canology

Canology is the study of canines, including domestic dogs and other members of the family Canidae. It is used by some scholars as an umbrella term for research concerning the biology, behavior, evolution, and welfare of dogs and their relatives. In common scholarly usage, cynology or kynology is the more established designation; canology appears in historical writings, regional texts, or as a general-purpose term for canine study.

Scope of canology includes biology and anatomy; genetics and evolution; domestication and history; behavior, cognition, and communication; health, nutrition, and veterinary care; welfare, breeding management, and breed conservation; and studies of wild canids and their ecology. Researchers may compare domestic dogs with other canids such as wolves, foxes, and jackals to understand adaptation, social structure, and sensory abilities.

Methods employed in canology combine perspectives from zoology, veterinary science, ethology, and genetics, often incorporating archaeology and paleontology to trace domestication. Data sources may include observational studies, controlled experiments, genetic analyses, and fossil or zooarchaeological records, as well as breed registries and welfare assessments.

Relation to related terms and notes on terminology: canology is not as widely standardized as cynology or kynology and may reflect historical or regional usage. Because terminology can vary, readers should check the source to determine whether canology, cynology, or kynology is intended in a given context. The field is interdisciplinary, overlapping with animal biology, anthropology, and veterinary medicine, with practical relevance to breed conservation, welfare, and canine health.