Brigadier General James Monroe Williams

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The Dogs Portal

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.

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. 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". (Full article...)

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Afghan Hound in light cream coat

The Afghan Hound is a hound distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat, and a tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed originates in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is Sag-e Tāzī (Dari: سگ تازی) or Tāžī Spay (Pashto: تاژي سپی). Other names for this breed are Tāzī, Balkh Hound, Baluchi Hound, and Barakzai Hound.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the breed as among the most eye-catching of all. The Afghan Hound is an "aloof and dignified aristocrat of sublime beauty." Despite their regal appearance, the Afghan possesses an "endearing streak of silliness and a profound loyalty." (Full article...)

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Credit: Elf

A yellow Labrador Retriever correctly negotiating weave poles at a dog agility competition. Similar to a slalom, weave poles are a series of upright poles, each about 3 feet (1 m) tall and spaced about 20 inches (50 cm) apart, through which the dog weaves. It is one of the most difficult obstacles for a dog to master. It varies from 5 to 12 poles at one time. The dog must always enter with the first pole to his left and must not skip poles.

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A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh 1–1.5 kg (2.2–3.3 lb), while larger ones can weigh up to 7–11 kg (15–24 lb). All puppies display primary altriciality and healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier. Puppy refers specifically to young dogs, while pup may be used for other animals such as wolves, seals, giraffes, guinea pigs, rats or sharks. (Full article...)

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

Image 1A labradoodle puppy and a Golden Retriever puppy playing together. (from Puppy)
Image 2Frontal view of a dog skull (from Dog anatomy)
Image 3Tesem, an ancient Egyptian sight-hound (from Dog breed)
Image 4"Five different types of dogs", c. 1547. (from Dog breed)
Image 5Golden Retriever puppy (from Puppy)
Image 6Cave wolf skull, Natural History Museum, Berlin (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 7Cart dogs, c. 1900; different in appearance but doing the same work (from Dog type)
Image 8Basenji puppy (from Puppy)
Image 9A wolf mandible diagram showing the names and positions of the teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 10Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw closed (from Dog anatomy)
Image 11West Highland White Terrier puppies (from Puppy)
Image 12Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 13Montage showing the morphological variation of the dog. (from Dog breed)
Image 14Reduction in size under selective breeding – grey wolf and chihuahua skulls (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 15Bison surrounded by grey wolf pack (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 16President Lyndon B. Johnson with a basket of puppies in 1966 (from Puppy)
Image 17Chihuahua puppy (from Puppy)
Image 18Australian Cattle Dog puppy (from Puppy)
Image 19Dog knee (from Dog anatomy)
Image 20Montage showing the coat variation of dogs. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 21Cavapoo puppy (from Puppy)
Image 22A dog's teeth (from Dog anatomy)
Image 23NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin with his dogs Jake and Scout (from Dog behavior)
Image 24A mongrel puppy (from Puppy)
Image 25Newborn Basenji puppies (from Puppy)
Image 26The difference in body size between a Cane Corso (Italian mastiff) and a Yorkshire Terrier is over 30-fold; both are members of the same species. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 27Mandible of the oldest recognised dog discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, and dated 14,200 years old (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 28Basset Hound (from Puppy)
Image 29Lateral view of a dog skeleton (from Dog anatomy)
Image 30The dog's retina shows the optic disc and the eye's vasculature. (from Dog anatomy)
Image 31Chihuahua mix and purebred Great Dane (from Dog breed)
Image 32German Spitz puppy (from Puppy)
Image 33The 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 Domestication of the dog)
Image 34Skeleton 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 the 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 35Example of a dog making prolonged eye contact with a human (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 36The 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 Domestication of the dog)
Image 37St. Bernard puppy (from Puppy)
Image 38Puggle puppy (from Puppy)
Image 39Petroglyph depicting two dogs hunting – Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 40Diagram of a wolf skull with key features labelled (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 41Scent-rolling (from Dog behavior)
Image 42External anatomy (topography) of a typical dog: 1. Head 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)
Image 43Sled dog types, sketched in 1833 (from Dog breed)
Image 44Schematic anatomy of the ear. In dogs, the ear canal has a "L" shape, with the vertical canal (first half) and the horizontal canal (deeper half, ending with the eardrum) (from Dog anatomy)
Image 45An extinct Turnspit dog, 1800 (from Dog type)
Image 46A drawing by Konrad Lorenz showing facial expressions of a dog - a communication behavior. X-axis is aggression, y-axis is fear. (from Dog behavior)
Image 47Jack Russell Terrier puppy (from Puppy)
Image 48Mammoth bone dwelling, Mezhirich site, Ukraine (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 49Newborn Welsh Springer Spaniels (from Puppy)
Image 50Two Shih Tzu puppies (from Puppy)
Image 51Watercolor 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 Domestication of the dog)
Image 52Sled dogs, 1833 (from Dog type)
Image 53An 1897 illustration showing a range of European dog breeds (from Dog breed)
Image 54The nose of a dog (from Dog anatomy)
Image 55A dog's whiskers (from Dog anatomy)
Image 56A little mongrel puppy on the shore, on Halong Bay (from Puppy)
Image 57The Greenland dog carries 3.5% genetic material inherited from a 35,000-year-old wolf from the Taymyr Peninsula, Arctic Siberia. (from Domestication of the dog)
Image 58Bloodhound puppy (from Puppy)
Image 59Lateral view of a dog skull, jaw opened (from Dog anatomy)

Did you know (auto-generated) - show different entries

... that Thomas Flatley compared closing WNHT television in Concord, New Hampshire, to putting down his dog?
... that Pietro Badoer was banished twice, poisoned one of his three wives, but declined an offer for a coup to make him doge?
... that Ethan Loch, a blind pianist, was inspired by Rowlf the Dog?
... that French designer Martine Bedin compared her Super Lamp design to "a small dog that I could carry with me"?
... that a Hot Dog Bean screenprint from Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans II sold for $258,046 in 2013?
... that Phil Fletcher as Hacker T. Dog caused Lauren Layfield to make the "most famous snort" in the United Kingdom in 2016?

More did you know... - show different entries

...that the stray dogs Bummer and Lazarus (pictured) were so popular with the people of San Francisco in the 1860s that they were given special exemption from the leash laws?
...that Manuel Benito de Castro assumed the Presidency of Cundinamarca, with the condition that he would be allowed to leave Congress at a certain time to feed his dog?
...that the namesake for Hondo Dog Park in Hillsboro, Oregon, won an award for valor just weeks before being killed in the line of duty?
...that most of the dogs seen in the 2007 Thai film, Ma-Mha, were strays rescued from shelters and trained specifically for the film?

...that Adolf Hitler owned a German Shepherd named Blondi, and was so fond of her that he allowed her to sleep in his bedroom?
...that the most common breeds for use as guide dogs are Labrador and Golden Retrievers?
...that Ashley Whippet became the first disc dog on August 4, 1974?
...that Marie Antoinette supposedly walked to the guillotine with her pet Papillon under her arm?