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dog

  (dôg, dŏg) pronunciation
dog
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n.
  1. A domesticated carnivorous mammal (Canis familiaris) related to the foxes and wolves and raised in a wide variety of breeds.
  2. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Canidae, such as the dingo.
  3. A male animal of the family Canidae, especially of the fox or a domesticated breed.
  4. Any of various other animals, such as the prairie dog.
  5. Informal.
    1. A person: You won, you lucky dog.
    2. A person regarded as contemptible: You stole my watch, you dog.
  6. Slang.
    1. A person regarded as unattractive or uninteresting.
    2. Something of inferior or low quality: “The President had read the speech to some of his friends and they told him it was a dog” (John P. Roche).
    3. An investment that produces a low return or a loss.
  7. dogs Slang. The feet.
  8. See andiron.
  9. Slang. A hot dog; a wiener.
  10. Any of various hooked or U-shaped metallic devices used for gripping or holding heavy objects.
  11. Astronomy. A sun dog.
adv.

Totally; completely. Often used in combination: dog-tired.

tr.v., dogged, dog·ging, dogs.
  1. To track or trail persistently: “A stranger then is still dogging us” (Arthur Conan Doyle).
  2. To hold or fasten with a mechanical device: “Watertight doors and hatches were dropped into place and dogged down to give the ship full watertight integrity” (Tom Clancy).
idioms:

dog it Slang.

  1. To fail to expend the effort needed to do or accomplish something.
go to the dogs
  1. To go to ruin; degenerate.
put on the dog Informal.
  1. To make an ostentatious display of elegance, wealth, or culture.

[Middle English dogge, from Old English docga.]


 
 
Sci-Tech Encyclopedia: Dogs

All breeds of domestic dogs, the wild dogs, and related species belong to the family Canidae. Despite the various breeds of domestic dogs which are known, the scientific name for all is Canis familiaris. The origin of domestic dogs is obscure, but they seem to be most closely related to the wolf. In many respects the dog is structurally primitive and shows a genetic plasticity which accounts for the many varieties.

Domestic breeds

There are more than 100 breeds of domestic dogs, and their classification is based principally on their uses. The domestic breeds are the sporting breeds, hounds, terriers, working breeds, and the toy breeds.

The sporting breeds are trained and employed for retrieving or finding game. The largest group in this class is the spaniels, of which there are about 10 types. The spaniels have been trained to retrieve and to flush game, and they hunt both birds and fur-bearing animals. Retrievers are specially trained to locate and return game to hunters and are used most commonly in hunting waterfowl. There are four varieties: the curly, the Chesapeake Bay, the golden retriever, and the Labrador. Pointers and setters, used for hunting upland game birds, range ahead of the hunter, point the game until the hunter arrives, and retrieve the fowl after it has been flushed and shot. Among the varieties that are used in these pursuits are the Weimeraner, the English and Irish setters, and the German short-haired pointer.

The hound group includes the basset, the bloodhound, the whippet, the dachshund, the wolfhound, and the beagle. The greyhound, one of the oldest breeds, is built for speed with its thin body and long legs. The bloodhounds and foxhounds (smaller, stockier dogs) are used for hunting, mostly by scent. The beagle, now more a pet than a hunter, can also follow a scent and is easier to follow on foot.

The terriers originally were bred for hunting burrowing animals, such as the badger and fox. The Boston terrier is the only breed to have originated in the United States. The fox terrier, typical of the group, may have been derived from the foxhound. It was originally bred for fox hunting but is an excellent ratter. Other terriers are the Airedale, largest of the group, and the Scottish and Skye terriers.

Most of the working breeds are large animals used as draught animals, for police work, for herding, and as guide dogs for the blind. Other draught breeds are the Alaskan malamute, the Eskimo, and the Samoyed. Among the animals used as guard dogs and for police work are the Doberman, the German shepherd, and the Great Dane. The collies, Belgian sheep dogs, and English sheep dogs are outstanding sheep herders. The bulldog is now more of a pet and house dog than a guard dog, but it is pugnacious if set on an intruder and will not release the person. The poodle, said to be the most intelligent dog, can be trained as a gun dog and was originally used for duck shooting.

