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98-557: The Dog ( 狗 ) is eleventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar . The Year of the Dog is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 戌 . The character 狗 , also refers to the actual animal while 戌 , also refers to the zodiac animal. People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of
196-404: A "difference in motivation" between wolves and dogs. Some puppies and dogs engage in coprophagy out of habit, stress, for attention, or boredom; most of them will not do it later in life. A study hypothesizes that the behavior was inherited from wolves, a behavior likely evolved to lessen the presence of intestinal parasites in dens. Most dogs can swim. In a study of 412 dogs, around 36.5% of
294-486: A "smaller variety" of wolf to those of Europe, and noting how the name Lykopolis , the Ancient Egyptian city dedicated to Anubis , means "city of the wolf". The African wolf was first recognised as being a separate species from the golden jackal by Frédéric Cuvier in 1820, who described it as being a more elegant animal, with a more melodic voice and a less strong odour. The binomial name he chose for it
392-554: A 19th-century captive crossbreeding experiment. Further studies demonstrated that it is the descendant of a genetically admixed canid of 72% gray wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry. It plays a prominent role in some African cultures; it was considered sacred in ancient Egypt , particularly in Lycopolis , where it was venerated as a god. In North African folklore, it is viewed as an untrustworthy animal whose body parts can be used for medicinal or ritualistic purposes, while it
490-468: A 2024 UK study analyzing 584,734 dogs, it was concluded that purebred dogs lived longer than crossbred dogs, challenging the previous notion of the latter having the higher life expectancies. The authors noted that their study included " designer dogs " as crossbred and that purebred dogs were typically given better care than their crossbred counterparts, which likely influenced the outcome of the study. Other studies also show that fully mongrel dogs live about
588-464: A 6,000 km wide area, encompassing Algeria, Mali and Senegal. Furthermore, the sampled African specimens displayed much more nucleotide and haplotype diversity than that present in Indian and Himalayan wolves, thus indicating a larger ancestral population, and an effective extant population of around 80,000 females. Both these studies proposed reclassifying Canis aureus lupaster as a subspecies of
686-471: A certain work or role. Their behavioural traits include guarding, herding, hunting, retrieving, and scent detection. Their personality traits include hypersocial behavior, boldness, and aggression. Present-day dogs are dispersed around the world. An example of this dispersal is the numerous modern breeds of European lineage during the Victorian era. Dogs are extremely variable in size, ranging from one of
784-644: A control method for overpopulation. Neutering often occurs as early as 6–14 weeks in shelters in the US. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) advises that dogs not intended for further breeding should be neutered so that they do not have undesired puppies that may later be euthanized. However, the Society for Theriogenology and the American College of Theriogenologists made
882-636: A joint statement that opposes mandatory neutering; they said that the cause of overpopulation in the US is cultural. Neutering is less common in most European countries, especially in Nordic countries —except for the UK, where it is common. In Norway, neutering is illegal unless for the benefit of the animal's health (e.g., ovariohysterectomy in case of ovarian or uterine neoplasia). Some European countries have similar laws to Norway, but their wording either explicitly allows for neutering for controlling reproduction or it
980-442: A large carcass. The pair patrols and marks its territory in tandem. Both partners and helpers will react aggressively towards intruders, though the greatest aggression is reserved for intruders of the same sex; pair members do not assist each other in repelling intruders of the opposite sex. The African wolf's courtship rituals are remarkably long, during which the breeding pair remains almost constantly together. Prior to mating,
1078-499: A natural instinct called prey drive (the term is chiefly used to describe training dogs ' habits) which can be influenced by breeding. These instincts can drive dogs to consider objects or other animals to be prey or drive possessive behavior. These traits have been enhanced in some breeds so that they may be used to hunt and kill vermin or other pests. Puppies or dogs sometimes bury food underground . One study found that wolves outperformed dogs in finding food caches, likely due to
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#17327728824501176-401: A north–south position in calm magnetic field conditions. Dogs' vision is dichromatic ; their visual world consists of yellows, blues, and grays. They have difficulty differentiating between red and green, and much like other mammals, the dog's eye is composed of two types of cone cells compared to the human's three. The divergence of the eye axis of dogs ranges from 12 to 25°, depending on
1274-494: A set of social-cognitive abilities in domestic dogs that are not possessed by the dog's canine relatives or other highly intelligent mammals, such as great apes , are parallel to children's social-cognitive skills. Most domestic animals were initially bred for the production of goods. Dogs, on the other hand, were selectively bred for desirable behavioral traits. In 2016, a study found that only 11 fixed genes showed variation between wolves and dogs. These gene variations indicate
