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{{Short description|Domesticated species of canid}}
{{this|the domestic dog}}
{{Redirect2|Doggy|Pooch|other uses|Dog (disambiguation)|and|Doggy (disambiguation)|and|Pooch (disambiguation)}}
{{Taxobox
{{good article}}
| color = pink
{{pp-move}}
| name = Domestic dog
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
| fossil_range = Late [[Pleistocene]] - Recent
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|mode=cs1|display-authors=6}}
| status = {{StatusDomesticated}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
| image = YellowLabradorLooking.jpg
{{Speciesbox
| image_width = 200px
| name = Dog
| image_caption = [[commons:Category:Canis lupus|other images of dogs]]
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|0.0142|0}} [[Late Pleistocene]] (14,200 years ago) to present<ref name=Thalmann2018 />
| ___domain = [[Eukaryota]]
| image = <!-- Please do not change the lead images without discussion -->
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
{{multiple image
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| perrow = 3/3/2
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| total_width = 275
| ordo = [[Carnivora]]
| familiaborder = [[Canidae]]infobox
| image1 = Blue merle koolie short coat heading sheep.jpg
| genus = ''[[Canis]]''
| image2 = Dog - നായ-6.JPG
| species = ''[[Gray Wolf|C. lupus]]''
| image3 = Chin posing.jpg
| subspecies = '''''C. l. familiaris'''''
| image4 = Retriever in water.jpg
| trinomial = ''Canis lupus familiaris''
| image5 = Black Labrador Retriever - Male IMG 3323.jpg
| 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 />
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=wozencraft2005 />
| 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}}
}}
}}
{{Portal|Dogs|HappyMutt.jpg}}
 
The '''dog''' ('''''Canis familiaris''''' or '''''Canis lupus familiaris''''') is a [[Domestication of vertebrates|domesticated]] descendant of the [[gray wolf]]. Also called the '''domestic dog''', it was [[Selective breeding|selectively bred]] from an [[extinct]] population of wolves during the [[Late Pleistocene]] by [[hunter-gatherer]]s. The dog was the first [[species]] to be domesticated by [[human]]s, over 14,000 years ago and before the [[History of agriculture|development of agriculture]]. Due to their long association with humans, dogs have gained the ability to thrive on a [[starch]]-rich diet that would be inadequate for other [[Canidae|canid]]s.
The '''dog''' (''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domestic [[subspecies]] of the [[Gray Cat|Cat]], a [[mammal]] of the [[Canidae]] family of the order [[Carnivora]]. The term encompasses both [[pariah dog|feral]] and [[pet]] variants. It is also sometimes used to describe [[wild dog|wild canid]]s of other subspecies or species.
 
Dogs have been bred for desired behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. [[Dog breed]]s vary widely in shape, size, and color. They have the same number of bones (with the exception of the tail), powerful jaws that house around 42 teeth, and well-developed [[Dog sense of smell|senses of smell]], hearing, and sight. Compared to humans, dogs possess a superior sense of smell and hearing, but inferior [[visual acuity]]. Dogs perform many roles for humans, such as [[Hunting dog|hunting]], [[Herding dog|herding]], [[Sled dog|pulling loads]], [[Guard dog|protection]], [[Pet|companionship]], [[Therapy dog|therapy]], [[Service dog|aiding disabled people]], and [[Police dog|assisting police]] and the [[Dogs in warfare|military]].
Over time, the Cat has developed into trillions of [[Cat breed|breeds]] with a great degree of variation. For example, heights at the [[withers]] range from just a few inches (such as the [[Chihuahua (dog)|Chihuahua]]) to roughly three feet (such as the [[Irish Wolfhound]]); colors vary from white through grays (usually called ''blue'') to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a tremendous variation of patterns; and [[Coat (dog)|coat]]s can be anything from very short to several centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight or curly, or smooth. Hahahahaha!
 
[[Dog communication|Communication in dogs]] includes eye gaze, facial expression, vocalization, body posture (including movements of bodies and limbs), and gustatory communication (scents, pheromones, and taste). They mark their territories by urinating on them, which is more likely when entering a new environment. Over the millennia, dogs have uniquely adapted to human behavior; this adaptation includes being able to understand and communicate with humans. As such, the [[human–canine bond]] has been a topic of frequent study, and dogs' influence on human society has given them the [[sobriquet]] of "[[man's best friend]]".
== Overview ==
=== Origins ===
 
The global dog population is estimated at 700&nbsp;million to 1&nbsp;billion, [[Cosmopolitan distribution|distributed around the world]]. The dog is the most popular pet in the United States, present in 34–40% of households. Developed countries make up approximately 20% of the global dog population, while around 75% of dogs are estimated to be from developing countries, mainly in the form of feral and community dogs.
{{main|Origin of the domestic dog}}
 
== Taxonomy ==
Some research appears to show that dogs were [[Domestication|domesticated]] from [[Gray Wolf|wolves]] as recently as 15,000 years ago,<ref>{{cite web
{{Further|Canis lupus dingo#Taxonomic debate – the domestic dog, dingo, and New Guinea singing dog}}
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2498669.stm
| title = Origin of dogs traced
| accessdate = 2006-11-29
| last = McGourty
| first = Christine
| date = [[2002-11-22]]
| publisher = BBC News
}}</ref> or perhaps as early as 100,000 years ago based upon recent genetic, [[fossil]] and [[DNA]] evidence.<ref>Vilà, C. et al. (1997).</ref> Other research suggests that dogs have only been domesticated for a much shorter amount of time and were domesticated from populations of wild dogs, which had previously diverged from wolves.<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Wayne
| first = Robert K.
| authorlink = http://www.eeb.ucla.edu/indivfaculty.php?FacultyKey=501
| coauthors = Carles Vila, Peter Savolainen, Jesus E. Maldonado, Isabel R. Amorim, John E. Rice, Rodney L. Honeycutt, Keith A. Crandall, Joakim Lundeberg
| date = [[1997-01-30]]; accepted [[1997-04-14]]
| title = Multiple and ancient origins of the domestic dog
| journal = Science
| volume = 276
| pages = 1687-1689
| url = http://www.mnh.si.edu/GeneticsLab/StaffPage/MaldonadoJ/PublicationsCV/Science_Dog_Paper.pdf
| format = pdf
| accessdate = 2006-12-09
}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
| last = Kerstin
| first = Lindblad-Toh
| coauthors = Claire M Wade, Tarjei S. Mikkelsen, Elinor K. Karlsson, David B. Jaffe, Michael Kamal, Michele Clamp, Jean L. Chang, Edward J. Kulbokas III, Michael C. Zody, Evan Mauceli, Xiaohui Xie, Matthew Breen, Robert K. Wayne, Elaine A. Ostrander, Chris P. Ponting, Francis Galibert, Douglas R. Smith, Pieter J. deJong, Ewen Kirkness, Pablo Alvarez, Tara Biagi, William Brockman, Jonathan Butler, Chee-Wye Chin, April Cook, James Cuff, Mark J. Daly, David DeCaprio, Sante Gnerre, Manfred Grabherr, Manolis Kellis, Michael Kleber, Carolyne Bardeleben, Leo Goodstadt, Andreas Heger, Christophe Hitte, Lisa Kim, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Heidi G. Parker, John P. Pollinger, Stephen M. J. Searle, Nathan B. Sutter, Rachael Thomas, Caleb Webber
| date = [[2005-12-08]]
| title = Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog
| journal = Nature
| volume = 438
| pages = 803-819
| url = http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7069/abs/nature04338.html
}}</ref>
 
{{cladogram|title=Canine phylogeny with ages of divergence
New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China,<ref name=Savolainen_et_al_2002>{{cite journal
|caption=Cladogram and divergence of the gray wolf (including the domestic dog) among its closest extant relatives<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Koepfli |first1=Klaus-Peter |last2=Pollinger |first2=John |last3=Godinho |first3=Raquel |last4=Robinson |first4=Jacqueline |last5=Lea |first5=Amanda |last6=Hendricks |first6=Sarah |last7=Schweizer |first7=Rena M. |last8=Thalmann |first8=Olaf |last9=Silva |first9=Pedro |last10=Fan |first10=Zhenxin |last11=Yurchenko |first11=Andrey A.|last12=Dobrynin |first12=Pavel |last13=Makunin |first13=Alexey |last14=Cahill |first14=James A. |last15=Shapiro |first15=Beth |date= August 2015 |title=Genome-wide Evidence Reveals that African and Eurasian Golden Jackals Are Distinct Species |journal=Current Biology |volume=25 |issue=16 |pages=2158–2165 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.060 |pmid=26234211 |bibcode=2015CBio...25.2158K |doi-access=free }}</ref>
| first = Peter
|cladogram={{clade| style=font-size:85%;line-height:75%;width:475px;
| last = Savolainen
|sublabel1=''3.50 [[Million years ago|mya]]''<!--E-->
| coauthors = Ya-ping Zhang, Jing Luo, Joakim Lundeberg, and Thomas Leitner
|1={{clade
| date = [[2002-11-22]]
|sublabel1=''3.06 mya''<!--F-->
| title = Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs
|1={{clade
| journal = Science
|sublabel1=''2.74 mya''<!--G-->
| volume = 298
|1={{clade
| issue = 5598
|sublabel1=''1.92 mya''<!--H-->
| pages = 1610 - 1613
|1={{clade
| doi = 10.1126/science.1073906
|sublabel1=''1.62 mya''<!--I-->
| url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1610
|1={{clade
}}</ref> and the first peoples to enter North America took dogs with them from Asia. Genetic research has identified 14 [[ancient dog breeds]], with the oldest being the [[Chow Chow]], [[Shar Pei]], [[Akita Inu]], [[Shiba Inu]] and [[Basenji]]. Because many of the 14 breeds are associated with China and Japan FUCK ASIANS FUCK ASIANS I HATE ASIANS FUCK ASIAN, the theory that the dog originated in Asia seems to be likely.<ref name=Savolainen_et_al_2002/>
|sublabel1=''1.32 mya''<!--J-->
|1={{clade
|sublabel1=''1.10 mya''<!--K-->
|1={{clade
|1=[[Gray wolf]] (domestic dog) [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I).png|50 px]]
|2=[[Coyote]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IX).png|50 px]]
}}
|2=[[African wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
|2=[[Ethiopian wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate VI).png|50 px]]
}}
|2=[[Golden jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate X).png|50 px]]
}}
|2=[[Dhole]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLI).png|50 px]]
}}
|2=[[African wild dog]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLIV).png|50 px]]
}}
|sublabel2=''2.62 mya''<!--D-->
|2={{clade
|1=[[Side-striped jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XIII).png|50 px]]
|2=[[Black-backed jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XII).png|50 px]]
}}
}}
}}
}}
 
Dogs are domesticated members of the family [[Canidae]]. They are classified as a [[Subspecies of Canis lupus|subspecies of ''Canis lupus'']], along with [[wolves]] and [[dingoes]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Freedman |first1=Adam H. |last2=Wayne |first2=Robert K. |date=February 2017 |title=Deciphering the Origin of Dogs: From Fossils to Genomes |journal=Annual Review of Animal Biosciences |volume=5 |pages=281–307 |doi=10.1146/annurev-animal-022114-110937|pmid=27912242 }}</ref><ref name="Thiele-2019">{{Cite web |last=Thiele |first=Kevin |date=19 April 2019 |title=The Trouble With Dingoes |url=https://www.taxonomyaustralia.org.au/post/the-trouble-with-dingoes |website=Taxonomy Australia |publisher=[[Australian Academy of Science]]}}</ref> Dogs were domesticated from wolves over 14,000 years ago by [[hunter-gatherer]]s, before the development of agriculture.<ref name=":7">{{cite journal |last1=Perri |first1=Angela R. |last2=Feuerborn |first2=Tatiana R. |last3=Frantz |first3=Laurent A. F. |last4=Larson |first4=Greger |last5=Malhi |first5=Ripan S. |last6=Meltzer |first6=David J. |last7=Witt |first7=Kelsey E. |title=Dog domestication and the dual dispersal of people and dogs into the Americas |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=9 February 2021 |volume=118 |issue=6 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2010083118 |doi-access=free |pmid=33495362 |pmc=8017920 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11810083P |language=en |issn=0027-8424}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Dogs domesticated before farming |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |date=January 2014 |volume=505 |issue=7485 |pages=589 |doi=10.1038/505589e |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/505589e |language=en |issn=1476-4687}}</ref> The remains of the [[Bonn–Oberkassel dog]], buried alongside humans between 14,000 and 15,000 years ago, are the earliest to be conclusively identified as a domesticated dog.<ref>{{cite web |work=National Geographic |last1=Brown |first1=Jackie |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dogs-evolve-wolves-fossils-dna |title=How did wolves evolve into dogs? Ancient fossils provide intriguing clues |date=August 23, 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> Genetic studies show that dogs likely diverged from wolves between 27,000 and 40,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Skoglund |first=Pontus |date=1 June 2015 |title=Ancient Wolf Genome Reveals an Early Divergence of Domestic Dog Ancestors and Admixture into High-Latitude Breeds |url=https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(15)00432-7 |journal=Current Biology |volume=25 |issue=11 |pages=1515–1519|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2015.04.019 |pmid=26004765 |bibcode=2015CBio...25.1515S }}</ref> The dingo and the related [[New Guinea singing dog]] resulted from the [[geographic isolation]] and feralization of dogs in [[Oceania]] over 8,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shao-jie Zhang |last2=Guo-Dong Wang |last3=Pengcheng Ma |last4=Liang-liang Zhang |year=2020 |title=Genomic regions under selection in the feralization of the dingoes |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |issue=671|page=671 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-14515-6 |pmid=32015346 |pmc=6997406 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11..671Z }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cairns |first1=Kylie M. |last2=Wilton |first2=Alan N. |date=17 September 2016 |title=New insights on the history of canids in Oceania based on mitochondrial and nuclear data |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10709-016-9924-z |pages=553–565 |volume=144 |journal=Genetica|issue=5 |doi=10.1007/s10709-016-9924-z |pmid=27640201 }}</ref>
As humans migrated around the planet a variety of dog forms migrated with them. The [[agricultural revolution]] and subsequent [[urban revolution]] led to an increase in the dog population and a demand for [[Specialization (functional)|specialization]]. These circumstances would provide the opportunity for [[selective breeding]] to create specialized [[working dog]]s and [[pet]]s.
 
Dogs, wolves, and [[dingo]]es have sometimes been classified as separate species.<ref name="Thiele-2019" /> In 1758, the Swedish botanist and zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] assigned the [[genus]] name ''[[Canis]]'' (which is the [[Latin]] word for "dog"){{sfn|Wang|Tedford|2008|p=58}} to the domestic dog, the [[wolf]], and the [[golden jackal]] in his book, ''[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|Systema Naturae]]''. He classified the domestic dog as ''Canis familiaris'' and, on the next page, classified the grey wolf as ''Canis lupus''.<ref name=linnaeus1758 /> Linnaeus considered the dog to be a separate species from the wolf because of its upturning tail (''cauda recurvata'' in [[Latin]] term), which is not found in any other [[canid]].<ref name=Clutton-Brock1995 /> In the 2005 edition of ''[[Mammal Species of the World]]'', [[mammalogist]] [[W. Christopher Wozencraft]] listed the wolf as a wild subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' and proposed two additional subspecies: ''familiaris'', as named by Linnaeus in 1758, and ''dingo'', named by Meyer in 1793. Wozencraft included ''hallstromi'' (the New Guinea singing dog) as another name ([[junior synonym]]) for the dingo. This classification was informed by a 1999 [[mitochondrial DNA]] study.<ref name=wozencraft2005 />
=== Alien relationships ===
 
The classification of dingoes is disputed and a political issue in Australia. Classifying dingoes as wild dogs simplifies reducing or controlling dingo populations that threaten livestock. Treating dingoes as a separate species allows conservation programs to protect the dingo population.<ref>{{cite journal |display-authors=4 |last1=Donfrancesco |first1=Valerio |last2=Allen |first2=Benjamin L. |last3=Appleby |first3=Rob |last4=Behrendorff |first4=Linda |last5=Conroy |first5=Gabriel |last6=Crowther |first6=Mathew S. |last7=Dickman |first7=Christopher R. |last8=Doherty |first8=Tim |last9=Fancourt |first9=Bronwyn A. |last10=Gordon |first10=Christopher E. |last11=Jackson |first11=Stephen M. |last12=Johnson |first12=Chris N. |last13=Kennedy |first13=Malcolm S. |last14=Koungoulos |first14=Loukas |last15=Letnic |first15=Mike |last16=Leung |first16=Luke K.-P. |last17=Mitchell |first17=Kieren J. |last18=Nesbitt |first18=Bradley |last19=Newsome |first19=Thomas |last20=Pacioni |first20=Carlo |last21=Phillip |first21=Justine |last22=Purcell |first22=Brad V. |last23=Ritchie |first23=Euan G. |last24=Smith |first24=Bradley P. |last25=Stephens |first25=Danielle |last26=Tatler |first26=Jack |last27=van Eeden |first27=Lily M. |last28=Cairns |first28=Kylie M. |title=Understanding conflict among experts working on controversial species: A case study on the Australian dingo |journal=Conservation Science and Practice |date=March 2023 |volume=5 |issue=3 |doi=10.1111/csp2.12900 |bibcode=2023ConSP...5E2900D |url=https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.12900 |language=en |issn=2578-4854|hdl=2440/137822 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Dingo classification affects wildlife management policies, legislation, and societal attitudes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Boronyak |first1=Louise |last2=Jacobs |first2=Brent |last3=Smith |first3=Bradley |title=Unlocking Lethal Dingo Management in Australia |journal=Diversity |date=May 2023 |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=642 |doi=10.3390/d15050642 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Diver..15..642B }}</ref> In 2019, a workshop hosted by the [[IUCN]]/Species Survival Commission's Canid Specialist Group considered the dingo and the New Guinea singing dog to be [[feral dog|feral]] ''Canis familiaris''. Therefore, it did not assess them for the [[IUCN Red List]] of [[threatened species]].<ref name=Alvares2019 />
NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER SWASTIKA I HATE JEWS AUSCHWITZ Dogs, like humans, are highly [[social animal]]s and this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships.
 
=== Domestication ===
{{Main|Domestication of the dog}}
[[File:Comparison of a wolf and a pug.png|thumb|Wolves (left) were domesticated by humans into dogs (right)]]
The earliest remains generally accepted to be those of a domesticated dog were discovered in [[Oberkassel, Bonn|Bonn-Oberkassel]], Germany. [[Contextualism|Contextual]], [[Isotope analysis|isotopic]], [[Genetics|genetic]], and [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] evidence shows that this dog was not a local wolf.<ref name=Perri2021 /> The dog was dated to 14,223 years ago and was found buried along with a man and a woman, all three having been sprayed with red [[hematite]] powder and buried under large, thick basalt blocks. The dog had died of [[canine distemper]].<ref name=janssens2018 /> This timing indicates that the dog was the [[Domestication of vertebrates|first species to be domesticated]]<ref name=larson2014 /><ref name=freedman2017 /> in the time of [[hunter-gatherer]]s,<ref name=Frantz2020 /> which predates agriculture.<ref name=Thalmann2018 /> Earlier remains dating back to 30,000 years ago have been described as [[Paleolithic dog]]s, but their status as dogs or wolves remains debated<ref name=Irving-Pease2018 /> because considerable morphological diversity existed among wolves during the [[Late Pleistocene]].<ref name=Thalmann2018 />
 
[[DNA sequences]] show that all ancient and modern dogs share a common ancestry and descended from an ancient, extinct wolf population that was distinct from any [[Wolf|modern wolf]] lineage. Some studies have posited that all living wolves are more closely related to each other than to dogs,<ref name="Bergström2020" /><ref name=Frantz2020 /> while others have suggested that dogs are more closely related to modern Eurasian wolves than to American wolves.<ref name=":43">{{Cite journal |last1=Gojobori |first1=Jun |last2=Arakawa |first2=Nami |last3=Xiaokaiti |first3=Xiayire |last4=Matsumoto |first4=Yuki |last5=Matsumura |first5=Shuichi |last6=Hongo |first6=Hitomi |last7=Ishiguro |first7=Naotaka |last8=Terai |first8=Yohey |date=23 February 2024 |title=Japanese wolves are most closely related to dogs and share DNA with East Eurasian dogs |journal=Nature Communications |volume=15 |issue=1 |page=1680 |doi=10.1038/s41467-024-46124-y |pmid=38396028 |pmc=10891106 |bibcode=2024NatCo..15.1680G }}</ref>
Now, on to important things:
 
The dog is a domestic animal that likely travelled a [[Commensalism|commensal]] pathway into domestication (i.e. humans initially neither benefitted nor were harmed by wild dogs eating refuse from their camps).<ref name=Irving-Pease2018 /><ref name=larson2012 /> The questions of when and where dogs were first domesticated remains uncertain.<ref name=larson2014 /> Genetic studies suggest a domestication process commencing over 25,000 years ago, in one or several wolf populations in either Europe, the high Arctic, or eastern Asia.<ref name=Ostrander2019 /> In 2021, a [[literature review]] of the current evidence [[Inference|infers]] that the dog was domesticated in [[Siberia]] 23,000 years ago by [[ancient North Siberians]], then later dispersed eastward into the Americas and westward across Eurasia,<ref name=Perri2021 /> with dogs likely accompanying the first humans to inhabit the Americas.<ref name=Perri2021/> Some studies have suggested that the extinct [[Japanese wolf]] is closely related to the ancestor of domestic dogs.<ref name=":43"/>
A Link to the Future"
Zelda fans are the hardest to please. Since Ocarina of Time, we expect every subsequent sequel to be just as good, if not infinitely better (which is probably impossible). Because of this, many fans found Majora's Mask too strange and Wind Waker too cute. But I love about this series is how every Zelda is so distinctly separate from the others. I realize I represent a small minority, though, since so many others have been pining for a true successor to Ocarina of Time for some... er... time. Well, the whining stops now. Because you finally got it.
 
In 2018, a study identified 429 genes that differed between modern dogs and modern wolves. As the differences in these genes could also be found in ancient dog fossils, these were regarded as being the result of the initial domestication and not from recent breed formation. These genes are linked to [[neural crest]] and [[central nervous system]] development. These genes affect [[embryogenesis]] and can confer tameness, smaller jaws, floppy ears, and diminished craniofacial development, which distinguish domesticated dogs from wolves and are considered to reflect domestication syndrome. The study concluded that during early dog domestication, the initial selection was for behavior. This trait is influenced by those genes which act in the neural crest, which led to the phenotypes observed in modern dogs.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pendleton |first1=Amanda L. |last2=Shen |first2=Feichen |last3=Taravella |first3=Angela M. |last4=Emery |first4=Sarah |last5=Veeramah |first5=Krishna R. |last6=Boyko |first6=Adam R. |last7=Kidd |first7=Jeffrey M. |date=December 2018 |title=Comparison of village dog and wolf genomes highlights the role of the neural crest in dog domestication |journal=BMC Biology |language=en |volume=16 |issue=1 |page=64 |doi=10.1186/s12915-018-0535-2 |issn=1741-7007 |pmc=6022502 |pmid=29950181 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
Graphics:
Twilight Princess really is a more mature Ocarina of Time. It follows the same style but improves on the N64 graphics to create, quite possibly, the most realistic Zelda we'll ever see. But as such, the game is noticeably dominated by dark greens and browns. This will come as a big disappointment to Wind Waker fans who enjoyed that game's colorful lands. Twilight Princess still impresses, though, with very fluid animation and large, sweeping landscapes. All of this is seamlessly tied together, too; while there are a couple long fade to blacks, you won't find a single load screen anywhere. Twilight Princess was built as a Gamecube game, however, and it shows with somewhat blurry textures and sharp polygonal edges. Even then, this is one of the prettiest Gamecube games ever made, and it's already one of the best-looking games for Wii. The twilight realm alone is amazingly realized. This "alternate reality" uses a rich, soft palette to create an atmosphere akin to Ico and Shadows of the Colossus-- only here it's much more surreal and mesmerizing.
 
=== Breeds ===
Sound:
{{Main|Dog breed}}
But the sound department isn't so sweet. As is the case with most Zelda games, Twilight Princess reuses a lot of old tunes. Not that there's anything bad about playing on familiarity. It's odd, though, how these ancient songs don't sound like they have improved much over time. Instead of sounding like the compelling orchestra we expect, a lot of them still reek of MIDI ancestry. And the Wii remote speaker is used way too much. Just about anything you do triggers some kind of noise out of the remote, whether you're shooting an arrow or putting an item away or ramming into a wall. Some of it I enjoy, like when your helper character, Midna, giggles to get your attention. Most of the sound from this speaker, though, is quite loud, annoying, and scratchy. Hearing the "you found a secret" melody in such tinny fashion is almost painful.
{{Further|Dog type}} There are around 450 official [[dog breeds]], the most of any mammal.<ref name=Ostrander2019 /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Parker |first1=Heidi G. |last2=Dreger |first2=Dayna L. |last3=Rimbault |first3=Maud |last4=Davis |first4=Brian W. |last5=Mullen |first5=Alexandra B. |last6=Carpintero-Ramirez |first6=Gretchen |last7=Ostrander |first7=Elaine A. |title=Genomic Analyses Reveal the Influence of Geographic Origin, Migration, and Hybridization on Modern Dog Breed Development |journal=[[Cell Reports]] |year=2017 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=697–708 |doi=10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.079 |pmid=28445722 |pmc=5492993 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Dogs began diversifying in the [[Victorian era]], when humans took control of their natural selection.<ref name=freedman2017 /> Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years.<ref name=freedman2017 /><ref name=Ostrander2019 /> Since then, dogs have undergone rapid [[Phenotypic plasticity|phenotypic change]] and have been subjected to [[artificial selection]] by humans. The skull, body, and limb proportions between breeds display more phenotypic diversity than can be found within the entire order of [[carnivore]]s. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, and colour.<ref name=freedman2017 /> As such, humans have long used dogs for their desirable traits to complete or fulfill a certain work or role. Their behavioural traits include guarding, herding, hunting,<ref name=freedman2017 /> retrieving, and scent detection. Their personality traits include hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression.<ref name=freedman2017 /> Present-day dogs are dispersed around the world.<ref name=Ostrander2019 /> An example of this dispersal is the numerous modern breeds of European lineage during the Victorian era.<ref name=Frantz2020 /><gallery mode="nolines" widths="235" heights="170" class="center">
File:Dog morphological variation.png|[[Morphology (biology)|Morphological variation]] in six dogs
File:Dog coat variation.png|[[Phenotype|Phenotypic variation]] in four dogs
</gallery>
 
== Anatomy and physiology ==
You have probably already read, too, endless articles about the lack of voice acting. This doesn't come as any surprise, though. And the game is probably better off for it, considering other Nintendo games like Star Fox Assault and Super Mario Sunshine have had some bad voiceovers. Still, with absolutely no spoken dialogue, Twilight Princess does feel a little empty and lifeless. And cut scenes with multiple characters get a little confusing when there's no clear sign as to who is speaking.
{{Main|Dog anatomy}}
 
=== Size and skeleton ===
Gameplay:
[[File:Dog anatomy lateral skeleton view.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|A lateral view of a dog skeleton]]
All of that is secondary business, though, and you know it. Zelda has always been about genre-defining gameplay, and this one's no slouch. Twilight Princess feels very similar to Ocarina of Time but is a lot bigger and has a lot more content. Kakariko Village, Zora's Domain, Epona, and the Gorons all return. There are even the mandatory forest, water, and volcano dungeons. So anyone who has played Ocarina of Time (i.e. everyone) will recognize much of what this game has to offer. But Twilight Princess isn't a remake. Dungeons are not the same, and the familiar locations, like Zora's Domain, are three times larger. The scope of Twilight Princess is enormous. It's almost intimidating having spent five hours in the game, looking at your map, and realizing you haven't even left the first area yet.
 
Dogs are extremely variable in size, ranging from one of the largest breeds, the [[Great Dane]], at {{cvt|50|to|79|kg}} and {{cvt|71|to|81|cm}}, to one of the smallest, the [[Chihuahua (dog)|Chihuahua]], at {{cvt|0.5|to|3|kg}} and {{cvt|13|to|20|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 June 2024 |title=Great Dane {{!}} Description, Temperament, Lifespan, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/Great-Dane |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 May 2024 |title=Chihuahua dog {{!}} Description, Temperament, Images, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/Chihuahua-dog |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en |archive-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614011119/https://www.britannica.com/animal/Chihuahua-dog |url-status=live }}</ref> All healthy dogs, regardless of their size and type, have the same amount of bones (with the exception of the tail), although there is significant skeletal variation between dogs of different types.{{sfnp|Cunliffe|2004|p=12}}{{sfnp|Fogle|2009|pp=38-39}} The dog's skeleton is well adapted for running; the [[vertebra]]e on the neck and back have extensions for back muscles, consisting of [[Epaxial and hypaxial muscles|epaxial muscles and hypaxial muscles]], to connect to; the long ribs provide room for the [[heart]] and [[lung]]s; and the shoulders are unattached to the skeleton, allowing for flexibility.{{sfnp|Cunliffe|2004|p=12}}{{sfnp|Fogle|2009|pp=38-39}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Back pain |url=https://www.elwoodvet.net/back-pain-dogs |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Elwood vet |language=en-AU |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324091613/https://www.elwoodvet.net/back-pain-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref>
On top of the usual hookshot and boomerang, many new weapons and items are available, including a powerful ball and chain. The rest, I don't even want to spoil, because it's really fun to discover them on your own. And with that, Twilight Princess presents some of the most creative dungeon and puzzle designs I've seen in the past several years. You'll pound your couch and swear, because it's too daunting, then smile when you discover how clever the solution turns out to be. The iron boots return, of course, but the ways they are used are some of the strangest and most brilliant anybody could have come up with.
 