Some of the toy breeds have been known for centuries and are principally household pets which may develop an instinct for protecting the premises of the owner. They are all quite small, some being miniatures of the larger breeds. The chihuahua is the smallest. Some of the more popular varieties are the Pomeranian, Pekingese, and pug.

Wild species

The wild species of the family, numbering about 36 and having a wide distribution, include several wild dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and jackals. There are a number of wild dogs which have never been domesticated, unlike the dingo of Australia (Canis dingo) that is believed to have been a domestic dog introduced into Australia during prehistoric times and then reverted to its wild state. The Asiatic wild dog occurs throughout Asia, Java, and Sumatra and is considered to be three distinct species by some authorities while others regard it as two subspecies of Cuon alpinus, which is also known as the Siberian wild dog. The Cape hunting dog (Lycaon pictus) ranges throughout the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa but has become reduced in numbers.

The common European wolf (Canis lupus) is the species that once ranged throughout the temperate forested regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. This species has been exterminated in the British Isles and almost so in France, but they do occur in other European countries such as Italy, Spain, and the Balkans and are still plentiful in the Scandinavian countries. The gray wolf or timber wolf, originally extremely common in North America, is now restricted to Alaska and the subarctic regions of Canada.

The coyote (Canis latrans) is sometimes called the prairie wolf and is a close relative of the true wolf, although it is smaller than the wolves. They inhabit the prairies, open plains, and desert areas of North America.

Jackals are scavengers as well as menaces to domestic poultry. Both the oriental jackal (Canis aureus), the most widely distributed jackal, and the black-backed jackal (C. mesomelas) can be easily tamed. Canis aureus has spread from southeastern Europe and northern Africa through Asia as far south as Burma. It prefers higher elevations in contrast to C. mesomelas, which is found in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.

Foxes have relatively short legs and long bodies, big erect ears, pointed snouts, and long bushy tails. The Old World red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is closely related to, but is smaller than, the American red fox (V. fulva), which is found throughout North America. The American species has undergone many color phases and mutations and includes other varieties such as the silver fox and the cross fox. Scent glands are present in the anal region, which account for the characteristic odor of these animals. See also Carnivora; Mammalia; Scent gland.

 
Thesaurus: dog

verb

  1. To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind: follow, shadow, track, trail. Informal bird-dog, tail. See precede/follow.
  2. To follow closely or persistently: heel1, tag, trail. See precede/follow.

 
Antonyms: dog

v

Definition: chase after; bother
Antonyms: leave alone, let go

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: dog

Any member of the canine genus Canis, particularly the domestic species, Canis familiaris. Domestic dogs seem to have decended from the wolf or a wolflike ancestor. Dogs were apparently the first animals to be domesticated, and domestication seems to have begun in various parts of the world at roughly the same time. Selective breeding by humans has resulted in myriad domestic breeds that vary widely in size (from the tiny Chihuahua to the huge mastiff), physical form (e.g., the short-legged dachshund and the flat-faced bulldog), coat texture and length (e.g., the sleek Doberman pinscher and the long-haired Afghan hound), and behavioral patterns (e.g., sporting dogs, toy dogs, and working dogs). The American Kennel Club now recognizes almost 150 breeds; other clubs, such as the United Kennel Club, recognize many more.

For more information on dog, visit Britannica.com.

 
English Folklore: dogs

It is commonly believed that dogs can sense anything uncanny, and show terror if forced to pass a haunted spot; if they howl for no reason, especially at night, it ‘portends death, either in the house nearest to which they howl or to some of their kith and kindred’ (Denham Tracts, 1892: ii. 55), or is a general sign of evil being about. A spayed bitch, however, may drive off uncanny forces:

I believe all over England, a spaied bitch is accounted wholesome in a House; that is to say, they have a strong beliefe that it keeps away evill spirits from haunting of a House; e.g. amongst many other instances, at Cranborn in Dorset about 1686, a house was haunted, and two Tenants successively went away for that reason: a third came and brought his spaid bitch, and was never troubled. (Aubrey, 1686/1880: 53)


There are many supernatural dogs in English folklore— black dogs, the dogs of the Wild Hunt, the Devil as a dog, Grim, and various shape-changing bogey-beasts, for example guytrash, padfoot, and Shuck.