1372-458: A study of Boxer litters, 22% of puppies died before reaching 7 weeks of age. Stillbirth was the most frequent cause of death, followed by infection. Mortality due to infection increased significantly with increases in inbreeding. Dog behavior has been shaped by millennia of contact with humans. They have acquired the ability to understand and communicate with humans and are uniquely attuned to human behaviors. Behavioral scientists suggest that
1470-608: A study of mitochondrial DNA , X-chromosome (maternal lineage) markers and Y-chromosome (male lineage) markers found that the Himalayan wolf is genetically basal to the Holarctic gray wolf. The Himalayan wolf shares a maternal lineage with the African wolf, and possesses a unique paternal lineage that falls between the gray wolf and the African wolf. Although in the past several attempts have been made to synonymise many of
1568-536: A study of seven dog breeds (the Bernese Mountain Dog , Basset Hound , Cairn Terrier , Brittany , German Shepherd Dog , Leonberger , and West Highland White Terrier ), it was found that inbreeding decreases litter size and survival. Another analysis of data on 42,855 Dachshund litters found that as the inbreeding coefficient increased, litter size decreased and the percentage of stillborn puppies increased, thus indicating inbreeding depression. In
1666-463: A workshop hosted by the IUCN /SSC Canid Specialist Group recommended that because the specimen identified as Canis anthus Cuvier, 1820 was uncertain, the species should be known as Canis lupaster Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1832 until Canis anthus can be validated. In 2018, whole genome sequencing was used to compare members of the genus Canis . The study supports the African wolf being distinct from
1764-648: A workshop hosted by the IUCN /Species Survival Commission's Canid Specialist Group considered the dingo and the New Guinea singing dog to be feral Canis familiaris . Therefore, it did not assess them for the IUCN Red List of threatened species . The earliest remains generally accepted to be those of a domesticated dog were discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel , Germany. Contextual , isotopic , genetic , and morphological evidence shows that this dog
1862-548: A year longer on average than dogs with pedigrees. Furthermore, small dogs with longer muzzles have been shown to have higher lifespans than larger medium-sized dogs with much more depressed muzzles. For free-ranging dogs, less than 1 in 5 reach sexual maturity, and the median life expectancy for feral dogs is less than half of dogs living with humans. In domestic dogs, sexual maturity happens around six months to one year for both males and females, although this can be delayed until up to two years of age for some large breeds. This
1960-405: Is a domestic animal that likely travelled a commensal pathway into domestication (i.e. humans initially neither benefitted nor were harmed by wild dogs eating refuse from their camps). The questions of when and where dogs were first domesticated remains uncertain. Genetic studies suggest a domestication process commencing over 25,000 years ago, in one or several wolf populations in either Europe,
2058-610: Is a nice question whether the Common Jackal of North Africa should or should not be regarded as of the same species [as the golden jackal] ... Certainly the differences of coloration which exist between these forms are not nearly so great as those which are to be found to occur between the different local varieties of C. lupus . We are nevertheless inclined ... to keep the North-African and Indian Jackals distinct ... The reason why we prefer to keep them provisionally distinct
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#17327728824502156-653: Is a notable genus with 5 species in which dogs are the definitive host . Additionally, dogs are a source of zoonoses for humans. They are responsible for 99% of rabies cases worldwide; however, in some developed countries such as the UK, rabies is absent from dogs and is instead only transmitted by bats. Other common zoonoses are hydatid disease , leptospirosis , pasteurellosis , ringworm , and toxocariasis . Common infections in dogs include canine adenovirus , canine distemper virus , canine parvovirus , leptospirosis , canine influenza , and canine coronavirus . All of these conditions have vaccines available. Dogs are
2254-432: Is allowed in practice or by contradiction through other laws. Italy and Portugal have passed recent laws that promote it. Germany forbids early age neutering, but neutering is still allowed at the usual age. In Romania, neutering is mandatory except for when a pedigree to select breeds can be shown. A common breeding practice for pet dogs is to mate them between close relatives (e.g., between half- and full-siblings). In
2352-468: Is associated with impulsive behaviors , anxiety behaviors, and fear of unfamiliar noise, people, or animals. Some dog breeds are hairless, while others have a very thick corded coat. The coats of certain breeds are often groomed to a characteristic style, for example, the Yorkshire Terrier 's "show cut". A dog's dewclaw is the fifth digit in its forelimb and hind legs. Dewclaws on
2450-700: Is closely related to the ancestor of domestic dogs. In 2018, a study identified 429 genes that differed between modern dogs and modern wolves. As the differences in these genes could also be found in ancient dog fossils, these were regarded as being the result of the initial domestication and not from recent breed formation. These genes are linked to neural crest and central nervous system development. These genes affect embryogenesis and can confer tameness, smaller jaws, floppy ears, and diminished craniofacial development, which distinguish domesticated dogs from wolves and are considered to reflect domestication syndrome. The study concluded that during early dog domestication,
