Dog Facts

About the dog

Hunter-gatherers bred dogs during the Late Pleistocene, before farming began, and some genetic studies suggest the process started more than 25,000 years ago. Dogs and today's gray wolf share an ancestor. Living alongside people for so long, dogs gained the ability to thrive on starchy food that would not sustain other canids. Breeds differ hugely in shape, size and color, yet apart from the tail, every dog has the same bone count.

A dog's mouth holds around 42 teeth. Its senses of smell and hearing beat ours, though its eyesight is weaker. Dogs communicate through eye contact, facial expressions, sounds, posture and scent, and they mark territory by urinating. They have adapted to understand and communicate with people, and they work at hunting, herding, pulling loads, guarding, therapy, helping disabled people, and police and military work.

Did you know?

• Dogs are more likely to mark territory when they enter a new place.
• The bond between people and dogs is a frequent subject of scientific study.
• Dogs' close ties to people earned them the nickname man's best friend.