them to become one of the most successful species on the planet today.
+..,#pages>7?2/8
The dogs- (alue to early human hunter?gatherers led to them Auickly becoming ubiAuitous 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
indi(iduals. This impact on human society has gi(en them the nickname "man-s best friend" in the
Western world. 0n some cultures, howe(er, dogs are also a source of meat.
+./,+.3,
)arl( roles
Wol(es, and their dog descendants, would ha(e deri(ed significant benefits from li(ing in human
campsCmore safety, more reliable food, lesser caloric needs, and more chance to breed.
+.7,
They
would ha(e benefited from humans- upright gait that gi(es them larger range o(er which to see
potential predators and prey, as well as color (ision that, at least by day, gi(es humans better (isual
discrimination.
+.7,
Camp dogs would also ha(e benefitted from human tool use, as in bringing down
larger prey and controlling fire for a range of purposes.
+.7,
9umans would also ha(e deri(ed enormous benefit from the dogs associated with their camps.
+.8,

For instance, dogs would ha(e impro(ed sanitation by cleaning up food scraps.
+.8,
Dogs may ha(e
pro(ided warmth, as referred to in the $ustralian $boriginal e5pression "three dog night" (an
e5ceptionally cold night, and they would ha(e alerted the camp to the presence of predators or
strangers, using their acute hearing to pro(ide an early warning.
+.8,
$nthropologists belie(e the most significant benefit would ha(e been the use of dogs- sensiti(e
sense of smell to assist with the hunt.
+.8,
The relationship between the presence of a dog and success
in the hunt is often mentioned as a primary reason for the domestication of the wolf, and a .113
study of hunter groups with and without a dog gi(es Auantitati(e support to the hypothesis that the
benefits of cooperati(e hunting was an important factor in wolf domestication.
+.:,
The cohabitation of dogs and humans would ha(e greatly impro(ed the chances of sur(i(al for early
human groups, and the domestication of dogs may ha(e been one of the key forces that led to
human success.
+.;,
4migrants from *iberia likely crossed the <ering *trait with dogs in their company, and some
e5perts
+.>,
suggest the use of sled dogs may ha(e been critical to the success of the wa(es that
entered !orth $merica roughly 2.,111 years ago,
+.>,
although the earliest archaeological e(idence of
dog?like canids in !orth $merica dates from about >,311 years ago.
+/1,+..,#213
Dogs were an important
part of life for the $thabascan population in !orth $merica, and were their only domesticated
animal. Dogs also carried much of the load in the migration of the $pache and !a(aBo tribes 2,311
years ago. Dse of dogs as pack animals in these cultures often persisted after the introduction of the
horse to !orth $merica.
+/2,
-s pets
$ <ritish <ulldog shares a day at the park.
$ young male border terrier with a raccoon toy.
"The most widespread form of interspecies bonding occurs between humans and dogs"
+.8,
and the
keeping of dogs as companions, particularly by elites, has a long history.
+/.,
($s a possible e5ample,
at the !atufian culture site of $in &allaha in 0srael, dated to 2.,111 <C, the remains of an elderly
human and a four?to?fi(e?month?old puppy were found buried together.
+28,
9owe(er, pet dog
populations grew significantly after World War 00 as suburbaniEation increased.
+/.,
0n the 2>71s and
2>81s, dogs were kept outside more often than they tend to be today
+//,
(using the e5pression "in the
doghouse" to describe e5clusion from the group signifies the distance between the doghouse and the
home and were still primarily functional, acting as a guard, children-s playmate, or walking
companion. From the 2>;1s, there ha(e been changes in the role of the pet dog, such as the
increased role of dogs in the emotional support of their human guardians.
+/3,
%eople and dogs ha(e
become increasingly integrated and implicated in each other-s li(es,
+/7,
to the point where pet dogs
acti(ely shape the way a family and home are e5perienced.
+/8,
There ha(e been two maBor trends in the changing status of pet dogs. The first has been the
-commodification- of the dog, shaping it to conform to human e5pectations of personality and
beha(iour.
+/8,
The second has been the broadening of the concept of the family and the home to
include dogs?as?dogs within e(eryday routines and practices.
+/8,
There are a (ast range of commodity forms a(ailable to transform a pet dog into an ideal
companion.
+/:,
The list of goods, ser(ices and places a(ailable is enormous# from dog perfumes,
couture, furniture and housing, to dog groomers, therapists, trainers and caretakers, dog cafes, spas,
parks and beaches, and dog hotels, airlines and cemeteries.
+/:,
While dog training as an organiEed
acti(ity can be traced back to the 2;th century, in the last decades of the .1th century it became a
high profile issue as many normal dog beha(iors such as barking, Bumping up, digging, rolling in
dung, fighting, and urine marking
+further e'planation needed,
became increasingly incompatible with the new
role of a pet dog.
+/;,
Dog training books, classes and tele(ision programs proliferated as the process
of commodifying the pet dog continued.
+/>,
$ pet dog taking part in Christmas traditions
The maBority of contemporary people with dogs describe their pet as part of the family,
+/8,
although
some ambi(alence about the relationship is e(ident in the popular reconceptualiEation of the dogF
human family as a pack.
+/8,
$ dominance model of dogFhuman relationships has been promoted by
some dog trainers, such as on the tele(ision program (og #hisperer. 9owe(er it has been disputed
that "trying to achie(e status" is characteristic of dogFhuman interactions.
+31,
%et dogs play an acti(e
role in family lifeG for e5ample, a study of con(ersations in dogFhuman families showed how
family members use the dog as a resource, talking to the dog, or talking through the dog, to mediate
their interactions with each other.
+32,
$nother study of dogs- roles in families showed many dogs ha(e set tasks or routines undertaken as
family members, the most common of which was helping with the washing?up by licking the plates
in the dishwasher, and bringing in the newspaper from the lawn.
+/8,
0ncreasingly, human family
members are engaging in acti(ities centered on the percei(ed needs and interests of the dog, or in
which the dog is an integral partner, such as Dog Dancing and Doga.