 
Archaeology Dictionary: dog

[Sp]

Four-legged flesh-eating mammal (Canis), ultimately descended from the wolf, now represented as domestic and wild species with many different breeds. Dogs were probably the earliest species to be domesticated and were at first mainly used in hunting. In America, dogs probably accompanied the first human communities colonizing the continent. In North America domestic examples are known from before 10 000 bc, and in Peru domesticated examples date from about 600 bc. In Central America dog was an important source of food.
 
Celtic Mythology: dog

dogs

The domesticated canine has played many roles in the Celtic imagination for thirty centuries. The dog is portrayed on the Gundestrup cauldron and is associated with the Gaulish deity Sirona and the early British deity Nodons, worshipped at the Romano-British temple in Lydney Park on the Severn. Dog bones are found in ancient holy wells. The Celts appear to have inherited three associations with the dog from Mediterranean religions: healing, hunting, and death. Humans in different cultures have been impressed by dogs' ability to heal themselves with their saliva. The Gaulish mother-deity Nehalennia is invariably portrayed as accompanied by a dog, suggestive of healing. The association with hunting exists in English as well, of course, usually with the more specific word ‘hound’; but in Celtic languages the function tends to be more heroic. The title Cú- in the name of the greatest of Irish heroes, Cúchulainn [‘hound’ of Culann], may be translated as the more general ‘dog’ as well as ‘hound’. A leader of pre-Claudian Britain, Cunobelinus, is literally ‘The dog/hound of Belinus’. The association with death, also known elsewhere in European tradition (cf. the black dog in Goethe's Faust, 1808), seems to be based on dogs'instincts for carrion. Surviving evidence does not suggest there was ever a Celtic dog-deity as there may have been for the wolf. The dog and the horse are the favourite domestic animals of Celtic fairies.

Few dogs in narratives are given much characterization; they are usually portrayed only as faithful companions to master or mistress, and sometimes as figures of fear. Among the benign Celtic dogs are: Ailbe, Mac Dathó's dog in Scéla Mucce meic Da Thó [The Story of Mac Da Thó's Pig]; Bran and Sceolang, the prime hunting-dogs (and nephews) of Fionn mac Cumhaill, as well as Adhnuall, his alternate; Cabal (Cavall in Tennyson), hound of Arthur; Dabilla, the lapdog of the goddess Boand; Dóelchu, the dog whose dripping blood kills Celtchar mac Uthechair; Drudwyn, hunting-dog of Culhwch; Failinis, hound of Lug Lámfhota; Gelert, the greyhound who saves the prince's baby as told in Bedd Gelert; the unnamed dog of Cadan who helps him kill the beast; the unnamed lapdog of the Fenian hero Cairill; the unnamed fairy dog with a white ring around its neck that roams near Galway.

The more fearful dogs include Coinchenn, the monstrous dog-headed wife of Morgán; cù s'th, the black dog of the Highlands; cw^n annwfn, the Welsh hell-hounds; gwyllgi, the Welsh spectral mastiff; moddey dhoo and mauthe doog, the great black dogs of the Isle of Man; the dogs of Crom Dubh, Coinn Iotair [Hounds of Rage] and Saidhthe Suaraighe [Bitch of Evil]; the unnamed large black dog thought to haunt the Sliab Mis [Slieve Mish] in Co. Kerry; ki du, the Breton black dog who accompanies reincarnation; and the unnamed but great menacing black dogs thought to come forth from the quagmire in Brittany known as the Youdic. Old Irish cú, madrad; Modern Irish cú, madra; Scottish Gaelic cù, madadh, balgaire; Manx moddey, coo; Welsh ci; Cornish ky; Breton ki. See also ANIMALS.

