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…
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