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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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The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a large breed of dog belonging to the retriever, gundog, and sporting breed groups. The breed was developed in the United States Chesapeake Bay area during the 19th century. Historically used by local market hunters to retrieve waterfowl, pull fishing nets, and rescue fishermen, it is today primarily a family pet and hunting companion, known for a bright and happy disposition; courage; willingness to work; alertness; intelligence; love of water; and hunting capabilities. The Chesapeake is a medium- to large-sized dog similar in appearance to the Labrador Retriever, but with a wavy coat. (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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Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight, not by scent.

In some countries, it is a legal, competitive activity in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a number of variations in its rules around the world. Coursing can also be a form of hunting or pest control. It is a long-established hunting technique, practiced historically in England, especially with greyhounds or sighthound breeds, or with lurchers which are crossbred sighthounds. The sport grew in popularity in Europe during the 19th century but has since experienced a decline due in part to the introduction of greyhound racing with betting, and laws passed that have banned the practice. (Full article...)

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

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

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

... that a Hot Dog Bean screenprint from Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans II sold for $258,046 in 2013?
... that Lài dogs were instrumental in the Vietnamese Lam Sơn uprising against Ming China in 1418–1428?
... that 9,000 Greek Jews were targeted by the 1942 Eleftherias Square roundup, and those who collapsed were attacked by dogs?
... that ancient humans cared for a 14,000-year-old puppy?
... that Norwegian footballer Tuva Hansen and her dog have received millions of views on several TikTok videos?
... that the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game between Baylor and Gonzaga was the first since 2005 to feature the top two overall seeds of the NCAA tournament?

More did you know... - show different entries

...that the stray dogs Bummer and Lazarus (pictured) were so popular with the people of San Francisco in the 1860s that they were given special exemption from the leash laws?
...that Manuel Benito de Castro assumed the Presidency of Cundinamarca, with the condition that he would be allowed to leave Congress at a certain time to feed his dog?
...that the namesake for Hondo Dog Park in Hillsboro, Oregon, won an award for valor just weeks before being killed in the line of duty?
...that most of the dogs seen in the 2007 Thai film, Ma-Mha, were strays rescued from shelters and trained specifically for the film?

...that Lap dogs are among the oldest types of dogs?
...that the Kangal Dog has been declared a "National Cultural and Historic Treasure" by the Turkish government?
...that breed type is the basis of judging in conformation dog shows?
...that the closest relative of the Portuguese Water Dog is widely thought to be the Standard Poodle?

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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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