Bibliography

  • F. Jenkins, “‘The Role of the Dog in Romano-Gaulish Religion’”, Collection Latomus, 16 (1957), 60–76
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: dog,
carnivorous, domesticated wolf (Canis lupus familiaris) of the family Canidae, to which the jackal and fox also belong. The family Canidae is sometimes referred to as the dog family, and its characteristics, e.g., long muzzle, large canine teeth, and long tail, as canine traits. However, the unmodified term dog usually refers only to the domestic subspecies Canis lupus familiaris.

Two characteristics distinguish the dog from other canids and, indeed, from all other animal species. The first is its worldwide distribution in close association with humans, encompassing both hemispheres from the tropics to the Arctic. The second is the enormous amount of variability found within the subspecies. For example, the Irish wolfhound may stand as high as 39 in. (99.1 cm) at the shoulder, while the Chihuahua's shoulder is usually no more than 6 in. (15.2 cm) from the ground; the silky coat of the Yorkshire terrier may be 2 ft (61 cm) long, while a few breeds of dog (such as the Mexican hairless) are entirely without hair. The evolution of such widely differing breeds has been heavily influenced by conscious human selection, in addition to natural evolution.

Dogs have been selectively bred through the centuries for special purposes, notably to pursue and retrieve game, as draft animals, as guides (e.g., for the blind), and as companions. Although dogs possess hearing abilities far superior to humans', their acute sense of smell is probably the sense most utilized. In addition to traditional hunting and tracking, the dog's sense of smell has been put to such diverse uses as the location of exotic foods and the detection of drugs and explosives, e.g., in luggage and packages.

Dogs can be protected against serious diseases for which vaccines are available; these include distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, and rabies.

Early Dogs

The dog is descended from the wolf. True wolves appeared in Europe about one million years ago and in the Americas some 700,000 years later. Dog remains estimated to be about 14,000 years old have been found in Germany, and younger remains have been found in Israel (about 13,500 years old) and Idaho (about 10,500 years old). It is probable that the dog was the first animal to be domesticated, most likely around 15,000 years ago. Domestication may have occurred independently in a number of different areas of the world, but genetic tests show that all dogs are descended from an Eurasian stock, even the now extinct pre-Columbian dogs of the Americas.

It is thought that the earliest domesticated dogs resembled the present-day dingo, the wild dog of Australia. The dingo is believed to have come to Australia as a domestic dog with the aborigines from Southeast Asia. Although more historical information exists on the forerunners of European dogs (such as the British hounds, terriers, and shepherd dogs) than on those of other areas, there is evidence that dogs have existed in most areas of the world throughout the period of recorded history. One of the oldest known breeds is the basenji, which originated in central Africa and is still used as a hunter by certain tribes in that region. Several distinct breeds were known in ancient Egypt and a mastifflike breed (resembling the Kurdish dog in present-day Iraq) is found in Babylonian illustrations of c.2200 B.C.

Dog Breeds

The Purebred Dog

A breed of dog is produced by selecting and mating dogs with certain desired characteristics. The offspring of such matings are then inbred, i.e., mated with litter mates or close relatives. After about eight generations, the line usually breeds true, i.e., most offspring resemble each other. Then standard traits can be established for the new breed. A purebred dog is one that conforms to the standards of a certain breed and whose lineage, or pedigree, has been recorded for a certain period of time.

One of the principal functions of a kennel club is to maintain the records of lineage of individual purebred dogs in order to preserve breed standards. The stud books of the AKC contain entries for all purebred dogs whose owners have elected to register their dog's pedigree. Other stud books, such as those of the United Kennel Club, often record dogs of breeds not recognized by the AKC but which have a considerable following in the United States. Dogs of mixed origin or whose parentage is unknown are called mongrels.

Classification of Breeds

Attempts to classify dogs probably date from the time when humans discovered that certain canine traits were more useful than others. The earliest known system of classification, that of the Romans, included categories for house dogs, shepherd dogs, sporting dogs, war dogs, dogs that ran by scent, and dogs that ran by sight. Today there are systems of classification and breeding in most countries of Western Europe and in North America, many using a variation of the standard British system.

