When I was growing up I learned that the Latin species name for the domestic dog was Canis familiaris and the term for the wolf was Canis lupus.
Canis is the Latin word for dog. Lupus is the Latin name for wolf.
Nowadays the domestic dog has had lupus added to its species name to give Canis lupus familiaris, and the gray wolf is now called Canis lupus lupus to distinguish it from other wolf subspecies:
Iranian wolf – Canis lupus pallipe
Arabian wolf – Canis lupus arabs
Tibetan wolf – Canis lupus chanco
The coyote is Canis latrans.
The four sharpest teeth in our mouths are called canines.
Canine can be used as an adjective. For example, lavish, unquestioning love might be called canine affection. (Dogs have a reputation for bestowing that kind of love on their owners.)
