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).
"Doggie" redirects here. For the Danish artist, see Doggie (artist).
Domestic dog
Temporal range: 0.033 0 Ma
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Late Pleistocene Recent
Collage of Nine Dogs.jpg
Selection of the different breeds of dog.
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C. l. familiaris[1]
Trinomial name
Canis lupus familiaris[1]
Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog.
The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris or Canis familiaris)[2] is a member of
genus Canis (canines) that forms part of the wolf-like canids,[3] and is the mos
t widely abundant carnivore.[4][5][6] The dog and the extant gray wolf are siste
r taxa,[7][8][9] with modern wolves not closely related to the wolves that were
first domesticated.[8][9] The dog was the first domesticated species[9][10] and
has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabili
ties, and physical attributes.[11]
Their long association with humans has led dogs to be uniquely attuned to human
behavior[12] and they are able to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be ina
dequate for other canid species.[13] Dogs vary widely in shape, size and colours
.[14] Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling load
s, protection, assisting police and military, companionship and, more recently,
aiding handicapped individuals. This influence on human society has given them t
he sobriquet "man's best friend".