In the United States, the classification system most frequently encountered is that employed by the American Kennel Club (AKC), which recognizes more than 150 of the more than 200 known breeds. The breeds are grouped into six classes. In the sporting dog group are pointers, retrievers, setters, and spaniels. These dogs hunt by air scent as opposed to those of the hound group, e.g., beagles, foxhounds, and bloodhounds, which track their prey by ground scent. Also classified as hounds are those dogs of the greyhound type, e.g., whippets, borzois, and Salukis, which hunt mainly by sight. The many breeds of terrier go to earth after their burrowing prey. Among the working dog group, used as guards, guides, and herders, are the collie, the German shepherd, and the St. Bernard. Such diminutive pet dogs as the Pekingese, the Pomeranian, and the pug belong to the toy dog class. The nonsporting dog group is a class of dogs bred principally as pets and companions and includes the Boston terrier, the bulldog, the chow chow, the Dalmatian, and the poodle. In addition to the breeds in the above classes, the AKC currently places additional breeds in a miscellaneous group; breeds recently recognized by the club are placed in this class until they become established. Included are the Akita of Japan, the Australian cattle dog, the Australian kelpie, the Bichon Frise (a French descendant of the water spaniel), the border collie (an English shepherd dog), the cavalier King Charles spaniel, the Ibizan hound (of Spanish origin), the miniature bull terrier, the soft-coated wheaten terrier (from Ireland), the Spinone Italiano, and the Tibetan terrier.

Dogs registered by the AKC and other registry associations compete regularly in dog shows and field trials. In dog shows, the various breeds are judged solely on appearance, while in field trials they are rated according to their hunting skills.

See articles on individual dog breeds.

Reproduction

Female dogs, or bitches, will mate only when in heat, or estrus, which occurs about every six months and lasts from 18 to 22 days. Whelping (giving birth) occurs after a gestation period of about nine weeks. The size of the litter varies to some extent with the size of the dog: toy dogs rarely bear more than 2 puppies, while the largest breeds average closer to 10.

Bibliography

See E. Schneider-Leyer, Dogs of the World (1960); American Kennel Club, The Complete Dog Book (1968); E. H. Hart, Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds (1968); H. P. Davis, ed., The New Dog Encyclopedia (rev. ed. 1973).

 
Veterinary Dictionary: dog

1. a member of the family Canidae of the order Carnivora. Includes the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, many wild dogs, foxes, fennecs, jackals and wolves.
2. the term is also used by dog people to mean the entire male dog. There is no other name for him as there is in the other species. See also canine.

 
Devil's Dictionary: dog
A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce


n.

A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world's worship. This Divine Being in some of his smaller and silkier incarnations takes, in the affection of Woman, the place to which there is no human male aspirant. The Dog is a survival -- an anachronism. He toils not, neither does he spin, yet Solomon in all his glory never lay upon a door-mat all day long, sun-soaked and fly-fed and fat, while his master worked for the means wherewith to purchase the idle wag of the Solomonic tail, seasoned with a look of tolerant recognition.

 
Word Tutor: dog
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - A member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; Metal supports for logs in a fireplace.

pronunciation The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. — Andy Rooney 

 
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Quotes About: Dogs

Quotes:

"His friends he loved. His direst earthly foes -- cats -- I believe he did but feign to hate. My hand will miss the insinuated nose, mine eyes the tail that wagg'd contempt at Fate." - Sir William Watson

"I always disliked dogs, those protectors of cowards who lack the courage to fight an assailant themselves." - J. August Strindberg

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of." - Ogden Nash

"The meeting in the open of two dogs, strangers to each other, is one of the most painful, thrilling, and pregnant of all conceivable encounters; it is surrounded by an atmosphere of the last canniness, presided over by a constraint for which I have no precise name; they simply cannot pass each other, their mutual embarrassment is frightful to behold." - Thomas Mann

"Extraordinary creature! So close a friend, and yet so remote." - Thomas Mann

"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." - Abraham Lincoln

See more famous quotes about Dogs

 
Wikipedia: dog
This article is about the domestic dog. For other uses, see Dog (disambiguation).
Domestic dog
Fossil range: Late Pleistocene - Recent
other images of dogs
Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C. l. familiaris
Trinomial name
Canis lupus familiaris
(Linnaeus, 1758)


The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspecies or species. The domestic dog has been (and continues to be) one of the most widely-kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures.