Compared to the dog's wolf-like ancestors, selective breeding since domestication has seen the dog's skeleton increase in size for larger types such as [[mastiff]]s and miniaturised for smaller types such as [[terrier]]s; [[dwarfism]] has been selectively bred for some types where short legs are preferred, such as [[dachshund]]s and [[corgi]]s.{{sfnp|Fogle|2009|pp=38-39}} Most dogs naturally have 26 vertebrae in their tails, but some with [[Natural bobtail|naturally short tails]] have as few as three.{{sfnp|Cunliffe|2004|p=12}}
But the Legend of Zelda isn't just about going from dungeon to dungeon. You will frequently have to take time aside to cater to villagers' problems before you can move on with the adventure. These mini quests aren't as numerous as they were in, say, Majora's Mask, but they do add a lot of diversity to the game. At one point, you need to navigate a flying monster through a canyon. Another time, you have to stave off attacks on a traveling carriage. And to do this, you actually fight from your horse. No more having to climb off Epona if you want to swing your sword. It's not a huge addition, but it's a nice touch that shows just how much energy went into crafting this game.
 
[[File:Selected skulls.jpg|thumb|Skulls of different breeds, from left to right: Pug; Boxer; Rottweiler; Wolf; Collie; Standard Poodle.]]
Twilight Princess gets its name because of a dark "twilight realm" that is slowly blanketing Hyrule. When you enter the twilight realm, everything becomes drastically different. Birds are now grotesque monsters, and villagers have turned into spirits. More importantly, in this realm, Link is no longer human. He becomes a wolf. Don't worry, this is no big surprise. You find this out quite early on. Playing as a wolf, though, is incredibly refreshing and makes the game feel even more diverse and unique. The wolf can't use items, but he can dig up the ground, talk to animals, and follow scent trails that people leave behind. It adds a new layer of complexity to Link's usual sword-swinging character, and I welcome it.
 
The dog's skull has identical components regardless of breed type, but there is significant [[Cephalic index|divergence in terms of skull shape]] between types.{{sfnp|Fogle|2009|pp=38-39}}{{sfnp|Jones|Hamilton|1971|p=27}} The three basic skull shapes are the elongated dolichocephalic type as seen in [[sighthound]]s, the intermediate mesocephalic or mesaticephalic type, and the very short and broad brachycephalic type exemplified by mastiff type skulls.{{sfnp|Fogle|2009|pp=38-39}}{{sfnp|Jones|Hamilton|1971|p=27}} The jaw contains around 42 teeth, and it has evolved for the consumption of flesh. Dogs use their [[carnassial teeth]] to cut food into bite-sized chunks, more especially meat.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=DK |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cBGmEAAAQBAJ&q=Dog |title=The Dog Encyclopedia: The Definitive Visual Guide |date=6 July 2023 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited |isbn=978-0-241-63310-6 |pages=15–19 |language=en}}</ref>
Controls:
Exclusive to this Zelda, of course, is its entirely new control scheme. Thanks to motion-sensing technology, you can now aim a bow or swing a sword with fairly pleasing results. Neither option makes me jump in the air and scream, "Hallelujah! Video games are saved!" but they are rather cool, little additions. Aiming is especially rewarding when you snag a pesky monster or far-off target, because the task is made more personal. Swinging a sword doesn't have the same effect, though. It isn't exactly 1:1, and because Link is always putting his sword away, you find yourself shaking the controller a lot before he finally takes it out again and starts swinging.
 
=== Senses ===
What doesn't work at all is the random assigning of buttons. Twilight Princess uses every button on the remote and nunchuck and to much confusion. In previous Zelda titles, when you paused the game, you were taken to the status screen. From there, you could tab over to the item screen and map screen. For Twilight Princess, all of these essential screens are assigned to different buttons. Status screen: plus button. Item screen: minus button. Map screen: 1 button. That last one is extremely difficult to comfortably hit, because the button sits too low when the remote is held in the standard position. In the item screen, you assign weapons with the D-pad and B button and exit with the A button. Yet on any other screen, the B button exits. Oh, and you weld items together with the Z button. Who thought of all this?! It's sad to say that it took me nearly 20 hours with this game before I finally felt like I knew the controls. By then, I was quite liking the setup, but that doesn't change the fact that no game should have that steep of a learning curve.
{{Further|Dog anatomy#Senses}}
 
[[File:Vision comparison with dogs.jpg|thumb|The left half of the image shows the estimated difference in a dog's vision.]]
Frustration:
Getting used to a new control setup accounts for a lot of why this game is difficult. It isn't necessarily frustrating, it just takes some time to master. Twilight Princess does feel considerably harder than previous Zelda games, though. Heart pieces are hidden better and require five pieces instead of four. Enemies also seem to dish out varying levels of damage, and falling in lava or a bottomless pit really knocks your life down. I made it through Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker without dying, but I ran into the Game Over screen in this one multiple times. However, the boss battles aren't up to the same level. They look big and scary and mean, but they're too easy. You never feel in danger of dying, because you know they really can't hurt you. Still, it's nice not to be able to just breeze through the rest of the game.
 
Dogs' senses include vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and [[magnetoreception]]. One study suggests that dogs can feel small variations in [[Earth's magnetic field]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nießner |first1=Christine |last2=Denzau |first2=Susanne |last3=Malkemper |first3=Erich Pascal |author-link3=Erich Pascal Malkemper |last4=Gross |first4=Julia Christina |last5=Burda |first5=Hynek |last6=Winklhofer |first6=Michael |last7=Peichl |first7=Leo |year=2016 |title=Cryptochrome 1 in Retinal Cone Photoreceptors Suggests a Novel Functional Role in Mammals |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=6 |pages=21848 |bibcode=2016NatSR...621848N |doi=10.1038/srep21848 |pmc=4761878 |pmid=26898837}}</ref> Dogs prefer to defecate with their spines aligned in a north–south position in calm [[magnetic field]] conditions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hart |first1=Vlastimil |last2=Nováková |first2=Petra |last3=Malkemper |first3=Erich Pascal |last4=Begall |first4=Sabine |last5=Hanzal |first5=Vladimír |last6=Ježek |first6=Miloš |last7=Kušta |first7=Tomáš |last8=Němcová |first8=Veronika |last9=Adámková |first9=Jana |last10=Benediktová |first10=Kateřina |last11=Červený |first11=Jaroslav |last12=Burda |first12=Hynek |title=Dogs are sensitive to small variations of the Earth's magnetic field |journal=Frontiers in Zoology |date=December 2013 |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=80 |doi=10.1186/1742-9994-10-80 |doi-access=free |pmc=3882779 |pmid=24370002 }}</ref>
On the other hand, the Legend of Zelda series is showing its age, and the great gameplay mechanics introduced in Ocarina of Time are starting to feel somewhat archaic and, dare I say, annoying. The Z-targeting system too often tries to focus in on an enemy when all you want to do is flip the camera around so you can see where you are. It's also a hassle when new enemies swarm in and drag your focus away from what you were trying to zone in on. Much of this was fixed with Wind Waker's awesome free-roaming camera assigned to the C-stick. Since the Wii remote doesn't have a C-stick, though, this novelty is gone, and it's back to the basics.
 
Dogs' vision is [[Dichromacy|dichromatic]]; their visual world consists of yellows, blues, and grays.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Byosiere |first1=Sarah-Elizabeth |last2=Chouinard |first2=Philippe A. |last3=Howell |first3=Tiffani J. |last4=Bennett |first4=Pauleen C. |date=1 October 2018 |title=What do dogs (Canis familiaris) see? A review of vision in dogs and implications for cognition research |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-017-1404-7 |journal=Psychonomic Bulletin & Review |language=en |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=1798–1813 |doi=10.3758/s13423-017-1404-7 |pmid=29143248 |issn=1531-5320}}</ref> They have difficulty differentiating between red and green,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Siniscalchi |first1=Marcello |last2=d'Ingeo |first2=Serenella |last3=Fornelli |first3=Serena |last4=Quaranta |first4=Angelo |date=8 November 2017 |title=Are dogs red–green colour blind? |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=4 |issue=11 |pages=170869 |doi=10.1098/rsos.170869 |issn=2054-5703 |pmc=5717654 |pmid=29291080}}</ref> and much like other mammals, the dog's eye is composed of two types of cone cells compared to the human's three. The divergence of the eye axis of dogs ranges from 12 to 25°, depending on the breed, which can have different retina configurations.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Paul E. |last2=Murphy |first2=Christopher J. |date=15 December 1995 |title=Vision in dogs |url=https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/207/12/javma.1995.207.12.1623.xml |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |language=EN |volume=207 |issue=12 |pages=1623–1634 |doi=10.2460/javma.1995.207.12.1623|pmid=7493905 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=updated |first=Natalie WolchoverContributions from Cameron Duke last |date=4 February 2022 |title=How Do Dogs See the World? |url=https://www.livescience.com/34029-dog-color-vision.html |access-date=13 October 2024 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[fovea centralis]] area of the eye is attached to a [[Axon|nerve fiber]], and is the most sensitive to [[photon]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eye Structure and Function in Dogs - Dog Owners |url=https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/eye-disorders-of-dogs/eye-structure-and-function-in-dogs |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=MSD Veterinary Manual |language=en |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222060812/https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/eye-disorders-of-dogs/disorders-of-the-eyelids-in-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, a study found that dogs' [[visual acuity]] was up to eight times less effective than a human, and their ability to discriminate levels of [[brightness]] was about two times worse than a human.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pongrácz |first1=Péter |last2=Ujvári |first2=Vera |last3=Faragó |first3=Tamás |last4=Miklósi |first4=Ádám |last5=Péter |first5=András |date=1 July 2017 |title=Do you see what I see? The difference between dog and human visual perception may affect the outcome of experiments |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635716303400 |journal=Behavioural Processes |volume=140 |pages=53–60 |doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2017.04.002 |pmid=28396145 |issn=0376-6357}}</ref>
Zelda titles also need to stop drawing attention to when you pick up money. For newcomers to the series, it's necessary to describe what a rupee is or how much a red one is worth. But this should only take place the first few times you encounter these. Well into the last dungeon, already having spent 30 hours at this, the game was still pausing the action to let me know, "You found a blue rupee!" I know what a blue rupee is! I've found hundreds of them before! Worse, even, is that the game thinks rupees are such a wonderful reward. You might uncover a secret grotto and spend a good 15 minutes looking for a treasure chest in there. When you find it, all it has inside are 50 rupees which you can't even take, because your wallet is already full! It makes all the rupee treasure chests feel like a complete waste of time and a major letdown when you were expecting a heart piece.
 
While the human brain is dominated by a large [[visual cortex]], the dog brain is dominated by a large [[olfactory system|olfactory cortex]]. Dogs have roughly forty times more [[Olfactory receptor|smell-sensitive receptors]] than humans, ranging from about 125{{Nbsp}}million to nearly 300{{Nbsp}}million in some dog breeds, such as [[bloodhound]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coren |first=Stanley |url=https://archive.org/details/howdogsthinkunde00core |title=How dogs think : understanding the canine mind |date=2004 |publisher=New York : Free Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7432-2232-7 |pages=50–81}}</ref> This sense of smell is the most prominent sense of the species; it detects chemical changes in the environment, allowing dogs to pinpoint the ___location of mating partners, potential stressors, resources, etc.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kokocińska-Kusiak |first1=Agata |last2=Woszczyło |first2=Martyna |last3=Zybala |first3=Mikołaj |last4=Maciocha |first4=Julia |last5=Barłowska |first5=Katarzyna |last6=Dzięcioł |first6=Michał |date=August 2021 |title=Canine Olfaction: Physiology, Behavior, and Possibilities for Practical Applications |journal=Animals |language=en |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=2463 |doi=10.3390/ani11082463 |doi-access=free |pmid=34438920 |pmc=8388720 |issn=2076-2615}}</ref> Dogs also have an acute sense of hearing up to four times greater than that of humans. They can pick up the slightest sounds from about {{cvt|400|m}} compared to {{cvt|90|m}} for humans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Barber |first1=Anjuli L. A. |last2=Wilkinson |first2=Anna |last3=Montealegre-Z |first3=Fernando |last4=Ratcliffe |first4=Victoria F. |last5=Guo |first5=Kun |last6=Mills |first6=Daniel S. |year=2020 |title=A comparison of hearing and auditory functioning between dogs and humans |url=http://comparative-cognition-and-behavior-reviews.org/vol15_barber_wilkinson_montealegre-z_ratcliffe_guo_mills/ |journal=Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews |volume=15 |pages=45–94 |doi=10.3819/CCBR.2020.150007|doi-access=free }}</ref>
Lasting Appeal:
In that sense, finding all the heart pieces is a little harder than usual. Most of them are hidden rather well, so don't be surprised if you don't even find one within the first five hours. Needless to say, this game is huge. There is so much to do, and it's all spread out believably so. The map definitely feels like the biggest map of any Legend of Zelda game (Wind Waker shouldn't count since so much of its map was just water). The number 75 has been thrown around a lot, too, when talking about Twilight Princess and its length. I think that's giving the game a little too much credit, but don't mistake this for a short experience. You can expect to spend anywhere from 30-40 hours just beating the game. Then, of course, you'll want to go back and look for more secrets. There are elaborate poe and bug hunting side quests as well as a robust fishing hole which will take you several hours to get sick of. So there's plenty to do in the end.
 
Dogs have stiff, deeply embedded hairs known as [[whisker]]s that sense atmospheric changes, vibrations, and objects not visible in low light conditions. The lower most part of whiskers hold more receptor cells than other hair types, which help in alerting dogs of objects that could collide with the nose, ears, and jaw. Whiskers likely also facilitate the movement of food towards the mouth.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 June 2015 |title=Dog Senses - A Dog's Sense of Touch Compared to Humans {{!}} Puppy And Dog Care |work=Puppy And Dog Care |url=http://blog.puppyanddogcare.com/dog-senses-touch/ |access-date=18 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624013803/http://blog.puppyanddogcare.com/dog-senses-touch/ |archive-date=24 June 2015 | vauthors = Care PA }}</ref>
Overall:
Is this the best Zelda ever? No. Is it still fun? Absolutely. Twilight Princess is as immense and epic as adventures come and should be an obvious choice for new Wii owners. But that's where this game falters. You can't ignore this was supposed to be a Gamecube game, and nothing proves this more than how unintuitive the button layout is on the Wii remote. It takes way too long to get used to. The only thing that kept me coming back was that, hey, this is Zelda. And Zelda is awesome, technical problems notwithstanding. Twilight Princess really is the biggest and prettiest Zelda to date, it just lacks that special magic which made Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Majora's Mask such classics. But all of these are great games, so don't miss out on this one just because it's not as good as one of the best video games ever made.
 
=== Coat ===
Points:
{{Main|Dog coat}}The [[Pelage|coats]] of domestic dogs are of two varieties: "double" being common in dogs (as well as wolves) originating from colder climates, made up of a coarse [[guard hair]] and a soft [[down hair]], or "single", with the topcoat only. Breeds may have an occasional "blaze", stripe, or "star" of white fur on their chest or underside.{{sfnp|Cunliffe|2004|pp=22–23}} Premature graying can occur in dogs as early as one year of age; this is associated with [[Impulsivity|impulsive behaviors]], [[anxiety]] behaviors, and fear of unfamiliar noise, people, or animals.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2016.09.013|title=Anxiety and impulsivity: Factors associated with premature graying in young dogs|journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science|volume=185|pages=78–85|year=2016|last1=King|first1=Camille|last2=Smith|first2=Thomas J.|last3=Grandin|first3=Temple|last4=Borchelt|first4=Peter|doi-access=free}}</ref> Some dog breeds are hairless, while others have a very thick corded coat. The coats of certain breeds are often groomed to a characteristic style, for example, the [[Yorkshire Terrier]]'s "show cut".<ref name=":3" />
+ Long and diverse adventure
+ Huge world
+ Clever items and puzzles
+ Wolf Link is a big winner
-- Poor sound quality
-- Rupee woes
-- Button layout is unintuitive
 
=== Dewclaw ===
Score: 9.0
A dog's [[dewclaw]] is the fifth [[Digit (anatomy)|digit]] in its forelimb and hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelimbs are attached by bone and ligament, while the dewclaws on the hind legs are attached only by skin. Most dogs are not born with dewclaws in their hind legs, and some are without them in their forelimbs. Dogs' dewclaws consist of the [[Phalanx bone|proximal phalanges and distal phalanges]]. Some publications theorize that dewclaws in wolves, who usually do not have dewclaws, were a sign of hybridization with dogs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ciucci |first1=Paolo |last2=Lucchini |first2=Vittorio |last3=Boitani |first3=Luigi |last4=Randi |first4=Ettore |title=Dewclaws in wolves as evidence of admixed ancestry with dogs |journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology |date=December 2003 |volume=81 |issue=12 |pages=2077–2081 |doi=10.1139/z03-183 |bibcode=2003CaJZ...81.2077C }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Amici |first1=Federica |last2=Meacci |first2=Simone |last3=Caray |first3=Emmeline |last4=Oña |first4=Linda |last5=Liebal |first5=Katja |last6=Ciucci |first6=Paolo |year=2024 |title=A first exploratory comparison of the behaviour of wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf-dog hybrids in captivity |journal=Animal Cognition |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=9 |doi=10.1007/s10071-024-01849-7 |pmid=38429445 |pmc=10907477 }}</ref>
 
=== Tail ===
Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/06, Updated 01/17/07
A dog's tail is the terminal appendage of the [[vertebral column]], which is made up of a string of 5 to 23 [[vertebra]]e enclosed in muscles and skin that support the dog's back extensor muscles. One of the primary functions of a dog's tail is to communicate their emotional state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Study explores the mystery of why dogs wag their tails |url=https://www.earth.com/news/study-explores-the-mystery-of-why-dogs-wag-their-tails/ |access-date=13 March 2024 |website=Earth.com |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204151625/https://www.earth.com/news/study-explores-the-mystery-of-why-dogs-wag-their-tails/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The tail also helps the dog maintain balance by putting its weight on the opposite side of the dog's tilt, and it can also help the dog spread its [[anal gland]]'s scent through the tail's position and movement.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wada |first1=Naomi |last2=Hori |first2=Hiroko |last3=Tokuriki |first3=Mikihiko |date=July 1993 |title=Electromyographic and kinematic studies of tail movements in dogs during treadmill locomotion |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmor.1052170109 |journal=Journal of Morphology |language=en |volume=217 |issue=1 |pages=105–113 |doi=10.1002/jmor.1052170109 |pmid=8411184 |issn=0362-2525}}</ref> Dogs can have a [[violet gland]] (or supracaudal gland) characterized by [[sebaceous gland]]s on the dorsal surface of their tails; in some breeds, it may be vestigial or absent. The enlargement of the violet gland in the tail, which can create a [[Hair loss|bald spot from hair loss]], can be caused by [[Cushing's syndrome (veterinary)|Cushing's disease]] or an excess of sebum from [[androgen]]s in the sebaceous glands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stud Tail Tail Gland Hyperplasia in Dogs |url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/stud-tail-tail-gland-hyperplasia-in-dogs |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=[[VCA Animal Hospitals]] |language=en |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330202745/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/stud-tail-tail-gland-hyperplasia-in-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
[[File:BlkStdSchnauzer2.jpg|thumb|A black [[Standard Schnauzer]] with a docked tail]]
Very interesting, Right?
A study suggests that dogs show asymmetric tail-wagging responses to different emotive stimuli. "Stimuli that could be expected to elicit approach tendencies seem to be associated with [a] higher amplitude of tail-wagging movements to the right side".<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Siniscalchi |first1=Marcello |last2=Lusito |first2=Rita |last3=Vallortigara |first3=Giorgio |last4=Quaranta |first4=Angelo |date=31 October 2013 |title=Seeing Left- or Right-Asymmetric Tail Wagging Produces Different Emotional Responses in Dogs |journal=Current Biology |publisher=[[Cell Press]] |volume=23 |issue=22|pages=2279–2282 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2013.09.027 |pmid=24184108 |bibcode=2013CBio...23.2279S |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Artelle |first1=K. A. |last2=Dumoulin |first2=L. K. |last3=Reimchen |first3=T. E. |date=19 January 2010 |others=Financially supported by [[Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada]] |title=Behavioural responses of dogs to asymmetrical tail wagging of a robotic dog replica |journal=Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=129–135 |doi=10.1080/13576500903386700 |pmid=20087813 }}</ref> Dogs can injure themselves by wagging their tails forcefully; this condition is called ''kennel tail'', ''happy tail'', ''bleeding tail'', or ''splitting tail''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Happy Tail Syndrome in Dogs? |url=https://www.thewildest.com/dog-health/what-happy-tail-syndrome-dogs |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=thewildest.com |language=en |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132018/https://www.thewildest.com/dog-health/what-happy-tail-syndrome-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref> In some [[hunting dog]]s, the tail is traditionally [[Docking (dog)|docked]] to avoid injuries. Some dogs can be born without tails because of a DNA variant in the [[T-box transcription factor T|T gene]], which can also result in a congenitally short (bobtail) tail.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paw Print Genetics - T Locus (Natural Bobtail) in the Poodle |url=https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/tests/details/175/?breed=20 |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=pawprintgenetics.com |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329132151/https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/tests/details/175/?breed=20 |url-status=live }}</ref> Tail docking is opposed by many veterinary and animal welfare organisations such as the [[American Veterinary Medical Association]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Ear cropping and tail docking of dogs |url=https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs |website=American Veterinary Medical Association |access-date=29 June 2024 |archive-date=20 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520001141/https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[British Veterinary Association]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tail docking in dogs |url=https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/tail-docking-in-dogs/ |website=British Veterinary Association |access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref> Evidence from veterinary practices and [[questionnaire]]s showed that around 500 dogs would need to have their tail docked to prevent one injury.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Diesel |first1=G. |last2=Pfeiffer |first2=D. |last3=Crispin |first3=S. |last4=Brodbelt |first4=D. |date=26 June 2010 |title=Risk factors for tail injuries in dogs in Great Britain |url=https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1136/vr.b4880 |journal=Veterinary Record |language=en |volume=166 |issue=26 |pages=812–817 |doi=10.1136/vr.b4880 |issn=0042-4900 |pmid=20581358 |access-date=29 July 2024 |archive-date=14 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714194838/https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1136/vr.b4880 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
== Health ==
Now, back to cats.
{{Main|Dog health}}
Numerous disorders have been known to affect dogs. Some are [[congenital]] and others are acquired. Dogs can acquire upper respiratory tract diseases including diseases that affect the [[nasal cavity]], the [[larynx]], and the [[trachea]]; lower respiratory tract diseases which includes [[pulmonary disease]] and acute respiratory diseases; [[heart diseases]] which includes any [[cardiovascular]] inflammation or dysfunction of the heart; [[hematopoiesis|haemopoietic diseases]] including [[anaemia]] and [[clotting disorders]]; [[gastrointestinal disease]] such as [[diarrhoea]] and [[gastric dilatation volvulus]]; [[hepatic disease]] such as [[Portosystemic shunts in animals|portosystemic shunts]] and [[liver failure]]; [[pancreatic disease]] such as [[pancreatitis (veterinary)|pancreatitis]]; [[renal disease]]; lower urinary tract disease such as [[cystitis]] and [[urolithiasis]]; [[endocrine disorders]] such as [[Diabetes in dogs|diabetes mellitus]], [[Cushing's syndrome (veterinary)|Cushing's syndrome]], [[Hypoadrenocorticism in dogs|hypoadrenocorticism]], and [[Hypothyroidism in dogs|hypothyroidism]]; [[nervous system]] diseases such as [[seizures]] and [[spinal injury]]; [[musculoskeletal disease]] such as [[arthritis]] and [[myopathies]]; [[Dog skin disorders|dermatological disorders]] such as [[alopecia]] and [[pyoderma]]; [[ophthalmological disease]]s such as [[conjunctivitis]], [[glaucoma]], [[entropion]], and [[progressive retinal atrophy]]; and [[neoplasia]].<ref name="health">{{cite book |last1=Gear |first1=Robyn|editor1-last=Cooper |editor1-first=Barabara |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor3-last=Turner |editor3-first=Lynn |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |pages=532–597 |chapter=Medical disorders of dogs and cats and their nursing}}</ref>
 
Common dog parasites are [[lice]], [[flea]]s, [[fly larvae]], [[tick]]s, [[mite]]s, [[cestode]]s, [[nematode]]s, and [[coccidia]]. ''[[Taenia (flatworm)|Taenia]]'' is a notable genus with 5 species in which dogs are the [[definitive host]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fisher |first1=Maggie |last2=McGarry |first2=John |editor1-last=Cooper |editor1-first=Barabara |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor3-last=Turner |editor3-first=Lynn |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |pages=149–171 |chapter=Principles of parasitology}}</ref> Additionally, dogs are a source of [[zoonoses]] for humans. They are responsible for 99% of [[rabies]] cases worldwide;<ref>{{cite web |title=Rabies facts |url=https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies |website=World Health Organisation}}</ref> however, in some developed countries such as the UK, rabies is absent from dogs and is instead only transmitted by bats.<ref name="bsava">{{cite book |last1=Dawson |first1=Susan |last2=Cooper |first2=Barbara |editor1-last=Cooper |editor1-first=Barabara |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor3-last=Turner |editor3-first=Lynn |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |pages=172–186 |chapter=Principles of infection and immunity}}</ref> Other common zoonoses are [[hydatid disease]], [[leptospirosis]], [[pasteurellosis]], [[ringworm]], and [[toxocariasis]].<ref name="bsava"/> Common infections in dogs include [[canine adenovirus]], [[canine distemper virus]], [[canine parvovirus]], [[leptospirosis]], [[canine influenza]], and [[canine coronavirus]]. All of these conditions have vaccines available.<ref name="bsava"/>
 
Dogs are the companion animal most frequently reported for exposure to [[toxin]]s. Most poisonings are accidental and over 80% of reports of exposure to the [[ASPCA]] animal poisoning hotline are due to oral exposure. The most common substances people report exposure to are: pharmaceuticals, toxic foods, and [[rodenticides]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wismer |first1=Tina |editor1-last=Bonagura |editor1-first=John D. |editor2-last=Twedt |editor2-first=David C. |title=Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy |date=1 December 2013 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780323227629 |page=92 |edition=15th |chapter=ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Toxin Exposures for Pets}}</ref> Data from the Pet Poison Helpline shows that human drugs are the most frequent cause of toxicosis death. The most common household products ingested are cleaning products. Most food related poisonings involved [[theobromine poisoning]] (chocolate). Other common food poisonings include [[xylitol]], ''[[Vitis]]'' (grapes, raisins, etc.), and ''[[Allium]]'' (garlic, onions, etc.). [[Pyrethrin]] insecticides were the most common cause of pesticide poisoning. [[Metaldehyde]], a common pesticide for snails and slugs, typically causes severe outcomes when ingested by dogs.<ref>{{cite book|last2=Almgren|first2=Colleen |last1=Welch |first1=Sharon |editor1-last=Bonagura |editor1-first=John D. |editor2-last=Twedt |editor2-first=David C. |title=Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy |date=1 December 2013 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780323227629 |pages=93–96 |edition=15th |chapter=Toxin Exposures in Small Animals}}</ref>
 
[[Neoplasia]] is the most common cause of death for dogs.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Fleming | first1=J. M. | last2=Creevy | first2=K. E. | last3=Promislow | first3=D. E. L. | title=Mortality in North American Dogs from 1984 to 2004: An Investigation into Age-, Size-, and Breed-Related Causes of Death | journal=Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine | volume=25 | issue=2 |year=2011 | issn=0891-6640 | doi=10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0695.x | pages=187–198| pmid=21352376 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Roccaro | first1=Mariana | last2=Salini | first2=Romolo | last3=Pietra | first3=Marco | last4=Sgorbini | first4=Micaela | last5=Gori | first5=Eleonora | last6=Dondi | first6=Maurizio | last7=Crisi | first7=Paolo E. | last8=Conte | first8=Annamaria | last9=Dalla Villa | first9=Paolo | last10=Podaliri | first10=Michele | last11=Ciaramella | first11=Paolo | last12=Di Palma | first12=Cristina | last13=Passantino | first13=Annamaria | last14=Porciello | first14=Francesco | last15=Gianella | first15=Paola | last16=Guglielmini | first16=Carlo | last17=Alborali | first17=Giovanni L. | last18=Rota Nodari | first18=Sara | last19=Sabatelli | first19=Sonia | last20=Peli | first20=Angelo | title=Factors related to longevity and mortality of dogs in Italy | journal=Preventive Veterinary Medicine | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=225 | year=2024 | issn=0167-5877 | doi=10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106155 | page=106155| pmid=38394961 | hdl=11585/961937 | hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="death">{{cite journal | last1=Lewis | first1=T. W. | last2=Wiles | first2=B. M. | last3=Llewellyn-Zaidi | first3=A. M. | last4=Evans | first4=K. M. | last5=O'Neill | first5=D. G. | title=Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014 | journal=Canine Genetics and Epidemiology | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=5 | issue=1 | date=17 October 2018 | issn=2052-6687 | doi=10.1186/s40575-018-0066-8 | doi-access=free | page=10| pmid=30349728 | pmc=6191922 }}</ref> Other common causes of death are [[heart failure|heart]] and [[renal failure]].<ref name="death"/> Their [[pathology]] is similar to that of humans, as is their [[Immune response|response]] to treatment and their outcomes. Genes found in humans to be responsible for disorders are investigated in dogs as being the cause and vice versa.<ref name="Ostrander2019" /><ref>{{cite book | last1=Feldman | first1=Edward C. | last2=Nelson | first2=Richard W. | last3=Reusch | first3=Claudia | last4=Scott-Moncrieff | first4=J. Catharine | title=Canine and Feline Endocrinology | publisher=Saunders | publication-place=St. Louis, Missouri | date=8 December 2014 | isbn=978-1-4557-4456-5 | pages=44–49}}</ref>
The loyalty and devotion that cats demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members. Conversely, dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs. Dogs fill a variety of roles in [[human society]] and are often trained as [[working dog]]s. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of [[dog sports]] provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as [[companion dog|companions]].
 
