dog
- Term Type
Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Preferred Term
dog
- Details
Domesticated species of Canis, descended from Canis lupus and considered a subspecies in some classifications. Dogs come in a variety of shapes, and sizes and over 400 distinct breeds. All domestic or feral dogs are descended from Canis lupis or gray wolf. For more than 12,000 years, it has lived with humans as a hunting companion, protector, and as herders and guardians of sheep, goats, and cattle. Today, dogs are employed as aids to the blind and disabled, or for police work. In Western art, dogs have generally come to symbolize faithfulness and loyalty, however, in other cultures they can symbolizes a varity of traits, ranging from unclean to seducer.
- Variations
Canis familiaris
dogs
