DRH Chapter 1: Characteristics of Dogs
How many genera of Canidae are there?
10
When were dogs thought to be first domesticated and used by humans?
12,000 to 15,000 years ago
How many thoracic vertebrae do dogs have?
13
The foundation stock for modern canids began to evolve about _____ million years ago.
2 million
How many coccygeal (tail) vertebrae do dogs have?
20-22
How many sacral vertebrae do dogs have?
3
How many active toes or digits do dogs have on each foot?
4
Name 5 of the common characteristics all domestic dogs share.
4 Carnassial teeth, 42 total teeth Dogs are mammals, Feed their young with milk, 50-52 total vertebrae, Irises of the eye contract circularly, 78 chromosomes, 4 active toes (digits) on each foot, Dewclaw (vestigial digit) inside of front feet, Claws don't retract, 63-day gestation period, Young born with eyes & ears shut, Use body language to communicate to others, Use vocalizations to communicate to others
Approximately how many breeds of dog inhabit the world?
400
How many teeth does a mature dog have?
42
What are the dewclaws and where are they located?
5th vestigial digit on inside of each front foot
What does gestation period mean?
Amount of time an animal is pregnant
What is a carnivore?
An animal that consumes (eats) meat
What is an omnivore?
An animal that eats both plants and animals
What is the term whelp mean when used as a noun?
An unweaned puppy
What is the name of the dogs that help people with hearing, sight and mobility impairments to function more independently?
Assistance dogs
What is the term used to designate a female canine
Bitch
A dog's _____ _____ and expressions are similar when they show signs of playfulness, aggression, submission, fear and other sentiments.
Body Language
Early domestic dogs evolved through selective breeding into different types of dogs with similar characteristics. These different types of dogs would eventually be recognized as _____.
Breeds
How do the irises of a dog's eye contract?
Circularly
What class, order, family, genus and species are domestic dogs listed as?
Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Species: Canis familiaris
Most of all, dogs are our friends and _____.
Companions
What is the term used to designate a female parent of a dog or mother dog?
Dam
Name 2 other animals included in the Canis group besides the domestic dog.
Dingo, Jackal, Coyote, Wolf
What is the term used to designate a male canine?
Dog
What is the term used to designate either a male or female dog?
Dog
What were the first animals domesticated by humans?
Dogs
Are dogs carnivores or omnivores?
Dogs are considered carnivores because they exist on a diet of meat in the wild
What are the 4 groups the 10 genera of Canidae are divided into?
Dogs, Foxes, Culpeos, Bush dogs
What type of wolf likely contributed to the genetic lines of dogs that evolved from Asian Wolves?
European Wolf
True or False: Despite domestication, dogs actually prefer and do best in non-social environments where they can enjoy solitude.
False. Dogs are social animals that thrive on the companionship of humans and other dogs.
True or False: No dogs have dewclaws on their hind feet.
False. Some breeds, like Great Pyrenees, Icelandic Sheepdogs and Beauceron are required by their written breed standard to have rear dewclaws.
True or False: Both dogs and cats can retract their claws (nails).
False: Cats have retractable claws, but dogs nails are not retractable.
Scientists believe the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is most closely related to the _____ _____ or Canis lupus.
Gray Wolf
Dogs use their 4 upper pre-molar and first lower molar to do what?
Grind food and hard substances
What type of wolf is found in India, Persia and the Middle East and were involved in the development of the widest variety of dog breeds?
Indian Wolf
What is the name of the small ferret-like animal that may have been the domestic dog's earliest ancestor?
Miacis
What do mammary-producing glands make?
Milk
What does vestigial mean?
No longer serves a purpose or function
What type of wolf is the major source for North American breeds like the Alaskan Malamute and Canadian Eskimo Dog?
North American Wolf
Name the 4 varieties of wolves that contributed to creation of today's domestic dog breeds.
North American Wolf, Chinese Wolf, Indian Wolf, European Wolf
Even though dogs are considered carnivores, they eat an _____ diet, as most dog rations (food) contain plant and animal foods.
Omnivorous
What is a young dog called?
Puppy
What is the term used to designate a young dog under 12 months of age?
Puppy
Dogs around the world serve a multitude of _____.
Purposes
Name 2 of the everyday jobs dogs have in today's society.
Search-and-rescue, Drug detection, Bomb detection, Hunting, Herding livestock, Guarding property, Pulling carts and sleds
How did early farmers create domestic dogs that served their needs from the tame wolves living with them?
Selective breeding
What is the term used to designate a male parent of a dog or father dog?
Sire
True or False: Devoted to their owners, dogs provide countless hours of unconditional friendship, love and fun.
True! Dogs are the BEST, aren't they?
Dogs use _____ (growling, baring, howling and whining) to express themselves in different situations.
Vocalizations
Name 2 characteristics of a mammal.
Warm-blooded vertebrate Nourish their young with milk
What is the term, when used as a verb, that means a female dog giving birth?
Whelp or whelping
What is the act of parturition (giving birth) in dogs called?
Whelping
What is one of the theories about how dogs became domesticated?
When humans began farming, wolves moved into their settlements as scavengers
What animal do dogs appear to be more like than any other animal?
Wolves
Roughly when does a puppy's eyes open?
About 2 weeks of age
What type of wolf contributed to the creation of Chinese breeds such as the Chow Chow and Pekingese?
Chinese Wolf
Name, in order, the 5 progenitors of the domestic dog.
Creodonts (100-50 million years ago), Miacis (54-38 million years ago), Hesperocyon (38-26 million years ago), Leptocyon (12 million years ago), Canidae (2 million years ago)
Dogs inherited what 3 keen senses from their wolf ancestors?
Hearing, Sight, Scent (smell)
What were 2 of the characteristics seen in wolves that early farmers could have used to help them?
Help them hunt, Protect people and property, Herd livestock
What is the average gestation period for dogs?
63 days
How many cervical vertebrae dog dogs (and ALL other mammals) have?
7
How many lumbar vertebrae do dogs have?
7
How many chromosomes do dogs have?
78
How many total vertebrae do dogs have?
50-52
True or False: Dogs and humans are both mammals.
True
