Unlike the Felidae , canids have non-retractile claws. This means that they are worn down by activity and are not the specialized weapons found in some other carnivores. All male canids have a well-developed baculum. The skulls of canids have an elongated facial region. An alisphenoid canal is present, and the paroccipital processes are long.
Canine teeth are large but unspecialized.
Molars are of the crushing type. The carnassial pair is strongly built. Hunting in packs allows canids to capture species much larger than themselves. In wolves, mating occurs only between the two dominant individuals in the pack. Pack-forming species, as well as less gregarious species such as foxes, are very territorial.