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Canis familiaris

Linnaeus, 1758

Domestic Dog

GNANot Applicable Found in 36 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
GNANot ApplicableGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100911
Element CodeAMAJA01040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyCanidae
GenusCanis
Synonyms
Canis lupus familiarisLinneaus, 1758
Other Common Names
Chien (FR) Feral Dog (EN) Perro Doméstico (ES)
Concept Reference
Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
Taxonomic Comments
This is the domestic form of Canis lupus (Duleba et al. 2015, ASM 2025). The dog has been considered both a distinct species, Canis familiaris (Jones et al. 1992) and as a subspecies, Canis lupus familiaris (Wilson and Reeder 2005). Includes dingo as a synonym (ASM 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2020-12-04
Change Date2016-04-04
Range Extent Comments
Ancestral forms probably of Eurasian origin. Worldwide in various degrees of captivity. Strays and feral packs sporadically or continuously present on all larger Hawaiian Islands and in many other areas.
Ecology & Habitat

Ecology

Density of free-ranging dogs is estimated at 154-936 per sq km in various large cities (see Daniels and Bekoff 1989).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchardUrban/edificarian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanSNANo
AlbertaSNANo
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
New YorkSNANo
MinnesotaSNANo
IdahoSNANo
Rhode IslandSNANo
Roadless Areas (36)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Pilot CreekSix Rivers National Forest9,192
San JoaquinSierra National Forest22,474
West GirardShasta-Trinity National Forest37,516
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
NeedlesPayette National Forest131,279
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Humboldt - Angel LkHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,008
Toquima CaveHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest43,147
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Oregon (8)
AreaForestAcres
Greenhorn MountainMalheur National Forest15,936
Greenhorn Mtn.Umatilla National Forest11,191
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Little SheepWallowa-Whitman National Forest5,238
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
SherwoodUmpqua National Forest2,449
Snake RiverWallowa-Whitman National Forest31,229
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Utah (6)
AreaForestAcres
418001Uinta National Forest5,697
418003Uinta National Forest10,912
418004Uinta National Forest16,661
418042Uinta National Forest7,313
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Washington (2)
AreaForestAcres
Devils GulchWenatchee National Forest24,419
EntiatWenatchee National Forest72,617
References (12)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Causey, M. K., and C. A. Cude. 1980. Feral dog and white-tailed deer interactions in Alabama. J. Wildl. Manage. 44:481-484.
  3. Daniels, T. J., and M. Bekoff. 1989. Population and social biology of free-ranging dogs, <i>Canis familiaris</i>. J. Mamm. 70:754-762.
  4. Duleba, A., K. Skonieczna, W. Bogdanowicz, B. Malyarchuk, and T. Grzybowski. 2015. Complete mitochondrial genome database and standardized classification system for <i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>. Forensic Science International: Genetics 19:123-129.
  5. Gentry, A., J. Clutton-Brock, and C. P. Groves. 2004. The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives. Journal of Archaeological Science 31(5):645-651.
  6. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  7. Kramer, R. J. 1971. Hawaiian land mammals. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. 347 pp.
  8. Lever, C. 1985. Naturalized mammals of the world. Longman Group Limited, England.
  9. Tirira, D. 1999. Mamíferos del Ecuador. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.
  10. Tomich, P. Q. 1986. Mammals in Hawai'i. A synopsis and notational bibliography. Second edition. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 375 pp.
  11. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  12. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]