Canis

Dog

A homeothermic quadriped long domesticated by Europeans et al, and longer a culinary staple of Asia
Pros Dogs may belong to the family unit, provide companionship, unqualified affection, service to the disabled, work—e.g., herding sheep, rescuing in extreme conditions, etc.—and serve as models for certain diseases
Cons Dogs may ‘turn’ on their owners, maul or kill other animals or humans, an event for which pitbulls are notorious. Dogs can trigger asthma, largely due to an allergen, Can f1, which is primarily found in saliva—which is less common than is asthma evoked by feline dander. Dogs are vectors for multiple infections—anthrax, blastomycosis, Bergeyella (Weeksella) zoohelcum, Brucella canis, campylobacteriosis, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Capnocytophaga cynodegmi, CDC group EF-4a, CDC EF-4b, CDC group NO-1, cheyletiellosis, coenurosis, cryptosporidiosis, cutaneous larva migrans, Demodex folliculorum, dermatophytosis, Dipylidium caninum, echinococcosis, Francisella tularensis, Gastrospirillum hominis, granulocytic ehrlichiosis, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, Malassezia pachydermatis (associated with external otitis externa in dogs and may cause intravascular infections in low-birth-weight infants who receive lipid emulsions), Neisseria canis, Neisseria weaveri, Pasteurella multocida, plague, rabies, RMSF, salmonellosis, scabies, Staphylococcus intermedius, Strongyloides stercoralis, trichinosis, visceral larva migrans, Yersinia enterocolitica

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Canis

a genus in the animal family Canidae. Includes the domestic dog (C. familiaris), wolf (C. lupus), red wolf (Canis rufus), Oriental jackal (C. aureus), coyote (C. latrans), dingo (C. antarcticus syn. C. dingo).