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Understanding the Context

NASA astronaut who was stuck at the space ... Dogs have been "man's best friend" for thousands of years, during which humans have orchestrated an explosion of dog breeds, from tiny Chihuahuas to gigantic Great Danes. Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China.

Key Insights

Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. 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. [4] Dogs were the first species to be domesticated over 14,000 years ago, before the development of agriculture, though genetic studies suggest ...

Final Thoughts

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? 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.) Dogs diverged from gray wolves (Canis lupus) and became domesticated at least by ~14,200 years ago (Bonn-Oberkassel dog burial). The domestic dog is a domesticated canid descended from gray wolves, exhibiting extreme variation in size, coat, and behavior due to domestication and selective breeding. Explore over 200+ types of dogs, detailing their size, temperament, and purpose to help you find the perfect canine companion for your lifestyle.