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The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf; the gray wolf is the dog's closest living relative. The dog was the first species to be domesticated by humans. Experts estimate that hunter-gatherers domesticated dogs more than 15,000 years ago, which was before the development of agriculture. Due to their long association with humans, dogs have expanded to a large number of domestic individuals and gained the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids.

The dog has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Dog breeds vary widely in shape, size, and color. They perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and the military, companionship, therapy, and aiding disabled people. Over the millennia, dogs became uniquely adapted to human behavior, and the human–canine bond has been a topic of frequent study. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet of "man's best friend". (Full article...)

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A black Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer is a breed of dog developed in the 17th century in Germany. It is the largest of the three breeds of Schnauzer—the other two breeds being the Standard Schnauzer and the Miniature Schnauzer. Numerous breeds were used in its development, including the black Great Dane, the Bouvier des Flandres, and the German Pinscher. Originally bred to assist on farms by driving livestock to market and guarding the farmer's property, the breed eventually moved into the city, where it worked guarding breweries, butchers' shops, stockyards and factories. It was unknown outside of Bavaria until it became popular as a military dog during World War I and World War II.

They have a dense coarse coat that protects them from the weather and from vermin. Giant Schnauzers come in three color varieties: pepper and salt, pure black with black undercoat, and black and silver. Where legal, they are shown with cropped ears and docked tails. Like other schnauzers, they have a distinct beard and eyebrows. Today, the Giant Schnauzer participates in numerous dog sports, including Schutzhund. Another sport that the dog excels in is that of nosework. Due to its alert nature, the dog is also used in police work. (Full article...)

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Credit: Paul Englefield

A Border Collie correctly maneouvring through weave poles in dog agility. Border Collies are an extremely intelligent breed with an instinctive desire to work. They are also extremely energetic and require a lot of attention, but are very responsive to training. They are better off in a household that can provide them with plenty of exercise and a job to do.

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Canine influenza (dog flu) is influenza occurring in canine animals. Canine influenza is caused by varieties of influenzavirus A, such as equine influenza virus H3N8, which was discovered to cause disease in canines in 2004. Because of the lack of previous exposure to this virus, dogs have no natural immunity to it. Therefore, the disease is rapidly transmitted between individual dogs. Canine influenza may be endemic in some regional dog populations of the United States. It is a disease with a high morbidity (incidence of symptoms) but a low incidence of death.

A newer form was identified in Asia during the 2000s and has since caused outbreaks in the US as well. It is a mutation of H3N2 that adapted from its avian influenza origins. Vaccines have been developed for both strains. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various dog-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Diagram of a wolf skull with key features labelled (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 2Jack Russell Terrier puppy (from Puppy)
Image 3Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw opened (from Dog anatomy)
Image 4Mammoth bone dwelling, Mezhirich site, Ukraine (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 5The difference in body size between a Cane Corso (Italian mastiff) and a Yorkshire Terrier is over 30-fold; both are members of the same species. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 6A wolf mandible diagram showing the names and positions of the teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 7Chihuahua mix and purebred Great Dane (from Dog breed)
Image 8Montage showing the coat variation of dogs. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 9A cavapoo and maltipoo running back while playing fetch (from Dog behavior)
Image 10An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds (from Dog breed)
Image 11Basset Hound (from Puppy)
Image 12Australian Cattle Dog puppy (from Puppy)
Image 13Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Dog breed)
Image 14Basenji puppy (from Puppy)
Image 15President Lyndon B. Johnson with a basket of puppies in 1966 (from Puppy)
Image 16Puggle puppy (from Puppy)
Image 17The Greenland dog carries 3.5% genetic material inherited from a 35,000-year-old wolf from the Taymyr Peninsula, Arctic Siberia. (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 18Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 19External anatomy (topography) of a typical dog: 1. Head 2. Muzzle 3. Dewlap (throat, neck skin) 4. Shoulder 5. Elbow 6. Forefeet 7. Croup (rump) 8. Leg (thigh and hip) 9. Hock 10. Hind feet 11. Withers 12. Stifle 13. Paws 14. Tail (from Dog anatomy)
Image 20Example of a dog making prolonged eye contact with a human (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 21Cave wolf skull, Natural History Museum, Berlin (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 22Watercolor tracing made by archaeologist Henri Breuil from a cave painting of a wolf-like canid, Font-de-Gaume, France, dated 19,000 years ago (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 23The difference in overall body size between a Cane Corso (Italian mastiff) and a Yorkshire terrier is over 30-fold, yet both are members of the same species. (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 24NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin with his dogs Jake and Scout (from Dog behavior)
Image 25"Five different types of dogs", c. 1547. (from Dog breed)
Image 26Reduction in size under selective breeding – grey wolf and chihuahua skulls (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 27Golden Retriever puppy (from Puppy)
Image 28Frontal view of a dog skull (from Dog anatomy)
Image 29Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog. (from Dog breed)
Image 30Cart dogs, c. 1900; different in appearance but doing the same work (from Dog type)
Image 31A dog's teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 32Dog knee (from Dog anatomy)
Image 33West Highland White Terrier puppies (from Puppy)
Image 34A dog's whiskers (from Dog anatomy)
Image 35Sled dogs, 1833 (from Dog type)
Image 36A labradoodle puppy and a Golden Retriever puppy playing together. (from Puppy)
Image 37Petroglyph depicting two dogs hunting – Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 38Newborn Basenji puppies (from Puppy)
Image 39A little mongrel puppy on the shore, on Halong Bay (from Puppy)
Image 40Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw closed (from Dog anatomy)
Image 41The dog's retina shows the optic disc and the eye's vasculature. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 42Chihuahua puppy (from Puppy)
Image 43Newborn Welsh Springer Spaniels (from Puppy)
Image 44Mandible of the oldest recognised dog discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, and dated 14,200 years old (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 45Skeleton of a dog:
1. Cranium
2. Maxilla
3. Mandible
4. Atlas
5. Axis
6. Scapula
7. Spine of scapula
8. Humerus
9. Radius
10. Ulna
11. Phalanges
12. Metacarpal bones
13. Carpal bones
14. Sternum
15. Cartilaginous part of the rib
16. Ribs
17. Phalanges
18. Metatarsal bones
19. Tarsal Bones
20. Calcaneus
21. Fibula
22. Tibia
23. Patella
24. Femur
25. Ischium
26. Pelvis
(from Dog anatomy)
Image 46Bison surrounded by grey wolf pack (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 47The dog diverged from a now-extinct population of wolves 27,000–40,000 years ago immediately before the Last Glacial Maximum, when much of the mammoth steppe was cold and dry. (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 48The nose of a dog (from Dog anatomy)
Image 49St. Bernard puppy (from Puppy)
Image 50Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sight-hound (from Dog breed)
Image 51Bloodhound puppy (from Puppy)
Image 52Lateral view of a dog skeleton (from Dog anatomy)
Image 53Ancient Hawaiian petroglyphic depiction of an ʻīlio (Hawaiian Poi Dog) (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 54Cavapoo puppy (from Puppy)
Image 55Schematic anatomy of the ear. In dogs, the ear canal has a "L" shape, with the vertical canal (first half) and the horizontal canal (deeper half, ending with the eardrum) (from Dog anatomy)
Image 56A mongrel puppy (from Puppy)
Image 57Two Shih Tzu puppies (from Puppy)
Image 58Map depicting possible phylogeographic origins of dingoes, New Guinea singing dogs, and Island Southeast Asian and Oceanian dogs, based on recent genetic evidence (Fillios & Taçon, 2016) (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 59Scent-rolling (from Dog behavior)
Image 60German Spitz puppy (from Puppy)
Image 61An extinct Turnspit dog, 1800 (from Dog type)
Image 62A drawing by Konrad Lorenz showing facial expressions of a dog - a communication behavior. X-axis is aggression, y-axis is fear. (from Dog behavior)

Did you know (auto-generated) - show different entries

... that the poor of ancient Rome were compared to dogs by the Roman writer Martial?
... that Victoria Desintonio successfully proposed a "citizen observatory" watchdog to reduce gender violence in Ecuador?
... that after the 2023 New York City parking garage collapse, a robotic dog named Digidog was deployed by the New York City Fire Department?
... that Rock Demers was spurred to make The Dog Who Stopped the War after reading an article on youth suicide?
... that Phil Fletcher as Hacker T. Dog caused Lauren Layfield to make the "most famous snort" in the United Kingdom in 2016?
... that Herbert James Gunn used a paper cut-out of Princess Elizabeth's corgi dog to help him paint his Conversation Piece at the Royal Lodge, Windsor?

More did you know... - show different entries

...that Mancs the Hungarian rescue dog is commemorated by a statue (pictured) in his hometown Miskolc?
...that the sting of the rainforest shrub Dendrocnide moroides can cause severe and prolonged pain and has been reported to kill dogs, horses and humans?
...that Dogs Trust, a British animal welfare charity, provided AA wardens with pistols to painlessly euthanise animals injured in road accidents?
...that according to legend, the relics of Saints Ferreolus and Ferrutio were discovered in 370 by a military tribune whose dog chased a fox into a cave near present-day Besançon, France?

...that Joan Ingpen and her pet dachshund Williams were the founding partners of the Ingpen & Williams classical music talent agency?
...that London will soon have a Walk of Fame for dogs?
...that wolf collars with long spikes, now widely adopted by the BDSM community, were originally used on dogs to protect them from attacks by wolves?
...that in his 1915 Kentucky gubernatorial campaign, Augustus O. Stanley advocated a one dollar tax for every dog a person owned?
...one reason for the African Wild Dog name controversy is that endangered African Wild Dogs are being confused with feral domestic dogs?

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Stubs : Aksaray Malaklisi, Alopekis, Argentine pila dog, Armant (dog), Banjara Hound, Barbado da Terceira, Braque Dupuy, Bruno Jura Hound, Bulgarian Scenthound, Cane Lupino del Gigante, Cane Paratore, Cantabrian Water Dog, Český fousek, Faroese Sheepdog, Georgian Shepherd, German Spitz Mittel, Gończy Polski, Grand Griffon Vendéen, Himalayan Sheepdog, Hygen Hound, Indian Spitz, Japanese Terrier, Kaikadi (dog), Koyun dog, Kumaon Mastiff, Levriero Italiano, Mahratta Hound, Majorca Ratter, Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Northern Inuit Dog, Phu Quoc Ridgeback, Plummer Terrier, Porcelaine, Pyrenean Mastiff, Rampur Greyhound, Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog, Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog, Sapsali, Sarabi dog, Sardinian Shepherd Dog, Schweizer Laufhund, Segugio Italiano, Segugio Maremmano, Segugio dell'Appennino, Sinhala Hound, Slovak Cuvac, South Russian Ovcharka, St. Hubert Jura Hound, Stichelhaar, Taigan, Tazy, Telomian, Treeing Cur, Vikhan Sheepdog, Villano de las Encartaciones, Villanuco de Las Encartaciones, White Shepherd, White Swiss Shepherd Dog, Xiasi Dog More stubs...
Other : Tag and assess "dog" articles with {{WikiProject Dogs}} banner. See also Dog breeds WikiProject to do list.

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