Dogs

The dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora. Dogs were domesticated from wolves as recently as 15,000 years ago, or perhaps as early as 100,000 years ago based upon recent genetic fossil and DNA evidence. more...

Home
Cultures, Ethnicities
Decorative Collectibles
Holiday, Seasonal
Christmas: Current...
Angel Figures
Artificial Trees
Candles, Holders
Angels
Other
Santas
Snowmen
Trees
Garlands
Lights
Linens
Nativity Items
Nutcrackers
Ornaments
Angels
Animals
Baby
Bears
Bells
Birds
Candies, Cookies
Cars, Trains, Planes
Cartoon, TV Characters
Cats
Dogs
Elves
Horses
Houses
Mice
Mixed Lots, Sets
Nativity, Religious
Other
Other Animals
Patriotic
Reindeer
Rudolph
Santa
Shoes, Handbags
Sleighs
Snowflakes
Snowmen
Sports
Stars
Stockings
Trees
Wreaths
Other Items
Pins
Reindeer Figures
Santa Figures
Ceramic
Other
Porcelain
Wooden
Sleighs
Snowman Figures
Stockings
Tree Stands, Skirts
Tree Toppers
Villages, Houses
Wreaths
Yard Decor
Christmas: Modern (1946-90)
Christmas: Vintage...
Easter
Halloween
July 4th
Mardi Gras
New Year
Other Holidays
St. Patrick's Day
Thanksgiving
Valentine's Day
Religions, Spirituality

Other research suggests that dogs have only been domesticated for a much shorter amount of time. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China, and the first peoples to enter North America took dogs with them from Asia. Genetic research has identified 14 ancient dog breeds, with the oldest being the Chow Chow, Shar Pei, Akita Inu, Shiba Inu and Basenji. Because many of the 14 breeds are associated with China and Japan, the theory that the dog originated in Asia seems to be likely. Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. For example, heights at the withers range from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colors range from white to black, with reds, grays (usually called blue), and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns.

Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships. The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members. Conversely, dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs. Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions. Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique sobriquet "man's best friend". Conversely, some cultures consider dogs to be unclean. In some parts of the world, dogs are raised as livestock to produce dog meat for human consumption. In many places, consumption of dog meat is discouraged by social convention or cultural taboo.

Terminology

The English word dog, in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris by Linnaeus in 1758. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. "Dog" is sometimes used to refer collectively to any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (as in "the dog family"), such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Some members of the family have "dog" in their common names, such as the African Wild Dog. The constellations Canes Venatici, Canis Major and Canis Minor are named from the Latin word for "dog," for their perceived resemblance to dogs.

Read more at Wikipedia.org