=== Lifespan ===
Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique [[sobriquet]] "man's best friend".<ref>{{cite web
{{Further|Aging in dogs}}
| url = http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/old-drum.html
| title = The Story of Old Drum
| accessdate = 2006-11-29
| publisher = Cedarcroft Farm Bed & Breakfast - Warrensburg, MO
}}</ref> However, some cultures consider dogs to be [[unclean animals|unclean]]. In some parts of the world, dogs are raised as [[livestock]] to produce [[dog meat]] for human consumption. In many places, consumption of dog meat is discouraged by social convention or [[Taboo food and drink|cultural taboo]].
 
The typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but the median longevity (the age at which half the dogs in a population have died and half are still alive) is approximately 12.7 years.<ref name="Montoya">{{cite journal |last1=Montoya |first1=Mathieu |last2=Morrison |first2=Jo Ann |last3=Arrignon |first3=Florent |last4=Spofford |first4=Nate |last5=Charles |first5=Hélène |last6=Hours |first6=Marie-Anne |last7=Biourge |first7=Vincent |title=Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data |journal=Frontiers in Veterinary Science |date=21 February 2023 |volume=10 |doi=10.3389/fvets.2023.1082102 |pmid=36896289 |pmc=9989186 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=McMillan |first1=Kirsten M. |last2=Bielby |first2=Jon |last3=Williams |first3=Carys L. |last4=Upjohn |first4=Melissa M. |last5=Casey |first5=Rachel A. |last6=Christley |first6=Robert M. |title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death |journal=Scientific Reports |date=February 2024 |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=531 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w |pmid=38302530 |pmc=10834484 |bibcode=2024NatSR..14..531M }}</ref> Obesity correlates negatively with longevity with one study finding obese dogs to have a life expectancy approximately a year and a half less than dogs with a healthy weight.<ref name="Montoya"/>
==Terminology==
 
In a 2024 UK study analyzing 584,734 dogs, it was concluded that purebred dogs lived longer than crossbred dogs, challenging the previous notion of the latter having the higher life expectancies. The authors noted that their study included "[[designer dog]]s" as crossbred and that purebred dogs were typically given better care than their crossbred counterparts, which likely influenced the outcome of the study.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=McMillan |first1=Kirsten M. |last2=Bielby |first2=Jon |last3=Williams |first3=Carys L. |last4=Upjohn |first4=Melissa M. |last5=Casey |first5=Rachel A. |last6=Christley |first6=Robert M. |date=1 February 2024 |title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=14 |issue=1 |page=531 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w |pmid=38302530 |pmc=10834484 |bibcode=2024NatSR..14..531M |issn=2045-2322}}</ref> Other studies also show that fully mongrel dogs live about a year longer on average than dogs with pedigrees.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mata |first1=Fernando |last2=Mata |first2=Andreia |date=19 July 2023 |title=Investigating the relationship between inbreeding and life expectancy in dogs: mongrels live longer than pure breeds |journal=PeerJ |volume=11 |pages=e15718 |doi=10.7717/peerj.15718 |doi-access=free |issn=2167-8359 |pmid=37483958|pmc=10362839 }}</ref> Furthermore, small dogs with longer muzzles have been shown to have higher lifespans than larger medium-sized dogs with much more depressed muzzles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nurse |first=Angus |date=2 February 2024 |title=How long might your dog live? New study calculates life expectancy for different breeds |url=https://theconversation.com/how-long-might-your-dog-live-new-study-calculates-life-expectancy-for-different-breeds-222446 |access-date=13 October 2024 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref> For free-ranging dogs, less than 1 in 5 reach sexual maturity,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Paul |first1=Manabi |last2=Sen Majumder |first2=Sreejani |last3=Sau |first3=Shubhra |last4=Nandi |first4=Anjan K. |last5=Bhadra |first5=Anindita |date=25 January 2016 |title=High early life mortality in free-ranging dogs is largely influenced by humans |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=6 |pages=19641 |doi=10.1038/srep19641 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=4726281 |pmid=26804633|bibcode=2016NatSR...619641P }}</ref> and the median life expectancy for feral dogs is less than half of dogs living with humans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 January 2022 |title=Would dogs survive without humans? The answer may surprise you |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-07/would-dogs-survive-without-humans/100695292 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref>
The [[English language|English]] word [[wikt:dog|dog]], in common usage, refers to the domestic [[pet]] dog, ''Canis lupus familiaris''. The species was originally classified as ''Canis familiaris'' by Linnaeus in 1758. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, HAHA< A BIG GAP!!
 
=== Reproduction ===
{{Main|Canine reproduction}}
[[File:Dogs mating 2.jpg|thumb|Two dogs [[Canine reproduction|tied after mating]]]]
In domestic dogs, [[sexual maturity]] happens around six months to one year for both males and females, although this can be delayed until up to two years of age for some large breeds. This is the time at which female dogs will have their first [[estrous cycle]], characterized by their [[vulva]]s swelling and producing [[Vaginal discharge|discharges]], usually lasting between 4 and 20 days.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ma |first=Kutzler |date=July 2018 |title=Estrous Cycle Manipulation in Dogs |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29709316/ |journal=The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Small Animal Practice |language=en |volume=48 |issue=4 |pages=581–594 |doi=10.1016/j.cvsm.2018.02.006 |issn=1878-1306 |pmid=29709316}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Da Costa |first1=Rosa E. P. |last2=Kinsman |first2=Rachel H. |last3=Owczarczak-Garstecka |first3=Sara C. |last4=Casey |first4=Rachel A. |last5=Tasker |first5=Séverine |last6=Knowles |first6=Toby G. |last7=Woodward |first7=Joshua L. |last8=Lord |first8=Michelle S. |last9=Murray |first9=Jane K. |date=July 2022 |title=Age of sexual maturity and factors associated with neutering dogs in the UK and the Republic of Ireland |journal=Veterinary Record |language=en |volume=191 |issue=6 |pages=e1265 |doi=10.1002/vetr.1265 |pmid=34939683 |issn=0042-4900|doi-access=free }}</ref> They will experience subsequent estrous cycles semiannually, during which the body prepares for [[Pregnancy (mammals)|pregnancy]]. At the peak of the cycle, females will become estrous, mentally and physically receptive to [[Canine tying|copulation]]. Because the [[ovum|ova]] survive and can be fertilized for a week after ovulation, more than one male can sire the same litter.<ref name="ADW">Dewey, T. and S. Bhagat. 2002. "[https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Canis_lupus_familiaris/ ''Canis lupus familiaris'']". {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526171627/https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Canis_lupus_familiaris/|date=26 May 2022}}, Animal Diversity Web.</ref> Fertilization typically occurs two to five days after ovulation. After [[ejaculation]], the dogs are [[Canine reproduction|coitally tied]] for around 5–30 minutes because of the male's [[bulbus glandis]] swelling and the female's [[Bulb of vestibule|constrictor vestibuli]] contracting; the male will continue ejaculating until they untie naturally due to [[Muscle contraction|muscle relaxation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estrus and Mating in Dogs |url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-for-pet-owners-estrus-and-mating-in-dogs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207090454/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-for-pet-owners-estrus-and-mating-in-dogs |archive-date=7 February 2024 |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=[[VCA Animal Hospitals]] |language=en}}</ref> 14–16 days after ovulation, the embryo attaches to the [[uterus]], and after seven to eight more days, a heartbeat is detectable.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=11787146 |year=2001 |last1=Concannon |first1=P |last2=Tsutsui |first2=T |last3=Shille |first3=V |title=Embryo development, hormonal requirements and maternal responses during canine pregnancy |volume=57 |pages=169–179 |journal=Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. Supplement}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=Dog_Development#Development_Overview |title=Dog Development – Embryology |publisher=Php.med.unsw.edu.au |date=16 June 2013 |access-date=20 May 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234138/http://php.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php?title=Dog_Development#Development_Overview |url-status=live }}</ref> Dogs bear their litters roughly 58 to 68 days after [[fertilization]],<ref name="ADW" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cpvh.com/2011/07/27/gestation-in-dogs/ |title=Gestation in dogs |access-date=24 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603145809/http://www.cpvh.com/2011/07/27/gestation-in-dogs/ |archive-date=3 June 2013 }}</ref> with an average of 63 days, although the length of [[gestation]] can vary. An average litter consists of about six [[Puppy|puppies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulation_estimates.html|title=HSUS Pet Overpopulation Estimates|publisher=The Humane Society of the United States|access-date=22 October 2008|archive-date=25 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425142203/http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulation_estimates.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
==== Neutering ====
[[Neutering]] is the sterilization of animals via [[gonadectomy]], which is an [[orchidectomy]] (castration) in dogs and [[ovariohysterectomy]] (spay) in bitches. Neutering reduces problems caused by [[hypersexuality]], especially in male dogs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Heidenberger |first1=E. |last2=Unshelm |first2=J. |date=February 1990 |title=Verhaltensänderungen von Hunden nach Kastration |trans-title=Changes in the behavior of dogs after castration |journal=Tierarztliche Praxis |language=de |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=69–75 |pmid=2326799}}</ref> Spayed females are less likely to develop [[cancer]]s affecting the [[mammary gland]]s, [[Ovary|ovaries]], and other [[Sex organ|reproductive organs]].<ref>{{Cite book |author=Morrison, Wallace B. |title=Cancer in Dogs and Cats |publisher=Williams and Wilkins |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-683-06105-5 |edition=1st |pages=583}}</ref> However, neutering increases the risk of [[urinary incontinence]] in bitches,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arnold |first1=S. |year=1997 |title=Harninkontinenz bei kastrierten Hündinnen. Teil 1: Bedeutung, Klinik und Ätiopathogenese |trans-title=Urinary incontinence in castrated bitches. Part 1: Significance, clinical aspects and etiopathogenesis |journal=Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde |language=de |volume=139 |issue=6 |pages=271–276 |pmid=9411733}}</ref> [[prostate cancer]] in dogs,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnston |first1=S.D |last2=Kamolpatana |first2=K |last3=Root-Kustritz |first3=M.V |last4=Johnston |first4=G.R |date=July 2000 |title=Prostatic disorders in the dog |journal=Animal Reproduction Science |volume=60-61 |pages=405–415 |doi=10.1016/s0378-4320(00)00101-9 |pmid=10844211}}</ref> and [[osteosarcoma]], [[hemangiosarcoma]], [[Anterior cruciate ligament injury|cruciate ligament rupture]], [[pyometra]], [[Obesity in pets|obesity]], and [[diabetes mellitus]] in either sex.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kustritz |first1=Margaret V. Root |date=December 2007 |title=Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=231 |issue=11 |pages=1665–1675 |doi=10.2460/javma.231.11.1665 |pmid=18052800 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
 
Neutering is the most common surgical procedure in dogs less than a year old in the US and is seen as a control method for overpopulation. Neutering often occurs as early as 6–14 weeks in shelters in the US.<ref name="neuter">{{cite book |last1=Kutzler |first1=Michelle Anne |title=Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy |date=1 December 2013 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780323227629 |editor1-last=Bonagura |editor1-first=John D. |edition=15th |pages=982–984 |chapter=Early Age Neutering in Dogs and Cats |editor2-last=Twedt |editor2-first=David C.}}</ref> The [[American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] (ASPCA) advises that dogs not intended for further breeding should be neutered so that they do not have undesired puppies that may later be euthanized.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/ | title=Top 10 reasons to spay/neuter your pet | publisher=American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | access-date=16 May 2007 | archive-date=1 February 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201223014/http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hart |first1=Benjamin L. |last2=Hart |first2=Lynette A. |last3=Thigpen |first3=Abigail P. |last4=Willits |first4=Neil H. |date=14 July 2014 |title=Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=e102241 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0102241 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4096726 |pmid=25020045|bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j2241H }}</ref> However, the Society for Theriogenology and the American College of Theriogenologists made a joint statement that opposes mandatory neutering; they said that the cause of overpopulation in the US is cultural.<ref name="neuter" />
 
Neutering is less common in most European countries, especially in [[Nordic countries]]—except for the UK, where it is common. In Norway, neutering is illegal unless for the benefit of the animal's health (e.g., ovariohysterectomy in case of ovarian or uterine neoplasia). Some European countries have similar laws to Norway, but their wording either explicitly allows for neutering for controlling reproduction or it is allowed in practice or by contradiction through other laws. Italy and Portugal have passed recent laws that promote it. Germany forbids early age neutering, but neutering is still allowed at the usual age. In Romania, neutering is mandatory except for when a pedigree to select breeds can be shown.<ref name="neuter" /><ref>{{cite journal | last=Fossati | first=Paola | title=Spay/neuter laws as a debated approach to stabilizing the populations of dogs and cats: An overview of the European legal framework and remarks | journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science | publisher=Informa UK Limited | volume=27 | issue=2 | date=31 May 2022 | issn=1088-8705 | doi=10.1080/10888705.2022.2081807 | pages=281–293| pmid=35642302 }}</ref>
 
==== Inbreeding depression ====
LAMBOOOOOOOO!resemblance to dogs.
{{see also|Inbreeding depression}}
 
A common breeding practice for pet dogs is to [[Inbreeding|mate them between close relatives]] (e.g., between half- and full-siblings).<ref name=Leroy>{{cite journal |vauthors=Leroy G |title=Genetic diversity, inbreeding and breeding practices in dogs: results from pedigree analyses |journal=Vet. J. |volume=189 |issue=2 |pages=177–182 |year=2011 |pmid=21737321 |doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.016 }}</ref> In a study of seven dog breeds (the [[Bernese Mountain Dog]], [[Basset Hound]], [[Cairn Terrier]], [[Brittany (dog)|Brittany]], [[German Shepherd|German Shepherd Dog]], [[Leonberger]], and [[West Highland White Terrier]]), it was found that inbreeding decreases litter size and survival.<ref name="pmid25475165">{{cite journal |last1=Leroy |first1=Grégoire |last2=Phocas |first2=Florence |last3=Hedan |first3=Benoit |last4=Verrier |first4=Etienne |last5=Rognon |first5=Xavier |title=Inbreeding impact on litter size and survival in selected canine breeds |journal=The Veterinary Journal |date=January 2015 |volume=203 |issue=1 |pages=74–78 |doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.11.008 |pmid=25475165 |url=https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01122782/file/Inbreeding%20impact%20on%20litter%20size_accepted.pdf |access-date=31 December 2018 |archive-date=6 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106093903/https://hal-univ-rennes1.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01122782/file/Inbreeding |url-status=live }}</ref> Another analysis of data on 42,855 [[Dachshund]] litters found that as the [[inbreeding coefficient]] increased, litter size decreased and the percentage of stillborn puppies increased, thus indicating inbreeding depression.<ref name="pmid15803761">{{cite journal |last1=Gresky |first1=Christina |last2=Hamann |first2=Henning |last3=Distl |first3=Ottmar |title=Einfluss von Inzucht auf die Wurfgröße und den Anteil tot geborener Welpen beim Dackel |trans-title=Influence of inbreeding on litter size and the proportion of stillborn puppies in dachshunds |language=de |journal=Berliner und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenschrift |year=2005 |volume=118 |issue=3–4 |pages=134–139 |pmid=15803761 |url=https://www.vetline.de/einfluss-von-inzucht-auf-die-wurfgroesse-und-den-anteil-tot-geborener-welpen-beim-dackel |access-date=8 July 2024 |archive-date=11 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911133308/https://www.vetline.de/einfluss-von-inzucht-auf-die-wurfgroesse-und-den-anteil-tot-geborener-welpen-beim-dackel |url-status=live }}</ref> In a study of [[Boxer (dog)|Boxer]] litters, 22% of puppies died before reaching 7 weeks of age. Stillbirth was the most frequent cause of death, followed by infection. Mortality due to infection increased significantly with increases in inbreeding.<ref name=Beek>{{cite journal |last1=van der Beek |first1=Sijne |last2=Nielen |first2=Angelique L. J. |last3=Schukken |first3=Ynte H. |last4=Brascamp |first4=E. W. |title=Evaluation of genetic, common-litter, and within-litter effects on preweaning mortality in a birth cohort of puppies |journal=American Journal of Veterinary Research |date=September 1999 |volume=60 |issue=9 |pages=1106–1110 |doi=10.2460/ajvr.1999.60.09.1106 |pmid=10490080 }}</ref>
The English word ''dog'' might derive from the Old English [[wikt:docga|docga]], a "powerful breed of canine". The French ''dogue'' and Spanish ''dogo'' as in [[dogo Argentino]] are borrowings from English. The English word ''hound'' is a cognate of the German ''Hund'' and Dutch ''hond'' which, though referring to a specific breed in English, means "dog" in general in German and Dutch. ''Hound'' itself derives from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *kwon-, which is the direct root of the Greek κυων (kuōn) and the indirect root of the Latin [[canis]] through the variant form *kani-.<Ref>
{{cite web
 
{{Clear}}
 
== Behavior ==
{{Main|Dog behavior}}
{{See also|Dog intelligence}}
{{See also|Dog behavior#Behavior compared with other canids}}
 
[[Dog behavior]] has been shaped by millennia of contact with humans. They have acquired the ability to understand and communicate with humans and are uniquely attuned to human behaviors.<ref name="levitis2009" /><ref name="berns2012" /> Behavioral scientists suggest that a set of social-cognitive abilities in domestic dogs that are not possessed by the dog's canine relatives or other highly intelligent mammals, such as [[great ape]]s, are parallel to children's social-cognitive skills.<ref name="tomasello2009" /> Dogs have about twice the number of neurons in their cerebral cortexes than what cats have, which suggests they could be about twice as intelligent.<ref name="ng">
{{cite web
| archive-date = 2024-11-24
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20241124010407/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dog-cat-brains-neurons-intelligence-study-spd
| date = 2017-01-12
| first = Sarah
| last = Gibbens
| title = Are Dogs Smarter Than Cats? Science Has an Answer
| url = https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dog-cat-brains-neurons-intelligence-study-spd
| website = National Geographic
}}
</ref>
 
Most domestic animals were initially bred for the production of goods. Dogs, on the other hand, were selectively bred for desirable behavioral traits.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-53994-7_2 |chapter=Dog Breeds and Their Behavior |title=Domestic Dog Cognition and Behavior |date=2014 |pages=31–57 |isbn=978-3-642-53993-0 | vauthors = Serpell JA, Duffy DL }}</ref><ref name=cagan2016 /> In 2016, a study found that only 11 fixed genes showed variation between wolves and dogs.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cagan |first1=Alex |last2=Blass |first2=Torsten |year=2016 |title=Identification of genomic variants putatively targeted by selection during dog domestication |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=10 |doi=10.1186/s12862-015-0579-7 |doi-broken-date=28 November 2024 |pmc=4710014 |pmid=26754411 |bibcode=2016BMCEE..16...10C |doi-access=free }}</ref> These gene variations indicate the occurrence of [[artificial selection]] and the subsequent divergence of behavior and anatomical features. These genes have been shown to affect the [[Catecholamine#Synthesis|catecholamine synthesis]] pathway, with the majority of the genes affecting the [[fight-or-flight response]]<ref name=cagan2016 /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Almada |first1=Rafael Carvalho |last2=Coimbra |first2=Norberto Cysne |title=Recruitment of striatonigral disinhibitory and nigrotectal inhibitory GABAergic pathways during the organization of defensive behavior by mice in a dangerous environment with the venomous snake ''Bothrops alternatus'' (''Reptilia'', ''Viperidae'') |journal=Synapse |date=June 2015 |volume=69 |issue=6 |pages=299–313 |doi=10.1002/syn.21814 |pmid=25727065 }}</ref> (i.e., selection for [[Tame animal|tameness]]) and emotional processing.<ref name=cagan2016 /> Compared to their wolf counterparts, dogs tend to be less timid and less aggressive, though some of these genes have been associated with aggression in certain dog breeds.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lord |first1=Kathryn |last2=Schneider |first2=Richard A. |last3=Coppinger |first3=Raymond |chapter=Evolution of Working Dogs |pages=42–66 |editor-last1=Serpell |editor-first1=James |title=The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People |___location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-107-02414-4 |doi=10.1017/9781139161800 }}</ref><ref name=cagan2016>{{cite journal |last1=Cagan |first1=Alex |last2=Blass |first2=Torsten |title=Identification of genomic variants putatively targeted by selection during dog domestication |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |date=December 2016 |volume=16 |issue=1 |page=10 |doi=10.1186/s12862-015-0579-7 |doi-broken-date=28 November 2024 |pmid=26754411 |pmc=4710014 |bibcode=2016BMCEE..16...10C |doi-access=free }}</ref> Traits of high sociability and lack of fear in dogs may include genetic modifications related to [[Williams-Beuren syndrome]] in humans, which cause [[hypersociability]] at the expense of [[Problem solving|problem-solving ability]].<ref name="sciencemag">{{cite journal |last1=vonHoldt |first1=Bridgett M. |last2=Shuldiner |first2=Emily |last3=Koch |first3=Ilana Janowitz |last4=Kartzinel |first4=Rebecca Y. |last5=Hogan |first5=Andrew |last6=Brubaker |first6=Lauren |last7=Wanser |first7=Shelby |last8=Stahler |first8=Daniel |last9=Wynne |first9=Clive D. L. |last10=Ostrander |first10=Elaine A. |last11=Sinsheimer |first11=Janet S. |last12=Udell |first12=Monique A. R. |title=Structural variants in genes associated with human Williams-Beuren syndrome underlie stereotypical hypersociability in domestic dogs |journal=Science Advances |date=7 July 2017 |volume=3 |issue=7 |pages=e1700398 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.1700398 |pmid=28776031 |pmc=5517105 |bibcode=2017SciA....3E0398V }}</ref> In a 2023 study of 58 dogs, some dogs classified as [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]]-like showed lower [[serotonin]] and [[dopamine]] concentrations.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=González-Martínez |first1=Ángela |last2=Muñiz de Miguel |first2=Susana |last3=Graña |first3=Noemi |last4=Costas |first4=Xiana |last5=Diéguez |first5=Francisco Javier |date=13 March 2023 |title=Serotonin and Dopamine Blood Levels in ADHD-Like Dogs |journal=Animals |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=1037 |doi=10.3390/ani13061037 |doi-access=free |pmid=36978578 |pmc=10044280 }}</ref> A similar study claims that hyperactivity is more common in male and young dogs.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sulkama |first1=Sini |last2=Puurunen |first2=Jenni |last3=Salonen |first3=Milla |last4=Mikkola |first4=Salla |last5=Hakanen |first5=Emma |last6=Araujo |first6=César |last7=Lohi |first7=Hannes |date=October 2021 |title=Canine hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention share similar demographic risk factors and behavioural comorbidities with human ADHD |journal=Translational Psychiatry |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=501 |doi=10.1038/s41398-021-01626-x |pmid=34599148 |pmc=8486809 }}</ref> A dog can become aggressive because of trauma or abuse, fear or anxiety, territorial protection, or protecting an item it considers valuable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Handle Aggression Between Dogs (Inter-Dog Aggressive Behavior) |url=https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/behavioral/c_dg_AggressionInterdog |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=petmd.com |language=en |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329121301/https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/behavioral/c_dg_AggressionInterdog |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Acute stress reaction]]s from [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD) seen in dogs can evolve into [[chronic stress]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fan |first1=Zhicong |last2=Bian |first2=Zhaowei |last3=Huang |first3=Hongcan |last4=Liu |first4=Tingting |last5=Ren |first5=Ruiti |last6=Chen |first6=Xiaomin |last7=Zhang |first7=Xiaohe |last8=Wang |first8=Yingjia |last9=Deng |first9=Baichuan |last10=Zhang |first10=Lingna |date=21 February 2023 |title=Dietary Strategies for Relieving Stress in Pet Dogs and Cats |journal=Antioxidants |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=545 |doi=10.3390/antiox12030545 |doi-access=free |pmid=36978793 |pmc=10045725 }}</ref> Police dogs with PTSD can often refuse to work.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 May 2018 |website=American Kennel Club |publisher=American Kennel Club's Staff |title=Dogs and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) |url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/dogs-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ |access-date=30 March 2024 |language=en |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330093436/https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/dogs-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:2022-07-20 LJUBLJANA ŠPICA CARNIVORA Canis lupus familiaris DOMAČI PES.webm|300x300px|Dog swimming over to catch a ball|thumb]]
 
Dogs have a natural instinct called ''[[prey drive]]'' (the term is chiefly used to describe [[Dog training|training dogs]]' habits) which can be influenced by breeding. These instincts can drive dogs to consider objects or other animals to be prey or drive possessive behavior. These traits have been enhanced in some breeds so that they may be used to hunt and kill [[vermin]] or other pests.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NutriSource |date=19 October 2022 |title=What Natural Instincts Do Dogs Have? |url=https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/blog/pet-parents/what-natural-instincts-do-dogs-have/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=NutriSource Pet Foods |language=en-US |archive-date=2 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402091139/https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/blog/pet-parents/what-natural-instincts-do-dogs-have/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Puppies or dogs sometimes [[Hoarding (animal behavior)|bury food underground]]. One study found that wolves outperformed dogs in finding food caches, likely due to a "difference in motivation" between wolves and dogs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vetter |first1=Sebastian G. |last2=Rangheard |first2=Louise |last3=Schaidl |first3=Lena |last4=Kotrschal |first4=Kurt |last5=Range |first5=Friederike |title=Observational spatial memory in wolves and dogs |journal=PLOS ONE |date=13 September 2023 |volume=18 |issue=9 |pages=e0290547 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0290547 |doi-access=free |pmid=37703235 |pmc=10499247 |bibcode=2023PLoSO..1890547V }}</ref> Some puppies and dogs engage in [[Coprophagia|coprophagy]] out of habit, stress, for attention, or boredom; most of them will not do it later in life. A study hypothesizes that the behavior was inherited from wolves, a behavior likely evolved to lessen the presence of [[Intestinal parasite infection|intestinal parasites]] in dens.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hart |first1=Benjamin L. |last2=Hart |first2=Lynette A. |last3=Thigpen |first3=Abigail P. |last4=Tran |first4=Alisha |last5=Bain |first5=Melissa J. |title=The paradox of canine conspecific coprophagy |journal=Veterinary Medicine and Science |date=May 2018 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=106–114 |doi=10.1002/vms3.92 |pmid=29851313 |pmc=5980124 }}</ref> Most dogs can swim. In a study of 412 dogs, around 36.5% of the dogs could not swim; the other 63.5% were able to swim without a trainer in a [[swimming pool]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nganvongpanit |first1=Korakot |last2=Yano |first2=Terdsak |title=Side Effects in 412 Dogs from Swimming in a Chlorinated Swimming Pool |journal=The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine |date=September 2012 |volume=42 |issue=3 |pages=281–286 |doi=10.56808/2985-1130.2398 }}</ref> A study of 55 dogs found a correlation between swimming and 'improvement' of the hip [[Osteoarthritis|osteoarthritis joint]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nganvongpanit |first1=Korakot |last2=Tanvisut |first2=Sikhrin |last3=Yano |first3=Terdsak |last4=Kongtawelert |first4=Prachya |date=9 January 2014 |title=Effect of Swimming on Clinical Functional Parameters and Serum Biomarkers in Healthy and Osteoarthritic Dogs |journal=ISRN Veterinary Science |volume=2014 |pages=459809 |doi=10.1155/2014/459809 |doi-access=free |pmc=4060742 |pmid=24977044 }}</ref>
 
=== Nursing ===
[[File:Säugende Hündin.JPG|thumb|A female dog nursing her newborn puppies.|300x300px]]
 
