The interactive dog atlas · for the classroom
33 cards, six per A4 sheet, to cut along the lines. Choose the set and, if you want an exercise, hide the name (the student writes it) or the text (the student writes the definition). No student names, no score.
caput · head
The head comprises the skull, ears, eyes, muzzle and mouth. Its shape and size vary a lot between breeds, from the long muzzles of sighthounds to the short ones of brachycephalic breeds. Inside sit the brain and the sense organs; the bones of the head can be seen in the skeleton layer, as "skull" and "mandible".
Where: From the nose leather to the nape, including the ears.
rostrum · muzzle
The muzzle is the portion of the head in front of the eyes: the nose, the upper jaw and the mandible with the lips. Its length relative to the skull is one of the criteria breed standards use to describe the head. Inside the muzzle is the nasal cavity with the nasal turbinates, covered by the mucosa through which the dog perceives scents.
Where: The front part of the head, from the stop to the nose leather.
planum nasale · nose
The nose leather is the tip of the nose: the moist, hairless skin with the two nostrils. Through the nostrils, air enters the nasal cavity, where the nasal turbinates and the olfactory epithelium are. Scent is detected through the olfactory epithelium and the olfactory nerves; the vomeronasal organ is an additional pathway for chemical detection.
Where: The tip of the muzzle, the hairless skin around the nostrils.
oculus · eye
The eyes sit in the orbits, the cavities of the skull that you can see in the skeleton layer as a circle. Their position, more lateral or more frontal, differs between breeds and influences the visual field. The eye is part of the sensory nervous system: the receptors in the retina send signals to the brain through the optic nerve.
Where: On the sides of the head, in the orbits, above the stop.
auris · ear
The external ear, the pinna, can be erect, semi-erect or drop, depending on the breed. It directs sound toward the ear canal and the middle and inner ear, which lie inside the skull. The pinna is also a communication tool: ear position is part of the dog's body language.
Where: On the top of the head, behind the eyes.
collum · neck
The neck links the head to the trunk. Inside are the seven cervical vertebrae and the muscles that let the dog raise, lower and turn its head. The collar sits on the neck; the length and "arch" of the neck are frequent landmarks in breed standards.
Where: Between the head and the withers.
regio interscapularis · withers
The withers are the highest point of the trunk, between the shoulder blades. Under the skin lie the spinous processes of the first thoracic vertebrae and the upper edges of the two scapulae. They are the standard landmark for a dog's height: "height at the withers" is measured from here to the ground.
Where: The highest point of the trunk, between the shoulder blades, just behind the neck.
dorsum · back
The back is the upper part of the trunk, from the withers to the loin. Beneath it lie the thoracic vertebrae, to which the thirteen pairs of ribs attach. In show-ring vocabulary, "back" usually means the region between the withers and the base of the tail, but some standards restrict it to the area above the thorax.
Where: The upper line of the trunk, from the withers to the lumbar region.
regio lumbalis · loin
The loin is the portion of the back between the last rib and the pelvis. Beneath it lie the seven lumbar vertebrae, which have no ribs, so the region is supported only by muscle. Much of the spine's flexibility at the gallop comes from here, when the back arches and stretches.
Where: Between the last rib and the pelvis, on the upper part of the trunk.
regio sacralis · croup
The croup is the part of the back above the pelvis, from its front edge to the root of the tail. Beneath it lies the sacrum, the three fused vertebrae to which the pelvis attaches. The slope of the croup influences the angle at which the tail is carried and the way the hindlimb pushes.
Where: From the front edge of the pelvis to the base of the tail.
thorax · chest, thorax
The thorax is the cage formed by the thoracic vertebrae, the thirteen pairs of ribs and the sternum. It houses the heart and lungs. Its depth, measured from the withers to the bottom of the chest, and its circumference are common landmarks in standards and in choosing a harness.
Where: The front part of the trunk, between the forelimbs and the abdomen.
abdomen · abdomen
The abdomen is the portion of the trunk behind the ribs, as far as the pelvis. It has no bones on its sides: its wall is muscular. Inside sit the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, spleen and urinary bladder. The underline, from the chest toward the flank, "rises" more or less depending on the breed.