2548-423: Is dominated by a large visual cortex , the dog brain is dominated by a large olfactory cortex . Dogs have roughly forty times more smell-sensitive receptors than humans, ranging from about 125 million to nearly 300 million in some dog breeds, such as bloodhounds . This sense of smell is the most prominent sense of the species; it detects chemical changes in the environment, allowing dogs to pinpoint
2646-412: Is extremely flexible, varying according to the availability and distribution of food. The basic social unit is a breeding pair , followed by its current offspring, or offspring from previous litters staying as "helpers". Large groups are rare, and have only been recorded to occur in areas with abundant human waste. Family relationships among African wolves are comparatively peaceful in relation to those of
2744-484: Is held in high esteem in Senegal's Serer religion as being the first creature to be created by the god Roog . The taxon is known under the following names: African wolf , African golden wolf , golden wolf , African golden jackal , North African jackal , African jackal , gray jackal , wolf jackal , jackal wolf , Egyptian wolf , Egyptian jackal . Local and indigenous names: The African wolf
2842-424: Is intermediate in size between the African jackals ( L. mesomelas and L. adusta ) and the small subspecies of gray wolves, with both sexes weighing 7–15 kg (15–33 lb), and standing 40 cm in height. There is however a high degree of size variation geographically, with Western and Northern African specimens being larger than their East African cousins. It has a relatively long snout and ears, while
2940-531: Is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List . In the Middle Atlas in Morocco , it was sighted in elevations as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft). It is primarily a predator of invertebrates and mammals as large as gazelle fawns, though larger animals are sometimes taken. Its diet also includes animal carcasses, human refuse, and fruit. They are monogamous and territorial; offspring remain with
3038-461: Is not found in any other canid . In the 2005 edition of Mammal Species of the World , mammalogist W. Christopher Wozencraft listed the wolf as a wild subspecies of Canis lupus and proposed two additional subspecies: familiaris , as named by Linnaeus in 1758, and dingo , named by Meyer in 1793. Wozencraft included hallstromi (the New Guinea singing dog) as another name ( junior synonym ) for
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3136-666: Is opposed by many veterinary and animal welfare organisations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the British Veterinary Association . Evidence from veterinary practices and questionnaires showed that around 500 dogs would need to have their tail docked to prevent one injury. Numerous disorders have been known to affect dogs. Some are congenital and others are acquired. Dogs can acquire upper respiratory tract diseases including diseases that affect
3234-753: Is significant divergence in terms of skull shape between types. The three basic skull shapes are the elongated dolichocephalic type as seen in sighthounds , the intermediate mesocephalic or mesaticephalic type, and the very short and broad brachycephalic type exemplified by mastiff type skulls. The jaw contains around 42 teeth, and it has evolved for the consumption of flesh. Dogs use their carnassial teeth to cut food into bite-sized chunks, more especially meat. Dogs' senses include vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and magnetoreception . One study suggests that dogs can feel small variations in Earth's magnetic field . Dogs prefer to defecate with their spines aligned in
3332-430: Is that though the difference between the two forms (African and Indian) is slight as regards coloration, yet it appears to be a very constant one. Out of seventeen skins of the Indian form, we have only found one which is wanting in the main characteristic as to difference of hue. The ears also are relatively shorter than in the North-African form. But there is another character to which we attach greater weight. However much
3430-442: Is the terminal appendage of the vertebral column , which is made up of a string of 5 to 23 vertebrae enclosed in muscles and skin that support the dog's back extensor muscles. One of the primary functions of a dog's tail is to communicate their emotional state. The tail also helps the dog maintain balance by putting its weight on the opposite side of the dog's tilt, and it can also help the dog spread its anal gland 's scent through
3528-404: Is the time at which female dogs will have their first estrous cycle , characterized by their vulvas swelling and producing discharges , usually lasting between 4 and 20 days. They will experience subsequent estrous cycles semiannually, during which the body prepares for pregnancy . At the peak of the cycle, females will become estrous, mentally and physically receptive to copulation . Because
3626-837: Is well adapted for running; the vertebrae on the neck and back have extensions for back muscles, consisting of epaxial muscles and hypaxial muscles , to connect to; the long ribs provide room for the heart and lungs ; and the shoulders are unattached to the skeleton, allowing for flexibility. Compared to the dog's wolf-like ancestors, selective breeding since domestication has seen the dog's skeleton increase in size for larger types such as mastiffs and miniaturised for smaller types such as terriers ; dwarfism has been selectively bred for some types where short legs are preferred, such as dachshunds and corgis . Most dogs naturally have 26 vertebrae in their tails, but some with naturally short tails have as few as three. The dog's skull has identical components regardless of breed type, but there
