The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)[2][3] is a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of the Canidae family of the mammalian order Carnivora. The term "domestic dog" is generally used for both domesticated and feral varieties. The dog has been the first animal to be domesticated[4] and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and pet animal in human history. The word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine species,[5] as opposed to the word "bitch" for the female of the species.

MtDNA evidence shows an evolutionary split between the modern dog's lineage and the modern wolf's lineage around 100,000 years ago but, as of 2013[update], the oldest fossil specimens genetically linked to the modern dog's lineage date to approximately 33,000-36,000 years ago.[4][6] Dogs' value to early human hunter-gatherers led to them quickly becoming ubiquitous across world cultures. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding ...