Dogs Definition and 63 Threads

The domestic dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. The dog derived from an ancient, extinct wolf, and the modern grey wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. The dog was the first species to be domesticated, by hunter–gatherers over 15,000 years ago, before the development of agriculture. Their long association with humans has led dogs to be uniquely adapted to human behavior, leading to a large number of domestic individuals and the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids.The dog has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Dog breeds vary widely in shape, size, and color. They perform many roles for humans, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and the military, companionship, therapy, and aiding disabled people. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet of "man's best friend."

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  1. berkeman

    The role of Robot Dogs and Drones in Search and Rescue operations

    This was a great use of technology last week when a large parking garage collapsed in New York City, and it was too dangerous to send in FireFighters to search for injured and trapped people. FDNY has used Drones for a while now, and has a new Robot Dog that is able to navigate pretty difficult...
  2. M

    Why do people still choose dogs over advanced technology?

    Okay, dogs have been man's best friend for thousands of years, but today modern technology is in a very advanced level. So probably the devices are better than dogs. Why do people still use dogs when hunting, to rescue people in avalanche or among the ruins of a building after an earthquake, for...
  3. N

    MHB How Many Dogs Did the Pet Store Sell in March?

    A certain pet store sells only dogs and cats. In March, the store sold twice as many dogs as cats. In April, the store sold twice the number of dogs that it sold in March, and three times the number of cats that it sold in March. If the total number of pets the store sold in March and April...
  4. A

    2 Exercises with Forces -- dogs pulling a sled

    Hello ! we have recently been given the exercice stated above, along with a diagram that i inserted as a picture.The problem i have with this exercice is that i am not quite sure whether my idea about how to do it was right. I was thinking about replacing the normal force (N) in the F= mu x N...
  5. B

    Why were wolves and dogs considered separate species until recently?

    I don't get it. We always knew that they could interbreed. Here's the definition of species:BIOLOGY a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. The species is the principal natural taxonomic unit, ranking below a genus and denoted...
  6. berkeman

    What is the Controversy Surrounding DogTV for Stay-at-Home Dogs?

    I saw this in my Xfinity channel guide today. Interesting concept... https://www.dogtv.com/
  7. BillTre

    Why Dogs are Different from Wolves in their Ability to Appear Appealing

    Summary: Why Dogs are Different from Wolves in their Ability to Appear Appealing. Dogs have two facial muscles that are either lacking or much reduced in wolves. These muscles permit dogs to make appealing faces at people (the AU101 movement: inner eyebrow raise) which is thought to have lead...
  8. W

    Special Bond between Dogs and Humans?

    Hi All, In a recent discussion ananimal rights activist claimed something to the effect that there is a special bond between humans and dogs, and that this is supported by science. I think she alleged there is fMri data to thus effect. I , not being an expert assumed dogs' behavior was the...
  9. BryanS

    I How can I compare different dogs' performance given these values?

    I haven't given much thought to the physics I studied in college a long while ago but found myself pondering some things recently and wanted to explore some thoughts... figured it might be a fun area to discuss and you might help point my brain back in a good direction... I regularly...
  10. Irl495

    What are the interests and research areas of this scientist?

    Nice to be "meet" you! I'm currently working towards a PhD in the area of energy systems/water splitting hydrogen production reactor design/empirical characterization in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department of my university. During my undergrad years I really enjoyed learning to...
  11. Jacinta

    Do Dogs Have the Ability to Think?

    So, I was browsing through Youtube, when I stumbled upon this video. It really got me thinking, I was contemplating a lot about life. This really confuses me. I mean, do dogs even have the ability to have nightmares or the capacity to think? Like I know this sounds kinda dumb, and before you...
  12. codcodo

    Why do some dogs have floppy ears?

    Why do certain breeds of dogs have floppy ears? One theory states that it is the result domestication and breeding for tameness. However, a friend of mine who happens to be an anthropology major regards this theory as a myth. He claims that there are breed of wolves with floppy ears. Hence the...
  13. O

    Why are dogs more intelligent than cats?

    My dog seemed to be more creative and has more emotional reactions.. my cat seemed more dull.. what is the exact simple reason? What part of brain a dog has that a cat doesn't have (or not developed)? Have you met a cat more intelligent than a dog?
  14. Thiru07

    How do I find the time taken by dogs to meet each other?

