Portal:Dogs

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The Dogs Portal

The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from extinct gray wolves, and 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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected breed - show another

A blue Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog, or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that occurs in two main colour forms. It has either red or black hair distributed fairly evenly through a white coat, which gives the appearance of a "red" or "blue" dog.

As with dogs from other working breeds, the Australian Cattle Dog is energetic and intelligent with an independent streak. It responds well to structured training, particularly if it is interesting and challenging. It was originally bred to herd by biting, and is known to nip running children. It forms a strong attachment to its owners, and can be protective of them and their possessions. It is easy to groom and maintain, requiring little more than brushing during the shedding period. The most common health problems are deafness and progressive blindness (both hereditary conditions) and accidental injury. (Full article...)

List of selected breeds

Selected image

Credit: Sally Eller

A Standard Poodle in "working clip" retrieving a mallard. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. Although spaniels and some pointing breeds routinely retrieve game, and many retrievers are skilled in finding game, retrievers are distinguished in that non-slip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. Poodles, though developed as hunting dogs, are most commonly used as companions.

More selected pictures

Gallery

Read more...

Topics

Selected article - show another

A dog displaying a typical clinical picture of visceral leishmaniasis

Canine leishmaniasis (LEESH-ma-NIGH-ah-sis) is a zoonotic disease (see human leishmaniasis) caused by Leishmania parasites transmitted by the bite of an infected phlebotomine sandfly. There have been no documented cases of leishmaniasis transmission from dogs to humans. Canine leishmaniasis was first identified in Europe in 1903, and in 1940, 40% of all dogs in Rome were determined to be positive for leishmaniasis. Traditionally thought of as a disease only found near the Mediterranean basin, 2008 research claims new findings are evidence that canine leishmaniasis is currently expanding in continental climate areas of northwestern Italy, far from the recognized disease-endemic areas along the Mediterranean coasts. Cases of leishmaniasis began appearing in North America in 2000, and, as of 2008, Leishmania-positive foxhounds have been reported in 22 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images - load new batch

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

Image 1The 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 2Basenji puppy (from Puppy)
Image 3A dog's whiskers (from Dog anatomy)
Image 4Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog. (from Dog breed)
Image 5Watercolor 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 6Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw opened (from Dog anatomy)
Image 7Schematic 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 8The 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 9Cart dogs, c. 1900; different in appearance but doing the same work (from Dog type)
Image 10Frontal view of a dog skull (from Dog anatomy)
Image 11Two Shih Tzu puppies (from Puppy)
Image 12A labradoodle puppy and a Golden Retriever puppy playing together. (from Puppy)
Image 13The 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 14A drawing by Konrad Lorenz showing facial expressions of a dog - a communication behavior. X-axis is aggression, y-axis is fear. (from Dog behavior)
Image 15Golden Retriever puppy (from Puppy)
Image 16Cavapoo puppy (from Puppy)
Image 17Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Dog breed)
Image 18Bison surrounded by grey wolf pack (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 19Diagram of a wolf skull with key features labelled (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 20An extinct Turnspit dog, 1800 (from Dog type)
Image 21"Five different types of dogs", c. 1547. (from Dog breed)
Image 22Example of a dog making prolonged eye contact with a human (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 23Cave wolf skull, Natural History Museum, Berlin (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 24Dog knee (from Dog anatomy)
Image 25Newborn Basenji puppies (from Puppy)
Image 26President Lyndon B. Johnson with a basket of puppies in 1966 (from Puppy)
Image 27External 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 28West Highland White Terrier puppies (from Puppy)
Image 29Newborn Welsh Springer Spaniels (from Puppy)
Image 30Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 31A mongrel puppy (from Puppy)
Image 32A wolf mandible diagram showing the names and positions of the teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 33NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin with his dogs Jake and Scout (from Dog behavior)
Image 34Chihuahua mix and purebred Great Dane (from Dog breed)
Image 35Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sight-hound (from Dog breed)
Image 36A little mongrel puppy on the shore, on Halong Bay (from Puppy)
Image 37Chihuahua puppy (from Puppy)
Image 38Australian Cattle Dog puppy (from Puppy)
Image 39St. Bernard puppy (from Puppy)
Image 40Petroglyph depicting two dogs hunting – Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 41Sled dogs, 1833 (from Dog type)
Image 42Montage showing the coat variation of dogs. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 43The 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 44Lateral view of a dog skeleton (from Dog anatomy)
Image 45Basset Hound (from Puppy)
Image 46Mandible of the oldest recognised dog discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, and dated 14,200 years old (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 47An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds (from Dog breed)
Image 48The nose of a dog (from Dog anatomy)
Image 49Skeleton 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 50Reduction in size under selective breeding – grey wolf and chihuahua skulls (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 51A dog's teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 52Jack Russell Terrier puppy (from Puppy)
Image 53Scent-rolling (from Dog behavior)
Image 54Bloodhound puppy (from Puppy)
Image 55German Spitz puppy (from Puppy)
Image 56Mammoth bone dwelling, Mezhirich site, Ukraine (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 57Puggle puppy (from Puppy)
Image 58Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw closed (from Dog anatomy)
Image 59The dog's retina shows the optic disc and the eye's vasculature. (from Dog anatomy)

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

... that the Turkish government tried to have the German music video "Erdowie, Erdowo, Erdogan" taken down because it insulted Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan?
... that Moondog was released 13 years after Moondog's previous Moondog?
... that Kangal shepherd dogs can gall cyclists in Turkey?
... that the private members' club George has a bespoke menu for pet dogs?
... that a New York state TV station thought a St. Bernard could serve as a mascot—until she proved incapable of following direction and had to be sent to obedience school?
... that Lixia traditions include weighing people, brewing seven-family tea, and making rice dogs?

More did you know... - show different entries

...that Laurence Mancuso was the founding abbot of the Eastern Orthodox monastic community of New Skete (pictured), which is known for its dog training?
...that "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" is the most reproduced cartoon from The New Yorker magazine, and its title a phrase still used around the world?
...that the famous quote "No man who hates dogs and children can be all bad" generally attributed to Leo Rosten was actually first used in 1930 by future war correspondent Byron Darnton?
...that the expressions 'top dog' and 'underdog' may originate with the two sawyers in a saw pit?

...that the original Rin Tin Tin was named for a puppet called Rintintin that French children gave to the American soldiers for good luck?
...that the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska covers about 1,100 miles (1,760 km)?
...that the dog to win the first three Westminster Kennel Club Dog Shows was a Smooth Fox Terrier named Warren Remedy?
...that the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization) was founded in 1911 and has 80 member countries?

More did you know facts

List articles

Subcategories

Category puzzle

Select [►] to view subcategories

Related portals

edit

Things you can do

Here are some tasks awaiting attention:

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.

edit

Recognized content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Dogs}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.