The female dog may produce [[colostrum]], a type of milk high in nutrients and antibodies, 1–7&nbsp;days before giving birth. Milk production lasts for around three months,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rossi |first1=Luciana |last2=Valdez Lumbreras |first2=Ana Elena |last3=Vagni |first3=Simona |last4=Dell'Anno |first4=Matteo |last5=Bontempo |first5=Valentino |date=15 November 2021 |title=Nutritional and Functional Properties of Colostrum in Puppies and Kittens |journal=Animals |volume=11 |issue=11 |page=3260 |doi=10.3390/ani11113260 |doi-access=free |pmid=34827992 |pmc=8614261 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Chastant |first=Sylvie |date=14 June 2023 |title=Lactation in domestic carnivores |journal=Animal Frontiers: The Review Magazine of Animal Agriculture |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=78–83 |doi=10.1093/af/vfad027 |doi-access=free |pmid=37324213 |pmc=10266749 }}</ref> and increases with litter size.<ref name=":1" /> The dog can sometimes vomit and refuse food during [[Birth|child contraction]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dog Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Care: The Complete Guide |url=https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/dog-pregnancy-birth-and-puppy-care-complete-guide |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=petmd.com |language=en |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324045503/https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/dog-pregnancy-birth-and-puppy-care-complete-guide |url-status=live }}</ref> In the later stages of the dog's pregnancy, [[Nesting instinct|nesting behaviour]] may occur.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whelping your first litter |url=https://www.abbeyvetcentregrimsby.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Whelping-your-first-litter.pdf |website=Abbey Vets |date=February 2022 |access-date=24 March 2024 |archive-date=18 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818113710/https://www.abbeyvetcentregrimsby.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Whelping-your-first-litter.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Puppies are born with a [[Fetal membranes|protective fetal membrane]] that the mother usually removes shortly after birth. Dogs can have the maternal instincts to start grooming their puppies, consume their puppies' feces, and protect their puppies, likely due to their hormonal state.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-1-4160-5419-1.00004-3 |chapter=Canine Social Behavior |title=Canine Behavior |date=2009 |pages=133–192 |isbn=978-1-4160-5419-1 | vauthors = Beaver BV |publisher=W.B. Saunders }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodman |first=Nicholas |title=Coprophagia {{!}} Dog Behavior |url=https://www.tendercareanimalhospital.net/dog-coprophagia.html |access-date=31 March 2024 |website=www.tendercareanimalhospital.net |archive-date=31 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331003703/https://www.tendercareanimalhospital.net/dog-coprophagia.html |url-status=live }}</ref> While male-parent dogs can show more disinterested behaviour toward their own puppies,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Will the Male Dog React to the Newborn Puppies? {{!}} Cuteness |url=https://www.cuteness.com/article/male-dog-react-newborn-puppies |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Cuteness.com |date=14 August 2011 |language=en |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324082858/https://www.cuteness.com/article/male-dog-react-newborn-puppies |url-status=live }}</ref> most can play with the young pups as they would with other dogs or humans.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2019 |title=Do male dogs have paternal instincts? |url=https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us/blog/do-male-dogs-have-paternal-instincts |access-date=24 March 2024 |website=Wisdom Panel™ |language=en-us |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324082858/https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us/blog/do-male-dogs-have-paternal-instincts |url-status=live }}</ref> A female dog may abandon or attack her puppies or her male partner dog if she is stressed or in pain.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lezama-García |first1=Karina |last2=Mariti |first2=Chiara |last3=Mota-Rojas |first3=Daniel |last4=Martínez-Burnes |first4=Julio |last5=Barrios-García |first5=Hugo |last6=Gazzano |first6=Angelo |date=2 January 2019 |title=Maternal behaviour in domestic dogs |journal=International Journal of Veterinary Science and Medicine |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=20–30 |doi=10.1080/23144599.2019.1641899 |issn=2314-4599 |pmc=6776987 |pmid=31620484}}</ref>
 
=== Intelligence ===
{{Main|Dog intelligence}}
 
Researchers have tested dogs' ability to perceive information, retain it as knowledge, and apply it to solve problems. Studies of two dogs suggest that dogs can learn by [[inference]]. A study with [[Rico (Border Collie)|Rico]], a [[Border Collie]], showed that he knew the labels of over 200 different items. He inferred the names of novel things by exclusion learning and correctly retrieved those new items after four weeks of the initial exposure. A study of another Border Collie, Chaser, documented that he had learned the names and could associate them by verbal command with over 1,000 words.<ref>{{cite book|author=Pilley, John |year=2013|title=Chaser: Unlocking the genius of the dog who knows a thousand words|publisher = [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|isbn=978-0-544-10257-6}}</ref>
 
One study of canine cognitive abilities found that dogs' capabilities are similar to those of [[horse]]s, [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzees]], or [[cat]]s.<ref name=Lea2018 /> One study of 18 household dogs found that the dogs could not distinguish food bowls at specific locations without distinguishing cues; the study stated that this indicates a lack of [[spatial memory]].<ref name="Sluka2018" /> A study stated that dogs have a [[Approximate number system|visual sense for number]]. The dogs showed a ratio-dependent [[Neuron activation|activation]] both for numerical values from 1–3 to larger than four.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Aulet |first1=Lauren S. |last2=Chiu |first2=Veronica C. |last3=Prichard |first3=Ashley |last4=Spivak |first4=Mark |last5=Lourenco |first5=Stella F. |last6=Berns |first6=Gregory S. |date=December 2019 |title=Canine sense of quantity: evidence for numerical ratio-dependent activation in parietotemporal cortex |journal= Biology Letters|publication-date=18 December 2019 |volume=15 |issue=12 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2019.0666 |pmid=31847744 |pmc=6936025 }}</ref>
 
Dogs demonstrate a [[theory of mind]] by engaging in deception.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Piotti |first1=Patrizia |last2=Kaminski |first2=Juliane |title=Do Dogs Provide Information Helpfully? |journal=PLOS ONE |date=10 August 2016 |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=e0159797 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0159797 |pmid=27508932 |pmc=4980001 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1159797P |doi-access=free }}</ref> Another experimental study showed evidence that Australian [[dingo]]s can outperform domestic dogs in non-social problem-solving, indicating that domestic dogs may have lost much of their original problem-solving abilities once they joined humans.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Smith | first1 = B. | last2 = Litchfield | first2 = C. | year = 2010 | title = How well do dingoes (''Canis dingo'') perform on the detour task | journal = Animal Behaviour | volume = 80 | pages = 155–162 | doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.04.017| s2cid = 53153703 }}</ref> Another study showed that dogs stared at humans after failing to complete an impossible version of the same task they had been trained to solve. Wolves, under the same situation, avoided staring at humans altogether.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Miklósi |first1=A. |last2=Kubinyi |first2=E. |last3=Topál |first3=J. |last4=Gácsi |first4=M. |last5=Virányi |first5=Z. |last6=Csányi |first6=V. |date=Apr 2003 |title=A simple reason for a big difference: wolves do not look back at humans, but dogs do |journal=Curr Biol |volume=13 |issue=9 |pages=763–766 |bibcode=2003CBio...13..763M |doi=10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00263-X |pmid=12725735 |s2cid=10200094 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
 
=== Communication ===
{{Main|Dog communication}}
{{Listen
|filename=A dog making noises and barking.flac
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Dog communication is the transfer of information between dogs, as well as between dogs and humans.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coren |first1=Stanley |title=How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication |date=2001 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-0297-8 |page=xii }}</ref> Communication behaviors of dogs include eye gaze, facial expression,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kaminski |first1=Juliane |last2=Hynds |first2=Jennifer |last3=Morris |first3=Paul |last4=Waller |first4=Bridget M. |title=Human attention affects facial expressions in domestic dogs |journal=[[Scientific Reports]] |year=2017 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=12914 |doi=10.1038/s41598-017-12781-x |pmid=29051517 |pmc=5648750 |bibcode=2017NatSR...712914K |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kaminski |first1=Juliane |last2=Waller |first2=Bridget M. |last3=Diogo |first3=Rui |last4=Hartstone-Rose |first4=Adam |last5=Burrows |first5=Anne M. |title=Evolution of facial muscle anatomy in dogs |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |year=2019 |volume=116 |issue=29 |pages=14677–14681 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1820653116 |pmid=31209036 |pmc=6642381 |bibcode=2019PNAS..11614677K |doi-access=free}}</ref> vocalization, body posture (including movements of bodies and limbs), and gustatory communication (scents, pheromones, and taste). Dogs mark their [[Territory (animal)|territories]] by urinating on them, which is more likely when entering a new environment.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lindell |first1=Ellen |last2=Feyrecilde |first2=Monique |last3=Horwitz |first3=Debra |last4=Landsberg |first4=Gary |title=Dog Behavioral Problems: Marking Behavior |url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-problems-marking-behavior |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121214453/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-problems-marking-behavior |archive-date=21 January 2024 |access-date=13 March 2024 |website=[[VCA Animal Hospitals]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Curbing the Issue of Dog Marking |url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/curbing-marking/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929091137/https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/curbing-marking/ |archive-date=29 September 2023 |access-date=13 March 2024 |website=American Kennel Club |language=en}}</ref> Both sexes of dogs may also urinate to communicate anxiety or frustration, submissiveness, or when in exciting or relaxing situations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Do Dogs Pee When They're Excited or Fearful? |url=https://www.thesprucepets.com/fixing-submissive-excitement-urination-1118271 |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=The Spruce Pets |language=en |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330093436/https://www.thesprucepets.com/fixing-submissive-excitement-urination-1118271 |url-status=live }}</ref> Aroused dogs can be a result of the dogs' higher [[cortisol]] levels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2023 |title=What is Overarousal in Dogs? {{!}} FOTP |url=https://fotp.com/learn/dog-lifestyle/what-is-overarousal-in-dogs |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=Front of the Pack |language=en-US |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330093437/https://fotp.com/learn/dog-lifestyle/what-is-overarousal-in-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref> Dogs begin socializing with other dogs by the time they reach the ages of 3 to 8 weeks, and at about 5 to 12 weeks of age, they alter their focus from dogs to humans.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Normal Social Behavior in Dogs - Dog Owners |url=https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/normal-social-behavior-in-dogs |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=MSD Veterinary Manual |language=en |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329121024/https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/behavior-of-dogs/normal-social-behavior-in-dogs |url-status=live }}</ref> Belly exposure in dogs can be a defensive behavior that can lead to a bite or to seek comfort.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tami |first1=Gabriella |last2=Gallagher |first2=Anne |title=Description of the behaviour of domestic dog (Canis familiaris) by experienced and inexperienced people |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |date=September 2009 |volume=120 |issue=3–4 |pages=159–169 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2009.06.009 }}</ref>
 
Humans communicate with dogs by using vocalization, hand signals, and body posture. With their acute sense of hearing, dogs rely on the auditory aspect of communication for understanding and responding to various cues, including the distinctive [[bark (sound)|barking]] patterns that convey different messages. A study using [[functional magnetic resonance imaging]] (fMRI) has shown that dogs respond to both vocal and nonvocal voices using the brain's region towards the [[Cerebral hemisphere|temporal pole]], similar to that of humans' brains. Most dogs also looked significantly longer at the face whose expression matched the [[Valence (psychology)|valence of vocalization]].<ref name="Andics2014" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nagasawa |first1=Miho |last2=Murai |first2=Kensuke |last3=Mogi |first3=Kazutaka |last4=Kikusui |first4=Takefumi |year=2011 |title=Dogs can discriminate human smiling faces from blank expressions |journal=[[Animal Cognition]] |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=525–533 |doi=10.1007/s10071-011-0386-5 |pmid=21359654 |s2cid=12354384}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Albuquerque |first1=Natalia |last2=Guo |first2=Kun |last3=Wilkinson |first3=Anna |last4=Savalli |first4=Carine |last5=Otta |first5=Emma |last6=Mills |first6=Daniel |year=2016 |title=Dogs recognize dog and human emotions |journal=[[Biology Letters]] |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=20150883 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883 |pmc=4785927 |pmid=26763220 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A study of [[Caudate nucleus|caudate responses]] shows that dogs tend to respond more positively to social rewards than to food rewards.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cook |first1=Peter F. |last2=Prichard |first2=Ashley |last3=Spivak |first3=Mark |last4=Berns |first4=Gregory S. |title=Awake canine fMRI predicts dogs' preference for praise vs food |journal=Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience |date=12 August 2016 |volume=11 |issue=12 |pages=1853–1862 |doi=10.1093/scan/nsw102 |pmid=27521302 |pmc=5141954 }}</ref>
TSUNA
| url = http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE259.html
| title = The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| publisher = www.bartleby.com
}}</Ref>
 
== Ecology ==
In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a ''dog'', while a female canine is called a ''bitch''. Offspring are generally called ''pups'' or ''[[puppy|puppies]]'' until they are about a year old. A group of offspring is a ''litter''. The process of birth is ''whelping''. Many [[Mixed-breed dog#Terms for mixed-breed dogs|terms are used for dogs]] that are not purebred.
=== Population ===
The dog is the most widely abundant large [[carnivora]]n living in the human environment.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Young |first1=Julie K. |last2=Olson |first2=Kirk A. |last3=Reading |first3=Richard P. |last4=Amgalanbaatar |first4=Sukh |last5=Berger |first5=Joel |title=Is Wildlife Going to the Dogs? Impacts of Feral and Free-roaming Dogs on Wildlife Populations |journal=BioScience |date=February 2011 |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=125–132 |doi=10.1525/bio.2011.61.2.7 |url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/1387 |access-date=3 July 2024 |archive-date=6 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806215638/https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/1387/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Daniels |first1=T. J. |last2=Bekoff |first2=M. |title=Population and Social Biology of Free-Ranging Dogs, Canis familiaris |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=27 November 1989 |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=754–762 |doi=10.2307/1381709 |jstor=1381709 |url=https://animalstudiesrepository.org/acwp_ehlm/18 |access-date=6 July 2024 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803014341/https://animalstudiesrepository.org/acwp_ehlm/18/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, the estimated global dog population was between 700&nbsp;million and 1&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sykes |first1=Naomi |last2=Beirne |first2=Piers |last3=Horowitz |first3=Alexandra |last4=Jones |first4=Ione |last5=Kalof |first5=Linda |last6=Karlsson |first6=Elinor |last7=King |first7=Tammie |last8=Litwak |first8=Howard |last9=McDonald |first9=Robbie A. |last10=Murphy |first10=Luke John |last11=Pemberton |first11=Neil |last12=Promislow |first12=Daniel |last13=Rowan |first13=Andrew |last14=Stahl |first14=Peter W. |last15=Tehrani |first15=Jamshid |date=March 2020 |title=Humanity's Best Friend: A Dog-Centric Approach to Addressing Global Challenges |journal=Animals |language=en |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=502 |doi=10.3390/ani10030502 |doi-access=free |pmid=32192138 |pmc=7142965 |issn=2076-2615}}</ref> In the same year, a study found the dog to be the most popular pet in the United States, as they were present in 34 out of every 100 homes.<ref name=":5" /> About 20% of the dog population live in [[Developed country|developed countries]].<ref name=Lord2013 /> In the [[Developing country|developing world]], it is estimated that three-quarters of the world's dog population lives in the developing world as [[feral]], [[Free-ranging dog|village]], or community dogs.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Coppinger |first1=Raymond |url=https://archive.org/details/dogsstartlingnew00raym |title=Dogs: a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution |last2=Coppinger |first2=Lorna |publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]] |others=Information contributed by [[Internet Archive]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-684-85530-1 |___location=New York |language=en}}</ref> Most of these dogs live as [[scavenger]]s and have never been owned by humans, with one study showing that village dogs' most common response when approached by strangers is to run away (52%) or respond aggressively (11%).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ortolani |first1=Alessia |last2=Vernooij |first2=Hans |last3=Coppinger |first3=Raymond |title=Ethiopian village dogs: Behavioural responses to a stranger's approach |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |date=July 2009 |volume=119 |issue=3–4 |pages=210–218 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2009.03.011 }}</ref>
 
==Intelligence= Competitors ===
Feral and [[free-ranging dog]]s' potential to compete with other large carnivores is limited by their strong association with humans.<ref name=":0" /> Although wolves are known to kill dogs, wolves tend to live in pairs in areas where they are highly persecuted, giving them a disadvantage when facing large dog groups.<ref name=lescureaux2014 />{{sfn|Boitani|Mech|2003|pp=259–264}} In some instances, wolves have displayed an uncharacteristic fearlessness of humans and buildings when attacking dogs, to the extent that they have to be beaten off or killed.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kojola |first1=Ilpo |last2=Ronkainen |first2=Seppo |last3=Hakala |first3=Antero |last4=Heikkinen |first4=Samuli |last5=Kokko |first5=Sanna |year=2004 |title=Interactions between wolves ''Canis lupus'' and dogs ''C. familiaris'' in Finland |journal=Wildlife Biology |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=101–105 |doi=10.2981/wlb.2004.014 |bibcode=2004WildB..10..101K |s2cid=85973414}}</ref> Although the numbers of dogs killed each year are relatively low, there is still a fear among humans of wolves entering villages and farmyards to take dogs, and losses of dogs to wolves have led to demands for more liberal wolf hunting regulations.<ref name="lescureaux2014" />
{{main|Dog intelligence}}
[[Image:Dog_retrieving_stick.jpg|thumb|179px|Many dogs can easily be trained to retrieve.]]
Among dog lovers, dogs are generally valued for their intelligence, and both [[anecdotal evidence]] and [[Scientific method|scientific research]] suggest that dogs have a reasonably high intelligence. This intelligence is expressed differently with different breeds and individuals, however. For example, [[Border Collie]]s are noted for their ability to learn commands, while other breeds may not be so motivated towards obedience, but instead show their cleverness in devising ways to steal food or escape from a yard. Being highly adaptable animals themselves, dogs have learned to do a great number of very eclectic jobs as man has required over the generations. Dogs are employed in various roles across the globe, proving invaluable assets in areas such as search-and-rescue; law enforcement (including attack dogs, sniffer dogs and tracking dogs); guards for livestock, people or property; herding; Arctic exploration sled-pullers; guiding the blind and acting as a pair of ears for the deaf; assisting with hunting, and a great many other roles which they may be trained to assume.
Dogs are descended from wolves, and are also pack animals, making them easier than other animals to train because dogs' instincts are to obey. Most dogs rarely have to deal with complex tasks and are unlikely to learn relatively complicated activities (such as opening doors) unaided. Some dogs (such as [[guide dog]]s for the visually impaired) are specially trained to recognize and avoid dangerous situations.
 
[[Coyote]]s and [[big cat]]s have also been known to attack dogs. In particular, [[leopard]]s are known to have a preference for dogs and have been recorded to kill and consume them, no matter their size.<ref name="Leopard">{{Cite book|author1=Scott, Jonathan |author2=Scott, Angela |title = Big Cat Diary: Leopard|year = 2006|isbn = 978-0-00-721181-4|publisher=Collins|___location = London|page = 108}}</ref> [[Siberian tiger]]s in the [[Amur river]] region have killed dogs in the middle of villages. They will not tolerate wolves as competitors within their territories, and the tigers could be considering dogs in the same way.<ref name="Gompper2013" /> [[Striped hyena]]s are known to kill dogs in their range.<ref name="Striped">{{cite web| url = http://www.hyaena.ge/striped.htm|title = Striped Hyaena ''Hyaena (Hyaena) hyaena'' (Linnaeus, 1758)|publisher=IUCN Species Survival Commission Hyaenidae Specialist Group|access-date =21 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928225108/http://www.hyaena.ge/striped.htm| archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> Dogs as introduced predators have affected the ecology of [[New Zealand]], which lacked indigenous land-based mammals before human settlement.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Atkinson |first1=I. A. E. |title=Biological Invasions in New Zealand |date=2006 |isbn=3-540-30022-8 |series=Ecological Studies |volume=186 |pages=49–66 |chapter=Introduced Mammals in a New Environment |doi=10.1007/3-540-30023-6_4 |quote=New Zealand was originally a land without terrestrial mammals, except for three species of small bats. [...] packs of European dogs were roaming forests by the middle of the 19th century. [...] both domestic and feral dogs continue to be predators of ground birds, including the kiwi and weka [...]. |quote-pages=49, 50}}</ref> Dogs have made 11 [[vertebrate]] species extinct and are identified as a 'potential threat' to at least 188 threatened species worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Doherty |first1=Tim S. |last2=Dickman |first2=Chris R. |last3=Glen |first3=Alistair S. |last4=Newsome |first4=Thomas M. |last5=Nimmo |first5=Dale G. |last6=Ritchie |first6=Euan G. |last7=Vanak |first7=Abi T. |last8=Wirsing |first8=Aaron J. |title=The global impacts of domestic dogs on threatened vertebrates |journal=Biological Conservation |date=June 2017 |volume=210 |pages=56–59 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2017.04.007 |bibcode=2017BCons.210...56D }}</ref> Dogs have also been linked to the extinction of 156 animal species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doherty |first1=Tim S. |last2=Glen |first2=Alistair S. |last3=Nimmo |first3=Dale G. |last4=Ritchie |first4=Euan G. |last5=Dickman |first5=Chris R. |date=16 September 2016 |editor-last=Simberloff |editor-first=Daniel S. |title=Invasive predators and global biodiversity loss |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=113 |issue=40 |pages=11261–11265 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1602480113|doi-access=free |pmid=27638204 |pmc=5056110 |bibcode=2016PNAS..11311261D }}</ref> Dogs have been documented to have killed a few birds of the endangered species, the [[kagu]], in [[New Caledonia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hunt |first1=Gavin R. |last2=Hay |first2=Rod |last3=Veltman |first3=Clare J. |date=December 1996 |title=Multiple Kagu Rhynochetos jubatus deaths caused by dog attacks at a high-altitude study site on Pic Ningua, New Caledonia |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0959270900001775/type/journal_article |journal=Bird Conservation International |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=295–306 |doi=10.1017/S0959270900001775 |issn=0959-2709}}</ref>
===Evaluation of a dog's intelligence===
The meaning of "intelligence" in general, not only in reference to dogs, is hard to define. Some tests measure problem-solving abilities and others test the ability to learn in comparison to others of the same age. Defining it for dogs is just as difficult. It is likely that dogs do not have the ability to premeditate an action to solve a problem. Some dogs may, however, have more drive to keep trying various things until they accidentally reach a solution and still others might have more ability to make the association between the "accident" and the result.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
=== Diet ===
For example, the ability to learn quickly could be a sign of [[intelligence (trait)|intelligence]]. Conversely it could be interpreted as a sign of blind subservience and a desire to please. In contrast, some dogs who do not learn very quickly may have other talents. An example is breeds that are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners, such as [[Siberian Husky|Siberian Huskies]]. Huskies are often fascinated with the myriad of possibilities for escaping from yards, catching small animals, and often figuring out on their own numerous inventive ways of doing both.
{{See also|Dog food}}
[[File:Golden retriever eating pigs foot.jpg|thumb|A [[golden retriever]] gnawing on a pig's foot bone|330x330px]]
 
Dogs are typically described as [[omnivore]]s.<ref name="ADW" /><ref>{{Cite book | title=Biology of the pancreas in growing animals | volume=28 | author1=S.G. Pierzynowski | author2=R. Zabielski | publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences | year=1999 | isbn=978-0-444-50217-9 | page=417 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W5NKvgAACAAJ | oclc=247092084 | access-date=23 April 2023 | archive-date=12 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512215727/https://books.google.com/books?id=W5NKvgAACAAJ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | title=Grab Life by the Leash: A Guide to Bringing Up and Bonding with Your Four-Legged Friend | author=Smith, Cheryl S. | publisher=John Wiley and Sons | year=2008 | isbn=978-0-470-17882-9 | chapter=Chapter 6: Omnivores Together |page=77| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p0y9b9voiI8C&pg=PA77 | url=https://archive.org/details/grablifebyleashg0000smit }}</ref> Compared to wolves, dogs from agricultural societies have [[Amylase#Evolution|extra copies of amylase]] and other genes involved in starch digestion that contribute to an increased ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet.<ref name="axelssonetal2013">{{cite journal |last1=Axelsson |first1=Erik |last2=Ratnakumar |first2=Abhirami |last3=Arendt |first3=Maja-Louise |last4=Maqbool |first4=Khurram |last5=Webster |first5=Matthew T. |last6=Perloski |first6=Michele |last7=Liberg |first7=Olof |last8=Arnemo |first8=Jon M. |last9=Hedhammar |first9=Åke |last10=Lindblad-Toh |first10=Kerstin |title=The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |date=March 2013 |volume=495 |issue=7441 |pages=360–364 |doi=10.1038/nature11837 |bibcode=2013Natur.495..360A |pmid=23354050 |s2cid=4415412 | issn=0028-0836}}</ref> Similar to humans, some dog breeds produce amylase in their [[saliva]] and are classified as having a high-starch diet.<ref name=Pajic2019>{{cite journal |last1=Pajic |first1=Petar |last2=Pavlidis |first2=Pavlos |last3=Dean |first3=Kirsten |last4=Neznanova |first4=Lubov |last5=Romano |first5=Rose-Anne |last6=Garneau |first6=Danielle |last7=Daugherity |first7=Erin |last8=Globig |first8=Anja |last9=Ruhl |first9=Stefan |last10=Gokcumen |first10=Omer |title=Independent amylase gene copy number bursts correlate with dietary preferences in mammals |journal=eLife |date=14 May 2019 |volume=8 |doi=10.7554/eLife.44628 |pmid=31084707 |pmc=6516957 |doi-access=free}}
[[Assistance dog]]s are also required to be obedient at all times. This means they must learn a tremendous number of commands, understand how to act in a large variety of situations, and recognize threats to their human companion, some of which they might never before have encountered.
* {{cite journal |last1=Janiak |first1=Mareike C |title=Of starch and spit |journal=eLife |date=14 May 2019 |volume=8 |doi=10.7554/eLife.47523 |doi-access=free |pmid=31084712 |pmc=6516821 }}</ref> Despite being an omnivore, dogs are only able to conjugate [[bile acid]] with [[taurine]]. They must get [[vitamin D]] from their diet.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fascetti |first=Andrea J. |date=July 2010 |title=Nutritional management and disease prevention in healthy dogs and cats |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1516-35982010001300006 |journal=Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia |volume=39 |issue=suppl spe |pages=42–51 |doi=10.1590/s1516-35982010001300006 |issn=1516-3598}}</ref>
 
Of the [[Essential amino acid|twenty-one amino acids common to all life forms]] (including [[selenocysteine]]), dogs cannot synthesize ten: [[arginine]], [[histidine]], [[isoleucine]], [[leucine]], [[lysine]], [[methionine]], [[phenylalanine]], [[threonine]], [[tryptophan]], and [[valine]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Essentials of Canine Nutrition: Amino Acids and Other Nutrients |url=https://www.thewildest.com/dog-nutrition/essential-canine-nutrition |access-date=15 June 2023 |website=thewildest.com |language=en |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630142421/https://www.thewildest.com/dog-nutrition/essential-canine-nutrition |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amino Acids for Dogs- Fortitude Canine |url=https://fortitudecanine.com/ingredients/amino-acids/ |access-date=15 June 2023 |website=Fortitude |language=en-US |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630142422/https://fortitudecanine.com/ingredients/amino-acids/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 January 2019 |title=NRC Essential Nutrients: Amino Acids |url=https://perfectlyrawsome.com/raw-feeding-knowledgebase/nrc-essential-nutrients-amino-acids/ |access-date=15 June 2023 |website=Perfectly Rawsome |language=en-US |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630142422/https://perfectlyrawsome.com/raw-feeding-knowledgebase/nrc-essential-nutrients-amino-acids/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Like cats, dogs require arginine to maintain [[nitrogen balance]]. These nutritional requirements place dogs halfway between carnivores and omnivores.<ref>{{cite book|title=Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|editor1-last=Fascetti|editor1-first=Andrea J.|editor2-last=Delaney|editor2-first=Sean J.|edition=1st|year=2012|chapter=7|pages=76|isbn=978-0-8138-0657-0|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eIyL9qss6qsC&pg=PA76|access-date=4 March 2019|archive-date=14 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314003643/https://books.google.com/books?id=eIyL9qss6qsC&pg=PA76#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
Many owners of [[livestock guardian dog|livestock guardian]] breeds believe that breeds like the [[Great Pyrenees]] or the [[Kuvasz]] are not easily trained because their stubborn nature prevents them from seeing the point of such commands as “sit” or “down”. [[Hounds]] may also suffer from this type of ranking. In fact several rank in the bottom tier of "The Intelligence of Dogs" list (such as [[Beagle]]s, [[Bloodhound]]s, and [[Basset Hound]]s).{{Fact|date=February 2007}} These dogs are bred to have more of a "pack" mentality with other dogs and less reliance on a master's direct commands. While they may not have the same kind of intelligence as a Border Collie, they were not bred to learn and obey commands quickly, but to think for themselves while trailing game.
 
