C - Dog Dictionary Definitions

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  Cafe Au Lait

  A term used to describe a coat that is light brown that is rich and well saturated. It is often used to describe a coat color...(continued)

• Cairn Terrier

• Camel Back

  A back that is arched.

• Canaan Dog

• Candle Flame Ears

  A term used to describe ears that are both large and erect with uneven edges.

• Canid

  Any carnivorous animal of the dog family. This includes the domestic dog, hyenas, coyotes and wolves to name a few of the members of...(continued)

• Canine

  1. A dog or canid. 2. the four pointed teeth that are located next to the incisors on each side of both the upper and lower jaw...(continued)

• Canine Distemper

  A very serious infection that is incurable and usually fatal. It is caused by the canine distemper virus, which is...(continued)

• Canine Good Citizen(r) (CGC)

  An temperament certification program that tests the dog's behavior in public situations. It is not an official AKC...(continued)

• Canine Infectious Hepatitis (See also: Hepatitis)

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  Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy

  An inherited condition that is found in Tibetan Mastiff puppies by the time they are six weeks of...(continued)

• Canine Leukocyte (CLAD)

  An inherited abnormality that affects the white blood cells ability to fight infection. This disease impairs the...(continued)

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  Canine Teeth

  The four pointed teeth that are located next to the incisors on each side of both the upper and lower jaw right

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  Canter

  A term to describe a gait that is not as fast or tiring as a run where two legs move separately while two move as a diagonal pair....(continued)

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  Cap

  A term to describe a coat pattern where the skull is darkly shaded as though it is wearing a cap.

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  Cape

  A term used to describe long thick hair that covers the shoulders.

• Cardigan Welsh Corgi

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  Cardiomyopathy

  Cardiomyopathy is an inherent disease that affects the heart. There are 2 kinds of Cardiomyopathy seen in dogs. Dilated...(continued)

• Carnivore

  An animal that only eats flesh; meat.

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  Carpals

  Equivalent to the human wrist, the carpal are any of the bones in the wrist.

• Carrier

  An animal that carries a genetic defect or a disease-causing organism without showing any symptoms or signs of being affected that...(continued)

• Castrate

  The common term used to describe the surgical removal of a male dog's testicles.

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  Cat Foot

  A foot that is similar in shape to a cat's foot with high arched toes that are held close together. The foot is neat and round.

• Catahoula Leopard Dog

• Catalog

  A book that is sold at conformation shows that list the entries at the show and all the applicable information including the dogs...(continued)

• Catalog Order

  The order of the dogs in the book that reflects the order that they will be entered into the ring for the preliminary class...(continued)

• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

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  Cerebellar Abiotrophy

  The premature deterioration in the cerebellum that causes poor coordination, loss of balance, clumsiness, and affects...(continued)

• Cervical Spondylolithesis

  Also known as Wobbler's Syndrome, cervical vertebral deformity or spondylomyelopathy, Cervical Spondylolithesis is...(continued)

• Cesky Terrier

• Champion (CH)

  A title and suffix that dogs are awarded when they have earned the requisite number of points and wins in the conformation ring....(continued)

• Chartreux Cats

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  Cheeks

  The fleshy part of skin that lies below the eyes and covers the area from the front of the ear to the lips.

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  Cheeky

  A term used to describe a rounded and thick cheek that is protruding.

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  Cherry Eye

  Occurs when the gland that is located in the canine's third eyelid, prolapses out and can be seen as a reddened mass at the inner...(continued)

• Chesapeake Bay Retriever

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  Chest

  The part of the body from the neck to the thorax that encloses the ribs, also known as the trunk.

• Chestnut

  A term used to describe a coat that is a deep reddish brown in color. Often used to describe as a coat color for Pharaoh Hounds and...(continued)

• Chihuahua

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  China Eye

  An eye that is either whitish, spotted, clear blue, or light blue.

• Chinese Crested

• Chinese Li Cats

• Chinese Shar-Pei

• Chinook

• Chippendale Front

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  Chiseled

  A term used to describe a head that is clean cut with bulging outlines especially beneath the eyes.

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  Chocolate

  A term used to describe a coat that is medium to dark brown in color. It is a common term for a variant of coat colors in Labrador...(continued)

• Choke Collar

  Commonly known as a choke chain, it is used to control and train dogs by working in a noose like manner with the collar...(continued)

• Chondrodysplasia

  A genetic deformation disorder that is commonly mislabelled as "dwarfism". The deformity is usually seen as abnormally...(continued)

• Chops

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  Chorea

  A condition that could be linked with distemper or hepatitis; it is an involuntary contraction of the muscles resulting in nervous

• Chow Chow

• Chronic Disease

  A disease that continues for a long duration or progresses slowly.

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  Cinnamon

  A term used to describe a coat that is a lightly saturated yellowish brown in color, very similar to the spice of the same name. It...(continued)

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  Circular Eye

  An eye that is round.

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  Cleft Palate

  Cleft Palates can be both congenital and acquired, which occurs do to trauma. The palate is the roof of the mouth that...(continued)

• Clip

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  Clipping

  A gait where the back foot strikes the front foot when the dog is in motion.

