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The dog (''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a mammal of the family Canidae, order Carnivora, and the principal animal companion to mankind.  With domestication many breeds have been created, from small to very-large, bearing coats of hair either short or long, shaggy or soft, smooth or curly, in colors either solid or mixed from white to brown to black.  In addition, breeds have been specifically created to hunt game, act as guards, shepherd flocks of livestock, hunt for missing persons, or act as service animals in preventing anxiety, aiding in seizures, or as guides for the blind.   

The dog (''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a mammal of the family Canidae, order Carnivora, and the principal animal companion to mankind.  With domestication many breeds have been created, from small to very-large, bearing coats of hair either short or long, shaggy or soft, smooth or curly, in colors either solid or mixed from white to brown to black.  In addition, breeds have been specifically created to hunt game, act as guards, shepherd flocks of livestock, hunt for missing persons, or act as service animals in preventing anxiety, aiding in seizures, or as guides for the blind.   

The domestication of the dog by man has ancient origins. The oldest dog fossil remains in a human settlement have been found in a Natufian tomb,<ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/276608a0</ref> and date back to 11,000-12,000 years ago, but it is assumed that the origin of the relationship between the two species lies far behind time, claimed to be between 19,000 and 36,000 years ago.  The study of a skull of "dog-like canine" found in the Altai mountains in Siberia has led to the hypothesis that the various modern dog breeds do not have a single common progenitor, but derive from different distinct processes of domestication of wolves in different areas of the world.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21829526</ref>

'''''There are dozens of references to "dog" in the [[Bible]], including both the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s'''''.

In 2012 a “best guess” estimate of the world-wide population of dogs was 525 million.<ref>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201209/how-many-dogs-are-there-in-the-world</ref>

In 2012 a “best guess” estimate of the worldwide population of dogs was 525 million.<ref>https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201209/how-many-dogs-are-there-in-the-world</ref>

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

The word "dog" has an uncertain origin; it has its roots in the Middle English word ''docga'' sometime prior to the 12th century.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog</ref>  The German word ''hund'' (“hound”), which means the same animal, has a slightly-better provenance, as it may be derived from the Greek root “kýon” (''κύων, σκύλος'')<ref>https://www.etymonline.com/word/*kwon-</ref>; this root is common to all Indo-European languages including Sanskrit and Vedic (''çuan''), and gave rise to the Latin ''canis''.  

The word "dog" has an uncertain origin; it has its roots in the Middle English word ''docga'' sometime prior to the 12th century.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog</ref>  The [[Germany|German]] word ''hund'' (“hound”), which means the same animal, has a slightly better provenance, as it may be derived from the Greek root “kýon” (''κύων, σκύλος'');<ref>https://www.etymonline.com/word/*kwon-</ref>  this root is common to all Indo-European languages including Sanskrit and Vedic (''çuan''), and gave rise to the Latin ''canis''.

== Scientific details ==

== Scientific details ==

[[File:Golden retreiver with a ball.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px|Golden Retriever]]

[[File:Golden retreiver with a ball.jpg|thumbnail|center|200px|Golden Retriever]]

 

Dogs (scientific name ''Canis lupus familiaris'') are a subspecies of [[wolf|wolves]], divided into a multitude of different breeds all in principle capable of interbreeding (though in some cases, physical relations between representatives of two breeds are unlikely or problematic - Chihuahuas and Great Danes, for example).

Dogs (scientific name ''Canis lupus familiaris'') are a subspecies of [[wolf|wolves]], divided into a multitude of different breeds all in principle capable of interbreeding (though in some cases, physical relations between representatives of two breeds are unlikely or problematic - Chihuahuas and Great Danes, for example).