+/:,
$ccording to statistics published by the $merican %et %roducts &anufacturers $ssociation in the
!ational %et 'wner *ur(ey in .11>F.121, it is estimated there are ::.7 million people with pet
dogs in the Dnited *tates.
+3.,
The same sur(ey shows nearly 31H of $merican households own at
least one dog, of which 8:H own Bust one dog, .7H two dogs and nearly >H more than two dogs.
There does not seem to be any gender preference among dogs as pets, as the statistical data re(eal
an eAual number of female and male dog pets. Iet, although se(eral programs are undergoing to
promote pet adoption, less than a fifth of the owned dogs come from a shelter.
The latest study using &agnetic resonance imaging (&60 to humans and dogs together pro(ed that
dogs ha(e same response to (oices and use the same parts of the brain as humans to do so. This
gi(es dogs the ability to recogniEe emotional human sounds, making them friendly social pets to
humans.
+3/,
.or/
Dogs ha(e li(ed and worked with humans in so many roles that they ha(e earned the uniAue
nickname, "man-s best friend",
+33,
a phrase used in other languages as well. They ha(e been bred for
herding li(estock,
+37,
hunting (e.g. pointers and hounds,
+38,
rodent control,
+3:,
guarding, helping
fishermen with nets, detection dogs, and pulling loads, in addition to their roles as companions.
+3:,

0n 2>7:, a husky?terrier mi5 named @aika became the first animal to orbit the 4arth.
+3;,+3>,
)ook of the Hunt, )aston 000, Count of Foi5, 2/;:F;;.
*er(ice dogs such as guide dogs, utility dogs, assistance dogs, hearing dogs, and psychological
therapy dogs pro(ide assistance to indi(iduals with physical or mental disabilities.
+71,+72,
*ome dogs
owned by epileptics ha(e been shown to alert their handler when the handler shows signs of an
impending seiEure, sometimes well in ad(ance of onset, allowing the guardian to seek safety,
medication, or medical care.
+7.,
Dogs included in human acti(ities in terms of helping out humans are usually called working dogs.
Dogs of se(eral breeds are considered working dogs. *ome working dog breeds include $kita,
$laskan &alamute, $natolian *hepherd Dog, <ernese &ountain Dog, <lack 6ussian Terrier,
<o5er, <ullmastiff, Doberman %inscher, Dogue de <ordeau5, )erman %inscher, )erman *hepherd,
+7/,
)iant *chnauEer, )reat Dane, )reat %yrenees, )reat *wiss &ountain Dog, "omondor, "u(asE,
&astiff, !eapolitan &astiff, !ewfoundland, %ortuguese Water Dog, 6ottweiler, *aint <ernard,
*amoyed, *iberian 9usky, *tandard *chnauEer, and Tibetan &astiff.
Sports and s,o+s
*ee also# Conformation show
%eople often enter their dogs in competitions
+73,
such as breed?conformation shows or sports,
including racing, sledding and agility competitions.
0n conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, a Budge familiar with the specific dog breed
e(aluates indi(idual purebred dogs for conformity with their established breed type as described in
the breed standard. $s the breed standard only deals with the e5ternally obser(able Aualities of the
dog (such as appearance, mo(ement, and temperament, separately tested Aualities (such as ability
or health are not part of the Budging in conformation shows.
-s a $ood so#rce
&ain article# Dog meat
*aegogi (dog meat stew being ser(ed in a "orean restaurant
Dog meat is consumed in some 4ast $sian countries, including "orea, China, and =ietnam, a
practice that dates back to antiAuity.
+77,
0t is estimated that 2/F28 million dogs are killed and
consumed in $sia e(ery year.
+78,
The <<C claims that, in 2>>>, more than 8,111 restaurants ser(ed
soups made from dog meat in *outh "orea.
+7:,
0n "orea, the primary dog breed raised for meat, the
nureongi (, differs from those breeds raised for pets that "oreans may keep in their homes.
+7;,
The most popular "orean dog dish is gae!ang-guk (also called osintang, a spicy stew meant to
balance the body-s heat during the summer monthsG followers of the custom claim this is done to
ensure good health by balancing one-s gi, or (ital energy of the body. $ 2>th century (ersion of
gae!ang-guk e5plains that the dish is prepared by boiling dog meat with scallions and chili powder.
=ariations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots. While the dishes are still popular in
"orea with a segment of the population, dog is not as widely consumed as beef, chicken, and pork.
+7;,
$ C!! report in China dated &arch .121 includes an inter(iew with a dog meat (endor who stated
that most of the dogs that are a(ailable for selling to restaurants are raised in special farms but that
there is always a chance that a sold dog is someone-s lost pet, although dog pet breeds are not
considered edible.
+7>,
'ther cultures, such as %olynesia and pre?Columbian &e5ico, also consumed dog meat in their
history. 9owe(er, Western, *outh $sian, $frican, and &iddle 4astern cultures, in general, regard
consumption of dog meat as taboo. 0n some places, howe(er, such as in rural areas of %oland, dog
fat is belie(ed to ha(e medicinal propertiesCbeing good for the lungs for instance.
+81,
Dog meat is
also consumed in some parts of *witEerland.
+82,
0ealt, ris/s to ,#mans
&ain article# Dog attack
%et waste station at a go(ernment building.
0t is estimated that 3.: million people are bitten by dogs each year.
+8.,
0n the 2>;1s and 2>>1s the D*
a(eraged 2: fatalities per year, while in the .111s this has increased to .8.
+8/,
::H of dog bites are
from the pet of family or friends, and 71H of attacks occur on the property of the dog-s legal owner.
+8/,
$ Colorado study found bites in children were less se(ere than bites in adults.
+83,
The incidence of
dog bites in the D* is 2..> per 21,111 inhabitants, but for boys aged 7 to >, the incidence rate is
81.: per 21,111. &oreo(er, children ha(e a much higher chance to be bitten in the face or neck.
+87,

*harp claws with powerful muscles behind them can lacerate flesh in a scratch that can lead to
serious infections.
+88,
0n the D" between .11/ and .113, there were 7,;8; dog attacks on humans, resulting in 7,::1
working days lost in sick lea(e.
