The dog is one of the most popular animals in the world. It was one of the first animals to be domesticated, or trained for use by humans. The dog’s scientific name is Canis familiaris. It is related to the coyote, wolves, foxes, and jackals.
People around the world keep dogs as pets, guards, or work animals. Some dogs, called feral dogs, do not live with people. These homeless dogs often roam around in groups, called packs. One type of dog, called the dingo, lives in the wild in Australia.
The dog is a mammal with sharp teeth, an excellent sense of smell, and a fine sense of hearing. Each of its four legs ends in a foot, or paw, with five toes. Each toe has a soft pad and a claw. A coat of hair keeps the dog warm. It cools off by panting and hanging its tongue out of its mouth.
Apart from these common features, dogs come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. Dogs that have similar sizes, looks, and behaviors make up groups called breeds. There are more than 400 different breeds of dog. (A dog with parents of different breeds is called a mongrel or a mutt.) Some of the most popular breeds are beagles, boxers, bulldogs, collies, dachshunds, Dalmatians, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, pit bull terriers, poodles, pugs, Rottweilers, Scottish terriers, shih tzus, Siberian huskies, and Yorkshire terriers.
Dogs are carnivores, which means that they eat meat. Pet dogs eat dog food made with meat products. Wild dogs hunt animals.
Dogs claim territory and mark it as their own. They do this by urinating and rubbing their scent on things. But dogs also like to be around people and other dogs. People can even train dogs to obey simple commands.
Dogs make many sounds, including barks, howls, and growls. They also use movements to communicate. For example, when a dog wags its tail, it is happy. If it shows its teeth and growls, it is making a threat.
Dogs have been with humans since prehistoric times. The ancient Egyptians thought dogs were holy. The ancient Romans kept watchdogs. In the palaces of ancient China, people kept small dogs in the sleeves of their robes.
Over the years, people developed different breeds of dog for different purposes. Toy dogs, including the poodle and the pug, were meant to be pets. Other dogs were meant to do certain jobs. The cocker spaniel and other sporting dogs helped people to hunt birds. The beagle and other hounds hunted animals. The Siberian husky pulled sleds. Sheepdogs herded farm animals. Terriers caught rodents. Some of these dogs are now mainly pets. Others still do their traditional jobs.
Working dogs do many other jobs today. Some sniff bags in search of explosives or drugs. Others track missing people. Guide dogs help blind people to get around.