The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. The dog was the first species to be domesticated by humans, over 14,000 years ago and before the 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 canids.
Dogs have been bred for desired behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Dog breeds 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 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, herding, pulling loads, protection, companionship, therapy, aiding disabled people, and assisting police and the military.
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". (Full article...)
"Water Spaniel" (most widely accepted image of a Tweed Spaniel)
The Tweed Water Spaniel, or Tweed Spaniel, is a breed of dogextinct since the 19th century. It is best known for being involved in the early development of the modern Curly Coated Retriever and Golden Retriever breeds of dogs. They were described as generally brown, athletic dogs from the area around Berwick-upon-Tweed near the River Tweed and close to the Scottish Borders. A type of water dog, the breed was not well known outside the local area. This breed may have been created by crossing local water dogs with imported St. John's water dog, another breed which is also now extinct. (Full article...)
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.
Dog intelligence or dog cognition is the process in dogs of acquiring information and conceptual skills, and storing them in memory, retrieving, combining and comparing them, and using them in new situations.
Studies have shown that dogs display many behaviors associated with intelligence. They have advanced memory skills, and are able to read and react appropriately to human body language such as gesturing and pointing, and to understand human voice commands. Dogs demonstrate a theory of mind by engaging in deception, and self-awareness by detecting their own smell during the "sniff test", a proposed olfactory equivalent to the mirror test. (Full article...)
The following are images from various dog-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1Cart dogs, c. 1900; different in appearance but doing the same work (from Dog type)
Image 2The 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 36Schematic 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 38A drawing by Konrad Lorenz showing facial expressions of a dog - a communication behavior. X-axis is aggression, y-axis is fear. (from Dog behavior)
... that an initial gameplay concept for Diggin' Dogs was "possibly going to be worms eating into a diseased brain", with design input from Edmund McMillen?
... that Ripken wore a GoPro on his back while retrieving used bats and tees at major sporting events?
... that Lixia traditions include weighing people, brewing seven-family tea, and making rice dogs?
...that the Caribou Inuit people are defined by their fur clothing, use of sled dogs and their snowhouses?
...that a legend says that when Philip de Braose irreverently spent the night in a church dedicated to Saint Afan, he was struck blind the next morning and his hunting dogs went mad?
...that the Koitsenko were the honorary elite of the Kiowadog soldiers, who tribal lore says called themselves that because they had dreams or visions of dogs?
...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?
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