+8:,
0n the Dnited *tates, cats and dogs are a factor in more than ;8,111 falls each year.
+8;,
0t has been
estimated around .H of dog?related inBuries treated in D" hospitals are domestic accidents. The
same study found that while dog in(ol(ement in road traffic accidents was difficult to Auantify, dog?
associated road accidents in(ol(ing inBury more commonly in(ol(ed two?wheeled (ehicles.
+8>,
+o'ocara canis (dog roundworm eggs in dog feces can cause to5ocariasis. 0n the Dnited *tates,
about 21,111 cases of +o'ocara infection are reported in humans each year, and almost 23H of the
D.*. population is infected.
+:1,
0n )reat <ritain, .3H of soil samples taken from public parks
contained +. canis eggs.
+:2,
Dntreated to5ocariasis can cause retinal damage and decreased (ision.
+:2,

Dog feces can also contain hookworms that cause cutaneous lar(a migrans in humans.
+:.,+:/,+:3,+:7,
0ealt, 1ene$its $or ,#mans
$ human cuddles a Doberman puppy.
The scientific e(idence is mi5ed as to whether companionship of a dog can enhance human physical
health and psychological wellbeing.
+:8,
*tudies suggesting that there are benefits to physical health
and psychological wellbeing
+::,
ha(e been criticised for being poorly controlled,
+:;,
and finding that
"+t,he health of elderly people is related to their health habits and social supports but not to their
ownership of, or attachment to, a companion animal." 4arlier studies ha(e shown that people who
keep pet dogs or cats e5hibit better mental and physical health than those who do not, making fewer
(isits to the doctor and being less likely to be on medication than non?guardians.
+:>,
$ .117 paper states "recent research has failed to support earlier findings that pet ownership is
associated with a reduced risk of cardio(ascular disease, a reduced use of general practitioner
ser(ices, or any psychological or physical benefits on health for community dwelling older people.
6esearch has, howe(er, pointed to significantly less absenteeism from school through sickness
among children who li(e with pets."
+:8,
0n one study, new guardians reported a highly significant
reduction in minor health problems during the first month following pet acAuisition, and this effect
was sustained in those with dogs through to the end of the study.
+;1,
0n addition, people with pet dogs took considerably more physical e5ercise than those with cats and
those without pets. The group without pets e5hibited no statistically significant changes in health or
beha(iour. The results pro(ide e(idence that keeping pets may ha(e positi(e effects on human
health and beha(iour, and that for guardians of dogs these effects are relati(ely long?term.
+;1,
%et
guardianship has also been associated with increased coronary artery disease sur(i(al, with human
guardians being significantly less likely to die within one year of an acute myocardial infarction
than those who did not own dogs.
+;2,
)unnar "aasen and <alto, the lead dog on the last relay team of the 2>.7 serum run to !ome.
The health benefits of dogs can result from contact with dogs in general, and not solely from ha(ing
dogs as pets. For e5ample, when in the presence of a pet dog, people show reductions in
cardio(ascular, beha(ioral, and psychological indicators of an5iety.
+;.,
'ther health benefits are
gained from e5posure to immune?stimulating microorganisms, which, according to the hygiene
hypothesis, can protect against allergies and autoimmune diseases. The benefits of contact with a
dog also include social support, as dogs are able to not only pro(ide companionship and social
support themsel(es, but also to act as facilitators of social interactions between humans.
+;/,
'ne
study indicated that wheelchair users e5perience more positi(e social interactions with strangers
when they are accompanied by a dog than when they are not.
+;3,
The practice of using dogs and other animals as a part of therapy dates back to the late 2;th century,
when animals were introduced into mental institutions to help socialiEe patients with mental
disorders.
+;7,
$nimal?assisted inter(ention research has shown that animal?assisted therapy with a
dog can increase social beha(iors, such as smiling and laughing, among people with $lEheimer-s
disease.
+;8,
'ne study demonstrated that children with $D9D and conduct disorders who
participated in an education program with dogs and other animals showed increased attendance,
increased knowledge and skill obBecti(es, and decreased antisocial and (iolent beha(ior compared
to those who were not in an animal?assisted program.
+;:,
S,elters
&ain article# $nimal shelter
4(ery year, between 8 and ; million dogs and cats enter D* animal shelters.
+;;,
The 9umane *ociety
of the Dnited *tates (9*D* estimates that appro5imately / to 3 million of those dogs and cats are
euthaniEed yearly in the Dnited *tates.
+;>,
9owe(er, the percentage of dogs in D* animal shelters
that are e(entually adopted and remo(ed from the shelters by their new legal owners has increased
since the mid?2>>1s from around .7H to a .12. a(erage of 31H among reporting shelters
+>1,
(and
many shelters reporting 81F:7H.
+>2,
2iolog(
&ain article# Dog anatomy
@ateral (iew of a dog-s bone structure.
Domestic dogs ha(e been selecti(ely bred for millennia for (arious beha(iors, sensory capabilities,
and physical attributes.
+3:,
&odern dog breeds show more (ariation in siEe, appearance, and
beha(ior than any other domestic animal. !e(ertheless, their morphology is based on that of their
wild wolf ancestors.
+3:,
Dogs are predators and sca(engers, and like many other predatory
mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, fused wrist bones, a cardio(ascular system that supports
both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching and tearing.
Dogs are highly (ariable in height and weight. The smallest known adult dog was a Iorkshire
Terrier, that stood only 8./ cm (..7 in at the shoulder, >.7 cm (/.: in in length along the head?and?
body, and weighed only 22/ grams (3.1 oE. The largest known dog was an 4nglish &astiff which
weighed 277.8 kg (/3/ lb and was .71 cm (>; in from the snout to the tail.
+>.,
The tallest dog is a
)reat Dane that stands 218.: cm (3..1 in at the shoulder.
+>/,
Senses
3ision
Dog-s (isual colour perception compared with humans.
@ike most mammals, dogs are dichromats and ha(e color (ision eAui(alent to redFgreen color
blindness in humans (deuteranopia.
+>3,+>7,+>8,+>:,
*o, dogs can see blue and yellow, but ha(e difficulty
differentiating red and green because they only ha(e two spectral types of cone photoreceptor, while
normal humans ha(e three. $nd dogs use color instead of brightness to differentiate light or dark
blueJyellow.
