狗

狗 (gǒu) is the Chinese word for dog — the animal. It is the single-character word; you almost never say 狗子 in standard speech (that's regional/colloquial). The standard measure word is 只 (yī zhī gǒu — one dog), though 条 is also common, especially for bigger dogs (一条大狗). Two cultural notes English speakers should know: first, 狗 appears in many Chinese insults (狗东西, 走狗) where 'dog' carries a much more negative connotation than in English, so be careful using it figuratively. Second, the cute / pet word is 小狗 (xiǎo gǒu, 'puppy' or 'little dog') or 狗狗 (gǒugou — reduplicated, like saying 'doggie'). The zodiac sign 'dog' is also 狗.

Memory hook: The left side 犭 is the four-legged-animal radical — you'll see it in 猫 (cat), 猪 (pig), 狼 (wolf) too.