Where: The lower and rear part of the trunk, between the last rib and the pelvis.
cauda · tail
The tail is the continuation of the vertebral column: usually between twenty and twenty-three caudal vertebrae, getting smaller toward the tip. The number varies between individuals. The tail helps with balance in turns and is a communication tool, through position and movement.
Where: The continuation of the vertebral column, from the croup downward.
regio presternalis · forechest
The forechest is the front part of the trunk, between the two forelimbs and below the base of the neck. Beneath it lie the front end of the sternum, the manubrium, and the shoulder joints. How far the chest "projects" forward of the point of the shoulder is a common landmark in standards.
Where: The front part of the trunk, below the neck, between the forelimbs.
regio scapularis · shoulder
The shoulder is the upper region of the forelimb: the shoulder blade (scapula) and the muscles that attach it to the trunk. The dog has no functional collarbone, so the forelimb is attached to the body only by muscles and ligaments, not by a bony joint. The shoulder joint is between the scapula and the humerus.
Where: The upper part of the forelimb, on the side of the thorax.
brachium · upper arm
The upper arm is the segment between the shoulder joint and the elbow. Its bone is the humerus, covered by the muscles that extend and flex the elbow. In the standing dog, the upper arm slopes backward, and the elbow comes roughly level with the bottom line of the chest.
Where: Between the shoulder and the elbow, on the side of the chest.
cubitus · elbow
The elbow is the joint between the upper arm and the forearm, formed by the humerus, radius and ulna. The point of the elbow, the bump you can easily feel with your fingers, is the olecranon, the upper end of the ulna. The elbow bends in a single plane, forward and backward, like a hinge.
Where: Between the upper arm and the forearm, at the bottom of the chest.
antebrachium · forearm
The forearm is the segment between the elbow and the wrist. It has two bones, the radius and the ulna, lying side by side: the ulna sits behind at the elbow and on the outer side at the wrist, the radius in front. In the standing dog, the forearm is nearly vertical.
Where: Between the elbow and the carpus (wrist).
carpus · carpus, wrist
The carpus is the wrist of the forelimb, between the forearm and the paw: the counterpart of the human wrist. It is made of seven small bones, arranged in two rows. On the back of the carpus is the carpal pad, the only pad that does not touch the ground when walking.
Where: Between the forearm and the forepaw.
manus · forepaw
The forepaw comprises the metacarpus, the toes and the pads. The dog is digitigrade: it walks on its toes, with the metacarpus raised off the ground. Four toes bear the weight, each with a pad and a claw; the fifth, the dewclaw (digit I, on the inner side), is slender and takes no part in support.
Where: From the carpus downward: the metacarpus, the toes and the pads.
femur (regio femoris) · thigh
The thigh is the upper segment of the hindlimb, from the hip joint to the stifle. Its bone is the femur, surrounded by the most powerful muscles of the dog: the hindlimbs are the "engine" of locomotion, the ones that push the body forward.
Where: The upper part of the hindlimb, from the hip to the stifle.
genu · stifle
The dog's knee, called the stifle, is the joint between the thigh and the lower thigh: femur, tibia and patella. It sits higher than you would think, near the flank, and bends forward, like the human knee. Don't confuse it with the hock, the joint below it, which bends backward.
Where: Between the thigh and the lower thigh, at the front of the hindlimb, close to the bottom line of the abdomen.
crus · lower thigh, second thigh
The lower thigh is the segment of the hindlimb between the stifle and the hock. It has two bones: the tibia, thicker, in front, and the fibula, slender, on the outer side. In the standing dog the lower thigh slopes backward, and its length relative to the thigh gives the "angulation" of the hindlimb.
Where: Between the stifle and the hock.
tarsus · hock
The hock is the joint between the lower thigh and the hind paw, the counterpart of the human ankle. It bends backward, the opposite of the stifle, which is why it looks like a "reversed knee". The point of the hock, the bump at the back, is the calcaneus, the bone to which the Achilles tendon attaches.
