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The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated subspecies of the gray wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivore. The term can also used more generally to encompass any member of the biological family Canidae, the Genus Canine (also called "true dogs"). When referring to Canis lupus familiaris, the term is used to specify both feral and pet varieties. |
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| The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history. There are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; and, coats can be very short to many centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight or curly, or smooth. It is common for most breeds to shed this coat, however non-shedding breeds are also popular. |
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