What physical characteristics might indicate that a dog is a predator?

1. Forward facing eyes providing binocular vision and depth perception.

2. Keen sense of smell for locating prey.

3. Keen sense of hearing for same.

4. Canine teeth designed for cutting through flesh.

5. Reasonable speed for catching prey (many of the other characteristics are also consistent with scavengers).

6. Strong bite strength combined with canine teeth for neutralizing live prey.

7. Relatively high intelligence (if you do not consider this a "physical" characteristic then think of it as "brain structures that enable high intelligence").

8. Related to high intelligence is the ability for complex coordination within a pack (different than less complex interaction of a herd).

9. Short digestive track typical of carnivores (both predators and scavengers).