+>;,+>>,+211,+212,
Dogs are less sensiti(e to differences in grey shades than humans and also
can detect brightness at about half the accuracy of humans.
+21.,
The dog-s (isual system has e(ol(ed to aid proficient hunting.
+>3,
While a dog-s (isual acuity is poor
(that of a poodle-s has been estimated to translate to a *nellen rating of .1J:7
+>3,
, their (isual
discrimination for mo(ing obBects is (ery highG dogs ha(e been shown to be able to discriminate
between humans (e.g., identifying their human guardian at a range of between ;11 and >11 m,
howe(er this range decreases to 711F811 m if the obBect is stationary.
+>3,
Dogs ha(e a temporal resolution of between 81 and :1 9E, which e5plains why many dogs struggle
to watch tele(ision, as most such modern screens are optimiEed for humans at 71F81 9E.
+21.,
Dogs
can detect a change in mo(ement that e5ists in a single diopter of space within their eye. 9umans,
by comparison, reAuire a change of between 21 and .1 diopters to detect mo(ement.
+21/,
$s crepuscular hunters, dogs often rely on their (ision in low light situations# They ha(e (ery large
pupils, a high density of rods in the fo(ea, an increased flicker rate, and a tapetum lucidum.
+>3,
The
tapetum is a reflecti(e surface behind the retina that reflects light to gi(e the photoreceptors a
second chance to catch the photons. There is also a relationship between body siEe and o(erall
diameter of the eye. $ range of >.7 and 22.8 mm can be found between (arious breeds of dogs. This
.1H (ariance can be substantial and is associated as an adaptation toward superior night (ision.
+213,
The eyes of different breeds of dogs ha(e different shapes, dimensions, and retina configurations.
+217,
&any long?nosed breeds ha(e a "(isual streak"Ca wide fo(eal region that runs across the width
of the retina and gi(es them a (ery wide field of e5cellent (ision. *ome long?muEEled breeds, in
particular, the sighthounds, ha(e a field of (ision up to .:1K (compared to 2;1K for humans. *hort?
nosed breeds, on the other hand, ha(e an "area centralis"# a central patch with up to three times the
density of ner(e endings as the (isual streak, gi(ing them detailed sight much more like a human-s.
*ome broad?headed breeds with short noses ha(e a field of (ision similar to that of humans.
+>7,+>8,
&ost breeds ha(e good (ision, but some show a genetic predisposition for myopia F such as
6ottweilers, with which one out of e(ery two has been found to be myopic.
+>3,
Dogs also ha(e a
greater di(ergence of the eye a5is than humans, enabling them to rotate their pupils farther in any
direction. The di(ergence of the eye a5is of dogs ranges from 2.F.7K depending on the breed.
+21/,
45perimentation has pro(en that dogs can distinguish between comple5 (isual images such as that
of a cube or a prism. Dogs also show attraction to static (isual images such as the silhouette of a
dog on a screen, their own reflections, or (ideos of dogsG howe(er, their interest declines sharply
once they are unable to make social contact with the image.
+218,
0earing
The physiology of a dog ear.
Transformation of the ears of a huskamute puppy in 8 days
The freAuency range of dog hearing is appro5imately 31 9E to 81,111 9E,
+21:,
which means that
dogs can detect sounds far beyond the upper limit of the human auditory spectrum.
+>8,+21:,+21;,
0n
addition, dogs ha(e ear mobility, which allows them to rapidly pinpoint the e5act location of a
sound.
+21>,
4ighteen or more muscles can tilt, rotate, raise, or lower a dog-s ear. $ dog can identify a
sound-s location much faster than a human can, as well as hear sounds at four times the distance.
+21>,
Smell
The wet, te5tured nose of a dog
While the human brain is dominated by a large (isual corte5, the dog brain is dominated by an
olfactory corte5.
+>3,
The olfactory bulb in dogs is roughly forty times bigger than the olfactory bulb
in humans, relati(e to total brain siEe, with 2.7 to ..1 million smell?sensiti(e receptors.
+>3,
The
bloodhound e5ceeds this standard with nearly /11 million receptors.
+>3,
ConseAuently, it has been estimated that dogs, in general, ha(e an olfactory sense ranging from one
hundred thousand to one million times more sensiti(e than a human-s. 0n some dog breeds, such as
bloodhounds, the olfactory sense may be up to 211 million times greater than a human-s.
+221,
The wet
nose, or rhinarium, is essential for determining the direction of the air current containing the smell.
Cold receptors in the skin are sensiti(e to the cooling of the skin by e(aporation of the moisture by
air currents.
+222,
P,(sical c,aracteristics
&ain article# Dog anatomy
Coat
&ain article# Coat (dog
$ hea(y winter coat with countershading in a mi5ed?breed dog
The coats of domestic dogs are of two (arieties# "double" being common with dogs (as well as
wol(es originating from colder climates, made up of a coarse guard hair and a soft down hair, or
"single", with the topcoat only.
Domestic dogs often display the remnants of countershading, a common natural camouflage
pattern. $ countershaded animal will ha(e dark coloring on its upper surfaces and light coloring
below,
+22.,
which reduces its general (isibility. Thus, many breeds will ha(e an occasional "blaEe",
stripe, or "star" of white fur on their chest or underside.
+22/,
Tail
*ee also# Docking
There are many different shapes for dog tails# straight, straight up, sickle, curled, or cork?screw. $s
with many canids, one of the primary functions of a dog-s tail is to communicate their emotional
state, which can be important in getting along with others. 0n some hunting dogs, howe(er, the tail
is traditionally docked to a(oid inBuries.
+223,
0n some breeds, such as the <raAue du <ourbonnais,
puppies can be born with a short tail or no tail at all.
+227,
T(pes and 1reeds
&ain article# Dog breed
Further information# Dog type
Ca(alier "ing Charles *paniels demonstrate within?breed (ariation.