3724-504: The Late Pleistocene . DNA sequences show that all ancient and modern dogs share a common ancestry and descended from an ancient, extinct wolf population that was distinct from any modern wolf lineage. Some studies have posited that all living wolves are more closely related to each other than to dogs, while others have suggested that dogs are more closely related to modern Eurasian wolves than to American wolves. The dog
3822-511: The binomial name Canis lupaster in 1832. Likewise, T.H. Huxley , upon noting the similarities between the skulls of lupaster and Indian wolves , classed the animal as a subspecies of the gray wolf. However, the animal was subsequently synonymised with the golden jackal by Ernst Schwarz in 1926. In 1965, the Finnish paleontologist Björn Kurtén wrote: The taxonomy of the Jackals in
3920-488: The black-backed jackal ; although the sexual and territorial behavior of grown pups is suppressed by the breeding pair, they are not actively driven off once they attain adulthood. African wolves also lie together and groom each other much more frequently than black-backed jackals. In the Serengeti, pairs defend permanent territories encompassing 2–4 km , and will vacate their territories only to drink or when lured by
4018-408: The development of agriculture . Experts estimate that 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
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4116-568: The golden jackal (particularly in East Africa), the African wolf has a more pointed muzzle and sharper, more robust teeth. The ears are longer in the African wolf, and the skull has a more elevated forehead. Aristotle wrote of wolves living in Egypt, mentioning that they were smaller than the Greek kind. Georg Ebers wrote of the wolf being among the sacred animals of Egypt, describing it as
4214-479: 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 ". The global dog population is estimated at 700 million to 1 billion, distributed around the world . The dog is the most popular pet in the United States, present in 34–40% of households. In developed countries, around 20% of dogs are kept as pets, while 75% of
4312-406: The mammary glands , ovaries , and other reproductive organs . However, neutering increases the risk of urinary incontinence in bitches, prostate cancer in dogs, and osteosarcoma , hemangiosarcoma , cruciate ligament rupture , pyometra , obesity , and diabetes mellitus in either sex. Neutering is the most common surgical procedure in dogs less than a year old in the US and is seen as
4410-468: 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 became uniquely adapted to human behavior; this adaptation includes being able to understand and communicate with humans. As such,
4508-1166: The nasal cavity , the larynx , and the trachea ; lower respiratory tract diseases which includes pulmonary disease and acute respiratory diseases; heart diseases which includes any cardiovascular inflammation or dysfunction of the heart; haemopoietic diseases including anaemia and clotting disorders ; gastrointestinal disease such as diarrhoea and gastric dilatation volvulus ; hepatic disease such as portosystemic shunts and liver failure ; pancreatic disease such as pancreatitis ; renal disease ; lower urinary tract disease such as cystitis and urolithiasis ; endocrine disorders such as diabetes mellitus , Cushing's syndrome , hypoadrenocorticism , and hypothyroidism ; nervous system diseases such as seizures and spinal injury ; musculoskeletal disease such as arthritis and myopathies ; dermatological disorders such as alopecia and pyoderma ; ophthalmological diseases such as conjunctivitis , glaucoma , entropion , and progressive retinal atrophy ; and neoplasia . Common dog parasites are lice , fleas , fly larvae , ticks , mites , cestodes , nematodes , and coccidia . Taenia
4606-473: The ova survive and can be fertilized for a week after ovulation, more than one male can sire the same litter. Fertilization typically occurs two to five days after ovulation. After ejaculation , the dogs are coitally tied for around 5–30 minutes because of the male's bulbus glandis swelling and the female's constrictor vestibuli contracting; the male will continue ejaculating until they untie naturally due to muscle relaxation . 14–16 days after ovulation,
4704-464: The Americas, Europe and Oceania. Dog The dog ( Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris ) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf . Also called the domestic dog , it was selectively bred from an extinct 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
4802-495: The Dog", while also bearing the following elemental sign: In the sexagenary cycle , 2018 (16 February 2018–4 February 2019, and every 60-year multiple before and after), is the Celestial stem / Earthly Branch year indicated by the characters 戊戌 . For the 2018 Year of the Dog, many countries and regions issued lunar new year stamps . These included countries where the holiday is traditionally observed as well as countries in
4900-548: The Near East is still a matter of dispute. On the basis of skeletal material, however, it can be stated that the Wolf Jackal is specifically distinct from the much smaller Golden Jackal. In 1981, zoologist Walter Ferguson argued in favor of lupaster being a subspecies of the gray wolf based on cranial measurements, stating that the classing of the animal as a jackal was based solely on the animal's small size, and predated
