Although, we, Australians have claimed them as our own, the Wild Dogs did not originate here. They are thought to be a descendent of the Indian Wolf. Skulls have been found in Vietnam dating back 5,500 years. There are also noted findings throughout South East Asia that date from 5,000 to 2,500 years old.

The general consensus is that the Wild Dog was brought to Australia by seafarers, using them for food or trade.

The earliest recording, in Australia, is around 3,500 years old.

Dingoes today are found throughout South East Asia and mainland Australia, and they are in larger numbers in the north of Australia. It has been noted that the Australian variety are larger than those of South East Asia.

The Dingo was a constant companion of the Aboriginal people, primarily for hunting and camp cleaning.

The first European settlers, tolerated them, but once Sheep breeding and trading became an integral part of the economy, the Wild Dogs were hunted down and shot, or trapped and poisoned. Sadly there was no consideration given to whether they were, in fact, wild or belonged to the Aboriginal people.

The fence runs over 5,000 kilometers from the East Coast of Queensland, (the Darling Downs) to the Eyre Peninsular (The Great Australian Bite); The fence was finished in 1885. A 300 kilometer section is patrolled weekly, by a 2 person team. It is the longest man made structure in the world. The fence was not completely successful in keeping the wild dogs out of the south and, today, they are still found in parts of the southern states, except Tasmania!

'Statistics'

They are, both, shy and aloof,and have a much more independent nature than the domestic dog.

They are not pack animals; they, usually, hunt alone or in pairs and their hunting is done at night.

They become sexually mature at one year old and they mate for life; it is not uncommon for one to mourn itself to death after loosing its partner.

The male plays an active role in raising the pups, The pups can stay with their parents between one and three years. Usually, the pups are weaned around two months old at which time the mother, regurgitates her food for her young; this continues until the pups are around four months old. The pups, then start to venture out hunting for themselves.

They have a uniqueness, that is not found in the domestic dog, they are capable of rotating their wrists, and can, actually, turn a door knob and climb a tree.

They do not bark, they howl.

They do not have 'due claws', nor do they have an odor.

The most common colour is, a Sandy, Redish colour, with white hair on the feet and tail tip. There is a very small percentage, that show a Dark - Black coat with tan markings and very, very rarely you will find Brindle markings; The darker variety are, more, forest inhabitants. The Alpine, which is very light cream to white is, also, found in exceptionally low numbers.

They are intelligent, curious and very playful. It is worth noting that even a very respectful, well educated male, will become extremely restless during the breeding season, which is during May/June.

We'll make your story into your very own web page; Help promote our Wild Dog!.

Do you have, or know someone that owns One of these Magnificent Animals?

Maybe, you have a great story about a Dingo, or you would you like to promote a rescue center for one of our, most treasured, Australian Icons?

The more information that we can circulate about our Dingo, the Brighter this beautiful creature's future will be. If you have a photo that you would like to submit, it's easy, just follow the instructions below, we'd love to see it!

Click one of the links below to see how other people feel about our Dingo. All contributions are from other visitors to this page...

CLICK HERE To Learn More and
See How Little It Takes
To Help our Dingo Survive

CLICK HERE To Learn More About
The Australian Cattle Dog
A True Descendent of The Dingo