家犬 (jiāquǎn) · domestic dog, house dog, pet dog

家犬 is the formal/written word; in everyday speech people say 狗 (gǒu) or 家狗 (jiāgǒu). The 犬 (quǎn) form appears in scientific names, legal texts (导盲犬 'guide dog,' 警犬 'police dog,' 军犬 'military dog'), and literary writing - same character, more elevated register.

culture

犬 is one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals (狗年 'Year of the Dog,' technically 狗 in zodiac contexts). The 犬 radical appears in many animal-related characters: 猫 (cat), 狼 (wolf), 狐 (fox), 猎 (hunt).