Dog

Dog Temporal range: 0.0142–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Late Pleistocene to present[1]
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Canis
Species:	C. familiaris
Binomial name
Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758[2]
Synonyms[3]
List C. aegyptius Linnaeus, 1758 C. alco C. E. H. Smith, 1839, C. americanus Gmelin, 1792 C. anglicus Gmelin, 1792 C. antarcticus Gmelin, 1792 C. aprinus Gmelin, 1792 C. aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758 C. aquatilis Gmelin, 1792 C. avicularis Gmelin, 1792 C. borealis C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. brevipilis Gmelin, 1792 C. cursorius Gmelin, 1792 C. domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 C. extrarius Gmelin, 1792 C. ferus C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. fricator Gmelin, 1792 C. fricatrix Linnaeus, 1758 C. fuillus Gmelin, 1792 C. gallicus Gmelin, 1792 C. glaucus C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. graius Linnaeus, 1758 C. grajus Gmelin, 1792 C. hagenbecki Krumbiegel, 1950 C. haitensis C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. hibernicus Gmelin, 1792 C. hirsutus Gmelin, 1792 C. hybridus Gmelin, 1792 C. islandicus Gmelin, 1792 C. italicus Gmelin, 1792 C. laniarius Gmelin, 1792 C. leoninus Gmelin, 1792 C. leporarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. lupus familiaris Linnaeus,1758 C. major Gmelin, 1792 C. mastinus Linnaeus, 1758 C. melitacus Gmelin, 1792 C. melitaeus Linnaeus, 1758 C. minor Gmelin, 1792 C. molossus Gmelin, 1792 C. mustelinus Linnaeus, 1758 C. obesus Gmelin, 1792 C. orientalis Gmelin, 1792 C. pacificus C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. plancus Gmelin, 1792 C. pomeranus Gmelin, 1792 C. sagaces C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. sanguinarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. sagax Linnaeus, 1758 C. scoticus Gmelin, 1792 C. sibiricus Gmelin, 1792 C. suillus C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. terraenovae C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. terrarius C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. turcicus Gmelin, 1792 C. urcani C. E. H. Smith, 1839 C. variegatus Gmelin, 1792 C. venaticus Gmelin, 1792 C. vertegus Gmelin, 1792

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.^[4]

The dog has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes.^[5] 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".