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They didn't teach this to me when the mobile planetarium was set up in my elementary school gym...

Despite their masked appearance, raccoon dogs are not closely related to raccoons. Rather, they belong to the Canidae family, alongside wolves and foxes.

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is also a basal species, which means it most resembles the ancestral form of the Canidae family. So, if you're wondering what your Fido looked like several million years ago, look no further than the raccoon dog!