The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; and, coats can be very short to several centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight or curly, or smooth.

Etymology and taxonomy

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 hunting dog.

The English word dog might derive from the Old English docga, a "powerful breed of canine". The English word hound is a cognate of German Hund, Dutch hond, common Scandinavian hund, Icelandic hundur which, though referring to a specific breed in English, means "dog" in general in the other Germanic languages. Hound itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European *kwon-, which is the direct root of the Greek κυων (kuōn) and the indirect root of the Latin canis through the variant form *kani-.[1]

In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female canine is called a bitch. The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother of a litter is called the dam. Offspring are generally called pups or puppies until they are about a year old. A group of offspring is a litter. The process of birth is whelping. Many terms are used for dogs that are not purebred.

Origin and evolution

Origins

Main article: Origin of the domestic dog

Some research appears to show that dogs were domesticated from wolves as recently as 15,000 years ago,[2] or perhaps as early as 100,000 years ago based upon recent genetic, fossil and DNA evidence.[3] Other research suggests that dogs have only been domesticated for a much shorter amount of time and were domesticated from populations of wild dogs, which had previously diverged from wolves.[4][5]

New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China,[6] 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.[6]

As humans migrated around the planet a variety of dog forms migrated with them. The agricultural revolution and subsequent urban revolution led to an increase in the dog population and a demand for specialization. These circumstances would provide the opportunity for selective breeding to create specialized working dogs and pets.

Ancestry and history of domestication

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Main article: Origin of the domestic dog
This ancient mosaic, likely Roman, shows a large dog with a collar hunting a lion.
Enlarge
This ancient mosaic, likely Roman, shows a large dog with a collar hunting a lion.

Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are descended from the wolf and are able to interbreed with wolves.

The relationship between human and canine has deep roots. Wolf remains have been found in association with hominid remains dating from 400,000 years ago. Converging archaeological and genetic evidence indicate a time of domestication in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. Fossil bone morphologies and genetic analysis of current and ancient dog and wolf populations have not yet been able to conclusively determine whether all dogs descend from a single domestication event, or whether dogs were domesticated independently in more than one location. Domesticated dogs may have interbred with local populations of wild wolves on several occasions (so-called introgression).

The earliest dog fossils, two crania from Russia and a mandible from Germany, date from 13,000 to 17,000 years ago. Their likely ancestor is the large northern Holarctic wolf, Canis lupus lupus. Remains of smaller dogs from Mesolithic (Natufian) cave deposits in the Middle East, dated to around 12,000 years ago, have been interpreted as descendants of a lighter Southwest Asian wolf, Canis lupus arabs. Rock art and skeletal remains indicate that by 14,000 years ago, dogs were present from North Africa across Eurasia to North America. Dog burials at the Mesolithic cemetery of Svaerdborg in Denmark suggest that in ancient Europe dogs were valued companions.

Genetic analyses have so far yielded divergent results. Vilà, Savolainen, and colleagues (1997) concluded that dogs split off from wolves between 75,000 and 135,000 years ago, while a subsequent analysis by Savolainen et al. (2002) indicated a "common origin from a single gene pool for all dog populations" between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago in East Asia. Verginelli et al. (2005), however, suggest both sets of dates must be reevaluated in light of recent findings showing that poorly calibrated molecular clocks have systematically overestimated the age of geologically recent events. On balance, and in agreement with the archaeological evidence, 15,000 years ago is the most likely time for the wolf-dog divergence.

Verginelli examined ancient DNA evidence from five prehistoric Italian