The dog (Canis familiaris[4][5] or Canis lupus familiaris[5]) is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from an ancient, extinct wolf,[6][7] and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. [8] The dog was the first species to be domesticated,[9][8] by hunter-gatherers over 15,000 years ago,[7] before the development of agriculture.