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The dog or domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf, characterized by an upturning tail. The dog derived from an ancient, extinct wolf, and the modern grey wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. The dog was 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. Over the millennia, dogs became uniquely adapted to human behavior, and the human-canine bond has been a topic of frequent study.

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. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet of "man's best friend." (Full article...)

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A Clumber Spaniel

The Clumber Spaniel is a breed of dog of the spaniel type, developed in the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the spaniels, and comes in predominantly white with either lemon or orange markings. The name of the breed is taken from Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire where the breed was first developed. It is a gundog that specialises in hunting in heavy cover. They are gentle and loyal, and can act aloof with strangers. They have several habits which could be considered disadvantages, including a constant shedding of its coat and snoring.

The history of the breed is uncertain prior to the mid-19th century with two theories being prevalent. Clumber Spaniels have been kept and bred by various members of the British Royal Family, including Prince Albert, King Edward VII and King George V. They were introduced into Canada in 1844, and in 1884 became one of the first ten breeds recognised by the American Kennel Club. The breed can suffer from a variety of breed-specific ailments varying in severity from temporary lameness due to bone growth whilst young to hip dysplasia or spinal disc herniation. (Full article...)

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Credit: American Water Spaniel Club

The American Water Spaniel is a gundog breed of dog developed in the market hunting days of America's history. Hunters needed a dog that could function on land as well as in the marsh and that could easily fit into a canoe or skiff without taking up much room. An American original, this flushing spaniel also doubles as a competent retriever.

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Detection dog training in U.S. Navy military for drug detection

A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones. The sense most used by detection dogs is smell. Hunting dogs that search for game, and search dogs that work to find missing humans are generally not considered detection dogs. There is some overlap, as in the case of cadaver dogs, trained to search for human remains.

A police dog is essentially a detection dog that is used as a resource for police in specific scenarios such as conducting drug raids, finding missing criminals, and locating stashed currency. Frequently, detection dogs are thought to be used for law enforcement purposes. Experts say that dog-sniff evidence should not be used in the criminal justice system, pointing to wrongful convictions, human biases that skew animal behavior, and the lack of systematic research into what dogs detect or how they do it. (Full article...)

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

Image 1Lateral view of a dog skeleton (from Dog anatomy)
Image 2An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds (from Dog breed)
Image 3Wolf mandible diagram showing the names and positions of the teeth. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 4Puggle puppy (from Puppy)
Image 5Watercolor 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 Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 6Golden Retriever puppy (from Puppy)
Image 7Basset Hound (from Puppy)
Image 8Frontal view of a dog skull (from Dog anatomy)
Image 9Mammoth bone dwelling, Mezhirich site, Ukraine. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 10Image of dog teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 11Mandible of the oldest recognised dog discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, and dated 14,200 years old. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 12NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin with his dogs Jake and Scout (from Dog behavior)
Image 13Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Dog breed)
Image 14Chihuahua mix and purebred Great Dane (from Dog breed)
Image 15Skeleton 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 16Frequency sensitivity compared with humans. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 17Skull of a dog (from Dog anatomy)
Image 18Chihuahua puppy (from Puppy)
Image 19Two Shih Tzu puppies (from Puppy)
Image 20"Five different types of dogs", c. 1547. (from Dog breed)
Image 21Basenji puppy (from Puppy)
Image 22Dog knee (from Dog anatomy)
Image 23Lateral view of a dog skull (from Dog anatomy)
Image 24Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sighthound (from Dog breed)
Image 25St. Bernard puppy (from Puppy)
Image 26The 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 27The 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 Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 28The 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 Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 29Scent hounds, especially the Bloodhound, are bred for their keen sense of smell. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 30Sled dogs, 1833 (from Dog type)
Image 31Bison surrounded by grey wolf pack. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 32Cave wolf skull, Natural History Museum, Berlin (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 33Reduction in size under selective breeding – grey wolf and chihuahua skulls. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 34A dog's whiskers act as sensing organs. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 35Sled dog types, sketched in 1833. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 36The Greenland dog carries 3.5% genetic material inherited from a 35,000-year-old wolf from the Taymyr Peninsula, Arctic Siberia. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 37Montage showing the coat variation of the dog. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 38Dog retina showing optic disc and vasculature [epiCam] (from Dog anatomy)
Image 39President Lyndon B. Johnson with a basket of puppies in 1966 (from Puppy)
Image 40Petroglyph depicting two dogs hunting – Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 41German Spitz puppy (from Puppy)
Image 42Newborn Basenji puppies (from Puppy)
Image 43Jack Russell Terrier puppy (from Puppy)
Image 44Cart dogs, c. 1900; different in appearance but doing the same work (from Dog type)
Image 45Anatomy of the ear. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 46Cavapoo puppy (from Puppy)
Image 47Australian Cattle Dog puppy (from Puppy)
Image 48The highly sensitive nose of a dog. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 49A drawing by Konrad Lorenz showing facial expressions of a dog - a communication behavior. From the lower left, fear increases in the upward direction and aggression increases to the right. (from Dog behavior)
Image 50West Highland White Terrier puppies (from Puppy)
Image 51Newborn Welsh Springer Spaniels (from Puppy)
Image 52A little mongrel puppy on the shore, on Halong Bay (from Puppy)
Image 53Diagram of a wolf skull with key features labelled. (from Origin of the domestic dog)
Image 54A mongrel puppy (from Puppy)
Image 55Lateral view of a dog skull - jaws open (from Dog anatomy)
Image 56Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog. (from Dog breed)
Image 57Bloodhound puppy (from Puppy)
Image 58An extinct Turnspit dog, 1800 (from Dog type)
Image 59External 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)

Did you know...

...that Rex, (pictured) Ronald Reagan's pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, lived at the White House in a lavish doghouse decorated with framed portraits of the First Family?
...that the Caribou Inuit people are defined by their fur clothing, use of sled dogs and their snowhouses?
...that a legend says that when Philip de Braose irreverently spent the night in a church dedicated to Saint Afan, he was struck blind the next morning and his hunting dogs went mad?
...that the Koitsenko were the honorary elite of the Kiowa dog soldiers, who tribal lore says called themselves that because they had dreams or visions of dogs?

...that past Olympic mascots include several bears named Misha, Coal, Howdy and Hidy, and dogs Cobi and Waldi ?
...that the dog called the Miniature Fox Terrier (or Mini Foxie) originated in Australia?
...that the Brown Dog affair, an Edwardian-era vivisection cause célèbre, led to massive riots?
...that in addition to human spaceflight, there have been many animals in space, including monkeys, apes, mice, dogs, guinea pigs, frogs, rats, cats, tortoises, fish, newts, insects, snails, spiders and nematodes?

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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...
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