The first animal people domesticated, bred from wolves by hunter-gatherers more than 14,000 years ago, before farming began. There are around 450 official breeds, more than for any other mammal.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Most dogs are harmless, but dog bites affect tens of millions of people a year, and children suffer the most serious injuries.
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
The first animal ever domesticated, over 14,000 years ago, before farming began.
Do people eat it?In places
Eating dog is taboo in most of the world, but dog meat is still eaten in some East Asian countries, including China, Vietnam and Korea.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatTowns, Farmland
ColoursBlack, White, Brown, Gold
SizeMedium
WeightUnder 1 kg to about 70 kg, depending on breed
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inpacks
Lives for10–13 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide, wherever people live. About three-quarters of the world’s dogs are in developing countries, mostly as street and feral dogs.
- What it eats
- An omnivore. Living alongside people, dogs gained the ability to thrive on a starchy diet that would not suit wolves or other wild dogs.
Did you know
The first animal we domesticated, well before farming.
Often confused with
- Wolf
A wolf has longer legs, bigger feet, a broader head and a straight tail carried low. Many dogs carry their tails curled or high.
Compare side by side - Dingo
Dingoes come from an early branch of the dog family tree, split off before today’s domestic breeds.
Compare side by side
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