&ost breeds of dog are at most a few hundred years old, ha(ing been artificially selected for
particular morphologies and beha(iors by people for specific functional roles. Through this
selecti(e breeding, the dog has de(eloped into hundreds of (aried breeds, and shows more
beha(ioral and morphological (ariation than any other land mammal.
+228,
For e5ample, height
measured to the withers ranges from 27.. centimetres (8.1 in in the Chihuahua to about :8 cm
(/1 in in the 0rish WolfhoundG color (aries from white through grays (usually called "blue" to
black, and browns from light (tan to dark ("red" or "chocolate" in a wide (ariation of patternsG
coats can be short or long, coarse?haired to wool?like, straight, curly, or smooth.
+22:,
0t is common
for most breeds to shed this coat.
While all dogs are genetically (ery similar,
+22;,
natural selection and selecti(e breeding ha(e
reinforced certain characteristics in certain populations of dogs, gi(ing rise to dog types and dog
breeds. Dog types are broad categories based on function, genetics, or characteristics.
+22>,
Dog
breeds are groups of animals that possess a set of inherited characteristics that distinguishes them
from other animals within the same species. &odern dog breeds are non?scientific classifications of
dogs kept by modern kennel clubs.
%urebred dogs of one breed are genetically distinguishable from purebred dogs of other breeds,
+2.1,

but the means by which kennel clubs classify dogs is unsystematic. *ystematic analyses of the dog
genome has re(ealed only four maBor types of dogs that can be said to be statistically distinct.
+2.1,

These include the "old world dogs" (e.g., &alamute and *har %ei, "&astiff"?type (e.g., 4nglish
&astiff, "herding"?type (e.g., <order Collie, and "all others" (also called "modern"? or "hunting"?
type.
+2.1,+2.2,
0ealt,
&ain articles# Dog health and C=<D
Dogs are susceptible to (arious diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which can affect humans.
To defend against many common diseases, dogs are often (accinated.
There are many household plants that are poisonous to dogs, begonia and aloe (era.
+2..,
%oinsettia is
often claimed to be to5ic but this is untrue. The @D71 for rats was determined to be greater than
.7gJkg.
+2./,
This would mean that a 71 pound dog would ha(e to eat 711?811 lea(es to ha(e a 71H
chance of death.
*ome breeds of dogs are prone to certain genetic ailments such as elbow or hip dysplasia, blindness,
deafness, pulmonic stenosis, cleft palate, and trick knees. Two serious medical conditions
particularly affecting dogs are pyometra, affecting unspayed females of all types and ages, and
bloat, which affects the larger breeds or deep?chested dogs. <oth of these are acute conditions, and
can kill rapidly. Dogs are also susceptible to parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, as well as
hookworm, tapeworm, roundworm, and heartworm.
Dogs are highly susceptible to theobromine poisoning, typically from ingestion of chocolate.
Theobromine is to5ic to dogs because, although the dog-s metabolism is capable of breaking down
the chemical, the process is so slow that e(en small amounts of chocolate can be fatal, especially
dark chocolate.
Dogs are also (ulnerable to some of the same health conditions as humans, including diabetes,
dental and heart disease, epilepsy, cancer, hypothyroidism, and arthritis.
+2.3,
Mortalit(
$ mi5ed?breed terrier. &i5ed?breed dogs are generally healthier than pure?breds.
&ain article# $ging in dogs
The typical lifespan of dogs (aries widely among breeds, but for most the median longe(ity, the age
at which half the dogs in a population ha(e died and half are still ali(e, ranges from 21 to 2/ years.
+2.7,+2.8,+2.:,+2.;,
0ndi(idual dogs may li(e well beyond the median of their breed.
The breed with the shortest lifespan (among breeds for which there is a Auestionnaire sur(ey with a
reasonable sample siEe is the Dogue de <ordeau5, with a median longe(ity of about 7.. years, but
se(eral breeds, including &iniature <ull Terriers, <loodhounds, and 0rish Wolfhounds are nearly as
short?li(ed, with median longe(ities of 8 to : years.
+2.;,
The longest?li(ed breeds, including Toy %oodles, Lapanese *pitE, <order Terriers, and Tibetan
*paniels, ha(e median longe(ities of 23 to 27 years.
+2.;,
The median longe(ity of mi5ed?breed dogs,
taken as an a(erage of all siEes, is one or more years longer than that of purebred dogs when all
breeds are a(eraged.
+2.8,+2.:,+2.;,+2.>,
The dog widely reported to be the longest?li(ed is "<luey", who
died in 2>/> and was claimed to be .>.7 years old at the time of his deathG howe(er, the <luey
record is anecdotal and un(erified.
+2/1,
'n 7 December .122, %usuke, the world-s oldest li(ing dog
recogniEed by )uinness <ook of World 6ecords, died aged .8 years and > months.
+2/2,
Predation
$lthough wild dogs, like wol(es, are ape5 predators, they can be killed in territory disputes with
wild animals.
+2/.,
Furthermore, in areas where both dogs and other large predators li(e, dogs can be
a maBor food source for big cats or canines. 6eports from Croatia indicate wol(es kill dogs more
freAuently than they kill sheep. Wol(es in 6ussia apparently limit feral dog populations. 0n
Wisconsin, more compensation has been paid for dog losses than li(estock.
+2/.,
*ome wolf pairs
ha(e been reported to prey on dogs by ha(ing one wolf lure the dog out into hea(y brush where the
second animal waits in ambush.
+2//,
0n some instances, wol(es ha(e displayed an uncharacteristic
fearlessness of humans and buildings when attacking dogs, to the e5tent that they ha(e to be beaten
off or killed.
+2/3,
Coyotes and big cats ha(e also been known to attack dogs. @eopards in particular are known to
ha(e a predilection for dogs, and ha(e been recorded to kill and consume them regardless of the
dog-s siEe or ferocity.
+2/7,
Tigers in &anchuria, 0ndochina, 0ndonesia, and &alaysia are reputed to
kill dogs with the same (igor as leopards.
+2/8,
*triped 9yenas are maBor predators of (illage dogs in
Turkmenistan, 0ndia, and the Caucasus.
+2/:,
6eptiles such as alligators and pythons ha(e been known
to kill and eat dogs.
