A dog is an animal that can be kept as a pet or used for hunting purposes. It is a slender, muscular mammal with four long legs and a bushy tail. It is a member of the canid family, which also includes foxes and cats.
Domestic dogs evolved from wild wolves over thousands of years. They have been selectively bred for many traits, including their senses of sight and smell and physical attributes.
They can be trained to help search and rescue teams in the wake of natural disasters or reports of people lost in the outdoors. They can also be used for police work, such as assisting with jail escapees or murder victims.
Their sense of smell is up to 10,000 times better than our own, so they are valuable in law enforcement. They can detect drugs, explosives, and other odors.
Some are even used to find missing people, such as police officers and military personnel. They are often paired with customs officials to track down poachers and illegal shipments of elephant ivory or other endangered species.
Some dogs are companion animals that people adopt for love and affection. They can provide comfort to their owners in times of distress and make them feel loved and secure.