Dog
hideThe dog (Canis lupus familiaris, pronounced /ˈkeɪ.nis ˈluːpəs fʌˈmɪliɛəris/) is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history. Amongst canine enthusiasts, the word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine species, as opposed to the word "bitch."
The dog quickly became ubiquitous across culture in all parts of the world, and was extremely valuable to early human settlements. For instance, it is believed that the successful emigration across the Bering Strait might not have been possible without sled dogs. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, protection, and, more recently, assisting handicapped individuals. Currently, there are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.
Over the 15,000 year span that the dog had been domesticated, it diverged into only a handful of landraces, groups of similar animals whose morphology and behavior have been shaped by environmental factors and functional roles. As the modern understanding of genetics developed, humans began to intentionally breed dogs for a wide range of specific traits. Through this process, the dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal. For example, height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet 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. It is common for most breeds to shed this coat, but non-shedding breeds are also popular.
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News tagged with dogs
Dogs chase efficiently, but cats skulk counterintuitively
Biology /
Dec 03, 2008 |
4 / 5 (31) |
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A Duke University study suggests that evolution can behave as differently as dogs and cats. While the dogs depend on an energy-efficient style of four-footed running over long distances to catch their prey, cats seem to have ...
Extent of inbreeding in pedigree dogs revealed in new study
Biology /
Aug 15, 2008 |
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The extent of inbreeding in purebred dogs and how this reduces their genetic variation is revealed in a new study by Imperial College London researchers. Inbreeding puts dogs at risk of birth defects and genetically ...
What really prompts the dog's "guilty look"
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Jun 11, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (17) |
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What dog owner has not come home to a broken vase or other valuable items and a guilty-looking dog slouching around the house? By ingeniously setting up conditions where the owner was misinformed as to whether ...
Babies understand dogs
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jul 20, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (16) |
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New research shows babies have a handle on the meaning of different dog barks - despite little or no previous exposure to dogs.
The truth about cats and dogs
Biology /
Sep 08, 2008 |
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Thinking about adopting a perky little puppy as a friend for your fluffy cat, but worried that they'll fight -- well, like cats and dogs?
Using 'dominance' to explain dog behavior is old hat
May 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study shows how the behaviour of dogs has been misunderstood for generations: in fact using misplaced ideas about dog behaviour and training is likely to cause rather than cure unwanted ...
Renowned canine researcher puts dogs' intelligence on par with two-year-old human
Aug 08, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (12) |
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Although you wouldn't want one to balance your checkbook, dogs can count.
Black wolves: The first genetically modified predators?
Biology /
Feb 05, 2009 |
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Emergence of black-colored wolves is the direct result of humans raising dogs as pets and beasts of burden, according to new research by a University of Calgary biologist published today by the prestigious ...
Researchers identify gene linked to common ailment in labrador retrievers
Biology /
Sep 21, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (10) |
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Researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine have identified a gene in Labrador retriever dogs highly associated with the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse (EIC). After intense hunting or ...
Researchers discover evolutionary event underlying the origin of dachshunds, dogs with short legs
Jul 16, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
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A single evolutionary event appears to explain the short, curved legs that characterize all of today's dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and at least 16 other breeds of dogs, a team led by the National Human ...
Wild dogs reveal nature's 'poverty trap'
Biology /
Sep 16, 2008 |
4.6 / 5 (8) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Hunting in a fast-moving pack is a high-risk strategy, according to research by Oxford University and Université Paris-Sud scientists.
Dogs are aggressive if they are trained badly
Apr 24, 2009 |
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Many dogs are put down or abandoned due to their violent nature, but contrary to popular belief, breed has little to do with a dog's aggressive behaviour compared to all the owner-dependant factors. This is ...
Ovarian cancer's specific scent detected by dogs
Jun 26, 2008 |
5 / 5 (5) |
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Ground-breaking research in the June issue of Integrative Cancer Therapies published by SAGE explored whether ovarian cancer has a scent different from other cancers and whether working dogs could be taught to distinguish it in ...
Human-dog communication -- breed as important as species
Jul 24, 2009 |
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Dog breeds selected to work in visual contact with humans, such as sheep dogs and gun dogs, are better able to comprehend a pointing gesture than those breeds that usually work without direct supervision. A series of tests, ...
Study says dogs have larger carbon footprint than SUV
Nov 04, 2009 |
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Thanks for killing the planet, dog owners. Well, that's a rough paraphrase of a New Zealand study that claims a medium-size dog leaves a larger ecological footprint than an SUV.