=== Range ===
==Physical characteristics==
As a domesticated or semi-domesticated animal, the dog has notable exceptions of presence in:
{{main|Dog anatomy}}
* The [[Aboriginal Tasmanians]], who were separated from Australia before the arrival of [[dingo]]s on that continent<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Rhys |date=10 February 2009 |title=Tasmanian Aborigines and Dogs |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1835-9310.1970.tb00420.x |journal=Mankind |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=256–271 |doi=10.1111/j.1835-9310.1970.tb00420.x |issn=0025-2328}}</ref>
[[Image:Weimaraner wb.jpg|thumb|right|Some dogs, like this [[Weimaraner]], have their predatory instincts suppressed in order to better assist human hunters.]]
* The [[Andamanese peoples]], who were isolated when [[Sea level rise|rising sea levels]] covered the [[land bridge]] to Myanmar<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sudarshan |first1=M. K. |last2=Mahendra |first2=B. J. |last3=Madhusudana |first3=S. N. |last4=Rahman |first4=S. A. |last5=Ashwathnarayana |first5=D. H. |date=March 2006 |title=An Assessment of Rabies Free Status of the Island of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep: Results of the WHO Sponsored National Multicentric Rabies Survey |url=https://journals.lww.com/ijph/abstract/2006/50010/an_assessment_of_rabies_free_status_of_the_island.3.aspx |journal=Indian Journal of Public Health |language=en-US |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=11–14 |pmid=17193752 |issn=0019-557X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Venkateswar |first=Sita |year=1999 |title=The Andaman Islanders |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26058248 |journal=Scientific American |volume=280 |issue=5 |pages=82–88 |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0599-82 |jstor=26058248 |bibcode=1999SciAm.280e..82V |issn=0036-8733}}</ref>
{{see also|Dog health}}
* The [[Fuegians]], who instead domesticated the [[Fuegian dog]], an already extinct different canid species<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jaksic |first1=Fabian M. |last2=Castro |first2=Sergio A. |date=26 July 2023 |title=The identity of Fuegian and Patagonian "dogs" among indigenous peoples in southernmost South America |journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural |language=en |volume=96 |issue=1 |pages=5 |doi=10.1186/s40693-023-00119-z |doi-access=free |bibcode=2023RvCHN..96....5J |issn=0717-6317}}</ref>
Modern [[dog breed]]s show more variation in size, appearance, and behavior than any other domestic animal. Within the range of extremes, dogs generally share attributes with their wild ancestors, the [[Gray Wolf|wolves]]. Dogs are [[predator]]s and [[scavenger]]s, possessing sharp teeth and strong jaws for attacking, holding, and tearing their food. Although selective breeding has changed the appearance of many breeds, all dogs retain basic traits from their distant ancestors. Like many other predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, fused wristbones, a [[cardiovascular]] system that supports both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching and tearing. Compared to the bone structure of the human foot, dogs technically walk on their toes.
* Individual Pacific islands whose maritime settlers did not bring dogs or where the dogs died out after original settlement, notably the [[Mariana Islands]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hung |first1=H. |last2=Carson |first2=Mike T. |last3=Bellwood |first3=Peter |last4=Campos |first4= Fredeliza Z. |year=2011 |title=The first settlement of Remote Oceania: The Philippines to the Marianas |journal=Antiquity |volume=85 |issue=329 |pages=909–926 |doi=10.1017/S0003598X00068393 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Palau]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Osborne |first=Douglas |date=1966 |title=The archaeology of the Palau Islands |series=Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin |volume=230 |page=29 |isbn=978-0-910240-58-1}}</ref> and most of the [[Caroline Islands]] with exceptions such as [[Fais Island]] and [[Nukuoro]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Intoh |first1=Michiko |last2=Shigehara |first2=Nobuo |year=2004 |title=Prehistoric pig and dog remains from Fais Island, Micronesia |journal=Anthropological Science |volume=112 |issue=3 |pages=257–267 |doi=10.1537/ase.040511|doi-access=free }}</ref> the [[Marshall Islands]],<ref name=Urban>{{cite book |last=Urban |first=Manfred |date=1961 |title=Die Haustiere der Polynesier |___location=Göttingen |publisher=Häntzschel }}</ref> the [[Gilbert Islands]],<ref name=Urban /> [[New Caledonia]],<ref name=Matisoo-Smith>{{cite journal |last=Matisoo-Smith |first=Elizabeth |date=Feb 2015 |title=Ancient DNA and the human settlement of the Pacific: A review |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=79 |pages=93–104 |doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.017 |pmid=25556846 |bibcode=2015JHumE..79...93M }}</ref> [[Vanuatu]],<ref name=Matisoo-Smith /><ref name=Forster>{{cite book |last=Forster |first=Johann Reinhold |date=1778 |title=Observations Made During a Voyage Round the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VI8-AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA188 |page=188 }}</ref> [[Tonga]],<ref name=Forster /> [[Marquesas]],<ref name=Forster /> [[Mangaia]] in the [[Cook Islands]], [[Rapa Iti]] in [[French Polynesia]], [[Easter Island]],<ref name=Forster /> the [[Chatham Islands]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Sharp |first=Andrew |date=1964 |title=Ancient Voyagers in Polynesia |url=https://archive.org/details/ancientvoyagersi0000shar |url-access=registration |___location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/ancientvoyagersi0000shar/page/120 120] }}</ref> and [[Pitcairn Island]] (settled by the [[Mutiny on the Bounty|''Bounty'' mutineers]], who killed off their dogs to escape discovery by passing ships).<ref>{{cite journal|title=Pitcairn's Island|journal=The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia|volume=10|page=38|year=1820|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x6o3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA38}}</ref>
 
Dogs were introduced to [[Antarctica]] as [[sled dog]]s. Starting practice in December 1993, dogs were later outlawed by the [[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty|Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty international agreement]] due to the possible risk of spreading infections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did you know that dogs are banned from Antarctica? |url=https://nettarkiv.npolar.no/sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/did-you-know/2011-11-12-dogs-are-banned-from-antarctica.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729232554/https://nettarkiv.npolar.no/sorpolen2011.npolar.no/en/did-you-know/2011-11-12-dogs-are-banned-from-antarctica.html |archive-date=29 July 2020 |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=nettarkiv.npolar.no}}</ref>{{Clear}}
===Sight===
[[Image:Amazonian Dog.JPG|right|A|thumb|200px|Amazonian dogs, such as this one from [[Alto Amazonas]], [[Peru]] are critical for [[indigenous peoples]]' [[hunting]] strategies, particularly in the [[rain forest]].]]
 
== Roles with humans ==
Dogs were thought to be [[dichromat]]s and thus, by human standards, [[color blind]].<ref name="note1">A&E Television Networks (1998). ''Big Dogs, Little Dogs: The companion volume to the A&E special presentation'', A Lookout Book, GT Publishing. ISBN 1-57719-353-9 (hardcover).</ref><ref name="note2">Alderton, David (1984). ''The Dog'', Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-89009-786-0.</ref> It is now known that dogs can't see the color red very well.
{{Main|Human–canine bond}}
The [[Domestication of the dog|domesticated dog]] originated as a [[predator]] and [[scavenger]].<ref>{{cite book
|last1 = Nicoll
|first1 = Kate
|year = 2005
|title = Soul Friends: Finding Healing with Animals
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JluN-HH-8SMC
|publication-place = Indianapolis, Indiana
|publisher = Dog Ear Publishing
|page = 46
|isbn = 9780976660361
|access-date = 10 May 2024
|quote = [...] current studies seem to suggest [...] dog as predator or scavenger needed a food source and shelter.
|archive-date = 10 May 2024
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240510053615/https://books.google.com/books?id=JluN-HH-8SMC
|url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tancredi |first1=Domenico |last2=Cardinali |first2=Irene |date=May 2023 |title=Being a Dog: A Review of the Domestication Process |journal=Genes |language=en |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=992 |doi=10.3390/genes14050992 |doi-access=free |pmid=37239352 |issn=2073-4425|pmc=10218297 }}</ref> They inherited complex behaviors, such as [[bite inhibition]], from their wolf ancestors, which would have been [[pack hunter]]s with complex [[Body language of dogs|body language]]. These sophisticated forms of social cognition and communication may account for dogs' trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miklosi |first=Adam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9780199295852 |title=Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition |date=29 November 2007 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-929585-2 |pages=165–200 |language=en}}</ref> and probably also their co-existence with early human hunter-gatherers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lupo |first1=Karen D. |title=Hounds follow those who feed them: What can the ethnographic record of hunter-gatherers reveal about early human-canid partnerships? |journal=Journal of Anthropological Archaeology |date=September 2019 |volume=55 |pages=101081 |doi=10.1016/j.jaa.2019.101081 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zilio |first1=Leandro |last2=Hammond |first2=Heidi |last3=Peralta González |first3=Santiago |last4=Laura Parolin |first4=María |last5=Montes |first5=Alejandro |last6=Mariela Ocampo |first6=Silvina |last7=Eduardo Moreno |first7=Julián |date=September 2024 |title=Huachen: First record of use of dogs for carrying loads among hunter-gatherers in South America. Human-dog interactions on the late Holocene in Colhué Huapi lake, Argentine Patagonia |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports |volume=57 |pages=104621 |doi=10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104621 |bibcode=2024JArSR..57j4621Z }}</ref> Dogs perform many roles for people, such as [[Hunting dog|hunting]], [[Herding dog|herding]], [[Sled dog|pulling loads]], [[Guard dog|protection]], [[Police dog|assisting police]] and the [[Dogs in warfare|military]], [[Pet|companionship]], and [[Assistance dog|aiding disabled individuals]]. These roles in human society have earned them the nickname "[[man's best friend]]" in the [[Western world]]. In some cultures, however, dogs [[#Dogs as food|are also a source of meat]].<ref name="Wingfield-Hayes">{{cite news |last=Wingfield-Hayes |first=Rupert |date=29 June 2002 |title=China's taste for the exotic |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2074073.stm |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190107021312/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2074073.stm |archive-date= 7 January 2019 |access-date= 14 December 2011 |work= BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Vietnam's dog meat tradition">{{cite news |date=31 December 2001 |title= Vietnam's dog meat tradition |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1735647.stm |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190107021323/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1735647.stm |archive-date=7 January 2019 |access-date=14 December 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
 
=== Pets ===
Different breeds of dogs have different eye shapes and dimensions, and they also have different [[retina]] configurations.<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = Jonica Newby, Caroline Penry-Davey | title = Catalyst: Dogs' Eyes | work = | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date = [[2003-09-25]] | url = http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s953902.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2006-11-26 }}</ref> Dogs with long noses have a "''visual streak''" which runs across the width of the retina and gives them a very wide field of excellent vision, while those with short noses have an "''area centralis''" -- a central patch with up to three times the density of nerve endings as the ''visual streak'' -- giving them detailed sight much more like a human's.
[[File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg|thumb|A [[Siberian husky]] with a human companion]]
 
The keeping of dogs as companions, particularly by elites, has a long history.<ref name="Derr">{{Cite book |last= Derr |first= Mark |url= https://archive.org/details/dogsbestfriendan00derr |title= Dog's Best Friend |publisher= University of Chicago Press |year= 1997 |isbn=978-0-226-14280-7 |___location= Chicago |url-access= registration}}</ref> Pet-dog populations grew significantly after [[World War II]] as [[suburbanization]] increased.<ref name="Derr" /> In the 1980s, there have been changes in the pet dog's functions, such as the increased role of dogs in the [[Emotional support animal|emotional support]] of their human guardians.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schoenfeld-Tacher |first1=Regina |last2=Hellyer |first2=Peter |last3=Cheung |first3=Louana |last4=Kogan |first4=Lori |date=June 2017 |title=Public Perceptions of Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Therapy Dogs |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=14 |issue=6 |pages=642 |doi=10.3390/ijerph14060642 |doi-access=free |pmid=28617350 |pmc=5486328 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Serpell |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fB7DQAAQBAJ&dq=info:poA2zvVNZnsJ:scholar.google.com/&pg=PA247 |title=The Domestic Dog |date=2017 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-02414-4 |pages=248 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Power">{{cite journal |last1=Power |first1= Emma |title= Furry families: making a human–dog family through home |journal= Social & Cultural Geography |date=August 2008 |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=535–555 |doi= 10.1080/14649360802217790 }}</ref> Within the second half of the 20th century, more and more dog owners considered their animal to be a part of the family. This major social status shift allowed the dog to conform to social expectations of personality and behavior.<ref name="Power" /> The second has been the broadening of the concepts of family and the home to include dogs-as-dogs within everyday routines and practices.<ref name="Power" />
Some breeds, particularly the best [[sighthound]]s, have a field of vision up to 270° (compared to 180° for humans), although broad-headed breeds with short noses have a much narrower field of vision, as low as 180°.<ref name="note1" /><ref name="note2" />
 
Products such as dog-training books, classes, and television programs target dog owners.<ref name="Nast">{{cite journal |last1=Nast |first1=Heidi J. |title=Loving....Whatever: Alienation, Neoliberalism and Pet-Love in the Twenty-First Century |journal=ACME |year=2006 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=300–327 |url=https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/761 |access-date=22 April 2024 |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422130813/https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/761 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Myths">{{Cite Q|Q115264477}}</ref> Some dog-trainers have promoted a [[Dominance (ethology)|dominance model]] of dog-human relationships. However, the idea of the [[Pack (canine)#Use in dog training|"alpha dog"]] trying to be dominant is based on a controversial theory about wolf packs.<ref>{{Cite book |last= Miklósi |first= Ádám |title= The Dog: A Natural History |publisher= Princeton University Press |year= 2018 |isbn= 978-0-691-17693-2 |page= 75}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mech |first1=L David |title=Alpha status, dominance, and division of labor in wolf packs |journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology |date=November 1999 |volume=77 |issue=8 |pages=1196–1203 |doi=10.1139/z99-099 }}</ref> It has been disputed that "trying to achieve status" is characteristic of dog-human interactions.<ref name="Bradshaw">{{cite journal |last1= Bradshaw |first1= John W.S. |last2= Blackwell |first2= Emily J. |last3= Casey |first3= Rachel A. |title= Dominance in domestic dogs—useful construct or bad habit? |journal= Journal of Veterinary Behavior |date=May 2009 |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=135–144 |doi= 10.1016/j.jveb.2008.08.004 }}</ref> Human family members have increased participation in activities in which the dog is an integral partner, such as [[Musical canine freestyle|dog dancing]] and [[Doga (Dog Yoga)|dog yoga]].<ref name="Nast" />
===Hearing===
[[Image:PennyAlertPricksEars.jpg|thumb|left|This [[Collie]]/[[Saluki]] angles her ears to find the source of a sound.]]
Dogs detect sounds as low as the 16 to 20[[Hertz|Hz]] frequency range (compared to 20 to 70 Hz for humans) and above 45 kHz<ref>[http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html How well do dogs and other animals hear]</ref> (compared to 13 to 20 kHz for humans),<ref name="note2" /> and in addition have a degree of ear mobility that helps them to rapidly pinpoint the exact ___location of a sound. Eighteen or more muscles can tilt, rotate and raise or lower a dog's ear. Additionally, a dog can identify a sound's ___location much faster than a human can, as well as hear sounds up to four times the distance that humans are able to. Those with more natural ear shapes, like those of wild canids like the fox, generally hear better than those with the floppier ears of many domesticated species.
 
According to statistics published by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association in the National Pet Owner Survey in 2009–2010, an estimated 77.5&nbsp;million people in the United States have pet dogs.<ref>{{Cite web |date= 2 May 2010 |title= U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics |url= http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html |access-date= 2 April 2024 |publisher=[[Humane Society of the United States]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100502015231/http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html |archive-date= 2 May 2010 }}</ref> The source shows that nearly 40% of American households own at least one dog, of which 67% own just one dog, 25% own two dogs, and nearly 9% own more than two dogs. The data also shows an equal number of male and female pet dogs; less than one-fifth of the owned dogs come from [[Animal shelter|shelters]].<ref name="HSO">{{cite web |title=U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics |url= http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120407193941/http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html |archive-date=7 April 2012 |access-date=24 June 2010}}</ref>
===Smell===
 
=== Workers ===
Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket [[handkerchief]] (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a [[postage stamp]] for humans). Some breeds have been selectively bred for excellence in detecting scents, even compared to their canine brethren. What information a dog actually detects when he is scenting is not perfectly understood; although once a matter of debate, it now seems to be well established that dogs can distinguish two different types of scents when trailing, an air scent from some person or thing that has recently passed by, as well as a ground scent that remains detectable for a much longer period. The characteristics and behavior of these two types of scent trail would seem, after some thought, to be quite different, the air scent being intermittent but perhaps less obscured by competing scents, whereas the ground scent would be relatively permanent with respect to careful and repetitive search by the dog, but would seem to be much more contaminated with other scents. In any event, it is established by those who train tracking dogs that it is impossible to teach the dog how to track any better than it does naturally; the object instead is to motivate it properly, and teach it to maintain focus on a single track and ignore any others that might otherwise seem of greater interest to an untrained dog. An intensive search for a scent, for instance searching a ship for contraband, can actually be very fatiguing for a dog, and the dog must be motivated to continue this hard work for a long period of time.
In addition to dogs' role as companion animals, dogs have been bred for [[Herding dog|herding livestock]] (such as [[collie]]s and [[sheepdog]]s); for hunting; for [[Pest control|rodent control]] (such as terriers); as [[search and rescue dog]]s;<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fenton |first1=Vikki |title=The use of dogs in search, rescue and recovery |journal=Journal of Wilderness Medicine |date=August 1992 |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=292–300 |doi=10.1580/0953-9859-3.3.292 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Coppinger |first1=Raymond |author-link1=Raymond Coppinger |title=The domestic dog: its evolution, behaviour, and interactions with people |last2=Schneider |first2=Richard |date=1995 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-42537-7 |editor-last=Serpell |editor-first=James |___location=Cambridge |pages=161–179 |chapter=Evolution of working dogs}}</ref> as [[detection dog]]s (such as those trained to detect [[Illegal drug trade|illicit drugs]] or [[chemical weapon]]s);<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ensminger |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1TNBQAAQBAJ |title=Police and Military Dogs: Criminal Detection, Forensic Evidence, and Judicial Admissibility |date=10 October 2011 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4398-7240-6 |pages=147–151 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shenon |first1=Philip |title=AFTEREFFECTS: CHEMICAL WEAPONS; Dogs Take Their Place in Arsenal Against Chemical Attack |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/13/us/aftereffects-chemical-weapons-dogs-take-their-place-arsenal-against-chemical.html |work=The New York Times |date=13 May 2003 |access-date=9 June 2018 |archive-date=13 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613001401/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/13/us/aftereffects-chemical-weapons-dogs-take-their-place-arsenal-against-chemical.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as homeguard dogs; as [[police dog]]s (sometimes nicknamed "K-9"); as [[service dogs|welfare-purpose dogs]]; as dogs who assist fishermen retrieve their nets; and as dogs that pull loads (such as [[sled dog]]s).<ref name="ADW" /> In 1957, the dog [[Laika]] became one of the first animals to be launched into [[Geocentric orbit|Earth orbit]] aboard the [[Soviet space program|Soviets]]'s ''[[Sputnik 2]]''; Laika died during the flight from [[Hyperthermia|overheating]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/remembering-laika-space-dog-and-soviet-hero|title= Remembering Laika, Space Dog and Soviet Hero|magazine= [[The New Yorker]]|author= Alex Wellerstein|date= 3 November 2017|access-date= 9 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140755/https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/remembering-laika-space-dog-and-soviet-hero|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-space-dog-idUSL1117596720080411 |title= Russia fetes dog Laika, first earthling in space |editor1= Solovyov, Dmitry |editor2= Pearce, Tim |date= 11 April 2008 |work= [[Reuters]] |access-date= 5 July 2021 |archive-date= 17 May 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210517190200/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-space-dog-idUSL1117596720080411 |url-status=live }}</ref> Various kinds of service dogs and assistance dogs, including [[guide dog]]s, [[hearing dog]]s, [[mobility assistance dog]]s, and [[psychiatric service dog]]s, assist individuals with disabilities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Audrestch |first1=Hilary M. |last2=Whelan |first2=Chantelle T. |last3=Grice |first3=David |last4=Asher |first4=Lucy |last5=England |first5=Gary C.W. |last6=Freeman |first6=Sarah L. |title=Recognizing the value of assistance dogs in society |journal=Disability and Health Journal |date=October 2015 |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=469–474 |doi=10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.07.001 |pmid=26364936 |url=http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38879/ |access-date=31 December 2018 |archive-date=13 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813115923/http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38879/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= Walther |first1= Sandra |last2= Yamamoto |first2= Mariko |last3= Thigpen |first3= Abigail Paige |last4= Garcia |first4= Anaissa |last5= Willits |first5= Neil H. |last6= Hart |first6= Lynette A. |title= Assistance Dogs: Historic Patterns and Roles of Dogs Placed by ADI or IGDF Accredited Facilities and by Non-Accredited U.S. Facilities |journal=Frontiers in Veterinary Science |date= 19 January 2017 |volume= 4 |page= 1 |doi= 10.3389/fvets.2017.00001 |pmid= 28154816 |pmc= 5243836 |doi-access= free }}</ref> A study of 29 dogs found that 9 dogs owned by people with epilepsy were reported to exhibit attention-getting behavior to their handler 30 seconds to 45 minutes prior to an impending seizure; there was no significant correlation between the patients' demographics, health, or attitude towards their pets.<ref name="seizure">{{cite journal |last1= Dalziel |first1= Deborah J |last2= Uthman |first2= Basim M |last3= Mcgorray |first3= Susan P |last4= Reep |first4= Roger L |title= Seizure-alert dogs: a review and preliminary study |journal= Seizure |date= March 2003 |volume= 12 |issue= 2 |pages= 115–120 |doi=10.1016/s105913110200225x |pmid=12566236 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
 
==Working,= utilityShows and assistancesports dogs===
{{See also|Dog show}}
 
Dogs compete in breed-conformation shows and [[List of dog sports|dog sports]] (including [[racing]], [[sledding]], and [[Dog agility|agility competitions]]). In dog shows, also referred to as "breed shows", a judge familiar with the specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for conformity with their established breed type as described in a [[breed standard]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dog show {{!}} Description & History {{!}} Britannica |url= https://www.britannica.com/sports/dog-show |access-date= 27 March 2024 |website= Encyclopædia Britannica |language= en |archive-date= 12 May 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190512001155/https://www.britannica.com/sports/dog-show |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Weight pulling]], a dog sport involving pulling weight, has been criticized for promoting [[Doping in sport|doping]] and for its risk of injury.<ref>{{Cite web |last= DogTime |date= 16 April 2014 |title= Critics divided on controversial sport of dog "weight-pulling" |url=https://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/19644-critics-divided-on-controversial-sport-of-dog-weight-pulling |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=DogTime |language= en-US |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240329003644/https://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/19644-critics-divided-on-controversial-sport-of-dog-weight-pulling |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{main|Working dog}}
 
=== Dogs as food ===
There are several types of working dogs:
{{Main|Dog meat}}
Humans have consumed dog meat going back at least 14,000 years. It is unknown to what extent prehistoric dogs were consumed and bred for meat. For centuries, the practice was prevalent in [[Southeast Asia]], [[East Asia]], Africa, and [[Oceania]] before cultural changes triggered by the spread of religions resulted in dog meat consumption declining and becoming more taboo.<ref name="Simoons-1994" /> [[Switzerland]], [[Polynesia]], and [[pre-Columbian Mexico]] historically consumed dog meat.<ref>{{cite book|last= Schwabe|first= Calvin W.|title= Unmentionable Cuisine|publisher= University Press of Virginia|year= 1979|isbn= 978-0-8139-1162-5 |___location= Charlottesville|page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=SiBntk9jGmoC&pg=PA173 173]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bay-Petersen |first1=Jan |title=Competition for resources : the role of pig and dog in the Polynesian agricultural economy. |journal=Journal de la Société des océanistes |year=1983 |volume=39 |issue=77 |pages=121–129 |doi=10.3406/jso.1983.2793 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last= Stephen J. Hernandez-Divers |first= BVetMed |date=30 March 2015 |title=World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2005 |url= http://www.vin.com/doc/?id=6694579 |website= VIN.com |access-date=27 March 2024 |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240420222357/https://www.vin.com/apputil/project/defaultadv1.aspx?pid=11196&catid=&id=&meta=&authorid= |url-status=live }}</ref> Some [[Native American dogs]], like the [[Peruvian Hairless Dog]] and [[Xoloitzcuintle]], were raised to be sacrificed and eaten.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vásquez Sánchez |first1=Víctor F. |last2=Rosales Tham |first2=Teresa E. |last3=Gálvez Mora |first3=César A. |last4=Dorado Pérez |first4=Gabriel |title=El origen del perro (Canis lupus familiaris) sin pelo peruano (PSPP): pruebas arqueológicas, zooarqueológicas y genéticas. Revisión |journal=Archaeobios |year=2016 |volume=1 |issue=10 |pages=80–102 |issn=1996-5214}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=de la Garza |first1=Mercedes |title=El Xoloitzcuintli y el Sacrificio |journal=[[Arqueología Mexicana]] |date=14 January 2022 |url=https://arqueologiamexicana.mx/mexico-antiguo/el-xoloitzcuintli-y-el-sacrificio |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia |language=es}}</ref> [[Han Chinese]] traditionally ate dogs.<ref name="Wangyun-2018">{{Cite web |last= Wangyun |first= Dai |date= 14 February 2018 |title= 7,000 Years of the Dog: A History of China's Canine Companions |url= https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1001742 |access-date= 1 April 2024 |website= #SixthTone |archive-date= 1 April 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240401134456/https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1001742 |url-status= live }}</ref> Consumption of dog meat declined but did not end during the [[Sui dynasty]] (581–618) and [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907) due in part to the spread of Buddhism and the upper class rejecting the practice.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Peter |title=Friend or food? Dog meat trade divides China |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/opinions/china-yulin-dog-festival-peter-li/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=19 October 2024 |language=en |date=19 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= Li |first1= Peter J. |last2= Sun |first2= Jiang |last3= Yu |first3= Dezhi |title= Dog 'Meat' Consumption in China |journal= Society & Animals |date= 20 October 2017 |volume= 25 |issue= 6 |pages= 513–532 |doi= 10.1163/15685306-12341471 }}</ref> Dog consumption was rare in India, Iran, and Europe.<ref name="Simoons-1994">{{Cite book|title= Eat not this flesh: food avoidances from prehistory to the present|last1 = Simoons | first1 = Frederick J.|edition= 2|publisher= University of Wisconsin Press|year=1994|isbn=978-0-299-14254-4|pages=200–212|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=JwGZTQunH00C&pg=PA208|access-date= 6 June 2020}}</ref>
 