Where: Between the lower thigh and the hind paw; the "reversed" joint in the lower part of the hindlimb.
pes · hind paw
The hind paw comprises the metatarsus, the toes and the pads: a common metatarsal pad and one pad on each of the four toes that touch the ground. As in front, the dog stands on its toes, with the metatarsus raised. The hind dewclaw is absent in many dogs.
Where: From the hock downward: the metatarsus, the toes and the pads.
frons · forehead
The forehead is the region over the frontal bone, between the eyes and the crown, continued toward the nose by the bridge of the nose. In the dog, the frontal parts of the two bones form a central depression and slope forward, toward the stop. Under the skin lie the frontalis muscle, weak in the dog, and the bundles of the levator nasolabialis, which start here toward the upper lip.
Where: Above the eyes, on the frontal bone, between the stop and the crown.
no anatomical term · stop
The stop is the depression between the eyes, where the nasal bones meet the skull. It is a term from the show-ring vocabulary, defined by the Kennel Club glossary, not from anatomical nomenclature: the anatomy pages consulted do not use it. Anatomically, the area corresponds to the junction of the nasal bones with the frontal bone, where the frontals form a central depression.
Where: The step between the forehead and the bridge of the nose, between the eyes.
bucca · cheek
The cheek is the lateral wall of the mouth. It has a masseteric part, firm, over the masseter muscle, and a buccal part, mobile, toward the corner of the mouth, whose foundation is the buccinator muscle. In the dog the cheeks are loose and roomy, with a smooth, often pigmented mucosa. The duct of the parotid gland crosses the cheek and opens opposite the upper teeth.
Where: The lateral wall of the mouth, from the corner of the lips to below the ear.
labium superius / inferius · lips
The lips border the opening of the mouth. In the dog they are thin and mobile, with numerous tactile hairs; the upper lip is larger than the lower one, which it covers, and the edges of the lower lip are flaccid and serrated. “Flews” is the show-ring word for the pendulous upper lips of some breeds. In their thickness lies the orbicularis oris, supplied by the facial nerve.
Where: Around the opening of the mouth; the corner of the mouth reaches the level of the cheek teeth.
mentum · chin
The chin is the fleshy prominence below the lower lip, at the tip of the mandible. In animals it is far less marked than in humans. From here, on the inner side, start the muscles that pull the tongue forward: the genioglossus, “from chin to tongue”, and the geniohyoideus. The mental tactile hairs also sit on the chin.
Where: Below the lower lip, at the tip of the mandible.
nares · nostrils
The nostrils are the external openings of the nasal cavity, set in the planum nasale, the bare skin of the nose leather. In the dog each nostril is comma-shaped, with the wide part next to the septum and the narrow tail pointing backward and outward, into a groove, the alar groove, barely marked in carnivores. The upper edge, the wing of the nostril, is convex and mobile; the levator nasolabialis pulls on it.
Where: The two openings of the nose, in the planum nasale of the nose leather.
pili tactiles · tactile hairs, vibrissae
Vibrissae are thick, richly innervated hairs that serve the sense of touch. In the dog six groups are confirmed: above the eyes, on the upper lip (the whiskers), on the lower lip, on the chin, on the cheeks and in the zygomatic region, plus microvibrissae on the lips. Touching the ones above the eyes or the whiskers triggers a reflex blink; the dog pushes its whiskers forward when exploring an object.
Where: On the upper and lower lip, on the cheeks, on the chin and above the eyes.
palpebrae · eyelids
The eyelids are mobile folds that protect the eye; their middle layer contains the fibers of the orbicularis oculi. In carnivores, the lower eyelid has no cilia. In the corner toward the nose sits the third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, supported by a T-shaped cartilage: its movement is passive, it is pushed across the cornea when the retractor muscle pulls the eyeball back; humans have neither a third eyelid nor this muscle.
Where: Around the opening of the eye; the third eyelid in the corner toward the nose.