There are many different shapes for dog tails: straight, straight up, sickle, curled, or cork-screw. As
with many canids, one of the primary functions of a dog's tail is to communicate their emotional
state, which can be important in getting along with others. In some hunting dogs, however, the tail is
traditionally docked to avoid injuries.[39] In some breeds, such as the Braque du Bourbonnais,
puppies can be born with a short tail or no tail at all.[40]
Differences from wolves
The Saarloos wolfdog carries more gray wolf DNA than any other dog breed[41]
Despite their close genetic relationship and the ability to inter-breed, there are a number of
diagnostic features to distinguish the gray wolves from domestic dogs. Domesticated dogs are
clearly distinguishable from wolves by starch gel electrophoresis of red blood cell acid
phosphatase.[42]
The tympanic bullae are large, convex and almost spherical in gray wolves, while
the bullae of dogs are smaller, compressed and slightly crumpled.[43] Compared with equally sized
wolves, dogs tend to have 20% smaller skulls and 30% smaller brains.[44]:35 The teeth of gray
wolves are also proportionately larger than those of dogs.[45] Dogs have a more domed forehead
and a distinctive "stop" between forehead and nose.[46] The temporalis muscle that closes the jaws
is more robust in wolves.[5]:158 Wolves do not have dewclaws on their back legs, unless there has
been admixture with dogs that had them.[47] Most dogs lack a functioning pre-caudal gland and enter
estrus twice yearly, unlike gray wolves which only do so once a year.[48] So-called primitive dogs
such as dingoes and Basenjis retain the yearly estrus cycle.[49]
Dogs generally have brown eyes and wolves almost always have amber or light colored eyes.[50]
The skin of domestic dogs tends to be thicker than that of wolves, with some Inuit tribes favoring the
2
former for use as clothing due to its greater resistance to wear and tear in harsh weather.[51] The
paws of a dog are half the size of those of a wolf, and their tails tend to curl upwards, another trait
not found in wolves.[52] The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more
behavioral and morphological variation than any other land mammal.[53]
Health
Main article: Dog health
There are many household plants that are poisonous to dogs (and other mammals) including
begonia, Poinsettia and aloe vera.[54]
Some breeds of dogs are prone to certain genetic ailments such as elbow and hip dysplasia,
blindness, deafness, pulmonic stenosis, cleft palate, and trick knees. Two serious medical conditions
particularly affecting dogs are pyometra, affecting unspayed females of all types and ages, and
gastric dilatation volvulus (bloat), which affects the larger breeds or deep-chested dogs. Both of
these are acute conditions, and can kill rapidly. Dogs are also susceptible to parasites such as fleas,
ticks, mites, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms (roundworm species that lives in
the heart of dogs).
A number of common human foods and household ingestibles are toxic to dogs, including chocolate
solids (theobromine poisoning), onion and garlic (thiosulphate, sulfoxide or disulfide poisoning),[55]
grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, xylitol,[56]
as well as various plants and other potentially
ingested materials.[57][58] The nicotine in tobacco can also be dangerous. Dogs can be exposed to
the substance by scavenging through garbage bins or ashtrays and eating cigars and cigarettes.
Signs can be vomiting of large amounts (e.g., from eating cigar butts) or diarrhea. Some other signs
are abdominal pain, loss of coordination, collapse, or death.[59] Dogs are susceptible to theobromine
poisoning, typically from ingestion of chocolate. Theobromine is toxic to dogs because, although the
dog's metabolism is capable of breaking down the chemical, the process is so slow that for some
dogs even small amounts of chocolate can be fatal, especially dark chocolate.
Dogs are also vulnerable to some of the same health conditions as humans, including diabetes,
dental and heart disease, epilepsy, cancer, hypothyroidism, and arthritis.[60]
Lifespan
3
Further information: Aging in dogs
Mixed-breed dogs such as this terrier have been found to run faster and live longer than their pure-bred
parents (see Heterosis).
In 2013, a study found that mixed breeds live on average 1.2 years longer than pure breeds, and
that increasing body-weight was negatively correlated with longevity (i.e. the heavier the dog the
shorter its lifespan).[61]
The typical lifespan of dogs varies widely among breeds, but for most the median longevity, the age
at which half the dogs in a population have died and half are still alive, ranges from 10 to 13
years.[62][63][64][65] Individual dogs may live well beyond the median of their breed.
The breed with the shortest lifespan (among breeds for which there is a questionnaire survey with a
reasonable sample size) is the Dogue de Bordeaux, with a median longevity of about 5.2 years, but
several breeds, including miniature bull terriers, bloodhounds, and Irish wolfhounds are nearly as
short-lived, with median longevities of 6 to 7 years.[65]
The longest-lived breeds, including toy poodles, Japanese spitz, Border terriers, and Tibetan
spaniels, have median longevities of 14 to 15 years.[65] The median longevity of mixed-breed dogs,
taken as an average of all sizes, is one or more years longer than that of purebred dogs when all
breeds are averaged.[63][64][65][66] The longest-lived dog was "Bluey", an Australian Cattle Dog who
died in 1939 at 29.5 years of age.[67][68]
Reproduction
4
Main article: Canine reproduction
Female dog nursing newborn puppies
In domestic dogs, sexual maturity happens around six to twelve months of age for both males and
females,[17][69] although this can be delayed until up to two years old for some large breeds. This is
the time at which female dogs will have their first estrous cycle. They will experience subsequent
estrous cycles semiannually, during which the body prepares for pregnancy. At the peak of the
cycle, females will come into estrus, being mentally and physically receptive to copulation.[17]
Because the ova survive and are capable of being fertilized for a week after ovulation, it is possible
for more than one male to sire the same litter.[17]
Fertilization typically occurs 2–5 days after ovulation; 14–16 days after ovulation, the embryo
attaches to the uterus, and after 7-8 more days the heart beat is detectable.[70][71]
Dogs bear their litters roughly 58 to 68 days after fertilization,[17]
[72] with an average of 63 days,
although the length of gestation can vary. An average litter consists of about six puppies,[73]
though
this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog. In general, toy dogs produce from one to
four puppies in each litter, while much larger breeds may average as many as twelve.
Some dog breeds have acquired traits through selective breeding that interfere with reproduction.
Male French Bulldogs, for instance, are incapable of mounting the female. For many dogs of this
breed, the female must be artificially inseminated in order to reproduce.[74]
Neutering
5
A feral dog from Sri Lanka nursing very well-developed puppies
Neutering refers to the sterilization of animals, usually by removal of the male's testicles or the
female's ovaries and uterus, in order to eliminate the ability to procreate and reduce sex drive.
Because of the overpopulation of dogs in some countries, many animal control agencies, such as
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), advise that dogs not
intended for further breeding should be neutered, so that they do not have undesired puppies that
may later be euthanized.[75]
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3–4 million dogs and cats are euthanized
each year in the United States and many more are confined to cages in shelters because there are
many more animals than there are homes. Spaying or castrating dogs helps keep overpopulation
down.[76] Local humane societies, SPCAs, and other animal protection organizations urge people to
neuter their pets and to adopt animals from shelters instead of purchasing them.