The British naturalist Brian Hodgson gave the dhole the scientific name "Canis primaevus" ("original/primitive dog") and suggested that it was domesticated to become the pet dog. He later noticed how differently the dhole looked compared to other species in the genus "Canis" (containing wolves, pet dogs, coyotes and jackals) and put it in its own genus, "Cuon", from the Greek word for 'dog'.