Eating dog meat is a [[Taboo|social taboo]] in most parts of the world,<ref>{{Cite news |title=China bans dog meat at infamous Yulin festival |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/yulin-dog-meat-festival-ban-china-authorities-a7741431.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181011224646/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/yulin-dog-meat-festival-ban-china-authorities-a7741431.html |archive-date= 11 October 2018 |access-date= 11 October 2018 |work= The Independent}}</ref> though some still consume it in [[Modern era|modern times]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Czajkowski |first1=Claire |title=Dog Meat Trade in South Korea: A Report on the State of the Trade and Efforts to Eliminate It |journal=Animal Law Review |year=2014 |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=29 |url=https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol21/iss1/3/ |access-date=8 July 2024 |archive-date=11 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911133309/https://lawcommons.lclark.edu/alr/vol21/iss1/3/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oh |first1=Minjoo |last2=Jackson |first2=Jeffrey |title=Animal Rights vs. Cultural Rights: Exploring the Dog Meat Debate in South Korea from a World Polity Perspective |journal=Journal of Intercultural Studies |date=February 2011 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=31–56 |doi=10.1080/07256868.2010.491272 }}</ref> It is still consumed in some [[East Asian]] countries, including [[China]],<ref name="Wingfield-Hayes" /> [[Vietnam]],<ref name="Vietnam's dog meat tradition" /> [[Korea]],<ref>{{Cite web |last= Stone |first= Kristin |date= 21 February 2019 |title= Closing South Korea's dog meat farms |url= https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/closing-south-koreas-dog-meat-farms/ |access-date=1 April 2024 |website=Humane Society International |language=en-US |archive-date=1 April 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240401132701/https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/closing-south-koreas-dog-meat-farms/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Indonesia]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ayu |first1=Azizah Reski Ray |last2=Gobel |first2=Fatmah Afrianty |last3=Arman |first3=Arman |date=2022-12-30 |title=Proximate Levels of Dog Meat (Canis Lupus Familiaris) in Rantepao, North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia |url=https://pasca-umi.ac.id/index.php/jahr/article/view/1223 |journal=Journal of Aafiyah Health Research |language=en |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=25–30 |doi=10.52103/jahr.v3i2.1223 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=2722-4945}}</ref> and the [[Philippines]].<ref>{{Cite news|last= Anna Bueno|date= 6 January 2017|title= The legal and cultural implications of killing a dog for film|work=[[CNN Philippines]]|url= https://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/film/2017/01/05/oro-dog-killing-scene.html |access-date= 15 December 2020|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210416114758/https://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/film/2017/01/05/oro-dog-killing-scene.html|url-status= dead}}</ref> An estimated 30&nbsp;million dogs are killed and consumed in Asia every year.<ref name="Wangyun-2018" /> China is the world's largest consumer of dogs, with an estimated 10 to 20 million dogs killed every year for human consumption.<ref>{{Cite news |last= VnExpress |title= 47 dogs seized as police bust dog meat ring in southern Vietnam - VnExpress International |url= https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/47-dogs-seized-as-police-bust-dog-meat-ring-in-southern-vietnam-3518518.html |access-date= 1 April 2024 |website= VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam |language=en |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230416214712/https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/47-dogs-seized-as-police-bust-dog-meat-ring-in-southern-vietnam-3518518.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In Vietnam, about 5&nbsp;million dogs are slaughtered annually.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Secondo |first=Joellen |date=2022-11-18 |title=Ending Viet Nam's dog and cat meat trades |url=https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/ending-viet-nams-dog-meat-trade/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Humane Society International |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, China, Singapore, and Thailand placed a ban on the consumption of dogs within their borders.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bans on dog meat sweep across Asia |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/05/30/bans-on-dog-meat-sweep-across-asia |access-date=2024-10-14 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> In some parts of [[Poland]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 August 2009 |title=Poland prosecutors probe dog lard sale |url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/10/Poland-prosecutors-probe-dog-lard-sale/63511249914379/?ur3=1 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210416102745/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/10/Poland-prosecutors-probe-dog-lard-sale/63511249914379/?ur3=1 |archive-date= 16 April 2021 |access-date= 15 December 2020 |work= [[United Press International]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Day |first= Matthew |date= 7 August 2009 |title= Polish couple accused of making dog meat delicacy |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/5985367/Polish-couple-accused-of-making-dog-meat-delicacy.html |url-access= subscription |url-status= live |archive-url= https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/5985367/Polish-couple-accused-of-making-dog-meat-delicacy.html |archive-date= 10 January 2022 |access-date= 21 December 2010 |work= The Daily Telegraph |___location= London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[Central Asia]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= Ayzirek Imanaliyeva |date=13 August 2020 |title= Fighting COVID in Kyrgyzstan: Dog fat, ginger and bloodletting |url= https://eurasianet.org/fighting-covid-in-kyrgyzstan-dog-fat-ginger-and-bloodletting |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201217070504/https://eurasianet.org/fighting-covid-in-kyrgyzstan-dog-fat-ginger-and-bloodletting |archive-date= 17 December 2020 |access-date= 11 December 2020 |website= [[Eurasianet]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=2009 |title= Dog meat restaurants spring up in Uzbekistan |url= http://www.uznews.net/news_single.php?lng=en&sub=&cid=2&nid=12323 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100616084942/http://uznews.net/news_single.php?lng=en&sub=&cid=2&nid=12323 |archive-date= 16 June 2010 |access-date= 24 October 2012 |publisher= [[Uznews.net]]}}</ref> dog fat is reportedly believed to be beneficial for the lungs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Parker |first1=Lynette |title=The dog-eaters of bali |journal=Canberra Anthropology |date=April 1991 |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1080/03149099109508473 }}</ref> Proponents of eating dog meat have argued that placing a distinction between livestock and dogs is Western hypocrisy and that there is no difference in eating different animals' meat.<ref>{{cite journal |author=William Saletan |author-link= William Saletan |date= 16 January 2002 |title= Wok The Dog – What's wrong with eating man's best friend? |url= http://www.slate.com/id/2060840/ |url-status= live |journal= Slate |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120419051241/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2002/01/wok_the_dog.html |archive-date= 19 April 2012 |access-date= 23 July 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date= 27 December 2017 |title= Korea dog meat campaigners accused of hypocrisy |url= https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/korea-dog-meat-campaigners-accused-of-hypocrisy |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220408065014/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/korea-dog-meat-campaigners-accused-of-hypocrisy |archive-date= 8 April 2022 |access-date= 18 December 2020 |work= [[The Straits Times]] |agency= [[Agence France-Presse]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Ahmed Zihni |year=2004 |title=Dog Meat Dilemma |url= http://www.sunysb.edu/writrhet/philosophy/handbook/essaycontest/2004essaywinners/2004+Ahmet+Zihni.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070811115017/http://www.sunysb.edu/writrhet/philosophy/handbook/essaycontest/2004essaywinners/2004%20Ahmet%20Zihni.htm |archive-date= 11 August 2007 |access-date= 11 May 2008 |publisher= [[Stony Brook University]] – The Program in Writing and Rhetoric}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= [[John Feffer]] |date= 2 June 2002 |title= The Politics of Dog – When globalization and culinary practice clash |url= http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/10/feffer-j.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060427201343/http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/10/feffer-j.html |archive-date= 27 April 2006 |access-date= 11 May 2007 |website= [[The American Prospect]]}}</ref>
*[[Assistance dog]]s which help the seeing and hearing-impaired. Others are trained to help those with epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, by detecting the onset of the condition so they can seek help. The typical assistance dog is a sociable breed such as a [[Labrador Retriever]].
*The [[detection dog]], which is a dog trained to and works at using its senses (almost always the sense of smell) to detect substances such as explosives or [[illegal drugs]].
*[[Guard dog]]s trained to protect property. These are commonly [[Doberman pinscher|Doberman Pinschers]], [[German shepherd|German Shepherds]] and [[Rottweiler]]s or mixes of these breeds.
*[[Herding dogs]] trained to protect livestock in the range against predators. [[sheep dog|Sheepdogs]] are a common breed.
*[[Hunting dog]]s that search for and retrieve game. Pointers and retrievers are typical hunting breeds.
*[[Police dogs]], typically German Shepherds, are trained to assist law enforcement officers.
*[[Rescue dogs]] that search for missing humans. The archetypal breeds are the [[St. Bernard (dog)|St. Bernard]] and the [[Bloodhound]], although any dog with a good sense of smell can be trained to perform this task.
*[[Therapy dog]]s, with friendly and gentle temperaments, trained to provide comfort and affection to hospitalized and institutionalized patients.
*The [[war dog]], used by the military to detect mines and enemy soldiers.
 
There is a long history of [[dog meat consumption in South Korea]], but the practice has fallen out of favor.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Jessie Yeung |author2=Gawon Bae |author3=Yoonjung Seo |author4=Marc Stewart |title=South Korea passes bill to ban eating dog meat, ending controversial practice as consumer habits change |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/09/asia/south-korea-bill-bans-dog-meat-bill-intl-hnk/index.html |publisher=CNN |language=en |date=9 January 2024}}</ref> A 2017 survey found that under 40% of participants supported a ban on the distribution and consumption of dog meat. This increased to over 50% in 2020, suggesting changing attitudes, particularly among younger individuals.<ref name=":7" /> In 2018, the [[Government of South Korea|South Korean government]] passed a bill banning restaurants that sell dog meat from doing so during that year's [[2018 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= 9 January 2024 |title= South Korea parliament passes bill banning dog meat trade |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/01/09/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-dog-meat-ban/ |access-date= 24 March 2024 |website= The Japan Times |language=en |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240324094547/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/01/09/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-dog-meat-ban/ |url-status= live }}</ref> On 9 January 2024, the [[National Assembly (South Korea)|South Korean parliament]] passed a law banning the distribution and sale of dog meat. It will take effect in 2027, with plans to assist dog farmers in transitioning to other products.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2024 |title=Selling dog meat will soon be illegal in South Korea |url= https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/01/09/south-korea-plans-to-ban-the-consumption-of-dog-meat-by-the-end-of-the-year |access-date= 27 March 2024 |website= euronews |language= en |archive-date= 9 February 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240209195336/https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/01/09/south-korea-plans-to-ban-the-consumption-of-dog-meat-by-the-end-of-the-year |url-status= live }}</ref> The primary type of dog raised for meat in South Korea has been the [[Nureongi]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= Hussain |first= Grace |date= 1 September 2023 |title=The Dog Meat Trade Is in Decline — but It's Far from Gone |url= https://sentientmedia.org/korean-dog-meat/ |access-date= 29 March 2024 |website= Sentient Media |language=en-US |archive-date=27 December 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231227024233/https://sentientmedia.org/korean-dog-meat/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[North Korea]] where meat is scarce, eating dog is a common and accepted practice, officially promoted by the government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=M.H. |title=North Korea Embraces Dog Meat as Traditional Cuisine, Diverging from South's Ban |url=http://koreabizwire.com/north-korea-embraces-dog-meat-as-traditional-cuisine-diverging-from-souths-ban/292528 |access-date=17 October 2024 |work=The Korea Bizwire |date=16 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Talmadge |first1=Eric |title=Man bites dog: North Koreans eat dog meat to beat the heat |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/07/28/north-korean-dog-meat/ |access-date=17 October 2024 |work=The Denver Post |agency=Associated Press |date=28 July 2018}}</ref>
==Show and sport (competition) dogs==
 
=== Health risks ===
{{main|Show dog}}
{{Further|Dog bite|Canine vector-borne disease|Dog bite prevention}}
{{seealso|Dog sport}}
 
In 2018, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) reported that 59,000 people died globally from [[rabies]], with 59.6% of the deaths in Asia and 36.4% in Africa. Rabies is a disease for which dogs are the most significant [[Disease vector|vector]].<ref>{{citation|title=WHO expert consultation on rabies: Third report|series= WHO Technical Report Series, 931|publisher= World Health Organization|year=2018|hdl=10665/272364|isbn=978-92-4-121021-8|url= https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/272364|access-date= 30 May 2021|archive-date= 2 June 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213657/https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/272364|url-status= live}}</ref> Dog bites affect tens of millions of people globally each year.<ref name=":6" /> The primary victims of dog bite incidents are children. They are more likely to sustain more serious injuries from bites, which can lead to death.<ref name=":6">{{cite web|title=Animal bites Fact sheet|url= https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs373/en/|website= World Health Organization|access-date=29 May 2021|date=February 2018|archive-date=4 May 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150504100257/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs373/en/|url-status= live}}</ref> Sharp claws can lacerate flesh and cause serious infections.<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Tierney |first1= David M. |last2= Strauss |first2= Leigh P. |last3= Sanchez |first3= Jason L. |title= Capnocytophaga canimorsus Mycotic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Why the Mailman Is Afraid of Dogs |journal= Journal of Clinical Microbiology |date= February 2006 |volume= 44 |issue= 2 |pages= 649–651 |doi= 10.1128/JCM.44.2.649-651.2006 |pmid= 16455937 |pmc= 1392675 }}</ref> [[Dogs in the United States|In the United States]], cats and dogs are a factor in more than 86,000 falls each year.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Injury Prevention Bulletin |url= http://www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/english/services/health_promotion/pdf/injury_prevention_bulletin.pdf |publisher= Northwest Territories Health and Social Services |date= 25 March 2009 |access-date= 7 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110322113606/http://www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/english/services/health_promotion/pdf/injury_prevention_bulletin.pdf |archive-date= 22 March 2011 }}</ref> It has been estimated that around 2% of dog-related injuries treated in U.K. hospitals are domestic accidents. The same study concluded that dog-associated [[Traffic collision|road accidents]] involving injuries more commonly involve [[Two-wheeler|two-wheeled vehicles]].<ref>{{Cite journal| last= Bewley |first= BR |title= Medical hazards from dogs |journal= British Medical Journal |volume= 291 |issue= 6498 |pages= 760–761 |year= 1985 |pmid= 3929930 |pmc= 1417177 |doi= 10.1136/bmj.291.6498.760}}</ref> Some countries and cities have also banned or restricted certain dog breeds, usually for safety concerns.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Kogan | first1=Lori R. | last2=Schoenfeld-Tacher | first2=Regina M. | last3=Hellyer | first3=Peter W. | last4=Oxley | first4=James A. | last5=Rishniw | first5=Mark | title=Small Animal Veterinarians' Perceptions, Experiences, and Views of Common Dog Breeds, Dog Aggression, and Breed-Specific Laws in the United States | journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | publisher=MDPI AG | volume=16 | issue=21 | date=23 October 2019 | issn=1660-4601 | doi=10.3390/ijerph16214081 | doi-access=free | page=4081| pmid=31652882 | pmc=6861953 }}</ref>
Owners of dogs often enter them in competitions, whether show (breed conformation shows) or sports, including dog racing & dog sledding. The winners garner much prestige and prize money. These dogs are often bred specifically for competition, which may not be entirely beneficial for the breeds due to the magnification of hereditary defects.
 
''[[Toxocara canis]]'' (dog [[roundworm]]) eggs in dog feces can cause [[toxocariasis]]. It is estimated that nearly 14% of people in the United States are infected with ''Toxocara''; about 10,000 cases are reported each year.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229855-overview | title = Toxocariasis | date = 20 August 2008 | publisher = Medscape.com | first1 = Sun | last1 = Huh | first2 = Sooung | last2 = Lee | access-date = 15 February 2013 | archive-date = 9 February 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130209162930/http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/229855-overview | url-status = live }}</ref> Untreated toxocariasis can cause retinal damage and decreased vision.<ref name="kidshealth">{{cite web|year= 2010|title= Toxocariasis|url= http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxocariasis.html|access-date=12 February 2010 |work= Kids' Health|publisher= The Nemours Foundation|archive-date= 18 February 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100218140629/http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxocariasis.html|url-status= live}}</ref> Dog feces can also contain [[hookworm]]s that cause [[cutaneous larva migrans]] in humans.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi= 10.1590/S0074-02762006000400009 |pmid= 16951810 |title= Related factors to human toxocariasis in a rural community of Argentina |year= 2006 |last1= Chiodo |first1= Paula |last2= Basualdo |first2= Juan |last3= Ciarmela |first3= Laura |last4= Pezzani |first4= Betina |last5= Apezteguía |first5= María |last6= Minvielle |first6= Marta |journal= Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz |volume= 101 |issue= 4 |pages= 397–400|doi-access= free |s2cid= 18882843 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1 = AH |last1 = Talaizadeh |first2= S |last2 = Maraghi |first3 = A |last3 = Jelowdar |first4 = M |last4 = Peyvasteh |url = http://pjms.com.pk/issues/octdec107/article/casereport6.html |title = Human toxocariasis: A report of 3 cases |journal = Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences Quarterly |volume = 23 |issue = #5 |date = October–December 2007 |at = Part I |access-date = 28 June 2009 |archive-date = 22 September 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090922163749/http://pjms.com.pk/issues/octdec107/article/casereport6.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
*[[Dog agility]] is a sport in which dogs complete a timed obstacle course.
 
=== Health benefits ===
*[[Dogsled racing]] is a winter sport where a team of dogs, usually [[Huskies]] or [[Malamute]]s, pull a sled and driver (called a [[mushing|musher]]). The [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race]] is perhaps the most famous of these races. [[Dog sled]]ding is an ancient form of transportation and still a very effective way of moving freight across this type of terrain.
[[File:Walking the dog (1945527533).jpg|thumb|A woman walking a dog]]
 
The scientific evidence is mixed as to whether a dog's companionship can enhance human physical and psychological well-being.<ref name="Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues">{{cite journal |doi= 10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1252 |title= Pet ownership and human health: A brief review of evidence and issues |year= 2005 |last1= McNicholas |first1= June |journal= BMJ |volume= 331 |issue= 7527 |pages= 1252–1254 |pmid= 16308387 |last2= Gilbey |first2= Andrew |last3= Rennie |first3= Ann |last4= Ahmedzai |first4= Sam |last5= Dono |first5= Jo-Ann |last6= Ormerod |first6= Elizabeth |pmc= 1289326}}</ref> Studies suggest that there are benefits to physical health and psychological well-being, but they have been criticized for being "poorly controlled".<ref name="Health effects of ownership">{{cite journal |doi= 10.1080/10705500802365532 |title= Health effects of ownership of and attachment to companion animals in an older population |year= 2008 |last1= Winefield |first1= Helen R. |last2= Black |first2= Anne |last3= Chur-Hansen |first3= Anna |journal= International Journal of Behavioral Medicine |volume= 15 |issue= 4 |pages= 303–310 |pmid= 19005930|s2cid= 30808366 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last= Podberscek |first= A.L. |year= 2006 |title= Positive and Negative Aspects of Our Relationship with Companion Animals |journal= Veterinary Research Communications |volume= 30 |issue= 1 |pages= 21–27 |doi= 10.1007/s11259-006-0005-0 |s2cid= 43327044 }}</ref> One study states that "the health of elderly people is related to their health habits and [[social support]]s but not to their ownership of, or attachment to, a companion animal".<ref name=":4" /> Earlier studies have shown that pet-dog or -cat guardians make fewer hospital visits and are less likely to be on medication for heart problems and sleeping difficulties than non-guardians.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal| author= Headey B.|year = 1999 |title = Health benefits and health cost savings due to pets: preliminary estimates from an Australian national survey|journal= Social Indicators Research |volume = 47 |pages = 233–243 |doi = 10.1023/A:1006892908532 | issue=2 |s2cid = 142618092}}</ref> People with pet dogs took considerably more physical exercise than those with cats or those without pets; these effects are relatively long-term.<ref name="autogenerated717">{{cite journal |last1=Serpell |first1=James |date=December 1991 |title=Beneficial Effects of Pet Ownership on Some Aspects of Human Health and Behaviour |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |volume=84 |issue=12 |pages=717–720 |doi=10.1177/014107689108401208 |pmc=1295517 |pmid=1774745}}</ref> Pet guardianship has also been associated with increased survival in cases of [[coronary artery disease]]. Human guardians are significantly less likely to die within one year of an acute [[myocardial infarction]] than those who do not own dogs.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors= Friedmann E, Thomas SA |year= 1995 |title= Pet ownership, social support, and one-year survival after acute myocardial infarction in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) |journal= The American Journal of Cardiology |volume= 76 |issue= 17 |pages= 1213–1217 |doi= 10.1016/S0002-9149(99)80343-9 |pmid= 7502998}}</ref> Studies have found a small to moderate correlation between dog-ownership and increased adult physical-activity levels.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Christian |first1=Hayley E. |last2=Westgarth |first2=Carri |last3=Bauman |first3=Adrian |last4=Richards |first4=Elizabeth A. |last5=Rhodes |first5=Ryan E. |last6=Evenson |first6=Kelly R. |last7=Mayer |first7=Joni A. |last8=Thorpe |first8=Roland J. |title=Dog Ownership and Physical Activity: A Review of the Evidence |journal=Journal of Physical Activity and Health |date=July 2013 |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=750–759 |doi=10.1123/jpah.10.5.750 |pmid=23006510 |url=https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/9p290k34g |access-date=22 April 2024 |archive-date=15 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615083221/https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/9p290k34g |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Dog racing]], almost always [[Greyhounds]], involves dogs racing at betting tracks in a sport not unlike horseracing, reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. Elsewhere, [[Dachshunds]] are often raced, as a humourous sidelight in charity events.
 
A 2005 paper by the ''[[British Medical Journal]]'' states:<ref name="Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues" /><blockquote> Recent research has failed to support earlier findings that pet ownership is associated with a reduced risk of [[cardiovascular disease]], a reduced use of [[general practitioner]] services, or any psychological or physical benefits on health for community dwelling older people. Research has, however, pointed to significantly less [[absenteeism]] from school through sickness among children who live with pets.</blockquote> Health benefits of dogs can result from contact with dogs in general, not solely from having dogs as pets. For example, when in a pet dog's presence, people show reductions in cardiovascular, behavioral, and psychological indicators of anxiety<ref>{{Cite journal |author= Wilson |first= Cindy C. |title= The pet as an anxiolytic intervention |journal= The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease |publication-date= August 1991 |volume= 179 |issue= 8 |pages= 482–489 |doi= 10.1097/00005053-199108000-00006 |pmid= 1856711 |s2cid= 22321266}}</ref> and are exposed to [[Probiotic|immune-stimulating microorganisms]], which can protect against allergies and autoimmune diseases (according to the [[hygiene hypothesis]]). Other benefits include dogs as social support.<ref>{{Cite book |last1= McNicholas | first1= J. | last2= Collis | first2= G. M. |chapter= Animals as social supports: Insights for understanding animal assisted therapy |editor= Fine, Aubrey H. | title= Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice | publisher= Elsevier/Academic Press | ___location= Amsterdam | year= 2006 | pages= 49–71 | isbn= 978-0-12-369484-3}}</ref>
*[[Dog fighting]] and [[Bait (dogs)|dog baiting]] are [[blood sports]] involving dogs. They are illegal in most jurisdictions, but are still occasionally performed underground.
 
One study indicated that wheelchair-users experience more positive social interactions with strangers when accompanied by a dog than when they are not.<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors= Eddy J, Hart LA, Boltz RP |title= The effects of service dogs on social acknowledgments of people in wheelchairs |journal= The Journal of Psychology |volume= 122 |issue= 1 |pages= 39–45 |year= 1988 |pmid= 2967371|doi= 10.1080/00223980.1988.10542941|s2cid= 26115902 }}</ref> In a 2015 study, it was found that having a pet made people more inclined to foster positive relationships with their neighbors.<ref>{{cite journal|doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0122085 | pmid= 25924013 | volume= 10 | issue= 4 | title= The Pet Factor – Companion Animals as a Conduit for Getting to Know People, Friendship Formation and Social Support | journal= PLOS ONE | pages= e0122085| year= 2015 | last1= Wood | first1= Lisa | last2= Martin | first2= Karen | last3= Christian | first3= Hayley | last4= Nathan | first4= Andrea | last5= Lauritsen | first5= Claire | last6= Houghton | first6= Steve | last7= Kawachi | first7= Ichiro | last8= McCune | first8=S andra | pmc= 4414420| bibcode= 2015PLoSO..1022085W | doi-access=free }}</ref> In one study, new guardians reported a significant reduction in minor health problems during the first month following pet acquisition, which was sustained through the 10-month study.<ref name="autogenerated717" />
*The [[show dog]], purebreds entered in conformation dog shows and evaluated by how closely they match the ideal characteristics of the breed. The [[Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]] is one of the most famous of this type of competition.
 
Using dogs and other animals as a part of therapy dates back to the late-18th century, when animals were introduced into mental institutions to help socialize patients with [[mental disorder]]s.<ref>{{citation |last1=Kruger |first1=KA |last2=Serpell |first2=JA |year=2006 |title=Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: Definitions and theoretical foundations |editor-last=Fine |editor-first=A.H. |work=Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice |___location=San Diego, CA |publisher=Academic Press |pages=21–38 |isbn=978-0-12-369484-3}}</ref> Animal-assisted intervention research has shown that animal-assisted therapy with a dog can increase smiling and laughing among people with [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{Cite book |author1= Batson, K. |author2 = McCabe, B. | author3= Baun, M.M. |author4= Wilson, C. |chapter=T he effect of a therapy dog on socialization and psychological indicators of stress in persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease |editor1= Turner, Dennis C. |editor2= Wilson, Cindy C. |title= Companion animals in human health |publisher= Sage Publications |___location= Thousand Oaks, CA |year= 1998 |pages= 203–215 |isbn= 978-0-7619-1061-9}}</ref> One study demonstrated that children with ADHD and [[conduct disorder]]s who participated in an education program with dogs and other animals showed increased attendance, knowledge, and skill-objectives and decreased [[Anti-social behaviour|antisocial]] and [[Violence|violent behavior]] compared with those not in an animal-assisted program.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-012369484-3/50011-6 |chapter=The Centaur's Lessons |title=Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy |date=2006 |last1=Katcher |first1=Aaron Honori |last2=Wilkins |first2=Gregory G. |pages=153–177 |isbn=978-0-12-369484-3 }}</ref>
==Diet==
 
=== Cultural importance ===
At present, there is some debate as to whether domestic dogs should be classified as [[omnivores]] or [[carnivores]], by diet.
{{Main|Cultural depictions of dogs|Dogs in religion}}
The classification in the Order [[Carnivora]] does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to [[meat]]; unlike an obligate carnivore, such as the [[cat]] family with its shorter [[small intestine]], a dog is dependent on neither meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill its basic dietary requirements. Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including [[vegetable]]s and [[cereal|grains]], and in fact dogs can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. Wild canines not only eat available plants to obtain [[essential amino acid]]s, but also obtain nutrients from vegetable matter from the stomach and intestinal contents of their [[herbivorous]] prey, which they usually consume. Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed [[vegetarian]] diet, particularly if [[egg (food)|eggs]] and [[milk]] products are included. Some sources suggest that a dog fed on a [[strict vegetarian]] diet may develop [[dilated cardiomyopathy]] since it lacks [[L-carnitine]],<ref>''Small animal internal medicine'', RW Nelson, Couto page 107</ref> however, maintaining a balanced diet is also a factor since [[L-carnitine]] is found naturally in many [[nut (fruit)|nuts]], [[seed]]s, [[bean]]s, [[vegetable]]s, [[fruit]]s and [[whole grain]]s. In the wild, dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet when animal prey is not available. However it has been noted, both by observation of extremely stressful conditions such as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and by scientific studies of similar conditions, that high-protein (approximately 40%) diets including meat help prevent damage to [[muscle]] tissue. (This research is also true for some other mammals.) This level of protein corresponds to the percentage of protein found in the wild dog's diet when prey is abundant; higher levels of protein seem to confer no added benefit.
{{Further|List of fictional dogs}}
[[File:Cerberus-Blake.jpeg|thumb|right|[[Cerberus]] with the gluttons in [[Dante]]'s [[Third Circle of Hell]], depicted by [[William Blake]]]]
Artworks have depicted dogs as symbols of [[Guide|guidance]], [[protection]], [[loyalty]], [[fidelity]], [[faithfulness]], [[alertness]], and [[love]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/animals2.htm|title=Animal Symbolism in Art and Culture|website= incredibleart.org|access-date= 30 November 2021|archive-date= 30 November 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211130234950/https://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/middle/animals2.htm|url-status= live}}</ref> In ancient [[Mesopotamia]], from the [[Babylonia|Old Babylonian period]] until the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Neo-Babylonian period]], dogs were the symbol of [[Ninisina]], the goddess of healing and medicine,<ref name="BlackGreen1992">{{cite book|last1= Black |first1= Jeremy|first2= Anthony|last2= Green |title= Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=05LXAAAAMAAJ&q=Inana|publisher=The British Museum Press |year= 1992|isbn= 978-0-7141-1705-8|pages= 70, 101|access-date= 6 June 2020|archive-date= 17 March 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230317010626/https://books.google.com/books?id=05LXAAAAMAAJ&q=Inana|url-status= live}}</ref> and her worshippers frequently dedicated small models of seated dogs to her.<ref name="BlackGreen1992" /> In the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Neo-Assyrian]] and Neo-Babylonian periods, dogs served as emblems of magical protection.<ref name="BlackGreen1992" /> In [[China]], [[Korea]], and [[Japan]], dogs are viewed as kind protectors.<ref name="Sherman2008" />
 
In mythology, dogs often appear as pets or as watchdogs.<ref name="Sherman2008">{{cite book|author= Sherman, Josepha |title= Storytelling: An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore|year= 2008|publisher= Sharpe Reference|isbn= 978-0-7656-8047-1|pages= 118–121}}</ref> Stories of dogs guarding the gates of the underworld recur throughout Indo-European mythologies<ref name="MalloryAdams2006">{{cite Q|Q115264582|page= 439}}</ref><ref name="West2007">{{cite book|last= West|first= Martin Litchfield|author-link= Martin Litchfield West|title= Indo-European Poetry and Myth|date= 2007|publisher= Oxford University Press|___location= Oxford|isbn= 978-0-19-928075-9|page= 392}}</ref> and may originate from [[Proto-Indo-European mythology|Proto-Indo-European traditions]].<ref name="MalloryAdams2006" /><ref name="West2007" /> In [[Greek mythology]], [[Cerberus]] is a three-headed, [[dragon]]-tailed watchdog who guards the gates of [[Hades]].<ref name="Sherman2008" /> Dogs also feature in association with the Greek goddess [[Hecate]].<ref>{{cite book|author= Oskar Seyffert |title= A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities: Mythology, Religion, Literature and Art |url= https://archive.org/details/b3135841x/page/270/mode/2up?view=theater|publisher=[[William Swan Sonnenschein|Swan Sonnenschein and Co]]|edition= 6|date= 1901|page= 271 |access-date= 14 January 2022}}</ref> In [[Norse mythology]], a dog called [[Garmr]] guards [[Hel (___location)|Hel]], a [[Death in Norse paganism#Afterlives and rebirth|realm of the dead]].<ref name="Sherman2008" /> In [[Persian mythology]], two four-eyed dogs guard the [[Chinvat Bridge]].<ref name="Sherman2008" /> In [[Welsh mythology]], [[Cŵn Annwn]] guards [[Annwn]].<ref name="Sherman2008" /> In [[Hindu mythology]], [[Yama]], the god of death, owns two watchdogs named [[Sharvara and Shyama|Shyama and Sharvara]], which each have four eyes—they are said to watch over the gates of [[Naraka]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/iml/iml08.htm | title= Indian Myth and Legend: Chapter III: Yama, the First Man, and King of the Dead | publisher= Sacred-texts.com | access-date= 4 July 2013 | archive-date= 23 April 2021 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210423065558/https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/iml/iml08.htm | url-status= live }}</ref> A black dog is considered to be the ''[[vahana]]'' (vehicle) of [[Bhairava]] (an incarnation of Shiva).<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 August 2015 |title=Dogs in Hinduism |publisher=Hindu Human Rights Worldwide |url= https://www.hinduhumanrights.info/dogs-in-hinduism/ |access-date= 28 February 2022 |archive-date= 28 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220228112236/https://www.hinduhumanrights.info/dogs-in-hinduism/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Dogs frequently eat [[grass]], which is a harmless activity. Explanations abound, but rationales such as that it neutralizes [[acid]], or that eating grass might make the dog [[vomit]], so dogs eat grass to remove unwanted substances from their [[stomach]]s, are at best educated guesses. Dogs do vomit more readily than humans, as part of their typical feeding behavior of gulping down food then regurgitating indigestible bones, fur, ''etc.'' This behavior is typical of pack feeding in the wild, where the most important thing is to get as much of the kill as possible before others consume it all. Individual domestic dogs, however, may be very "picky" eaters, in the absence of this evolutionary pressure.
 