    Homework Statement Sam has three dogs sitting at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The length of each side of the triangle equals to s meters. Sam gives the command "Start!" and each dog starts to run with constant speed v meters per second. At each moment, each dog is running towards...
  15. L

    Death of 3 Dogs After Drinking Water from Kent Lake: Investigation Begins

    https://uk.news.yahoo.com/three-dogs-die-drinking-kent-lake-011715191.html Have you seen this one? Does the green-blue algae hypotesis fit with the nearly instantaneous death of the dogs that drank the water?
  16. AK Husky

    Sled Dogs and Components of Force

    Homework Statement This is a real world problem, which I have been thinking about for some time now. The problem is this: I have a weighted sled which requires a pulling force to move it, and I have a team of dogs generating that pulling force. I am trying to figure out the differences between...
  17. pioneerboy

    Solving 'Hundepuzzle' with High School Maths Only

    Is there a solution to this game https://prlbr.de/2011/08/hundepuzzle/alle-karten.png in the form of an equation that only requires high school mathematics but no higher maths and informatics?
  18. S

    Why doesn't this dog have a shadow?

  19. micromass

    Who's the better companion: cats or dogs?

    The age-old debate: cats or dogs. But which one does the PF community prefer? Let the fight begin :biggrin:
  20. D

    Medical Who are the most well-known Medical Physicists in the field?

    For those in the field, just out of curiosity, who are the well-known Medical Physicists? I know Faiz Khan is one of the most renowned. His textbooks are really outstanding.
  21. O

    What is the tension in rope 2 when a dog pulls two sleds on snow?

    Homework Statement The sled dog in figure drags sleds A and B across the snow. The coefficient of friction between the sleds and the snow is 0.10. If the tension in rope 1 is 150 N, what is the tension in rope 2? [Sled A, 100kg]---1----[Sled B, 80kg]--2--Dog pulling This problem was...
  22. tiny-tim

    What happens when engineers own dogs

    what happens when engineers own dogs :wink: … http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150482841852179
  23. J

    The Evolution of Dogs: Domestication in a Short Time Period?

    I understand and completely accept the evidence for the former but i was just reading the greatest show on Earth and richard was saying how our domestic dogs are directly evolved from wolves, not foxes or anything else. If that's the case, wouldn't the lame argument "if we evolved from chimps...
  24. Pythagorean

    Why are dogs afraid of the aroma of cooked lamb?

    There appears to be many cases of people's domestic dogs showing anxious and aversive behavior around cooked lamb. Examples: Dog afraid of lamb jerky several different exmples over the years of people asking the internet why their dogs cower every time they cook lamb...
  25. Anna Blanksch

    Why Do Dogs Roll in Stinky Things?

    So I've been hanging out with this adorable dog (small labradoodle) of the family that I nanny for and she has got me asking a lot of dog-related questions. Right now what's on my mind is this... Why do dogs (and other animals?) roll in stinky smelling things like dead animal residue? Are...
  26. Anna Blanksch

    Wild dogs howl and house dogs bark

    Why do we hear coyotes and wolves howl or yelp while house dogs more often bark? Does it have something to do with living in a pack vs. living alone? Also... today when I was on a walk around noon I spotted two separate coyotes (the dog I was walking started barking at the first one which...
  27. K

    Dogs pulling on a post vector probelm

    Two dogs pull horizontally on ropes attached to a post; the angle between the ropes is 60.5. If dog A exerts a force of 250 and dog B exerts a force of 330 , find the magnitude of the resultant force. Find the the angle the resultant force makes with dog A's rope. -I don't know where...
  28. V

    Can dogs or cats survive in zero gravity without human assitance?

    The kinds of experiments involving animals in space have only answered simple questions of survivability in captivity where human assistance is at hand. The big problems of space colonization have yet to be answered. I thought up this question when someone on this forum posted a response to my...
  29. 8

    Proving the Dogs Meet at a Single Point: A Mathematical Analysis

    Homework Statement There are N dogs on the plane. Each dog chases the tail of the next dog with a speed of 1 (and the last dog is chasing the first). I want to prove that the dogs will eventually meet at a single point. 2. The attempt at a solution I defined a function that is sum of...
  30. turbo

    Why do we need to advocate for the humane treatment of dogs?

    I have ample evidence that my dog Duke was abused by former owners. Why? He is such a sweet, smart dog and he is eager to please. Dogs are hard-wired (by evolution and later development) to be our friends, and they want to help us and please us. They don't ask for anything more than a kind...
  31. Astronuc

    What are the genetic relationships between puppies, dogs, and their relatives?

    :biggrin: http://tinyurl.com/yjxnhqc :approve: :-p
  32. S

    Learn All About Dogs""Discovering the World of Dogs: A Beginner's Guide

    not needed
  33. K

    Calculating Work Done by Sled Dogs: A Frustrating Challenge!

