This blog is a tribute to Belle, and all the dogs who have come before and after. They are my friends, my companions, my teachers and my students. They bring me both joy and heartache, laughter and tears. There is nothing as sweet as the smell of puppy breathe, and nothing as sad as the final goodbye.


Showing posts with label dog species. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog species. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Canis Lupus Familiaris


 "Dog" is the common use term that refers to members of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris (canis, "dog"; lupus, "wolf"; familiaris, "of a household" or "domestic"). 
 The term can also be used to refer to a wider range of related species, such as the members of the genus Canis, or "true dogs", including the wolf, coyote, and jackals, or it can refer to the members of the tribe Canini, which would also include the African wild dog, or it can be used to refer to any member of the family Canidae, which would also include the foxes, bush dog, raccoon dog, and others.
 Some members of the family have "dog" in their common names, such as the raccoon dog and the African wild dog. A few animals have "dog" in their common names but are not canids, such as the  prairie dog.
  • The world’s biggest dog was an English Mastiff named Zorba. He stood 8 feet and 3 inches tall and weighed a whopping 343 pounds.
  • The world’s smallest dog was a Yorkshire Terrier. It stood only 2.5 inches shoulder length, 3.5 inches from tail to nose, and weighed only 4 ounces.
  • The tallest dog living is ‘Giant George’ a Great Dane, who measured 1.092 m (43 in) tall on 15 February 2010 and is owned by David Nasser of Tucson, Arizona, USA.