The dog (Canis lupus familiaris[1]) is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of

the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet
varieties. The domestic dog has been the most widely kept working, hunting and
companion animal in human history. The word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine
species,[2] as opposed to the word "bitch" for the female of the species.[3]

The dog quickly became ubiquitous across world cultures, and was extremely valuable to
early human settlements. For instance, it is believed that the successful emigration across
the Bering Strait might not have been possible without sled dogs.[4] Dogs perform many
roles for people, such as hunting, herding, protection, assisting police and military,
companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. This versatility,
more than probably any other known animal, has given them the nickname "Man's best
friend" in the western world. Currently, there are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the
world.[5]

Over the 15,000 year span that the dog had been domesticated, it diverged into only a
handful of landraces, groups of similar animals whose morphology and behavior have
been shaped by environmental factors and functional roles. As the modern understanding
of genetics developed, humans began to intentionally breed dogs for a wide range of
specific traits. Through this process, the dog has developed into hundreds of varied
breeds, and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land
mammal.[6] For example, height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the
Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays
(usually called "blue'") to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or
"chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; coats can be short or long, coarse-haired to
wool-like, straight, curly, or smooth.[7] It is common for most breeds to shed this coat.

Contents
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• 1 Etymology and related terminology

• 2 Taxonomy
• 3 History and evolution
o 3.1 DNA studies
o 3.2 Roles with humans
 3.2.1 Early roles
 3.2.2 As pets
 3.2.3 Work
 3.2.4 Sports and shows
 3.2.5 As a food source
 3.2.6 Health risks to humans
 3.2.7 Health benefits for humans
 3.2.8 Shelters
• 4 Biology
o 4.1 Senses
  4.1.1 Sight
 4.1.2 Hearing
 4.1.3 Smell
o 4.2 Physical characteristics
 4.2.1 Coat
 4.2.2 Tail
o 4.3 Types and breeds
o 4.4 Health
 4.4.1 Mortality
 4.4.2 Predation
o 4.5 Diet
o 4.6 Reproduction
o 4.7 Neutering
• 5 Intelligence and behavior
o 5.1 Intelligence
o 5.2 Behavior
• 6 Differences from wolves
o 6.1 Physical characteristics
o 6.2 Behavior
o 6.3 Trainability
• 7 See also
• 8 References
• 9 Further reading

• 10 External links