4998-582: The Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus assigned the genus name Canis (which is the Latin word for "dog") to the domestic dog, the wolf , and the golden jackal in his book, Systema Naturae . He classified the domestic dog as Canis familiaris and, on the next page, classified the grey wolf as Canis lupus . Linnaeus considered the dog to be a separate species from the wolf because of its upturning tail ( cauda recurvata in Latin term), which
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#17327728824505096-450: The animal, and referred to it as wucharia (wolf). The animal's wolf-like qualities were confirmed in 2011, when several golden "jackal" populations in Egypt and the Horn of Africa classed as Canis aureus lupaster were found to have mtDNA sequences more closely resembling those found in gray wolves than those of golden jackals. These wolf-like mtDNA sequences were found to occur over
5194-408: The birth of five pups, three of which died before weaning. The two survivors were noted to never play with each other, and had completely contrasting temperaments: One pup inherited the golden jackal's shyness, while the other was affectionate toward its human captors. English biologist G.J. Mivart emphasized the differences between the African wolf and the golden jackal in his writings: ... it
5292-399: The breed, which can have different retina configurations. The fovea centralis area of the eye is attached to a nerve fiber , and is the most sensitive to photons . Additionally, a study found that dogs' visual acuity was up to eight times less effective than a human, and their ability to discriminate levels of brightness was about two times worse than a human. While the human brain
5390-407: The cause and vice versa. The typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but the median longevity (the age at which half the dogs in a population have died and half are still alive) is approximately 12.7 years. Obesity correlates negatively with longevity with one study finding obese dogs to have a life expectancy approximately a year and a half less than dogs with a healthy weight. In
5488-835: The companion animal most frequently reported for exposure to toxins . Most poisonings are accidental and over 80% of reports of exposure to the ASPCA animal poisoning hotline are due to oral exposure. The most common substances people report exposure to are: pharmaceuticals, toxic foods, and rodenticides . Data from the Pet Poison Helpline shows that human drugs are the most frequent cause of toxicosis death. The most common household products ingested are cleaning products. Most food related poisonings involved theobromine poisoning (chocolate). Other common food poisonings include xylitol , Vitis (grapes, raisins, etc.) and Allium (garlic, oninions, etc.). Pyrethrin insecticides were
5586-1217: The continent preventing gene flow , brings into question the validity of some of the West African forms. However, a study showed that the genetic divergence of all of the African wolves occurred between 50,000 and 10,500 years ago, with most occurring between 30,000 and 16,000 years ago during the Late Glacial Maximum (33,000–16,000 years ago). There were very dry conditions across the Sahara during this period. The study proposes that these wolves were isolated in refugia and therefore isolated for hundreds of generations, leading to genetic divergence. [REDACTED] grayi (Hilzheimer, 1906) tripolitanus (Wagner, 1841) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] C. lupus lupaster C. lupaster C. sacer (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833) mengesi (Noack, 1897) somalicus (Lorenz, 1906) [REDACTED] nubianus (Cabrera, 1921) thooides (Hilzheimer, 1906) variegatus (Cretzschmar, 1826) The African wolf's social organisation
5684-534: The different races of Wolves differ in size, we have not succeeded in finding any constant distinctive characters in the form of the skull or the proportions of the lobes of any of the teeth. So far as we have been able to observe, such differences do exist between the Indian and North-African Jackals. The canids present in Egypt in particular were noted to be so much more gray wolf-like than populations elsewhere in Africa that W.F. Hemprich and C.G. Ehrenberg gave them
5782-537: The dingo. This classification was informed by a 1999 mitochondrial DNA study. The classification of dingoes is disputed and a political issue in Australia. Classifying dingoes as wild dogs simplifies reducing or controlling dingo populations that threaten livestock. Treating dingoes as a separate species allows conservation programs to protect the dingo population. Dingo classification affects wildlife management policies, legislation, and societal attitudes. In 2019,
5880-474: The disappearance of the holotype's remains, led to the scientists proposing giving priority to Hemprich and Ehrenberg 's name C. lupaster , due to the type specimen having a more detailed and consistent description, and its remains being still examinable at the Museum für Naturkunde . The following year, a major genetic study of Canis species also referred to the African wolf as Canis lupaster . In 2019,
5978-568: The discovery of C. l. arabs , which is intermediate in size between C. l. lupus and lupaster . Domestic dog [REDACTED] Gray wolf [REDACTED] Coyote [REDACTED] African wolf: northwestern Africa [REDACTED] African wolf: eastern Africa [REDACTED] Golden jackal [REDACTED] Ethiopian wolf [REDACTED] Dhole [REDACTED] African wild dog [REDACTED] Side-striped jackal [REDACTED] Black-backed jackal [REDACTED] Further doubts over its being conspecific with
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#17327728824506076-489: The dogs could not swim; the other 63.5% were able to swim without a trainer in a swimming pool . A study of 55 dogs found a correlation between swimming and 'improvement' of the hip osteoarthritis joint . The female dog may produce colostrum , a type of milk high in nutrients and antibodies, 1–7 days before giving birth. Milk production lasts for around three months, and increases with litter size. The dog can sometimes vomit and refuse food during child contractions . In