Diet
*ee also# Dog food
)olden 6etrie(er gnawing a pig-s foot
Despite their descent from wol(es and classification as Carni(ora, dogs are (ariously described in
scholarly and other writings as carni(ores
+2/;,+2/>,
or omni(ores.
+3:,+231,+232,+23.,
Dnlike obligate
carni(ores, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, dogs can adapt to a wide?ranging
diet, and are not dependent on meat?specific protein nor a (ery high le(el of protein in order to
fulfill their basic dietary reAuirements. Dogs will healthily digest a (ariety of foods, including
(egetables and grains, and can consume a large proportion of these in their diet.
+3:,
Compared to
their wolf ancestors, dogs ha(e adaptations in genes in(ol(ed in starch digestion that contribute to
an increased ability to thri(e on a starch?rich diet.
+23/,
4oods to*ic to dogs
This article ma( 1e e*panded +it, te*t translated $rom t,e corresponding article in t,e
Catalan .i/ipedia. (,eptemer -./0)
Click +show, on the right to read important instructions before translating.+show,
$ number of common human foods and household ingestibles are to5ic to dogs, including chocolate
solids (theobromine poisoning, onion and garlic (thiosulphate, sulfo5ide or disulfide poisoning,
+233,
grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, 5ylitol,
+237,
as well as (arious plants and other potentially
ingested materials.
+238,+23:,
The nicotine in tobacco can also be dangerous. Dogs can get it by
sca(enging in garbage or ashtraysG eating cigars and cigarettes. *igns can be (omiting of large
amounts (e.g., from eating cigar butts or diarrhea. *ome other signs are abdominal pain, loss of
coordination, collapse, or death. To sol(e, soothe the stomach irritation by gi(ing charcoal tablets.
For se(ere signs, get immediate (eterinary attention.
+23;,
!eprod#ction
&ain article# Canine reproduction
0n domestic dogs, se5ual maturity begins to happen around age si5 to twel(e months for both males
and females,
+3:,+23>,
although this can be delayed until up to two years old for some large breeds. This
is the time at which female dogs will ha(e their first estrous cycle. They will e5perience subseAuent
estrous cycles biannually, during which the body prepares for pregnancy. $t the peak of the cycle,
females will come into estrus, being mentally and physically recepti(e to copulation.
+3:,
<ecause the
o(a sur(i(e and are capable of being fertiliEed for a week after o(ulation, it is possible for a female
to mate with more than one male.
+3:,
.F7 days post conception fertiliEation occurs, 23F28 days embryo attaches to uterus ..F./ days
heart beat is detectable.
+271,+272,
Dogs bear their litters roughly 7; to 8; days after fertiliEation,
+3:,+27.,
with an a(erage of 8/ days,
although the length of gestation can (ary. $n a(erage litter consists of about si5 puppies,
+27/,
though
this number may (ary widely based on the breed of dog. 0n general, toy dogs produce from one to
four puppies in each litter, while much larger breeds may a(erage as many as twel(e.
*ome dog breeds ha(e acAuired traits through selecti(e breeding that interfere with reproduction.
&ale French <ulldogs, for instance, are incapable of mounting the female. For many dogs of this
breed, the female must be artificially inseminated in order to reproduce.
+273,
Ne#tering
The e5amples and perspecti(e in this article deal primaril( +it, t,e 5nited States and do
not represent a +orld+ide "ie+ o$ t,e s#16ect. %lease impro(e this article and discuss the
issue on the talk page. (1arch -./-)
$ feral dog from *ri @anka nursing her four puppies
!eutering refers to the steriliEation of animals, usually by remo(al of the male-s testicles or the
female-s o(aries and uterus, in order to eliminate the ability to procreate and reduce se5 dri(e.
<ecause of the o(erpopulation of dogs in some countries, many animal control agencies, such as the
$merican *ociety for the %re(ention of Cruelty to $nimals ($*%C$, ad(ise that dogs not intended
for further breeding should be neutered, so that they do not ha(e undesired puppies that may ha(e to
later be euthaniEed.
+277,
$ccording to the 9umane *ociety of the Dnited *tates, /F3 million dogs and cats are put down each
year in the Dnited *tates and many more are confined to cages in shelters because there are many
more animals than there are homes. *paying or castrating dogs helps keep o(erpopulation down.
+278,
@ocal humane societies, *%C$s, and other animal protection organiEations urge people to neuter
their pets and to adopt animals from shelters instead of purchasing them.
!eutering reduces problems caused by hyperse5uality, especially in male dogs.
+27:,
*payed female
dogs are less likely to de(elop some forms of cancer, affecting mammary glands, o(aries, and other
reproducti(e organs.
+27;,
9owe(er, neutering increases the risk of urinary incontinence in female
dogs,
+27>,
and prostate cancer in males,
+281,
as well as osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, cruciate
ligament rupture, obesity, and diabetes mellitus in either se5.
+282,
Comm#nication
<y the age of four weeks, the dog has de(eloped the maBority of its (ocaliEations.
+28.,
The dog is the
most (ocal canid and is uniAue in its tendency to bark in a myriad of situations.
+28.,
<arking appears to ha(e little more communication functions than e5citement, fighting, the
presence of a human, or simply because other dogs are barking.
+28.,
*ubtler signs such as discreet
bodily and facial mo(ements, body odors, whines, yelps, and growls are the main sources of actual
communication.
+28.,
The maBority of these subtle communication techniAues are employed at a close
pro5imity to another, but for long?range communication only barking and howling are employed.
+28.,
7ntelligence and 1e,a"ior
7ntelligence
&ain article# Dog intelligence
The <order Collie is considered to be one of the most intelligent breeds.
+28/,
The domestic dog has a predisposition to e5hibit a social intelligence that is uncommon in the
animal world.
+>3,
Dogs are capable of learning in a number of ways, such as through simple
reinforcement (e.g., classical or operant conditioning and by obser(ation.
+283,+>3,
Dogs go through a series of stages of cogniti(e de(elopment. $s with humans, the understanding
that obBects not being acti(ely percei(ed still remain in e5istence (called obBect permanence is not
present at birth. 0t de(elops as the young dog learns to interact intentionally with obBects around it,
at roughly ; weeks of age.
