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 Pleistocene wolves, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Dogs were the first species to be domesticated by hunter-gatherers over 15,000 years ago 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

Tricolor Beagle

The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, the beagle is the primary breed used as a detection dog for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. The beagle is intelligent and is a popular pet due to its size, good temper, and a lack of inherited health problems.

The modern breed was developed in Great Britain around the 1830s from several breeds, including the Talbot Hound, the North Country Beagle, the Southern Hound, and possibly the Harrier. (Full article...)

List of selected breeds

Selected image

Credit: C. MacMillan

A Border Collie herding sheep. Border Collies can take direction by voice and whistle at long distances when herding. Their great energy and herding instinct are still used to herd all kinds of animals, from the traditional sheep and cattle, free range poultry, and pigs, to deer and ostriches. They are also used to remove unwanted wild birds from airport runways, golf courses, and other public and private areas.

More selected pictures Gallery Read more...

Topics

v t e Dogs
Types	African village dogs Feral dogs Pye-dogs Street dogs Hairless dogs Herding dogs Livestock guardian dogs Hunting dogs Curs Feists Lurchers Gun dogs Pointers Retrievers Setters Spaniels Water dogs Hounds Scenthounds Bassets Coonhounds Foxhounds Sighthounds Longdogs Terriers Bull-type terriers Pinschers Schnauzers Mastiffs Bulldogs Spitz Huskies Laikas Tugous Toy dogs Bichons Turnspit dogs
Breeds	List of breeds List of crossbreeds Mixed-breed dogs Crossbreeds Extinct breeds Most popular
Roles	Assistance dogs Autism dogs Guide dogs Hearing dogs Medical response dogs Seizure dogs Mobility assistance dogs Therapy dogs Psychiatric service dogs Attack dogs Bay dogs Carriage dogs Catch dogs Companion dogs Detection dogs Fighting dogs Guard dogs Lap dogs Meat dogs Mercy dogs Pet dogs Police dogs Search and rescue dogs Sled dogs War dogs
Behavior	Communication Barking Howling Human–canine bond Intelligence Dog–cat relationship
Human–dog interaction	Animal testing Baiting Breed-specific legislation Dog bite Dog fighting Dog park Dog show Human–canine bond Dog sports Dog walking Dog daycare Dog grooming Therapy Fear of dogs Dog licence Dog meat Dog food dog biscuit 2007 recalls Dogs in religion Dogs in space Origin of the domestic dog
Health	Aging (Longest living individual dogs) Anatomy Breeding Coat Conformation Diseases Dog food Odor Rabies in animals Rage syndrome Reproduction Skin disorders Vaccination
Training	Clicker Crate training Training Housebreaking Socialization
Related	List of individual dogs List of fictional dogs
Category Portal

Extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces and types

v t e Primitive dogs
Primitive hounds	Podenco Andaluz Basenji Cirneco dell'Etna Cretan Hound Ibizan Hound Maneto Pampas Deerhound Pharaoh Hound Phu Quoc Ridgeback Podenco Canario Portuguese Podengo Thai Ridgeback Podenco Valenciano
Landrace dogs	Africanis Canaan Dog Carolina Dog Husky Indian pariah dog Laika Lài dog New Guinea singing dog Sinhala Hound Spitz Taiwan Dog Telomian Tugou
Wild dogs	Dingo
Hairless breeds	African hairless dog Argentine Pila Chinese Crested Dog Peruvian Inca Orchid Xoloitzcuintle
Extinct breeds	Chiribaya Dog Hawaiian Poi Dog Kurī Marquesan Dog Polynesian Dog Tahitian Dog Tesem

Herding and droving dogs

v t e Gundogs
Pointers and setters	Ariège Pointer Burgos Pointer Blue Picardy Spaniel Bracco Italiano Braque d'Auvergne Braque du Bourbonnais Braque Français Braque Saint-Germain Brittany Burgos Pointer Ca Mè Mallorquí Cesky Fousek Drentse Patrijshond English Setter French Spaniel German Longhaired Pointer German Roughhaired Pointer German Shorthaired Pointer German Wirehaired Pointer Gordon Setter Irish Red and White Setter Irish Setter Large Münsterländer Old Danish Pointer Pachón Navarro Picardy Spaniel Perdigueiro Galego Pointer Portuguese Pointer Pudelpointer Saint-Usuge Spaniel Slovakian Roughhaired Pointer Small Münsterländer Spinone Italiano Stabyhoun Vizsla Weimaraner Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Wirehaired Vizsla
Retrievers	Chesapeake Bay Retriever Curly-coated Retriever Flat-coated Retriever Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Spaniels	American Cocker Spaniel Boykin Spaniel Clumber Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel English Springer Spaniel Field Spaniel German Spaniel Kooikerhondje Pont-Audemer Spaniel Russian Spaniel Sussex Spaniel Welsh Springer Spaniel
Water dogs	American Water Spaniel Barbet Cantabrian Water Dog Irish Water Spaniel Lagotto Romagnolo Poodle Portuguese Water Dog Spanish Water Dog Wetterhoun
Extinct breeds	Braque Dupuy English Water Spaniel Norfolk Spaniel Old Spanish Pointer Tweed Water Spaniel

Livestock guardian dogs

† = Descended from and closely related to livestock guardian dogs, but traditionally used in other roles

Selected article - show another

The Polynesian Dog refers to a few extinct varieties of domesticated dogs from the islands of Polynesia. These dogs were used for both companionship and food and were introduced alongside poultry and pigs to various islands. They became extinct as a result of the crossbreeding that occurred after European breeds of dogs were introduced. Modern studies done on the DNA of the Polynesian dogs indicate that they descended from the domesticated dogs of Southeast Asia and may have shared a remote ancestor with the dingo. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images - load new batch

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

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

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

... that Ladoga Skerries National Park in Russia has more than 350 species of various liverworts, hornworts and mosses?
... that Kangal shepherd dogs can gall cyclists in Turkey?
... that artist Frances C. Fairman painted portraits of Queen Victoria's dogs by royal command?
... that it is popularly believed that the Pointer descends from Old Spanish Pointers introduced to England in 1713 by soldiers returning from Spain after the Peace of Utrecht?
... that Pyrenean Mountain Dogs were urgently introduced onto French farms in the 1990s to protect flocks from wolves that had arrived from Italy?
... that the private members' club George has a bespoke menu for pet dogs?

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 Adolf Hitler owned a German Shepherd named Blondi, and was so fond of her that he allowed her to sleep in his bedroom?
...that the most common breeds for use as guide dogs are Labrador and Golden Retrievers?
...that Ashley Whippet became the first disc dog on August 4, 1974?
...that Marie Antoinette supposedly walked to the guillotine with her pet Papillon under her arm?

More did you know facts

List articles

Subcategories

Category puzzle

Select [►] to view subcategories

Dogs

Dogs in human culture

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.
Note Vital article recognition is slightly busted right now, but it will be fixed shortly.