In [[Christianity]], dogs represent faithfulness.<ref name="Sherman2008" /> Within the [[Roman Catholic]] denomination specifically, the iconography of [[Saint Dominic]] includes a dog after the saint's mother dreamt of a dog springing from her womb and became pregnant shortly after that.<ref name="CP2017">{{cite web|url= https://churchpop.com/2017/08/07/hounds-of-the-lord-the-little-known-meaning-of-the-dominican-dog/|title= 'Hounds of the Lord': The Little-Known Meaning of the Dominican Dog|date= 7 August 2017|publisher= ChurchPOP|access-date= 9 December 2017|archive-date=2 September 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170902173732/https://churchpop.com/2017/08/07/hounds-of-the-lord-the-little-known-meaning-of-the-dominican-dog/|url-status= live}}</ref> As such, the [[Dominican Order]] ([[Ecclesiastical Latin]]: ''Domini canis'') means "dog of the Lord" or "hound of the Lord".<ref name="CP2017" /> In Christian folklore, a [[church grim]] often takes the form of a black dog to guard Christian churches and their [[churchyard]]s from [[sacrilege]].<ref name="Dyer1898">{{cite book|last= Dyer|first= Thomas Firminger Thiselton|title= The Ghost World|year= 1898|publisher= Ward & Downey|pages= 125–126|isbn=978-1-85958-547-4 |url= https://archive.org/details/ghostworld0000this/page/125/mode/2up}}</ref> [[Jewish law]] does not prohibit keeping dogs and other pets but requires Jews to feed dogs (and other animals that they own) before themselves and to make arrangements for feeding them before obtaining them.<ref>{{Cite web |last= Citron |first= Aryeh |title= Feeding Animals |url= https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1008420/jewish/Feeding-Animals.htm#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20the%20Torah%20commands,will%20eat%20and%20be%20sated.%E2%80%9D |website= Chabad |access-date= 24 March 2024 |archive-date= 24 March 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240324082858/https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1008420/jewish/Feeding-Animals.htm#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20the%20Torah%20commands,will%20eat%20and%20be%20sated.%E2%80%9D |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Judaism, Lessons, Times {{!}} Yeshiva.co |url= https://www.yeshiva.co/?ignoreuniversal=1 |access-date= 24 March 2024 |website= Yeshiva Site |language= en |archive-date=24 March 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240324082858/https://www.yeshiva.co/?ignoreuniversal=1 |url-status= live }}</ref> The view on dogs in [[Islam]] is [[Animals in Islam|mixed]], with some schools of thought viewing them as unclean,<ref name="Sherman2008" /> although [[Khaled Abou El Fadl]] states that this view is based on "pre-Islamic Arab mythology" and "a tradition [...] falsely attributed to the Prophet".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title= Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature|author= Khaled Abou El Fadl|year= 2004|encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature|publisher= Scholar of the House|___location=New York|url= http://scholarofthehouse.org/dinistrandna.html|access-date= 19 November 2022|archive-date=2 February 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210202110428/http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/dinistrandna.html |url-status= live}}</ref> The Sunni [[Maliki school]] jurists disagree with the idea that dogs are unclean.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dogs and Islam: The Devil and the Seeing-Eye Dog |url= https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201003/dogs-and-islam-the-devil-and-the-seeing-eye-dog |work= Psychology Today|last= Coren|first= Stanley|date= 23 March 2010|access-date= 26 May 2014}}</ref>
===Dangerous substances===
 
== Terminology ==
Some foods commonly enjoyed by humans are dangerous to dogs, including [[chocolate]] ([[Theobromine poisoning]]), [[onion]]s, [[grape]]s and [[raisin]]s,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.aspca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16645 | title = ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Issues Nationwide Update: Raisins and Grapes Can Be Toxic To Dogs | accessmonthday = September 2 | accessyear = 2006 | date = [[2004-07-06]] | work = ASPCA Press Releases | publisher = American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals }}</ref> some types of [[chewing gum|gum]], certain sweeteners<ref>{{cite web|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-29T225449Z_01_N29420115_RTRUKOC_0_UK-LIFE-DOGS.xml|title=Dog owners warned over sugar-free items|publisher=Reuters}}</ref> and [[Macadamia nut]]s. It is currently believed that the only dangerous substance in chocolate is [[cocoa]], meaning that forms of chocolate without this compound, such as [[white chocolate]] may become re-evaluated for their safety in future.
* ''Dog'' – the species (or subspecies) as a whole, also any male member of the same.{{sfnp|HarperCollins|2021|loc=[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dog "dog"]}}
* ''Bitch'' – any female member of the species (or subspecies).{{sfnp|HarperCollins|2021|loc=[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bitch "bitch"]}}
* ''[[Puppy]]'' or ''pup'' – a young member of the species (or subspecies) under 12 months old.<ref name=Alderton>{{cite book |last=Alderton |first=David |author-link=David Alderton |date=1987 |title=The dog: the most complete, illustrated, practical guide to dogs and their world |___location=London |publisher=New Burlington Books |pages=200–203|isbn=978-0-948872-13-6}}</ref>
* ''Sire'' – the male parent of a litter.{{r|Alderton}}
* ''Dam'' – the female parent of a litter.{{r|Alderton}}
* ''[[Litter (animal)|Litter]]'' – all of the puppies resulting from a single whelping.{{r|Alderton}}
* ''Whelping'' – the act of a bitch giving birth.{{r|Alderton}}
* ''Whelps'' – puppies still dependent upon their dam.{{r|Alderton}}
 
==See also==
The [[Grape and raisin toxicity in dogs|acute danger]] from grapes and raisins has been uncovered only since about 2000, and made public slowly since then. At present the cause is not known. Whatever the reason, since only small quantities are necessary to induce acute [[renal failure]], dogs should not be fed grapes or raisins, and [[Sultana (grape)|sultanas]] and [[currants]] should likely be withheld as well.
* [[Saint Guinefort]]
 
== References ==
Cooked [[bone]]s should '''never''' be given to dogs, as the heat changes the chemical and physical properties so that they cannot be chewed properly, splintering into jagged shards, and resist digestion.
{{Reflist|refs=
 
<ref name=Alvares2019>{{cite web|first1=Francisco|last1=Alvares|first2=Wieslaw|last2=Bogdanowicz|first3=Liz A.D.|last3=Campbell|first4=Rachel|last4=Godinho|first5=Jennifer|last5=Hatlauf|first6=Yadvendradev V.|last6=Jhala|author6-link=Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala|first7=Andrew C.|last7=Kitchener|first8=Klaus-Peter|last8=Koepfli|first9=Miha|last9=Krofel|first10=Patricia D.|last10=Moehlman|first11=Helen|last11=Senn|first12=Claudio|last12=Sillero-Zubiri|author12-link=Claudio Sillero-Zubiri|first13=Suvi|last13=Viranta|first14=Geraldine|last14=Werhahn|year=2019|website=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group|url=https://www.canids.org/CBC/Old_World_Canis_Taxonomy_Workshop.pdf|title=Old World ''Canis'' spp. with taxonomic ambiguity: Workshop conclusions and recommendations. CIBIO. Vairão, Portugal, 28th – 30th May 2019|access-date=6 March 2020|archive-date=12 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212111856/https://www.canids.org/CBC/Old_World_Canis_Taxonomy_Workshop.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
Human medications should not be given to a dog as a substitute for their regular medication as some can be especially [[toxic]], especially [[paracetamol]]/acetaminophen (Tylenol).
[[Alcoholic beverage]]s pose much of the same hazards to dogs as they do to humans.
 
<ref name=Andics2014>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.058|title=Voice-Sensitive Regions in the Dog and Human Brain Are Revealed by Comparative fMRI|year=2014|last1=Andics|first1=Attila|last2=Gácsi|first2=Márta|last3=Faragó|first3=Tamás|last4=Kis|first4=Anna|last5=Miklósi|first5=Ádám|journal=Current Biology|volume=24|issue=5|pages=574–578|pmid=24560578|doi-access=free|bibcode=2014CBio...24..574A|url=http://real.mtak.hu/21011/1/CURRENT-BIOLOGY-D-13.pdf|access-date=2 April 2024|archive-date=6 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006043725/http://real.mtak.hu/21011/1/CURRENT-BIOLOGY-D-13.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
Dogs may also find some poisons attractive, including [[antifreeze]], [[snail]] bait, [[insect]] bait, and [[rodent]] poisons. [[Antifreeze]] may be one of the most insidious of poisons to dogs because of its sweet taste and because a dog may walk upon or lie down upon a spill of it or its residue and then lick it off. Dogs must be kept strictly away from antifreeze and not allowed access to any place that has had a spill of it that has not been completely removed.
 
<ref name="Bergström2020">{{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.aba9572|title=Origins and genetic legacy of prehistoric dogs|year=2020|last1=Bergström|first1=Anders|last2=Frantz|first2=Laurent|last3=Schmidt|first3=Ryan|last4=Ersmark|first4=Erik|last5=Lebrasseur|first5=Ophelie|last6=Girdland-Flink|first6=Linus|last7=Lin|first7=Audrey T.|last8=Storå|first8=Jan|last9=Sjögren|first9=Karl-Göran|last10=Anthony|first10=David|last11=Antipina|first11=Ekaterina|last12=Amiri|first12=Sarieh|last13=Bar-Oz|first13=Guy|last14=Bazaliiskii|first14=Vladimir I.|last15=Bulatović|first15=Jelena|last16=Brown|first16=Dorcas|last17=Carmagnini|first17=Alberto|last18=Davy|first18=Tom|last19=Fedorov|first19=Sergey|last20=Fiore|first20=Ivana|last21=Fulton|first21=Deirdre|last22=Germonpré|first22=Mietje|last23=Haile|first23=James|last24=Irving-Pease|first24=Evan K.|last25=Jamieson|first25=Alexandra|last26=Janssens|first26=Luc|last27=Kirillova|first27=Irina|last28=Horwitz|first28=Liora Kolska|last29=Kuzmanovic-Cvetković|first29=Julka|last30=Kuzmin|first30=Yaroslav|last31=Losey|first31=Robert J.|last32=Dizdar|first32=Daria Ložnjak|last33=Mashkour|first33=Marjan|last34=Novak|first34=Mario|last35=Onar|first35=Vedat|last36=Orton|first36=David|last37=Pasaric|first37=Maja|last38=Radivojevic|first38=Miljana|last39=Rajkovic|first39=Dragana|last40=Roberts|first40=Benjamin|last41=Ryan|first41=Hannah|last42=Sablin|first42=Mikhail|last43=Shidlovskiy|first43=Fedor|last44=Stojanovic|first44=Ivana|last45=Tagliacozzo|first45=Antonio|last46=Trantalidou|first46=Katerina|last47=Ullén|first47=Inga|last48=Villaluenga|first48=Aritza|last49=Wapnish|first49=Paula|last50=Dobney|first50=Keith|last51=Götherström|first51=Anders|last52=Linderholm|first52=Anna|last53=Dalén|first53=Love|last54=Pinhasi|first54=Ron|last55=Larson|first55=Greger|last56=Skoglund|first56=Pontus|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|volume=370|issue=6516|pages=557–564|pmid=33122379|pmc=7116352|s2cid=225956269}}</ref>
Plants such as [[caladium]], [[dieffenbachia]] and [[philodendron]] will cause [[throat]] irritations that will burn the throat going down as well as coming up. [[Hops]] are particularly dangerous and even small quantities can lead to [[malignant hyperthermia]].<ref>{{cite journal | first = K. L.| last = Duncan | coauthors = W. R. Hare and W. B. Buck | date = [[1997-01-01]] | title = Malignant hyperthermia-like reaction secondary to ingestion of hops in five dogs | journal = Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association | volume = 210 | issue = 1 | pages = 51-4 | id = {{PMID|8977648}}}}</ref>
 
<ref name=berns2012>{{cite journal |last1=Berns |first1=G.S. |last2=Brooks |first2=A.M. |last3=Spivak |first3=M. |editor1-last=Neuhauss |editor1-first=Stephan C.F |title=Functional MRI in Awake Unrestrained Dogs |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0038027 |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=e38027 |year=2012 |pmid=22606363 |pmc=3350478 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...738027B|doi-access=free }}</ref>
[[Amaryllis]], [[daffodil]], [[english ivy]], [[Iris (plant)|iris]], and [[tulip]] (especially the bulbs) cause [[gastric]] irritation and sometimes [[central nervous system]] excitement followed by [[coma]], and, in severe cases, even death.
 
<ref name=Clutton-Brock1995>{{cite book|last1=Clutton-Brock|first1=Juliet|title=The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People|editor1-last=Serpell|editor1-first=James|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1995|chapter=2-Origins of the dog|pages=[https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/7 7–20]|isbn=978-0-521-41529-3|chapter-url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=I8HU_3ycrrEC|page=8}}|url=https://archive.org/details/domesticdogitsev00serp/page/7}}</ref>
Ingesting [[foxglove]], [[lily of the valley]], [[larkspur]] and [[oleander]] can be life threatening because the [[cardiovascular]] system is affected. Equally life threatening is the [[yew]] which affects the nervous system. If any of these plants are ingested, get the dog to a veterinarian immediately.
 
<ref name=Frantz2020>{{cite journal |last1=Frantz |first1=Laurent A. F. |last2=Bradley |first2=Daniel G. |last3=Larson |first3=Greger |last4=Orlando |first4=Ludovic |title=Animal domestication in the era of ancient genomics |journal=Nature Reviews Genetics |date=August 2020 |volume=21 |issue=8 |pages=449–460 |doi=10.1038/s41576-020-0225-0 |pmid=32265525 |url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03030302/file/Bradley-v3-clean_1581526097_22_LAFF.pdf |access-date=2 April 2024 |archive-date=29 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429102524/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03030302/file/Bradley-v3-clean_1581526097_22_LAFF.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
Many household cleaners such as [[ammonia]], [[bleach]], [[disinfectants]], [[drain cleaner]], [[soap]]s, [[detergent]]s, and other cleaners, [[mothball]]s and [[matches]] are dangerous to dogs, as are cosmetics such as [[deodorant]]s, [[hair coloring]], [[nail polish]] and remover, [[permanent wave|home permanent]] lotion, and [[suntan lotion]].
 
<ref name=freedman2017>{{cite journal|doi=10.1146/annurev-animal-022114-110937|pmid=27912242|title=Deciphering the Origin of Dogs: From Fossils to Genomes|journal=Annual Review of Animal Biosciences|volume=5|pages=281–307|year=2017|last1=Freedman|first1=Adam H|last2=Wayne|first2=Robert K|s2cid=26721918 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[Zinc]] toxicity, mostly in the form of the ingestion of [[Cent (United States coin)|US pennies]] minted after 1982, is commonly fatal in dogs where it causes a severe [[hemolytic anemia]].<ref>Stowe CM, Nelson R, Werdin R, et al: Zinc phosphide poisoning in dogs. JAVMA 173:270, 1978</ref>
 
<ref name=Gompper2013>{{cite book|title=Free-Ranging Dogs and Wildlife Conservation|last1=Gompper|first1=Matthew E.|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=1|year=2013|chapter=|pages=128|isbn=978-0-19-164010-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mfgEAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA128|access-date=20 May 2021|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520031825/https://books.google.com/books?id=mfgEAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA128|url-status=live}}</ref>
Dogs will occasionally eat their own feces or the feces of other species if available, such as that of cats and horses. This is known as [[coprophagia]], and may be indicative of boredom or hunger, although there is no definitive reason known. Owners of both cats and dogs may find that dogs treat the catbox as a snack bar. Such behavior should be discouraged, as it could lead to [[Toxoplasmosis]].
 
<ref name=Irving-Pease2018>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/13836_2018_55 |chapter=Paleogenomics of Animal Domestication |title=Paleogenomics |series=Population Genomics |date=2018 |last1=Irving-Pease |first1=Evan K. |last2=Ryan |first2=Hannah |last3=Jamieson |first3=Alexandra |last4=Dimopoulos |first4=Evangelos A. |last5=Larson |first5=Greger |last6=Frantz |first6=Laurent A. F. |pages=225–272 |isbn=978-3-030-04752-8 |chapter-url=https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/46323 |access-date=14 March 2024 |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422172458/https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/46323 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Reproduction==
{{main|Canine reproduction}}
===General===
In domestic dogs, sexual maturity ([[puberty]]) begins to happen around age 6 to 12 months for both males and females, although this can be delayed until up to two years old for some large breeds. [[Adolescence]] for most domestic dogs is around 12 to 15 months, beyond which they are for the most part more adult than puppy. As with other domesticated species, [[domestication]] has selectively bred for higher [[libido]] and earlier and more frequent breeding cycles in dogs, than in their wild ancestors.
 
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===Males===
<ref name=jackson2017>{{cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=Stephen M. |last2=Groves |first2=Colin P. |last3=Fleming |first3=Peter J.S. |last4=Aplin |first4=Ken P. |last5=Eldridge |first5=Mark D.B. |last6=Gonzalez |first6=Antonio |last7=Helgen |first7=Kristofer M. |title=The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species? |journal=Zootaxa |date=4 September 2017 |volume=4317 |issue=2 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.1 |doi-access=free |hdl=1885/186590 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
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<ref name=janssens2018>{{cite journal |last1=Janssens |first1=Luc |last2=Giemsch |first2=Liane |last3=Schmitz |first3=Ralf |last4=Street |first4=Martin |last5=Van Dongen |first5=Stefan |last6=Crombé |first6=Philippe |title=A new look at an old dog: Bonn-Oberkassel reconsidered |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |date=April 2018 |volume=92 |pages=126–138 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2018.01.004 |bibcode=2018JArSc..92..126J |url=https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8550758 |hdl=1854/LU-8550758 |hdl-access=free |access-date=27 March 2021 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224144238/https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8550758 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Females===
Females have a twice-yearly fertile period, known as 'seasons', during which her body prepares for [[pregnancy]], and at the peak she will come "into heat", her fertile period, during which time she will be mentally and physically receptive to [[copulation]]. A female is able to become pregnant on her first heat; this is not normally considered advisable as she is mentally and physically still young in other ways.
 
<ref name=larson2012>{{cite journal|author=Larson G|year=2012|title=Rethinking dog domestication by integrating genetics, archeology, and biogeography|journal=PNAS|volume=109|issue=23|pages=8878–8883|doi=10.1073/pnas.1203005109|pmid=22615366|pmc=3384140|bibcode=2012PNAS..109.8878L|doi-access=free}}</ref>
As with most domesticated species, one of the first and strongest effects seen from selective breeding is selection for cooperation with the breeding process as directed by humans. In domestic dogs, one of the behaviors that is noted is the abolition of the pair bond seen in wild canines. The ability of female domestic dog to come into [[estrus]] at any time of the year and usually twice a year is also valued. The amount of time between cycles varies greatly among different dogs, but a particular dog's cycle tends to be consistent through her life. This is also called ''in season'' or ''in heat''. Conversely, undomesticated canine species experience estrus once a year, typically in late winter.
 
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<ref name=smithC1>{{Harvnb|Smith|2015|pp=xi–24}} Chapter 1 – Bradley Smith</ref>
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<ref name=Thalmann2018>{{cite book|doi = 10.1007/13836_2018_27|chapter = Paleogenomic Inferences of Dog Domestication|title = Paleogenomics|pages = 273–306|series = Population Genomics|year = 2018|last1 = Thalmann|first1 = Olaf|last2 = Perri|first2 = Angela R.|publisher=Springer, Cham|editor1-last=Lindqvist|editor1-first=C.|editor2-last=Rajora|editor2-first=O.|isbn = 978-3-030-04752-8}}</ref>
 
<ref name=tomasello2009>{{cite journal |last1=Tomasello |first1=Michael |last2=Kaminski |first2=Juliane |title=Like Infant, Like Dog |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |date=4 September 2009 |volume=325 |issue=5945 |pages=1213–1214 |doi=10.1126/science.1179670 |pmid=19729645 |s2cid=206522649 }}</ref>
 
<!--
<ref name=vanak2014>Vanak, A.T., Dickman, C.R., Silva-Rodriguez, E.A., Butler, J.R.A., Ritchie, E.G., 2014. [https://books.google.com/books?id=mfgEAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Top-dogs+and+under-dogs:+competition+between+dogs+and+sympatric+carnivores%22&pg=PA69 Top-dogs and under-dogs: competition between dogs and sympatric carnivores.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825180855/https://books.google.com/books?id=mfgEAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Top-dogs+and+under-dogs:+competition+between+dogs+and+sympatric+carnivores%22&pg=PA69 |date=25 August 2023 }} In: Gompper, M.E. (ed.), Free-Ranging Dogs and Wildlife Conservation. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 69–93</ref>
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<ref name=wayne1999>{{cite journal |last1=Wayne |first1=Robert K. |last2=Ostrander |first2=Elaine A. |title=Origin, genetic diversity, and genome structure of the domestic dog |journal=BioEssays |date=29 March 1999 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=247–257 |doi=10.1002/(SICI)1521-1878(199903)21:3<247::AID-BIES9>3.0.CO;2-Z |pmid=10333734 |s2cid=5547543 }}</ref>
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<ref name=wozencraft2005>{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14000751|pages=575–577}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA576 (via Google Books)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240314003542/https://books.google.com.eg/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA576&redir_esc=y |date=14 March 2024 }}</ref><!--Note: the url must be kept outside of the MSW3 template for the link to arrive on the correct page-->
}}
 
== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last1=Boitani |first1=Luigi |last2=Mech |first2=L. David |title=Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |___location=Chicago |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-226-51696-7 |oclc=904338888 }}
* {{cite book |last=Cunliffe |first=Juliette |date=2004 |title=The encyclopedia of dog breeds |___location=Bath |publisher=Paragon Books |isbn=978-0-7525-8018-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Fogle |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Fogle|date=2009 |title=The encyclopedia of the dog |___location=New York |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-0-7566-6004-8 }}
* {{cite web |author=HarperCollins |title=Collins Dictionary |year=2021 |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. }}
* {{cite book |last1=Jones|first1=Arthur F. |last2=Hamilton |first2=Ferelith |date=1971 |title=The world encyclopedia of dogs |___location=New York |publisher=Galahad Books |isbn=978-0-88365-302-9 }}
* {{cite book|title=The Dingo Debate: Origins, Behaviour and Conservation|publisher=CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia|editor-last=Smith|editor-first=Bradley|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4863-0030-3|url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=j6omCgAAQBAJ}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Wang|first1=Xiaoming|author-link1=Xiaoming Wang (paleontologist)|last2=Tedford|first2=Richard H.|author-link2=Richard H. Tedford|title=Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]], New York|year=2008|pages=1–232|isbn=978-0-231-13529-0|oclc=502410693|url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=LnWdpK7ctI0C|page=}}}}
 
== External links ==
{{Sister project links|wikt=dog|auto=1|n=yes|s=1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Dog}}
* [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/name/Canis_lupus_familiaris Biodiversity Heritage Library bibliography] for ''Canis lupus familiaris''
* [http://www.fci.be/ Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) – World Canine Organisation]
* [https://www.worldhistory.org/article/184/dogs-in-the-ancient-world/ Dogs in the Ancient World], an article on the history of dogs
* View the [http://www.ensembl.org/Canis_familiaris/Info/Index dog genome] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213145734/http://www.ensembl.org/Canis_familiaris/Info/Index |date=13 December 2013 }} on [[Ensembl]]
* [https://genome.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgTracks?db=canFam4&lastVirtModeType=default&lastVirtModeExtraState=&virtModeType=default&virtMode=0&nonVirtPosition=&position=chr14%3A4739511%2D11213510&hgsid=1430153621_Itf5zwuMWjkMYyVclRNzVMNAp83j Genome of ''Canis lupus familiaris'' (version UU_Cfam_GSD_1.0/canFam4)], via [[UCSC Genome Browser]]
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/85 Data of the genome of ''Canis lupus familiaris''], via [[NCBI]]
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_011100685.1/ Data of the genome assembly of ''Canis lupus familiaris'' (version UU_Cfam_GSD_1.0/canFam4)], via [[NCBI]]
 
{{Dog nav}}
 
{{Carnivora|Ca.}}
 
{{Grey wolf subspecies}}
 
{{Animal actors}}
 
{{Taxonbar|from=Q26972265|from2=Q20717272}}
 
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{{Portal bar|Animal|Mammal}}
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
funny FUNNY!
Most female dogs come into season for the first time between 6 and 12 months, although some larger breeds delay until as late as 2 years. Like most mammals, the age that a bitch first comes into season is mostly a function of her current body weight as a proportion of her body weight when fully mature. The different rates of maturation are responsible for the [[menarche]], not the chronological age. They then experience fertile seasons biannually until old age. Female dogs do not experience menopause, although their cycles will become irregular and fertility becomes unpredictable as the become older. Dogs over around 7 or 8 years are usually considered no longer appropriate for breeding, but can still remain fertile.
 
===Copulation===
{{Unreferencedsect|date=January 2007}}
When [[copulating]], a male canine initially mounts the female from behind, as with most [[tetrapod]]s, a position known informally as [[doggy style]]. The female will hold her tail to the side and allow this if receptive. If unreceptive she may sit or lie down, snap, move away, or otherwise be uncooperative or not allow mating. The male will often move about as he tries to get a good purchase upon her, and whilst attempting [[sexual penetration|penetration]] of his [[penis]] to the female's [[vulva]]. At this point, the penis is not [[erection|erect]], it is slender and held rigid by a small bone inside, known as the [[baculum]].
 
When the male achieves penetration, he will often hold tighter and thrust faster, and it is at this point when he is mating that the male's penis expands. Canine reproduction is different from human [[sexual intercourse]], because human males become erect first, and then enter the female; canine males enter first, then swell and become erect.
 
The male dog has a [[bulbus glandis]], a spherical area of [[erectile tissue]] at the base of the [[penis]], which traps the penis inside the female's [[vagina]] during copulation as it becomes engorged with blood. [http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/semeneval/dog.html]
 
Once the penis is locked into the vagina by the bulbus glandis, the male will usually lift a leg and swing it over the female's back while turning around. The two stand with their hind ends touching and the penis locked inside the vagina while [[ejaculation]] occurs, decreasing leakage of [[semen]] from the vagina. After some time, typically 5 - 20 minutes (but sometimes longer), the bulbus glandis disengorges, allowing the mates to separate. [[Virginity|Virgin]] dogs can become quite distressed at finding themselves unable to separate during their first copulation, and may try to pull away or run. Dog breeders' websites often suggest it is appropriate for those involved to help calm and settle the mating dogs once this stage is reached, if they show anxiety, through until eventual separation.
 
Note that similar canine mounting behavior (sometimes with pelvic thrusting) is also used by [[dominance (biology)|dominant]] canines of both sexes. Dominance mounting, with or without thrusting, should not be confused with copulatory mounting, in which the thrusting is short term until a "tie" is achieved.
 
===Gestation and litters===
[[Image:CatahoulaLitter wb.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Catahoula Leopard Dog|Catahoula Leopard]] mother nursing her litter of puppies.]]
Dogs bear their litters roughly 9 weeks after [[fertilization]], although the length of gestation can vary from 56 to 72 days. A general rule of thumb is that a mammal will produce half as many offspring as the number of teats on the mother. This rule is altered in domesticated animals since larger litters are often favored for economic reasons and in dogs, particularly, the great range of sizes and shapes plays a role in how many healthy puppies a female can carry. An average litter consists of about six '''[[puppy|puppies]]''', though this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog. [[Toy dog]]s generally produce from one to four puppies in each litter, while much larger breeds may average as many as 12 pups in each litter. The number of puppies also varies with the mother's age and health, the father's sperm count, the timing of the breeding, and many other factors.
 
Some breeds have been developed to emphasize certain physical traits beyond the point at which they can safely bear litters on their own. For example, the [[Bulldog]] often requires [[artificial insemination]] and almost always requires [[cesarean section]] for giving birth. Since a mother can provide nutrients and care to only a limited number of offspring, humans must assist in the care and feeding when the litter exceeds approximately eight puppies.
 
==Spaying and neutering==
{{detail|Spaying and neutering}}
{{sectNPOV}}
Spaying (females only) and neutering (both genders but more usually males) refers to the [[sterilization]] of animals, usually by removal of the male's [[testicle]]s or the female's [[ovary|ovaries]] and [[uterus]], in order to eliminate the ability to procreate, and reduce sex drive. Neutering has also been known to reduce aggression in male dogs, but can occasionally increase aggression in female dogs.
 
Animal control agencies in the United States and the [[ASPCA]] advise that dogs not intended for further breeding should be spayed or neutered so that they do not have undesired puppies. In the less developed countries of Europe, spaying or neutering of dogs is less common, and owners are usually instead advised to keep their dogs on leash and under supervision to avoid unwanted matings; drugs are used to prevent pregnancy and abort unwanted litters. {{Fact|date=January 2007}}
 
Because of the overpopulation of dogs in some countries, puppies born to strays or as the result of accidental breedings often end up being killed in animal shelters. Spaying and neutering can also decrease the risk of hormone-driven diseases such as mammary cancer, as well as undesired hormone-driven behaviors. The hormonal changes involved with sterilization are likely to somewhat change the animal's personality, however, and some object to spaying and neutering as the sterilization could be carried out without the excision of organs.
 