6174-572: The eastern population being distinct from the northwestern population. The common ancestor of both African wolf populations was a genetically admixed canid of 72% gray wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry. There is evidence of gene flow between African wolves, golden jackals, and gray wolves. One African wolf from the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula showed high admixture with the Middle Eastern gray wolves and dogs, highlighting
6272-597: The embryo attaches to the uterus , and after seven to eight more days, a heartbeat is detectable. Dogs bear their litters roughly 58 to 68 days after fertilization , with an average of 63 days, although the length of gestation can vary. An average litter consists of about six puppies . Neutering is the sterilization of animals via gonadectomy , which is an orchidectomy (castration) in dogs and ovariohysterectomy (spay) in bitches. Neutering reduces problems caused by hypersexuality , especially in male dogs. Spayed females are less likely to develop cancers affecting
6370-490: The end of estrus, the pair drifts apart, with the female often approaching the male in a comparatively more submissive manner. In anticipation of the role he will take in raising pups, the male regurgitates or surrenders any food he has to the female. In the Serengeti, pups are born in December–January, and begin eating solid food after a month. Weaning starts at the age of two months, and ends at four months. At this stage,
6468-604: The expense of problem-solving ability . In a 2023 study of 58 dogs, some dogs classified as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -like showed lower serotonin and dopamine concentrations. A similar study claims that hyperactivity is more common in male and young dogs. A dog can become aggressive because of trauma or abuse, fear or anxiety, territorial protection, or protecting an item it considers valuable. Acute stress reactions from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seen in dogs can evolve into chronic stress . Police dogs with PTSD can often refuse to work. Dogs have
6566-533: The family Canidae . They are classified as a subspecies of Canis lupus , along with wolves and dingoes . Dogs were domesticated from wolves over 14,000 years ago by hunter-gatherers , before the development of agriculture. The dingo and the related New Guinea singing dog resulted from the geographic isolation and feralization of dogs in Oceania over 8,000 years ago. Dogs, wolves, and dingoes have sometimes been classified as separate species. In 1758,
6664-449: The forelimbs are attached by bone and ligament, while the dewclaws on the hind legs are attached only by skin. Most dogs aren't born with dewclaws in their hind legs, and some are without them in their forelimbs. Dogs' dewclaws consist of the proximal phalanges and distal phalanges . Some publications theorize that dewclaws in wolves, who usually do not have dewclaws, were a sign of hybridization with dogs. A dog's tail
6762-649: The golden jackal of Eurasia arose in December 2002, when a canid was sighted in Eritrea 's Danakil Desert whose appearance did not correspond to that of the golden jackal or the six other recognized species of the area, but strongly resembled that of the gray wolf. The area had previously been largely unexplored because of its harsh climate and embroilment in the Eritrean War of Independence and subsequent Eritrean–Ethiopian War , though local Afar tribesmen knew of
6860-534: The golden jackal, and with the Ethiopian wolf being genetically basal to both. Two genetically distinct African wolf populations exist in northwestern and eastern Africa. This suggests that Ethiopian wolves – or a close and extinct relative – once had a much larger range within Africa to admix with other canids. There is evidence of gene flow between the eastern population and the Ethiopian wolf, which has led to
6958-441: The gray wolf. In 2015, a more thorough comparative study of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes on a larger sample of wolf-like African canids from northern, eastern and western Africa showed that they were in fact all distinct from the golden jackal, with a genetic divergence of around 6.7%, which is greater than that between gray wolves and coyotes (4%) and that between gray wolves and domestic dogs (0.2%). Furthermore,
7056-453: The high Arctic, or eastern Asia. In 2021, a literature review of the current evidence infers that the dog was domesticated in Siberia 23,000 years ago by ancient North Siberians , then later dispersed eastward into the Americas and westward across Eurasia, with dogs likely accompanying the first humans to inhabit the Americas. Some studies have suggested that the extinct Japanese wolf
7154-458: The initial selection was for behavior. This trait is influenced by those genes which act in the neural crest, which led to the phenotypes observed in modern dogs. There are around 450 official dog breeds , the most of any mammal. Dogs began diversifying in the Victorian era , when humans took control of their natural selection. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within
7252-580: The largest breeds, the Great Dane , at 50 to 79 kg (110 to 174 lb) and 71 to 81 cm (28 to 32 in), to one of the smallest, the Chihuahua , at 0.5 to 3 kg (1.1 to 6.6 lb) and 13 to 20 cm (5.1 to 7.9 in). All healthy dogs, regardless of their size and type, have the same amount of bones (with the exception of the tail), although there is significant skeletal variation between dogs of different types. The dog's skeleton
