MSN: These homemade pretzel dogs taste better than anything from the mall WECT: We The People: Local non-profit pairs trained service dogs with veterans for free We The People: Local non-profit pairs trained service dogs with veterans for free Scientific American: Pessimistic Dogs Are Better at Smelling Cancer—And Other Keys to Disease-Sniffing Success Pessimistic Dogs Are Better at Smelling Cancer—And Other Keys to Disease-Sniffing Success The dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of wolves. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. Dogs and the modern gray wolf share a common ancestor.

Understanding the Context

[4] Dogs were the first species to be domesticated over 14,000 years ago, before the development of agriculture, though genetic studies suggest ... As humans became more sophisticated, so did their dogs. Eventually, there emerged specific breeds of dogs, custom-bred to suit the breeders’ local needs and circumstances. What is a dog?

Key Insights

A dog is a domesticated mammal of the family Canidae and the order Carnivora. Its scientific name is Canis lupus familiaris. Dogs are a subspecies of the gray wolf, and they are also related to foxes and jackals. Dogs are one of the two most ubiquitous and most popular domestic animals in the world. (Cats are the other.)