    Sled Dogs work? A team of dogs drags a 46.5 kg sled 1.73 km over a horizontal surface at a constant speed. The coefficient of friction between the sled and the snow is 0.233. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s2 . Find the work done by the dogs. Answer in units of kJ [b]2. W=Fd F=mg...
  34. G

    Paris Hilton Builds $325,000 house for her dogs

    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32220817/ns/today-today_pets/ God bless the silver spoon and American capitalism. That house for her dogs cost more than most American family homes.
  35. snoopies622

    Are Dogs or Cats More Closely Related: DNA, Fossil Record, and Behavior

    Are people more closely related to dogs or to cats? Based on behavior I would guess dogs, but what does the DNA say? What about the fossil record? Anybody know?
  36. C

    Eye Contact with Dogs: Friend or Foe?

    Hi, I was wondering about the following. A friend (biologist) once told me that looking a cat in the eyes shows aggression, whereas making eye contact with a dog creates a kind of connection or bond. However, a quick Google search seems to indicate that also in canines, direct eye contact is...
  37. Math Is Hard

    A really cool sanctuary for cats (dogs, too)

    This reminded me of the "cat herding" commercial. Wonder how she manages the fleas? I can barely afford flea treatment for one cat!
  38. wolram

    Why can't cats be trained to use guns like dogs?

    So this is why we do not have guncats. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081203184533.htm
  39. R

    Two Dogs and a Tire: A Physics Experiment

    1. Two dogs, separate by 137 degree of arc, grab a tire and pull simultaneously. The first dog pulls with a force of 220N. The second dog pulls with a force of 230N. A third dog joins in on the fun and grabs the tire as well, pulling just enough to bring thee other 2 dogs and the tire to a...
  40. Ivan Seeking

    A million bucks to care for fifty dogs?

    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-11-20-1081248146_x.htm Holy cow! Are they hiring Halliburton to do this? Okay, maybe this guy is a scumbag, but that is outrageous!
  41. J

    Can MRI and CT scans have effects on the human body?

    Woman left in CT scan machine. I had a similar experience. I was left in a CT scan machine for over 10 minutes once.
  42. M

    Why Do Evolutionary Scientists Dismiss Behe's Ideas on Intelligent Design?

    This Sundays book review is on the newest book by ID proponent Michael Behe called "The Edge of Evolution" and is reviewed by Oxford evolutionary zoologist Richard Dawkins. Inferior Design An another note, how odd that Behe didn't think of dogs.
  43. R

    Are Macy's jackets made from dog fur?

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061222/ap_on_bi_ge/macy_s_dog_fur :eek:
  44. H

    Can microevolution in dogs be proven without speculation ?

    Can microevolution in dogs be proven without "speculation"? I am debating a fellow on a different website, and I'm worried my answer will not be as technical or correct. So, I'm asking for some help from the more learned minds that roam this place. : ) """Me: Mutations occurred in the...
  45. ZapperZ

    Are dogs' mouths really cleaner than humans'?

    I don't care. All I can say is EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW! http://ask.yahoo.com/20060906.html Zz.
  46. C

    Cats or Dogs: Which Pet Reigns Supreme?

    Which is Better: Cats or dogs?? this a veery hard question that's been around for decades... which is better: Cats or dogs? im a dog person my self but i like cats and y do dogs chase cats??:confused:
  47. Ivan Seeking

    How we know cats are evil and dogs are devils

    The animal complaint thread. :devil: :devil: :devil: Yesterday began with Bun and the neighbor cat killing one of the baby wild turkeys. :cry: :cry: :cry: Poor mom was running around squawking while the kitties had their evil way with the by then defunct fowl. Now she has decided to make...
  48. M

    Why do dogs smile and chimpanzees cry?

    was a show that I watched last night on how humans attribute emotional characteristics to animals. In the show they featured a segment about a chimpanzee who was taught sign language to communicate with humans. This isn't something new and many of us have heard about it. However, what I did...
  49. Ivan Seeking

    Medical Can dogs accurately detect cancer in humans through smell?

    http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060105-102420-5522r
  50. DocToxyn

    Is 115-120 dB Loud Noise Harmful to Dogs and Humans?

    I've been watching a discussion on another forum regarding the use of loud horns to deter dogs from chasing bikes. Some dissenters say that it is cruel since dogs can "hear so much better than humans" and such loud sounds can injure them. My question is, is it better stated that dogs have a...
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