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  Cloddy

  Low, thickset, and heavy.

• Close Mating

  1. A term used when a date of mating for a previous litter and a new date of mating for a submitted litter for the same dam is...(continued)

• Close-Coupled

  A term used to describe a dog that is comparatively short when measured from the withers to the hipbones.

• Clumber Spaniel

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  Coarse

  A dog that is not refined and one that is not harmonious in conformation; generally it is considered a negative term.

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  Cobby

  A short body that is compact.

• Cockapoo

• Cocker Spaniel

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  Cold Tail

  Is caused by cold water, cold weather, or even warm baths. It is common in many sporting dogs. The effects of cold tail are a...(continued)

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  Collar

  1. A term used to describe the markings, commonly white in color, that are found around the neck. 2. a band made from either leather,...(continued)

• Collie

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  Collie Eye Anomaly

  An inherited condition that can lead to blindness in some dogs. Collie Eye Anomaly can cause changes and abnormalities in...(continued)

• Colorpoint Shorthair Cats

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  Colostrum

  A yellowish milk, rich in antibodies and minerals, that is secreted by the mammary glands of a mother for a few days after the...(continued)

• Compact

  1. A term used to describe a coat that is short to medium in length giving the appearance of a smooth outline. 2. a firmly joined...(continued)

• Companion Animal Recovery(sm) (CAR)

  A national database that stores the information for the positive identification either through a microchip...(continued)

• Companion Dog (CD)

  A title and suffix for a dog that has won a specified number of minimum scores at AKC or member obedience trials in the...(continued)

• Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)

  A title and suffix for a dog that has won a specified number of minimum scores at AKC or member obedience trials...(continued)

• Concaveation

  Milk production due to the response from a spayed female dog to the suckling of a puppy.

• Condition

  The health of the coat, skin, behavior and general appearance.

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  Conformation

  The appearance and arrangement of the dog and its conformance to the breed standards, this includes the make and shape as well...(continued)

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  Congenital

  A condition that may be genetic or environmental in nature but is always present at birth

• Conjunctivitis

  A common eye infection in dogs that is caused by an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the coating that...(continued)

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  Copper

  A term used to describe a coat that is a bright brownish red in color much like the metal of the same name. In Siberian Huskies it is...(continued)

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  Corded

  A coat that grows in long cord-like strings that look like the stings on a mop or a dreadlock. This type of coat is breed standard on...(continued)

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  Corky

  Lively, alert and active.

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  Corneal Ulcer

  Corneal Ulcers can be the result of an irritant in the dog's eye as well as Entropion and Ectropion and it is an inflammation...(continued)

• Cornish Rex Cats

• Coronavirus

  A virus that is the common cause of diarrhea in puppies, it can also affect older dogs. It is highly contagious and can cause...(continued)

• Coton de Tulear

• Coupling

  The loin, which is the part of the body between the ribs and the pelvis.

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  Coursing

  A sighthound sport where the dogs chase prey in a race.

• Covering Ground

  A term used to describe the distance traveled with each stride a dog takes.

• Cow-Hocked

  When the hocks turn in and the back feet toe out.

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  Crabbing

  Also known as sidewinding, it is when the dog moves with its body at an angle to the direction it is moving.

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  Craniomandibular Osteopathy

  Craniomandibular Osteopathy is a disorder that affects several different skull bones of a growing dog and...(continued)

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  Crank Tail

  A tail that resembles a crank in shape and is carried down.

• Crate

  Also see kennel, it is a container that you can house, transport or ship dogs in.

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  Cream

  A term used to describe a coat that has slightly more color than straight white; it also describes a coat that is light to medium...(continued)

• Crest

  The upper arched portion of the neck.

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  Cropping/Crop

  To surgically cut off the ends of the ear leather so that the ears will stand erect.

• Crossbred

  When two dogs from different breeds produce a litter together and create puppies that are mixed breeds. Although some breeds have...(continued)

• Crossing Over

  A term to describe a gait where there is a twisting of the elbows, which results in a crisscrossing and toeing out. Also known...(continued)

• Croup

  The sacrum and surrounding tissue; the pelvic girdle.

• Crown

  The top skull or very top of the head.

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  Cruelty

  Inflicting distress on an animal through a conscious action or inaction that can endanger the health or life of the animal.

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  Cry

  The sound that hounds make, also known as baying or music.

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  Cryptorchidism

  When one or both testicles on the dog fail to descend. Testicles should descend fully by the time the puppy is 2 months old....(continued)

• Culotte

• Cur

• Curled Tail

  A tail that is held close to the dog's back in a tight curl.

• Curly-Coated Retriever

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  Cushing's Disease

  Also known as Hyperadrenocorticism, it is the overproduction of adrenal hormone like corticosteroids. This can occur...(continued)

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  Cushion

  Upper lips that are full and thick. A common trait in Pekingese

• Cymric Cats

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  Cynology

  The study of canines.

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  Cyst

  A closed sac that forms in the tissues and is filled with fluid or a semifluid substance.

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  Cystinuria

  Is a genetically inherited disorder that is caused by an inability to reabsorb cystine, which is an amino acid, back into the...(continued)