Cynology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cynology is the study of dogs. The word appears to have been taken into specialized English language usage (i.e., within the community of the canine fancy) from the French (cynophilie, dog amateurism; cynologique, of dog studies, probably popularized by the title of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale). The word is not yet found in major English dictionaries. Both the French and English words derive from the Greek roots κυν (kyn) for dog and λογος (logos) for word. (κυν is also the source of the English word cynic, and is indirectly related to canine and hound.)

Cynologists (students of cynology) concern themselves with canine evolution, breed development and differentiation, canine behavior and training, and canine history. The discipline was virtually non-existent prior to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when purebred canine registries began to be organized, starting in 1873 with the founding of The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom.