Cynology (rarely kynology, ) is the study of matters related to canines or domestic dogs. In English, it is a term sometimes used to denote a serious zoological approach to the study of dogs as well as by writers on canine subjects, dog breeders, trainers and enthusiasts who study the dog informally.Five quotes are used in the Wiktionary to illustrate word cynology/cynologist. *''1892, The Journal of Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Archives, 'Professor Mills has done excellent work in his course on "Cynology, the Dog and his Diseases," a subject hitherto only taught incidentally in any college ... *''1948, Dogs In Britain Clifford L. B. Hubbard, MacMillan & Co, 'Buffon's table is here reproduced as it was a sincere attempt towards laying a foundation upon which cynologists might work out the origin of breeds and their varieties and the analysis of dog groups. *''1951, The American Mercury, 'Students of cynology can trace in the dictionary the dog's remarkable rise in the public esteem in this century. *''1985, The Complete Dog Book, published by the American Kennel Club, 'The annals of cynology make no further mention of the breed until 1901 when a combined Rottweiler and Leonberger Club was formed. *''1990, Austin Farrer, in his introduction to G. W. Leibniz' "Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil"; quoted in Charles Taliaferro's 2005 Evidence and Faith
online
) 'we shall really need a science of probatology about sheep, and cynology about dogs.' ''

Etymology

Cynology is a classical compound word (from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, , , , 'dog'; and , ''

-logia ''-logy'' is a suffix in the English language, used with words originally adapted from Ancient Greek ending in ('). The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French '' -logie'', which was in turn inherited from the Latin '' -lo ...

'') referring to the study of

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

s. The word is not found in major English dictionaries and it is not a recognized study in English-speaking countries. Similar words are in other languages, such German and Dutch . is also the source of the English word ''cynic'', and is directly related to ''canine'' and ''hound''.

Usage in English

The suffix '-logy' in English words refers to a study, or an academic discipline, or field of scientific study. English classical compound words of this type may confer an impression of scientific rigor on a non-scientific occupation or profession. Usage in English of the word cynology is rare, and occasionally found in the names of dog training academies, with cynologist sometimes being used as a title by some dog trainers or handlers. People who informally study the dog may refer to themselves as 'cynologists' to imply serious study or scientific work. The very rare term ''cynologist'' in English is generally found to refer to "canine specialists" such as; certified care professionals, certified show judges, breeders, breed enthusiasts, certified dog-trainers and professional dog-handlers.

Famous Cynologists

* Nils Erik Hjalmar Åhmansson (born 23 May 1941), Åhmansson was National Police Commissioner from 1 January 1988 to 20 October 1988. He was chairman of the Swedish Kennel Club from 1993 to 2015. * Phyllis Gardner (6 October 1890 – 16 February 1939), was a writer, artist, and noted breeder of Irish Wolfhounds * Rudolphina Menzel (1891–1973) was a cynologist, best known for her work in the field of animal behavior, from

Vienna, Austria Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. She was responsible for gaining recognition for the

Canaan Dog The Canaan Dog (, ) is a dog breed developed in the early 20th century from semiwild pariah dogs that were the descendants of animals present in the region since biblical times. It is the national dog of Israel and can be found in Israel, Jordan, L ...

; and she wrote the breed standard, which was accepted by the FCI in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

. * Chris Zink, is the director of the Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology at the

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, th ...

. She researches the immune system's response to

retroviruses A retrovirus is a type of virus that inserts a DNA copy of its RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell that it invades, thus changing the genome of that cell. After invading a host cell's cytoplasm, the virus uses its own reverse transcriptase ...

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

and explores potential therapies. As a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

, she's an expert in canine athletics and stem cell therapies for dogs, and she has authored several books on these topics. Zink was named Outstanding Woman Veterinarian of the Year in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

and has also received awards for her photography. Born in

Toronto, Canada Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, she currently holds multiple professorships at

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...

Etymology

Usage in English

Famous Cynologists

References

External links

Further reading