The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; and, coats can be indubitable brief to many centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight Arthritis Dog or curly, or smooth.

The skin of domestic dogs tends to be thicker than that of wolves, with some Inuit tribes favouring the antecedent for use as clothing due to its greater resistance to wear and tear in harsh weather. Unlike wolves, but like coyotes, domestic dogs have sweat glands on their paw pads. The paws of a dog are even-steven the highness of those of a wolf, and their tails tend to curl upwards, another trait not found in wolves.