+>3,
%uppies learn beha(iors Auickly by following e5amples set by e5perienced dogs.
+>3,
This form of
intelligence is not peculiar to those tasks dogs ha(e been bred to perform, but can be generaliEed to
myriad abstract problems. For e5ample, Dachshund puppies that watched an e5perienced dog pull a
cart by tugging on an attached piece of ribbon in order to get a reward from inside the cart learned
the task fifteen times faster than those left to sol(e the problem on their own.
+>3,+287,
Dogs can also learn by mimicking human beha(iors. 0n one study, puppies were presented with a
bo5, and shown that, when a handler pressed a le(er, a ball would roll out of the bo5. The handler
then allowed the puppy to play with the ball, making it an intrinsic reward. The pups were then
allowed to interact with the bo5. 6oughly three Auarters of the puppies subseAuently touched the
le(er, and o(er half successfully released the ball, compared to only 8H in a control group that did
not watch the human manipulate the le(er.
+288,
$nother study found that handing an obBect between
e5perimenters who then used the obBect-s name in a sentence successfully taught an obser(ing dog
each obBect-s name, allowing the dog to subseAuently retrie(e the item.
+28:,
*ergeant *tubby wearing his uniform and medals. *tubby participated in four offensi(es and 2:
battles.
Dogs also demonstrate sophisticated social cognition by associating beha(ioral cues with abstract
meanings.
+>3,
'ne such class of social cognition in(ol(es the understanding that others are conscious
agents. 6esearch has shown that dogs are capable of interpreting subtle social cues, and appear to
recogniEe when a human or dog-s attention is focused on them. To test this, researchers de(ised a
task in which a reward was hidden underneath one of two buckets. The e5perimenter then attempted
to communicate with the dog to indicate the location of the reward by using a wide range of signals#
tapping the bucket, pointing to the bucket, nodding to the bucket, or simply looking at the bucket.
+28;,(pp28/3?8
The results showed that domestic dogs were better than chimpanEees, wol(es, and human
infants at this task, and e(en young puppies with limited e5posure to humans performed well.
+>3,
%sychology research has shown that humans- gaEe instincti(ely mo(es to the left in order to watch
the right side of a person-s face, which is related to use of right hemisphere brain for facial
recognition, including human facial emotions. 6esearch at the Dni(ersity of @incoln (.11; shows
that dogs share this instinct when meeting a human being, and only when meeting a human being
(i.e., not other animals or other dogs. $s such they are the only non?primate species known to do
so.
+28>,+2:1,
*tanley Coren, an e5pert on dog psychology, states that these results demonstrated the social
cognition of dogs can e5ceed that of e(en our closest genetic relati(es, and that this capacity is a
recent genetic acAuisition that distinguishes the dog from its ancestor, the wolf.
+>3,
*tudies ha(e also
in(estigated whether dogs engaged in partnered play change their beha(ior depending on the
attention?state of their partner.
+2:2,
Those studies showed that play signals were only sent when the
dog was holding the attention of its partner. 0f the partner was distracted, the dog instead engaged in
attention?getting beha(ior before sending a play signal.
+2:2,
Coren has also argued that dogs demonstrate a sophisticated theory of mind by engaging in
deception, which he supports with a number of anecdotes, including one e5ample wherein a dog hid
a stolen treat by sitting on it until the rightful owner of the treat left the room.
+>3,
$lthough this could
ha(e been accidental, Coren suggests that the thief understood that the treat-s owner would be
unable to find the treat if it were out of (iew. Together, the empirical data and anecdotal e(idence
points to dogs possessing at least a limited form of theory of mind.
+>3,+2:2,
*imilar research has been
performed by <rian 9are of Duke Dni(ersity, who has shown that dogs outperform both great apes
as well as wol(es raised by humans in reading human communicati(e signals.
+28;,(pp28/3?8+2:.,
$ study found a third of dogs suffered from an5iety when separated from others.
+2:/,
$ border collie named Chaser has learned the names for 2,1.. toys after three years of training, so
many that her trainers ha(e had to mark the names of the obBects lest they forget themsel(es. This is
higher than 6ico, another border collie who could remember at least .11 obBects.
+2:3,
2e,a"ior
&ain article# Dog beha(ior
$lthough dogs ha(e been the subBect of a great deal of beha(iorist psychology (e.g. %a(lo(-s dog,
they do not enter the world with a psychological "blank slate".
+>3,
6ather, dog beha(ior is affected
by genetic factors as well as en(ironmental factors.
+>3,
Domestic dogs e5hibit a number of beha(iors
and predispositions that were inherited from wol(es.
+>3,
)i(en that dogs abilities to use human social cues originated during the process of domestication, it
is likely that indi(idual dogs that were able to use social cues to predict the beha(ior of humans
more fle5ibly than could their last common wolf ancestor were at a selecti(e ad(antage.
+28;,
%roperly socialiEed dogs can interact with unfamiliar dogs of any siEe and shape and understand
how to communicate.
The e5istence and nature of personality traits in dogs ha(e been studied (27/.> dogs of 283
different breeds and fi(e consistent and stable "narrow traits" identified, described as playfulness,
curiosityJfearlessness, chase?proneness, sociability and aggressi(eness. $ further higher order a5is
for shynessFboldness was also identified.
+2:7,+2:8,
The a(erage sleep time of a dog is said to be 21.2 hours per day.
+2::,
@ike humans, dogs ha(e two
main types of sleep# *low?wa(e sleep, then 6apid eye mo(ement sleep, the state in which dreams
occur.
+2:;,
Dogs prefer, when they are off the leash and 4arth-s magnetic field is calm, to urinate and defecate
with their bodies aligned on a north?south a5is.
+2:>,
Dog gro+l
$ new study in <udapest, 9ungary, has found that dogs are able to tell how big another dog is Bust
by listening to its growl. $ specific growl is used by dogs to protect their food. The research also
shows that dogs do not lie about their siEe, and this is the first time research has shown animals can
determine another-s siEe by the sound it makes. The test, using images of many kinds of dogs,
showed a small and big dog and played a growl. The result showed that .1 of the .3 test dogs
looked at the image of the appropriately siEed dog first and looked at it longest.