Contrary to myth, it is not required for a female dog to either experience a heat cycle or have puppies before spaying, and likewise, a male dog does not need the experience of mating before neutering. Female dogs spayed before their first heat have a vastly lower incidence of mammary tumors than dogs which are spayed after their first heat or pregnancy (1% verses 22%). A female dog can become pregnant on her first heat cycle (which can take place as early as six months), and should be kept away from intact male dogs, including littermates, over the age of 4 months {{Fact|date=February 2007}}.
 
Gender-preservative surgeries such as vasectomy and tubal ligation are possible, but do not appear to be popular due to the continuation of gender-specific behaviors and disease risks.
 
==Overpopulation==
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3-4 million dogs and cats are [[euthanasia|euthanized]] each year in the United States and many more are confined to cages in shelters because there are many more animals than there are homes. Spaying or neutering dogs helps keep overpopulation down.<Ref>
{{cite journal
| quotes = Although the cause of pet overpopulation is multifaceted, failure of owners to spay and castrate their animals is a major contributing factor.
| last = Mahlow
| first = Jane C.
| year = 1999
| title = Estimation of the proportions of dogs and cats that are surgically sterilized
| journal = Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (excerpt quoted by spayusa.org)
| volume = 215
| pages = 640-643
| url = http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/02-facts_and_education/stats_surveys/javma_articles/02dogs-cats-sterilized.asp
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
}}</Ref>
Local humane societies, SPCA's and other animal protection organizations urge people to spay or neuter their pets and to adopt animals from shelters instead of purchasing them. Several notable public figures have spoken out against animal over population, including [[Bob Barker#Animal rights|Bob Barker]]. On his [[game show]], [[The Price is Right]], Barker stressed the issue at the end of every episode, saying: "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
 
==Dog health==
{{main|Dog health}}
{{further|[[:Category:Dog health]]}}
 
Dogs are susceptible to various diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which affect humans in the same way, others of which are unique to dogs. Dogs, like all mammals, are also susceptible to heat exhaustion when dealing with high levels of humidity and/or extreme temperatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=257&Itemid=103 |title=Summer heat can be tough on pets |accessdate=2006-08-21 | first = Trisha | last = Gedon | date = [[2006-05-25]] | work = Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources | publisher = Oklahoma State University }}</ref>
 
===Diseases===
Infectious diseases commonly associated with dogs include [[rabies]] (hydrophobia), [[canine parvovirus]], and [[canine distemper]]. Congenital diseases of dogs can include a wide range from [[hip dysplasia]] and [[luxating patella|medial patellar luxation]] to [[Epilepsy in animals|epilepsy]] and [[pulmonic stenosis]]. Canines can get just about anything a human can get (excluding many infections which are species specific) like hypothyroidism, cancer, dental disease, heart disease, etc.
 
Two serious medical conditions affecting dogs are [[pyometra]], affecting [[spay and neuter|unspayed]] females of all types and ages, and [[bloat]], which affects the larger breeds or deep chested dogs. Both of these are [[acute]] conditions, and can kill rapidly; owners of dogs which may be at risk should learn about such conditions as part of good animal care.
 
===Parasites===
Common external parasites are various species of [[flea]]s, [[tick]]s, and [[mites]]. Internal parasites include [[hookworm]]s, [[tapeworm]]s, [[roundworm]]s, and [[heartworms]]. See also [[CVBD]] (Canine Vector-Borne Diseases).
 
===Common physical disorders===
Some breeds of dogs are also prone to certain genetic ailments, such as [[hip dysplasia]], [[luxating patella]]s, [[cleft palate]], [[blindness]], or [[hearing impairment|deafness]]. Dogs are also susceptible to the same ailments that humans are, including [[Diabetes in cats and dogs|diabetes]], [[epilepsy]], [[cancer]], and [[arthritis]]. [[Gastric torsion]] and [[bloat]] is a dangerous problem in some large-chested breeds.
 
===Lifespan and old age===
:''Main articles: [[Dog years]], [[Aging in dogs]]''
The typical lifespan of dogs varies considerably by breed. For example, many giant dog breeds (such as [[Great Danes]]) average only 7 or 8 years, while some small terrier breeds, or [[toy dog|toy breeds]] might live as long as 20 or above. The average lifespan for mixed-breed and midsize dogs is about 13 to 14 years. The longest-lived dog with reliable documentation died at 29 years and 27 days, the breed of the dog was an [[Australian cattle dog]] and it lived in [[Virginia]], [[USA]], the date of death was in 1939. The oldest currently living dog is from [[Canberra, Australia]] and is now 27 years old. Although the lifespans of all living species are mostly uncontrollable, one can significantly extend a dog's life by feeding it the right kinds of foods, giving it regular exercise, treating its diseases, caring for its special needs and giving it love and comfort.
 
==Behavior==
:''For details, see [[:Category:Dog training and behavior]].''
 
Dogs are very social animals, but their personality and behavior vary with breed as well as how they are treated by their owners and others who come in contact with them. Physical abuse and starvation can produce very neurotic, dangerous dogs, and even simply failing to socialize them properly may entail maladaptive behaviors. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} It is not uncommon for dogs to [[dog attack|attack]] humans and other animals; however, this is usually because of lack of care or improper upbringing by its owner.
 
===Laughter in dogs===
Laughter might not be confined or unique to humans, despite Aristotle's observation that "only the human animal laughs". The differences between chimpanzee and human laughter may be the result of adaptations that have evolved to enable human speech. However, some behavioral psychologists argue that self-awareness of one's situation, or the ability to identify with somebody else's predicament, are prerequisites for laughter, so animals are not really laughing in the same way that humans do.
 
The dog-laugh sounds similar to a normal pant. However by analyzing the pant using a spectrograph, this pant varies with bursts of frequencies, resulting in a laugh. When this recorded dog-laugh vocalization is played to dogs in a shelter setting, it can initiate play, promote pro-social behavior, and decrease stress levels. In a study by Simonet, Versteeg, and Storie, one hundred and twenty subject dogs residing in a mid-size county animal shelter were observed. Dogs ranging from 4 months to 10 years of age were compared with and without exposure to a dog-laugh recording. The stress behaviors measured included panting, growling, salivating, pacing, barking, cowering, lunging, play-bows, sitting, orienting and lying down. The study resulted in positive findings. Exposure to the dog laughing recording resulted in the following: significantly reduced stress behaviors, increased tail wagging and the display of a play-face when playing was initiated, and more frequent pro-social behavior such as approaching and lip licking. This research suggests exposure to dog-laugh vocalizations can calm and possibly increase shelter adoptions. ([http://www.petalk.org/LaughingDog.pdf Simonet, Versteeg, & Storie 2005]) A dog laughter sample: [http://www.petalk.org/DogLaughSpect.html Simonet 2005].
 
==Dog communication==
{{main|Dog communication}}
 
==Ancestry and history of domestication==
{{Mergeto|Origin of the domestic dog|date=January 2007}}
{{main|Origin of the domestic dog}}
[[Image:DogMosaic wb.jpg|thumb|This ancient mosaic, likely Roman, shows a large dog with a collar hunting a lion.]]
[[Molecular systematics]] indicate that the domestic dog (''Canis lupus familiaris'') descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (''Canis lupus''). As reflected in the [[Binomial nomenclature|nomenclature]], dogs are descended from the wolf and are able to interbreed with wolves.
 
The relationship between human and canine has deep roots. [[Wolf]] remains have been found in association with [[Hominidae|hominid]] remains dating from 400,000 years ago. Converging archaeological and genetic evidence indicate a time of [[domestication]] in the late [[Upper Paleolithic]] close to the [[Pleistocene]]/[[Holocene]] boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. [[Fossil]] bone morphologies and genetic analysis of current and ancient dog and wolf populations have not yet been able to conclusively determine whether all dogs descend from a single domestication event, or whether dogs were domesticated independently in more than one ___location. Domesticated dogs may have interbred with local populations of wild wolves on several occasions (so-called introgression).
 
The earliest dog fossils, two [[skull|crania]] from [[Russia]] and a [[mandible]] from [[Germany]], date from 13,000 to 17,000 years ago. Their likely ancestor is the large northern [[Holarctic]] wolf, ''Canis lupus lupus''. Remains of smaller dogs from [[Mesolithic]] ([[Natufian]]) cave deposits in the [[Middle East]], dated to around 12,000 years ago, have been interpreted as descendants of a lighter Southwest Asian wolf, ''Canis lupus arabs''. [[Rock art]] and skeletal remains indicate that by 14,000 years ago, dogs were present from [[North Africa]] across [[Eurasia]] to [[North America]]. Dog burials at the [[Mesolithic]] cemetery of [[Svaerdborg]] in Denmark suggest that in ancient Europe dogs were valued companions.
 
Genetic analyses have so far yielded divergent results. Vilà, Savolainen, and colleagues (1997) concluded that dogs split off from wolves between 75,000 and 135,000 years ago, while a subsequent analysis by Savolainen et al. (2002) indicated a "common origin from a single gene pool for all dog populations" between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago in [[East Asia]]. Verginelli et al. (2005), however, suggest both sets of dates must be reevaluated in light of recent findings showing that poorly calibrated molecular clocks have systematically overestimated the age of geologically recent events. On balance, and in agreement with the archaeological evidence, 15,000 years ago is the most likely time for the wolf-dog divergence.
 
Verginelli examined ancient [[DNA]] evidence from five prehistoric Italian [[canids]] carbon-dated to between 15,000 and 3,000 years old, 341 wolves from several populations worldwide, and 547 purebred dogs. Their results indicate multiple independent origins of dogs and/or of frequent interbreeding between early proto-dogs and wolves throughout a vast geographic range. The detailed history remains unexplored and until further evidence is available, the following section on wolf ancestors must be considered purely speculative.
 
===Wolf ancestors===
Although all wolves belong to the species ''[[Gray Wolf|Canis lupus]]'', there are (or were) many subspecies that had developed a distinctive appearance, social structure, and other traits. For example, the [[Japanese Wolf]] and the [[Eastern Timber Wolf]] possess different distinctive coloration, hunting and social structures. The origin of the dog is so ancient and so worldwide that many varieties of wolf played a part in it. It is wrong to say that dogs descended from modern wolves. They descended from ancestral wolves, and this difference must always be kept in mind. Ancestral wolves of many varieties existed all over the world. Humans are of a tropical origin, and it was there that the domestication of dogs from wolves first took place {{fact}}. It follows then, that the first wolves to be domesticated were the warm-climate, short-haired varieties that gave rise to many of our dog breeds, with the long-haired, northern wolves giving rise to our northern breeds when humans reached these latitudes.{{fact}}
 
The [[Indian Wolf]] is thought to have contributed to the development of more breeds of dogs than other subspecies. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the [[dingo]] and the [[pariah dog]]s, are descended from this wolf. The Indian Wolf is also thought to have bred with descendants of the European wolf to create the [[Mastiff]]s and eventually leading to the development of such diverse breeds as the [[Pug]], the [[St. Bernard (dog)|Saint Bernard]], and the [[Bloodhound]]. The [[Tibetan Mastiff]] is an example of an ancient breed.
 
The [[Gray Wolf|European wolf]], in turn, may have contributed many of its attributes to the [[Spitz]] dog types, most [[terrier]]s, and many of today's [[sheepdog]]s. The [[Chinese wolf]] is probably ancestor to the [[Pekingese]] and toy [[spaniel]]s, although it is also probable that descendants of the Chinese and European wolves encountered each other over the millennia, contributing to many of the oriental [[toy dog|toy]] breeds.
 
The [[Eastern Timber Wolf]] is a direct ancestor to most, if not all, of the North American northern [[sled dog]] types. This interbreeding still occurs with dogs living in the [[Arctic]] region, where the attributes of the wolf that enable survival in a hostile environment are valued by humans. Additionally, unintentional crossbreeding occurs simply because dogs and wolves live in the same environment. The general [[reproductive isolation]] which is required to define dogs and wolves as separate species is purely a result of lack of opportunity, stemming from a general mutual unfamiliarity, suspicion, mistrust, and fear.
 
The [[phenotype|phenotypic]] characteristics that distinguish a wolf from a dog are tenuous. Wolves typically have a "brush tail" and erect ears. While some dog breeds possess one of these characteristics, they rarely possess both.
 
===Speed of domestication===
Current research indicates that domestication, or the attributes of a domesticated animal, can occur much more quickly,<ref>http://www.amsci.org/amsci/articles/99articles/Trut.html#26879</ref> {{Failed verification|date=February 2007}} <!--Cited item does not support the statement to which it is attached--> than previously believed. Domestication of a wild dog may occur within one or two human generations with deliberate [[selective breeding]]. It is also now generally believed that initial domestication was through mutual desire. Wild canines who scavenged around human habitations received more food than their more skittish or fearful counterparts. Canines who attacked people or their children were likely killed or driven away, while those more friendly animals survived. Canines would have been beneficial by chasing away other [[vermin]] or [[scavengers]]. With their sharp senses, they would also be valuable as an alarm against marauding predators. The relationship is theorized to have developed in this way.
 
A 2007 [[Animal Planet]] documentary discussed a 1900-1920 domestication experiment in Russia that led to rapid unusual changes in the coats of foxes.
 
==Dog meat for human consumption==
{{Main article|Dog meat}}
 
In some countries, certain dog breeds, apart from being kept as pets, are raised on farms and slaughtered for consumption. In countries where dogs are particularly popular as household pets, consumption of dogs is generally taboo and considered an abhorrent cultural practice<!-- This seems a tautology. Can anyone tell me the difference between "taboo" and something "considered an abhorrent cultural practice"?-->, but there are exceptions, such as [[Vietnam]], where dogs are popular as pets and as meat.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Arthurs
| first = Clare
| title = Vietnam's dog meat tradition
| publisher = BBC
| date = [[2001-12-31]]
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1735647.stm
| accessdate = 2006-10-10 }}</ref>
 
Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food in China from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before. Ancient writings from the Zhou Dynasty referred to the 'three beasts' (which were bred for food), including pig, goat, and dog. Mencius, the philosopher, recommended dog as the tastiest of all meats. In most other countries such as countries in the Western world, eating dog meat is strongly frowned upon, as it is with cats.
 
==Dog abuse==
{{main|Cruelty to animals}}
Cruelty to dogs refers to treatment that causes unacceptable suffering or [[harm]]. What qualifies as unacceptable suffering varies among countries and cultures. Cruelty can be passive, typified by simple neglect, or active, with malicious intent.<Ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/animal_cruelty.php
| title = Animal Cruelty
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| publisher = pet-abuse.com
}}</Ref>
 
===Signs of dog abuse===
Signs of dog abuse include:
* Unusually frightened, fearful or subdued
* Fractures
* [[Bruising]]
* Eye injuries
* [[Scald]]s and [[Burn (injury)|burns]]
* Signs of [[malnutrition]]
* Significant matting or other poor [[grooming]] indicators
* Ignored health problems
* Injury history incompatible with injury or owner refusing to comment on how injury occurred
* Owner showing lack of concern for animal’s injuries
* Owner exhibiting [[Fabricated or Induced Illness|Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy]] (MSP)
 
==Famous dogs & dog sayings==
''Main article: [[List of famous dogs|Famous dogs]]''
 
In the long shared history of dogs and humans, there have been many [[List of famous dogs|famous]], and notorious, dogs, and many [[list of fictional dogs|fictional dogs]] have been featured in literature, cinema, and other media.
 
"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck<ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dogquotes.com/dogquotes2.htm
| title = Dog Quotes
| accessdate = 2007-4-4
}}</ref>
 
 
"When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?" - Robin Williams in "Man of the Year"
 
==Dog breeds==
[[Image:Jack_11-24-05_1106AM.jpg|thumb|200px|left|A [[Jack Russell Terrier]] playing with his toy.]]
[[Image:Roodog2k-ivan-and-boxer.JPG|thumb|The dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation, such as this [[Miniature Pinscher]] and [[Boxer (dog)|Boxer]].]]
There are numerous [[dog breed]]s, with [[List of dog breeds|over 800]] being recognized by various [[kennel club]]s worldwide. As all dog breeds have been derived from mixed-breed dog populations, the term "purebred" has meaning only with respect to a certain number of generations. Many dogs, especially outside the United States of America and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed.
[[Image:Papagility004.jpg|left|thumbnail|200px|The [[Papillon (dog)|Papillon]] breed is highly athletic breed of dog]]
A few basic [[:Category:Dog types|breed types]] have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with man over the last 10,000 or more years, but most modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of [[artificial selection]]. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal.
 
The definition of a dog breed is a matter of some controversy. Depending on the size of the original founding population, closed gene pool breeds can have problems with inbreeding, specifically due to [[founder effect]]. Dog breeders are increasingly aware of the importance of population genetics and of maintaining diverse gene pools. Health testing and new DNA tests can help avoid problems, by providing a replacement for natural selection. Without selection, inbreeding and closed gene pools can increase the risk of severe health or behavioral problems. Some organizations define a breed more loosely, such that an individual may be considered of one breed as long as 75% of its parentage is of that breed. These considerations affect both pets and the show dogs entered in [[conformation show|dog shows]]. Even prize-winning [[purebred]] dogs sometimes possess crippling [[Genetic disorder|genetic defects]] due to founder effect or [[inbreeding]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Shook
| first = Larry
| title = The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog
| publisher = Ballantine
| date = 1995
| ___location = New York
| pages = 57-72
| id = ISBN 0-345-38439-3 }}</ref>
These problems are not limited to [[purebred]] dogs and can affect mixed-breed populations.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Shook
| first = Larry
| title = The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog
| publisher = Ballantine
| date = 1995
| ___location = New York
| pages = 13-34
| id = ISBN 0-345-38439-3 }}</ref> The behavior and appearance of a dog of a particular breed can be predicted fairly accurately, while mixed-breed dogs show a broader range of innovative appearance and behavior.
 
[[Image:Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Labrador Cross.JPG|right|thumb|200px|A 10-year-old [[Staffordshire Bull Terrier]]/[[Labrador Retriever|Labrador]].]]
 
In February 2004, the Canine Studies Institute in [[Aurora, Ohio]], arranged recognized breeds of dogs into ten categories.
 
[[Mixed-breed dog]]s or [[Mongrel]]s are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures of two or more in variant percentages. Mixed breeds, or dogs with no purebred ancestry, are not inherently "better" or "worse" than purebred dogs as companions, [[pet]]s, [[working dog]]s, or competitors in [[dog sports]]. Sometimes mixed-breed dogs are deliberately bred, for example, the Cockapoo, a mixture of Cocker Spaniel and Miniature [[Poodle]]. Such deliberate crosses may display [[hybrid vigor]] and other desirable traits, but can also lack one or more of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. However, without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can sometimes end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds. Deliberately crossing two or more breeds is also a manner of establishing new breeds.
 
===Neoteny in the rapid evolution of diverse dog breeds===
{{Mergeto|Origin of the domestic dog|date=January 2007}}
This rapid evolution of dogs from wolves is an example of [[neoteny]] or [[pedomorphosis|paedomorphism]]. As with many species, the young wolves are more social and less [[dominant]] than adults; therefore, the selection for these characteristics, whether deliberate or inadvertent, is more likely to result in a simple retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood than to generate a complex of independent new changes in behavior. (This is true of many domesticated animals, including humans themselves, who have many characteristics similar to young [[bonobo]]s.) This paedomorphic selection naturally results in a retention of juvenile physical characteristics as well. Compared to wolves, many adult dog breeds retain such juvenile characteristics as soft fuzzy fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes, ears that hang down rather than stand erect, etc.; characteristics which are shared by most juvenile [[mammal]]s, and therefore generally elicit some degree of protective and nurturing behavior cross-species from most adult mammals, including humans, who term such characteristics "cute" or "appealing".
 
The example of canine neoteny goes even further, in that the various breeds are differently neotenized according to the type of behavior that was selected.[http://books.google.com/books?id=_kOoVw0SIhUC&pg=PA394&lpg=PA394&vq=neotenous+behavior&dq=%22Gould%22+%22Eight+Little+Piggies:+Reflections+in+Natural+History%22+&sig=Q1iF36A6ieMKgh3eRAtSeDKTydQ Stephen Jay Gould; Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History; W. W. Norton & Company, 1993; pp. 394]
 
*[[Livestock guardian dog]]s exhibit the controlled characteristics of hunting dogs. Members of this group, such as [[Border Collie]]s, [[Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)|Belgian Malinois]] and [[German Shepherd]]s use tactics of hunter and prey to intimidate and keep control of herds and flocks. Their natural instinct to bring down an animal under their charge is muted by training. Other members of the group, including [[Welsh Corgi]]s, [[Canaan dog]]s, and [[Cattle dog]]s herd with a more aggressive demeanor and make use of body design to elude the defences of their charges.
* [[Gun dog]] breeds used in hunting&mdash;that is, [[pointer (dog)|pointers]], [[setter]]s, [[spaniel]]s, and [[retriever]]s&mdash;have an intermediate degree of paedomorphism; they are at the point where they share in the pack's hunting behavior, but are still in a junior role, not participating in the actual attack. They identify potential prey and freeze into immobility, for instance, but refrain from then stalking the prey as an adult predator would do next; this results in the "pointing" behavior for which such dogs are bred. Similarly, they seize dead or wounded prey and bring it back to the "pack", even though they did not attack it themselves, that is, "retrieving" behavior. Their physical characteristics are closer to that of the mature wild canine than the sheepdog breeds, but they typically do not have erect ears, etc.
* [[Scenthound]]s maintain an intermediate body type and behavior pattern that causes them to actually pursue prey by tracking their scent, but tend to refrain from actual individual attacks in favor of vocally summoning the pack leaders (in this case, humans) to do the job. They often have a characteristic vocalization called a bay. Some examples are the Beagle, Bloodhound, Basset Hound, Coonhound, Dachshund, Fox Hound, Otter Hound, and Harrier.
* [[Sighthound]]s, who pursue and attack perceived prey on sight, maintain the mature canine size and some features, such as narrow chest and lean bodies, but have largely lost the erect ears of the wolf and thick double layered coats. Some examples are the Afghan, Borzoi, Saluki, Sloughi, Pharaoh Hound, Azawakh, Whippet, and Greyhound.
* [[Mastiff]]-types are large dogs, both tall and massive with barrel-like chests, large bones, and thick skulls. They have traditionally been bred for war, protection, and guardian work.
* [[Bulldog]]-types are medium sized dogs bred for combat against both wild and domesticated animals. These dogs have a massive, square skull and large bones with an extremely muscular build and broad shoulders.
* [[Terrier]]s similarly have adult aggressive behavior, famously coupled with a lack of juvenile submission, and display correspondingly adult physical features such as erect ears, although many breeds have also been selected for size and sometimes [[achondroplasia|dwarfed legs]] to enable them to pursue prey in their burrows.
 
The least paedomorphic behavior pattern may be that of the [[basenji]], bred in [[Africa]] to hunt alongside humans almost on a peer basis; this breed is often described as highly independent, neither needing nor appreciating a great deal of human attention or nurturing, often described as "catlike" in its behavior. It too has the body plan of an adult canine predator.
Of course, dogs in general possess a significant ability to modify their behavior according to experience, including adapting to the behavior of their "pack leaders"&mdash;again, humans. This allows them to be trained to behave in a way that is not specifically the most natural to their breed; nevertheless, the accumulated experience of thousands of years shows that some combinations of nature and nurture are quite daunting, for instance, training [[whippet]]s to guard flocks of sheep.
 
===Breed popularity===
Breed popularity varies widely over time<Ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.slate.com/id/2122298/
| title = Why Americans Love Labrador retrievers
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| last = Koerner
| first = Brendan I.
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| date = [[2005-01-08]]
| publisher = Slate Magazine Online
}}</Ref>
and in different parts of the world and different segments of the population. Counting by [[American Kennel Club]] (AKC) registration (not by [[dog licence|licensing registration]] or by [[United Kennel Club]] (UKC) registration, which could present different statistics), the [[Labrador Retriever]] has been the United States's most commonly registered breed of dog since 1991. <Ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2389
| title = Labrador Retriever Tops According to AKC's 2004 Registration Statistics
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| date = [[2005-01-12]]
| publisher = American Kennel Club
}}</Ref>
However, even within parts of the United States, popularity varies; for example, in 2005 the most-registered breed in New York City was the [[Poodle]] while the [[Yorkshire Terrier]] was the second-most-registered breed in [[Houston]]. <Ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.akc.org/reg/topdogsbycity.cfm
| title = Top Breeds By City
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| publisher = American Kennel Club
}}</Ref>
However, animal shelters in many parts of the United States report that the most-commonly available dog for adoption is the [[American Pit Bull Terrier]] or pit bull-type mixes, making up as much as 20% of dogs available for adoption, none of which would be registered with the AKC.<ref>http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_pitbull</ref> Two decades ago, in 1983, the AKC's top two registered breeds were the [[American Cocker Spaniel]] and the [[Poodle]].<ref>{{cite book|title=World Almanac and Book of Facts|year=1985|publisher=Newspaper Enterprise Association (Doubleday)}}</ref>
 
In [[Britain]], [[The Kennel Club]] reports that the most-registered breed from at least 1999 to 2005 was the Labrador Retriever. It rounds out the top three for 1999 to 2005 with the [[German Shepherd Dog]], also popular in the States, and the [[English Cocker Spaniel]]<Ref>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/pressoffice/press_top20.html
| title = The Kennel Club's top twenty of registered breeds
| accessdate = 2006-11-30
| publisher = The Kennel Club
}}</Ref>
, which is no longer even in the top ten in the States.
 
==See also==
*[[Ability to swim]]
* [[Attack dog]]
* [[Bark (dog)]]
* [[Dog attack]]
* [[Dog communication]]
* [[Dog licence]]
* [[Dog odor]]
* [[Fear of dogs]]
* [[List of dog breeds]]
* [[Puppy]]
* The [[Dog king]]
* [[Therapy dog|Therapy Dog]]
* [[Guard dog]]
* [[War Dog]]
 
==References ==
 
{{reflist|2}}
 
==Further reading==
* Abrantes, Roger (1999). ''Dogs Home Alone''. Wakan Tanka, 46 pages. ISBN 0-9660484-2-3 (paperback).
* A&E Television Networks (1998). ''Big Dogs, Little Dogs: The companion volume to the A&E special presentation'', A Lookout Book, GT Publishing. ISBN 1-57719-353-9 (hardcover).
* Alderton, David (1984). ''The Dog'', Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-89009-786-0.
* Brewer, Douglas J. (2002) ''Dogs in Antiquity: Anubis to Cerberus: The Origins of the Domestic Dog'', Aris & Phillips ISBN 0-85668-704-9
* Coppinger, Raymond and Lorna Coppinger (2002). ''Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution'', University of Chicago Press ISBN 0-226-11563-1
*Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds''. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-7525-8276-3.
* Derr, Mark (2004). ''Dog's Best Friend: Annals of the Dog-Human Relationship''. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-14280-9
* Donaldson, Jean (1997). ''The Culture Clash''. James & Kenneth Publishers. ISBN 1-888047-05-4 (paperback).
*Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). ''The New Encyclopedia of the Dog''. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
*Grenier, Roger (2000). ''The Difficulty of Being a Dog''. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30828-6
* Milani, Myrna M. (1986). ''The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs: A practical guide to the Physical and Behavioral Displays Owners and Dogs Exchange and How to Use Them to Create a Lasting Bond'', William Morrow, 283 pages. ISBN 0-688-12841-6 (trade paperback).
* Pfaffenberger, Clare (1971). ''New Knowledge of Dog Behavior''. Wiley, ISBN 0-87605-704-0 (hardcover); Dogwise Publications, 2001, 208 pages, ISBN 1-929242-04-2 (paperback).
* Savolainen, P. et al. (2002). Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs. ''Science'' '''298'''. 5598: 1610&ndash;1613.
* Shook, Larry (1995). "Breeders Can Hazardous to Health", ''The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog'', Chapter Two, pp. 13&ndash;34. Ballantine, 130 pages, ISBN 0-345-38439-3 (mass market paperback); Globe Pequot, 1992, ISBN 1-55821-140-3 (hardcover; this is much cheaper should you buy).
* Shook, Larry (1995). ''The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog'', Chapter Four, "Hereditary Problems in Purebred Dogs", pp. 57&ndash;72. Ballantine, 130 pages, ISBN 0-345-38439-3 (mass market paperback); Globe Pequot, 1992, ISBN 1-55821-140-3 (hardcover; this is much cheaper should you buy).
* Thomas, Elizabeth Marshall (1993). ''The Hidden Life of Dogs'' (hardcover), A Peter Davison Book, Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-66958-8.
* Verginelli, F. et al. (2005). Mitochondrial DNA from Prehistoric Canids Highlights Relationships Between Dogs and South-East European Wolves. ''Mol. Biol. Evol.'' '''22''': 2541&ndash;2551.
*''Small animal internal medicine'', RW Nelson, Couto page 107
 
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Dog}}
{{Wikispecies}}
 
*[http://www.akc.org/ American Kennel Club]
*[http://www.ankc.aust.com/breed_list.html Australian National Kennel Club]
*[http://www.ckc.ca/ Canadian Kennel Club]
*[http://www.fci.be Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) - World Canine Organisation]
*[http://www.dogdomain.com/fci-1.htm FCI International breed standards]
*[http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk The Kennel Club (UK)]
*[http://www.nzkc.org.nz/dogselect.html New Zealand Kennel Club]
 
{{Pet Species}}
 
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