7350-509: The last 200 years. Since then, dogs have undergone rapid phenotypic change and have been subjected to artificial selection by humans. The skull, body, and limb proportions between breeds display more phenotypic diversity than can be found within the entire order of carnivores . These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, and colour. As such, humans have long used dogs for their desirable traits to complete or fulfill
7448-449: The later stages of the dog's pregnancy, nesting behaviour may occur. Puppies are born with a protective fetal membrane that the mother usually removes shortly after birth. Dogs can have the maternal instincts to start grooming their puppies, consume their puppies' feces, and protect their puppies, likely due to their hormonal state. While male-parent dogs can show more disinterested behaviour toward their own puppies, most can play with
7546-545: The litter unprotected. The African wolf's life centers around a home burrow, which usually consists of an abandoned and modified aardvark or warthog earth. The interior structure of this burrow is poorly understood, though it is thought to consist of a single central chamber with 2–3 escape routes. The home burrow can be located in both secluded areas or surprisingly near the dens of other predators. African wolves frequently groom one another, particularly during courtship, during which it can last up to 30 minutes. Nibbling of
7644-579: The location of mating partners, potential stressors, resources, etc. Dogs also have an acute sense of hearing up to four times greater than that of humans. They can pick up the slightest sounds from about 400 m (1,300 ft) compared to 90 m (300 ft) for humans. Dogs have stiff, deeply embedded hairs known as whiskers that sense atmospheric changes, vibrations, and objects not visible in low light conditions. The lower most part of whiskers hold more receptor cells than other hair types, which help in alerting dogs of objects that could collide with
7742-472: The most common cause of pesticide poisoning. Metaldehyde a common pesticide for snails and slugs typically causes severe outcomes when ingested by dogs. Neoplasia is the most common cause of death for dogs. Other common causes of death are heart and renal failure . Their pathology is similar to that of humans, as is their response to treatment and their outcomes. Genes found in humans to be responsible for disorders are investigated in dogs as being
7840-497: The nose, ears, and jaw. Whiskers likely also facilitate the movement of food towards the mouth. The coats of domestic dogs are of two varieties: "double" being common in dogs (as well as wolves) originating from colder climates, made up of a coarse guard hair and a soft down hair , or "single", with the topcoat only. Breeds may have an occasional "blaze", stripe, or "star" of white fur on their chest or underside. Premature graying can occur in dogs as early as one year of age; this
7938-661: The occurrence of artificial selection and the subsequent divergence of behavior and anatomical features. These genes have been shown to affect the catecholamine synthesis pathway, with the majority of the genes affecting the fight-or-flight response (i.e., selection for tameness ) and emotional processing. Compared to their wolf counterparts, dogs tend to be less timid and less aggressive, though some of these genes have been associated with aggression in certain dog breeds. Traits of high sociability and lack of fear in dogs may include genetic modifications related to Williams-Beuren syndrome in humans, which cause hypersociability at
8036-514: The pair patrols and scent marks its territory. Copulation is preceded by the female holding her tail out and angled in such a way that her genitalia are exposed. The two approach each other, whimpering, lifting their tails and bristling their fur, displaying varying intensities of offensive and defensive behavior. The female sniffs and licks the male's genitals, whilst the male nuzzles the female's fur. They may circle each other and fight briefly. The copulatory tie lasts roughly four minutes. Towards
8134-551: The parents to assist in raising their parents' younger pups. The African wolf was previously classified as an African variant of the golden jackal , though a series of analyses on the species' mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genome in 2015 demonstrated that it is a distinct species more closely related to the gray wolf and coyote . It is nonetheless still close enough to the golden jackal to produce hybrid offspring , as indicated through genetic tests on jackals in Israel, and
8232-445: The population in developing countries largely consists of feral and community dogs. Gray wolf (domestic dog) [REDACTED] Coyote [REDACTED] African wolf [REDACTED] Ethiopian wolf [REDACTED] Golden jackal [REDACTED] Dhole [REDACTED] African wild dog [REDACTED] Side-striped jackal [REDACTED] Black-backed jackal [REDACTED] Dogs are domesticated members of
8330-497: The presence of a hybrid zone. The study's findings were corroborated that same year by Spanish, Mexican and Moroccan scientists analyzing the mtDNA of wolves in Morocco, who found that the specimens analyzed were distinct from both golden jackals and gray wolves but bore a closer relationship to the latter. Studies on RAD sequences found instances of African wolves hybridizing with both feral dogs and Ethiopian wolves. In 2017, it
8428-430: The proposed names, the taxonomic position of West African wolves, in particular, is too confused to come to any precise conclusion, as the collected study materials are few. Prior to 1840, six of the 10 supposed West African subspecies were named or classed almost entirely because of their fur color. The species' display of high individual variation, coupled with the scarcity of samples and the lack of physical barriers on
