Because, The genus Canis includes 6 species of extant New and Old world canids, the side-striped jackal, golden jackal, black-backed jackal, grey wolf, Ethiopian wolf, and the coyote.
Canis familiaris; dog; domestic dog (a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds). wolf (any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs). Canis familiaris, dog, domestic dog-a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds; the dog barked all night. The genus Canis includes 6 species of extant New and Old world canids: the side-striped jackal, golden jackal, black-backed jackal, grey wolf, Ethiopian wolf, and the coyote. The latin ‘canis’ means dog. Members of this genus are highly diverse and numerous subspecies of extinct and extant species abound. Genus Canis-This includes wolves, coyotes, jackals and domestic dogs. Subspecies Canis lupus familiaris-Canis is the Latin word for dog. Domestic dogs are ancestors of the grey wolf. To learn more about a dog's habitat, click here. Classification. For years the domestic dog was classified as a species, Canis familiaris. However, recent DNA analysis shows domestic dogs evolved from wolves, Canis lupus. This led scientists to reclassify the domestic dog as Canis lupus familiaris, a subspecies of the wolf rather than a separate species. Domain-Eukarya Kingdom-Animalia Phylum-Chordata Subphylum-Vertebrata Class-Mammalia Order-Carnivora Family-Canidae Genus-Canis Species-Canis lupus Subspecies-Canis lupu Drawing of dire wolf (Canis dirus) by Robert Larson. The genus Canis includes wolves, coyotes, jackals, and the domestic dogs. In the midwestern U.S. at least three members of the genus are found in sites that date from the last Ice Age. These three members are the dire wolf (Canis dirus), the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). For years the domestic dog was classified as a species, Canis familiaris. However, recent DNA analysis shows domestic dogs evolved from wolves, Canis lupus.
http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/genus_canis.htm http://www.thefreedictionary.com/genus+Canis http://www.untamedscience.com/genus/canis/ http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/nyberg_mich/Classification.htm http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/nyberg_mich/Classification.htm http://exhibits.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/canis.html http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/nyberg_mich/Classification.htm
why is a dogs genus canis