[[File:Chow chow.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|Chow Chow]]

[[File:Chow chow.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|Chow Chow]]

Dogs are also viewed as being the single most genetically diverse species on Earth - largely thanks to human-imposed selective breeding, the vast array of dog breeds surpasses any other creature on the planet. Due to selective breeding by man, however, many breeds of dog have significant [[gene]]tic disorders. These include hip dysplasia (particularly common in German Shepherds, although common in most big breeds), and respiratory problems caused by shortening of the face, as seen with Boxer dogs and the Bulldog's lip and Pugs smashed faces with wrinkles that collect dirt that must be washed out regularly or may become infected. To overcome the prevalence of genetic disorders rendered common by inbreeding, many breeders regularly practice outcrossing, or introducing new material into a breed line via mating with other kinds of dog. This restores vigor to a breed and can decrease the likelihood of genetic disorders manifesting.

Dogs are also viewed as being the single most genetically diverse species on Earth - largely thanks to human-imposed selective breeding, the vast array of dog breeds surpasses any other creature on the planet. Due to selective breeding by man, however, many breeds of dog have significant [[gene]]tic disorders. These include hip dysplasia (particularly common in German Shepherds, although common in most big breeds), and respiratory problems caused by shortening of the face, as seen with Boxer dogs and the Bulldog's lip and Pugs smashed faces with wrinkles that collect dirt that must be washed out regularly or may become infected. To overcome the prevalence of genetic disorders rendered common by inbreeding, many breeders regularly practice outcrossing, or introducing new material into a breed line via mating with other kinds of dog. This restores vigor to a breed and can decrease the likelihood of genetic disorders manifesting.

== Bites ==

== Bites ==

 

Despite being  colloquially known as "man's best friend", every 40 seconds, someone in the [[United States of America|United States]] seeks medical help for a dog bite, with approximately 800,000 such bites per year requiring medical attention.<ref>http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html</ref>

Despite being  colloquially known as "man's best friend", every 40 seconds, someone in the [[United States of America|United States]] seeks medical help for a dog bite, with approximately 800,000 such bites per year requiring medical attention.<ref>http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html</ref>

Due to the high cost of dog bite liability claims, some [[insurance]] companies have blacklisted certain breeds and refuse to provide homeowners insurance to those who own these dog breeds.<ref>http://www.dogbitelegalcenter.com/resources/common-dogs.html</ref>  American Pit Bull Terriers are commonly thought of as one such dog, as they account for a small percent of the population, but over half of fatal attacks, although the majority of them are sweet and gentle, but all have powerful jaw muscles (they were bred for the cruel sport of dog fighting).  Rottweilers are also strong and considered dangerous due to a disproportionately high number of attacks, but can also (like most dogs with nice responsible owners) be nice and friendly.

Due to the high cost of dog bite liability claims, some [[insurance]] companies have blacklisted certain breeds and refuse to provide homeowners insurance to those who own these dog breeds.<ref>http://www.dogbitelegalcenter.com/resources/common-dogs.html</ref>  American Pit Bull Terriers are commonly thought of as one such dog, as they account for a small percent of the population, but over half of fatal attacks, although the majority of them are sweet and gentle, but all have powerful jaw muscles (they were bred for the cruel sport of dog fighting).  Rottweilers are also strong and considered dangerous due to a disproportionately high number of attacks, but can also (like most dogs with nice responsible owners) be nice and friendly.

Today most dogs in western countries are kept for [[pet|companionship]] only. Stray and feral dogs cause many problems, spreading diseases such as [[rabies]], and attacking people and [[livestock]].  Muslims see dogs as unclean, and often kill dogs found as pets.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2065873,00.html</ref>

Today most dogs in western countries are kept for [[pet|companionship]] only. Stray and feral dogs cause many problems, spreading diseases such as [[rabies]], and attacking people and [[livestock]].  Muslims see dogs as unclean, and often kill dogs found as pets.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2065873,00.html</ref>

== Religion/irreligion and views/treatment dogs ==

== Religion/irreligion and views/treatment dogs ==

*[[USA states: Religion/irreligion and percentage of dog owners]]

*[[USA states: Religion/irreligion and percentage of dog owners]]

*[[Judaism and dogs]]

*[[Judaism and dogs]]

==Further reading==

==Further reading==