8526-403: The pups are semi-independent, venturing up to 50 meters from the den, even sleeping in the open. Their playing behavior becomes increasingly more aggressive, with the pups competing for rank, which is established after six months. The female feeds the pups more frequently than the male or helpers do, though the presence of the latter allows the breeding pair to leave the den and hunt without leaving
8624-407: The right side". Dogs can injure themselves by wagging their tails forcefully; this condition is called kennel tail , happy tail , bleeding tail , or splitting tail . In some hunting dogs , the tail is traditionally docked to avoid injuries. Some dogs can be born without tails because of a DNA variant in the T gene , which can also result in a congenitally short (bobtail) tail. Tail docking
8722-470: The role of the land bridge between the African and other continents in canid evolution. African wolves form a sister clade to Middle Eastern gray wolves based on mitochondrial DNA, but to coyotes and gray wolves based on nuclear DNA. Between 2011 and 2015, two mtDNA studies found that the Himalayan wolf and Indian wolf were closer to the African wolf than they were to the Holarctic gray wolf. In 2017,
8820-414: The study showed that these African wolf-like canids (renamed Canis lupaster , or African wolves) were more closely related to gray wolves and coyotes than to golden jackals, and that C. l. lupaster merely represents a distinct phenotype of the African wolf rather than an actual gray wolf. The phylogenetic tree below is based on nuclear sequences: It was estimated that the African wolf diverged from
8918-428: The tail is comparatively short, measuring 20 cm in length. Fur color varies individually, seasonally and geographically, though the typical coloration is yellowish to silvery grey, with slightly reddish limbs and black speckling on the tail and shoulders. The throat, abdomen and facial markings are usually white, and the eyes are amber-colored. Females bear two to four pairs of teats. Although superficially similar to
9016-644: The tail's position and movement. Dogs can have a violet gland (or supracaudal gland) characterized by sebaceous glands on the dorsal surface of their tails; in some breeds, it may be vestigial or absent. The enlargement of the violet gland in the tail, which can create a bald spot from hair loss , can be caused by Cushing's disease or an excess of sebum from androgens in the sebaceous glands. A study suggests that dogs show asymmetric tail-wagging responses to different emotive stimuli. "Stimuli that could be expected to elicit approach tendencies seem to be associated with [a] higher amplitude of tail-wagging movements to
9114-415: The tail), powerful jaws that house around 42 teeth, and well-developed senses of smell, hearing, and sight. Compared to humans, dogs have an inferior visual acuity , a superior sense of smell, and a relatively large olfactory cortex . They perform many roles for humans, such as hunting , herding , pulling loads , protection , companionship , therapy , aiding disabled people , and assisting police and
9212-853: The wolf–coyote clade 1.0–1.7 million years ago, during the Pleistocene , and therefore its superficial similarity to the golden jackal (particularly in East Africa, where African wolves are similar in size to golden jackals) would be a case of parallel evolution . Considering its phylogenetic position and the canid fossil record , it is likely that the African wolf evolved from larger ancestors that became progressively more jackal-like in size upon populating Africa on account of interspecific competition with both larger and smaller indigenous carnivores . Traces of African wolf DNA were identified in golden jackals in Israel , which adjoins Egypt, thus indicating
9310-515: The young pups as they would with other dogs or humans. A female dog may abandon or attack her puppies or her male partner dog if she is stressed or in pain. African wolf Canis anthus F. Cuvier , 1820 The African wolf (see below for other names; Canis lupaster ) is a canine native to North Africa , West Africa , the Sahel , northern East Africa , and the Horn of Africa . It
9408-545: Was derived from the Arcadian Anthus family described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History , whose members would draw lots to become werewolves . Eduard Rüppell proposed that the animal was the ancestor of Egyptian sighthounds , and named it Wolfs-hund (wolf dog), while C.H. Smith named it "thoa" or "thous dog". An attempt was also made in 1821 to hybridise the two species in captivity, resulting in
9506-613: Was not a local wolf. The dog was dated to 14,223 years ago and was found buried along with a man and a woman, all three having been sprayed with red hematite powder and buried under large, thick basalt blocks. The dog had died of canine distemper . This timing indicates that the dog was the first species to be domesticated in the time of hunter-gatherers , which predates agriculture. Earlier remains dating back to 30,000 years ago have been described as Paleolithic dogs , but their status as dogs or wolves remains debated because considerable morphological diversity existed among wolves during
9604-469: Was proposed by scientists at the Oslo and Helsinki Universities that the binomial name C. anthus was a nomen dubium , as Cuvier's 1820 description of the holotype , a female collected from Senegal, seems to be describing the side-striped jackal rather than the actual African wolf, and does not match the appearance of a male specimen described by Cuvier in his later writings. This ambiguity, coupled with
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