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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
dog,
domestic dog, canine, K-9 |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Carnivora |
| FAMILY: |
Canidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Canis
familiaris |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Believed
to have desended from a small south Eurasian subspecies
of C. lupus - possibly the Indian wolf, C.
lupus pallipes or Chinese wolf, C. lupus
chanco. Oldest documented remains date to 11,000-12,000
years ago. There are approximately 400 breeds of
dogs. Considerable variation in sizes and appearances
of the breeds. General appearance: muscular, deep-chested
with slender, limbs, protruding muzzles, large ears
that are either erect or hanging, tails of varying
lengths, but absent in some breeds, five-clawed
digits on forefeet and four-clawed digits on hind
limbs. |
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| SIZE: |
The
smallest breed is the chihuahua and the largest
is the Irish wolfhound.
|
| Head/body
length = 360-1,450 mm (14.2-57.1 in.) |
| Height
(at shoulders) = 150-840 mm (5.91-33.1 in.) |
| Tail
length = 130-510 mm (5.1-20.1 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Weight
range: 1-79 kg (2.2-174 lb.); Largest dog ever officially
recorded was a St. Bernard weighing approximately
150 kg (330.7 lb) |
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| DIET: |
Feral
and semi-feral dogs scavenge roadkill and garbage.
They hunt small prey such as rodents and birds,
and in some cases prey as large as deer. |
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| GESTATION: |
Average
63 days. Give birth to 3-10 young. |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
Typically
twice per year in late winter/early spring and fall,
lasting 12 days. Four stage cycle: anestrus (2-4
months), proestrus (9-28 days), estrus, and diestrus.
Females can mate with several males. |
| NURSING
DURATION |
6
weeks |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
10-24
months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Generally
12 years or more, but variable depending upon care,
breed, and size. Typically small breeds live longer
than larger ones. |
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| RANGE: |
Worldwide,
usually in association with humans |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Estimated
to be 600 million |
| REGIONAL |
Estimated
population in the U.S. is 50 million owned dogs |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Humans
have been selectively breeding dogs for thousands
of years to enhance and specialize specific behaviors,
abilities and body types. The result is over 400
breeds representing a myriad of appearances and
capabilities. Organizations such as the American
Kennel Club have divided the breeds into groups
representing certain specialties for which the breeds
have been bred; for instance hunting, herding, guarding
and companionship. |
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| 2. |
Dogs communicate with one another via chemical cues,
body language and vocalizations. |
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| 3. |
Domestic dogs, particularly in undeveloped countries,
are one of the primary vectors of rabies. They are
also carriers and transmitters of viral, bacterial
and parasitic diseases affecting humans. |
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| 4. |
In
spite of their long association with humans, domestic
and feral dog populations are not well studied,
with the exception of the Austalian dingo. |
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| 5. |
There
is an average of 1-3 million reports of dogs attacking
humans each year in the United States. |
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| Dogs
have been introduced to almost all areas where humans
are found. Feral and semi-feral populations have
become established in many of these areas and in
some cases have become invasive species impacting
native environments. In addition to competing for
food sources, domestic dogs are capable of transmitting
diseases such as rabies, canine distemper, and parvovirus
to other species. |
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|
| Nowak,
R. M. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth
edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
1999. |
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http://www.wspa.org.uk/data/110304_50620_Programme_Booklet.pdftext |
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