The Canidae is a relatively small but homogeneous family of generalized hunters, but it counts among its members such species as the wolf, fox, coyote and domestic dog. The wild dog family contains 35 different species, ranging in size from the tiny fennic to the little studied bush dogs of the Amazon Basin.  Canids are the most vocal of the carnivores, having a variety of barks, howls and whines. Those members of
the family that hunt in packs can bring down large animals, but the solitary hunters usually live on small rodents, insects, birds and
berries when hunting is poor.

The canids are specifically adapted to running, and to maintaining a trot or galloping gate for great distances. The skeletal structure of all members is remarkably consistent, largely a reflection of a lack of specialization in terms of lifestyle.  Canids actually walk on their toes (digitgrade), which are specially adapted as part of the foot structure, to withstand the shock of impact during running.

Canids possess an impressive set of dental equipment, consisting of 42 teeth, paired except for the molars, 20 on the upper and 22 on the lower jaws. Most noticable are the four canine teeth located at the front corners of the mouth, quite large although not particularly sharp when compared to the felids, as canids do not spend much time chewing, rather bolt food down in large chunks.

Unlike most domestic dogs, wild canids generally breed only once during the year, the period closely related to season so that the young are born in the spring or summer when food is abundant. Breeding behavior is conditioned by changes of daylight and temperature, resulting in an increase of aggression related to territorial claims, scent marking, and displays of dominance. After maiting over a period of several days, and a gestation period of between 52 and 80 days, a litter containing one to 16 blind pups are born. The young are unabe to hunt or to care for themselves for a period of time ranging from several weeks to several months.  This extended dependency appears to strengthen the development of strong social or family ties typically observed in the canids.

Canids rely largely on a combination of hearing and eyesight to track their prey, with the relative significance of each sense depending on individual species and their lifestyle. Keen hearing is important in the case of the more social canids who communicate with eachother by a series of vocalizations including howling, yelping and growling.  Interestingly, wild canids do not bark loudly like domestic dogs where domestication seems to have led to barking becoming more frequent, much louder and often challanging in nature. Direct long range communication between individuals is accomplished by a number of distinctive howling vocalizations. Howling helps group members to stay in touch during hunting forays, tends to unify a pack, proclaims territorial rights and once started by an individual member of the pack is rapidly picked up by all. Canid howling, although somewhat uniform to the human ear, distinguishes individual pack members with characteristic tones and assures that no territorial incursions or unnecessary conflicts develop with neighboring packs.

The hunting methods and patterns of social life permit three principal types of canids to be distinguished. Solitary: The fox, which hunts small prey, generally rodents, on its own. Solitary-social: A transitional type of canid, usually hunting and livein alone, but frequently associating in more or less temporary pairs. Social: The wolves live in packs which may be very large and employ a method of hunting which, for the killing of large prey, relies on close cooperation.

STR 1, DEX 3, Stamina 1,  Percept 2, Intel 1, Wits 1

Alertness 4, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Search 1, Track 3, Swimming 1

Large Dogs:

STR 2, DEX 4, Stamina 4,  Percept 2, Intel 1, Wits 1

Alertness 4, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Intimidation 1, Search 2, Track 5, Swimming 2

Wolf:

STR 3, DEX 4, Stamina 4,  Percept 2, Intel 1, Wits 1

Alertness 4, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Intimidation 2, Search 1, Track 4, Swimming 1