+2;1,
Di$$erences $rom +ol"es
*ome dogs, like this Tamaskan Dog, look (ery much like wol(es.
P,(sical c,aracteristics
Further information# Wolf
Compared to eAually siEed wol(es, dogs tend to ha(e .1H smaller skulls, /1H smaller brains,
+38,#/7

as well as proportionately smaller teeth than other canid species.
+2;2,
Dogs reAuire fewer calories to
function than wol(es. 0t is thought by certain e5perts that the dog-s limp ears are a result of atrophy
of the Baw muscles.
+2;2,
The skin of domestic dogs tends to be thicker than that of wol(es, with some
0nuit tribes fa(oring the former for use as clothing due to its greater resistance to wear and tear in
harsh weather.
+2;2,
2e,a"ioral di$$erences
Dogs tend to be poorer than wol(es at obser(ational learning, being more responsi(e to
instrumental conditioning.
+2;2,
Feral dogs show little of the comple5 social structure or dominance
hierarchy present in wolf packs. For e5ample, unlike wol(es, the dominant alpha pairs of a feral dog
pack do not force the other members to wait for their turn on a meal when sca(enging off a dead
ungulate as the whole family is free to Boin in. For dogs, other members of their kind are of no help
in locating food items, and are more like competitors.
+2;2,
Feral dogs are primarily sca(engers, with studies showing that unlike their wild cousins, they are
poor ungulate hunters, ha(ing little impact on wildlife populations where they are sympatric.
9owe(er, feral dogs ha(e been reported to be effecti(e hunters of reptiles in the )alMpagos 0slands,
+38,#.8:
and free ranging pet dogs are more prone to predatory beha(ior toward wild animals.
Domestic dogs can be monogamous.
+2;.,
<reeding in feral packs can be, but does not ha(e to be
restricted to a dominant alpha pair (such things also occur in wolf packs.
+2;/,
&ale dogs are unusual
among canids by the fact that they mostly seem to play no role in raising their puppies, and do not
kill the young of other females to increase their own reproducti(e success.
+38,#.8:
*ome sources say
that dogs differ from wol(es and most other large canid species by the fact that they do not
regurgitate food for their young, nor the young of other dogs in the same territory.
+2;2,
9owe(er, this difference was not obser(ed in all domestic dogs. 6egurgitating of food by the
females for the young as well as care for the young by the males has been obser(ed in domestic
dogs, dingos as well as in other feral or semi?feral dogs. 6egurgitating of food by the females and
direct choosing of only one mate has been obser(ed e(en in those semi?feral dogs of direct
domestic dog ancestry. $lso regurgitating of food by males has been obser(ed in free?ranging
domestic dogs.
+2;.,+2;3,
Traina1ilit(
Dogs display much greater tractability than tame wol(es, and are, in general, much more responsi(e
to coerci(e techniAues in(ol(ing fear, a(ersi(e stimuli, and force than wol(es, which are most
responsi(e toward positi(e conditioning and rewards.
+2;7,
Dnlike tame wol(es, dogs tend to respond
more to (oice than hand signals.
+2;8,
C#lt#ral depictions
&ain article# Cultural depictions of dogs
M(t,olog(
*ee also Category#&ythological dogs.
Tesem, an old 4gyptian sighthound?like dog.
0n mythology, dogs often ser(e as pets or as watchdogs.
+2;:,
0n )reek mythology, Cerberus is a three?headed watchdog who guards the gates of 9ades.
+2;:,
0n
!orse mythology, a bloody, four?eyed dog called )armr guards 9elheim.
+2;:,
0n %ersian mythology,
two four?eyed dogs guard the Chin(at <ridge.
+2;:,
0n %hilippine mythology, "imat who is the pet of
Tadaklan, god of thunder, is responsible for lightning. 0n Welsh mythology, $nnwn is guarded by
CNn $nnwn.
+2;:,
0n 9indu mythology, Iama, the god of death owns two watch dogs who ha(e four eyes. They are
said to watch o(er the gates of !araka.
+2;;,
9unter god &uthappan from !orth &alabar region of
"erala has hunting Dog as his mount. Dogs are found in and out of the &uthappan Temple and
offerings at the shrine take the form of bronEe dog figurines.
+2;>,
0n Ludaism and 0slam, dogs are (iewed as unclean sca(engers.
+2;:,
0n Christianity, dogs represent
faithfulness.
+2;:,
0n $sian countries such as China, "orea, and Lapan, dogs are (iewed as kind
protectors.
+2;:,
The role of the dog in Chinese mythology includes a position as one of the twel(e
animals which cyclically represent years (the Eodiacal dog.
8aller( o$ dogs in art
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dogs in art.
$ncient )reek black?figure pottery
depicting the return of a hunter and his
dog. &ade in $thens between 771F7/1
<C, found in 6hodes.
6iders and dogs. $ncient )reek $ttic
black?figure hydria, ca. 721F711 <C,
from =ulci. @ou(re &useum, %aris.
$ncient )reek rhyton in the shape of a dog-s head, made by <rygos, early 7th century <C. LOrPme
Carcopino &useum, Department of $rchaeology, $leria
See also
Dogs portal
Mammals portal
2oo/: Dog
$nimal track
$rgos (dog
Dog in Chinese mythology
Dogs in art
Dog odor
Dognapping
4thnocynology
9achikQFa notable e5ample of dog loyalty
@ost pet ser(ices
Wolfdog
9ists:
@ist of dog breeds
@ist of fictional dogs
@ist of indi(idual dogs
@ist of most popular dog breeds
!e$erences
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)*ternal lin/s
Find more about Dog at Wikipedia-s sister proBects
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Ta5onomy of Canis lupus familiaris from Wikispecies
<iodi(ersity 9eritage @ibrary bibliography for Canis lupus familiaris
FOdOration CynologiAue 0nternationale (FC0 F World Canine 'rganisation
Dogs in the $ncient World, an article on the history of dogs
=iew the dog genome on 4nsembl
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