Wild Dogs

The scientific name for the domestic dog is Canis Familiaris, and included in the genus Canis are both the Dingo and the New Guinea Singing Dog. The Dingo is the only large mammal native to Australia that is not a marsupial. It is believed therefore that the Dingo did not originate in Australia but got there as a half-domesticated companion of the aboriginial settlers and latter reverted to the wild. The Dingo is reddish fawn in colour and often has white paws, a white patch on the chest and white tip to the tail. This type of white marking is more common in domesticated animals than wild ones. Black and cream coloured specimens also occur. They are about twenty inches high, and interbreed readily with the domestic dog. They also do not bark in the wild, but when caught young and tamed they will learn to do so. The Dingo is now a major pest in Australia. Although they destroy a large number of wild rabbits and other small mammals, the Dingo's main food is sheep. Being naturally alert, suspicious and cunning animals, they have been able to survive in a country where the farmers have tried to kill them all off.

The New Guinea Singing Dog is named for its strange howling cry. It looks very similar to the Dingo and is also believed to have been brought to New Guinea by the original settlers. Little is known about its habits in the wild.

Mention must be made of Pariah Dog. These are semi-wild dogs found in countries bordering the Mediterranean, throughout the Middle East, and southwards through the Malay Archipelago to Japan. Usually medium-sized animals, they vary in colouring and structure, and have been classified into five distinct types. They are nearly always scavengers, living on the outskirts of human settlements and vary in temperament from the completely wild to the semi-tame. Adults caught in the wild can be tamed and trained successfully, and puppies reared by humans behave like domesticated dogs. They interbreed readily with the imported European breeds and, because of this, the recognizable pariah types may soon disappear. Though they do not always live in packs, pariahs sharing the same territory will band together to rout a common enemy. When domesticated the pariah makes a very good watch-dog, being naturally suspicious and alert. It is also loyal and devoted and exceptionally hardy, as its background makes it highly resistant to disease. Where the pariah dog came from is still a puzzle. It is claimed by some that, when the ancient civilisations of the Middle East declined and vanished, the domesticated dogs of the region reverted to the wild. This would account for the diversity of types that are found. Another theory is that pariahs are descended from some primitive dog, rather like the Dingo in appearance and that they represent a transition stage between a truly wild dog and the domesticated variety. The theories are not mutually exclusive, though irrefutable proof for either has not yet been found.