The diminutive form of κύων ('dog'), κυνάριον specifically denotes a small domestic dog—a household pet rather than the despised street scavenger. This distinction is theologically significant in the Syrophoenician woman's exchange with Jesus (Matt 15:26–27; Mark 7:27–28). When Jesus says the children's bread should not be thrown to the κυναρίοις, the woman brilliantly turns the diminutive to her advantage: even the little dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. German Hündlein and Spanish perritos both preserve the affectionate diminutive nuance that makes this dialogue so memorable.