Dingo

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

Dingoes are wild free-roaming dogs that originated from the continent of Australia. In the beginning, their ancestors are known to have arrived with humans from Southeast Asia thousands of years ago when dogs were undomesticated. The Dingoes are also known as Australian Native Dog, Maliki, Warrigal, Noggum, Mirigung and Boolomo.

Training these dogs need to be started at a very young age or it will be difficult to train. They can be tamed at this very young age. This dog, when not trained, are not suitable to be left alone with children. If proper training is provided and cared for, this dog will be a delight to have in the household.

Color

The dog's fur color is typically Sandy to Reddish Brown. But it can include Tan patterns and rarely Black, Light Brown or White.

Coat

This dog's fur is short, bushy on the tail and depending on the climate, varies in thickness and length.

Personality

The Dingo is a breed that was never fully domesticated. But if properly trained and socialized, they make good companions. These dogs have some unusual traits. This includes a great tree climber. The Dingo chooses a partner that they will consider their mate their whole life. Sometimes they could mourn themselves to death after losing their partner. In the wild, they usually live in packs. These groups habitually hunt in the night. Owners of this dog need to display authority over the dog to be respected. A calm, assertive, confident and consistent human should lead this dog so they could maintain their stable and balanced self.

Care

As a dog that is naturally in the wild, this dog's weather-proof coat takes care of itself which means it needs very little grooming. These dogs have no doggie odor as well. Although they are generally considered healthy dogs, these dogs are still susceptible to the same diseases as domesticated dogs. The bulk of these diseases have very minimal influence on the dog's survival except for canine distemper, heart worms and hookworms in North Australia and Southeastern Queensland. Their cubs can also be killed from contacting with whipworms, hepatitis, lungworms, coccidiosis, lice and ticks.

Training

This dog can be kept as pets if they are taken from their litter before they reach their 6th week. They can be tamed at this very young age. However, if they go over 10 weeks, they should not be taken from the wild. Untrained Dingoes are not suitable for children and are difficult to be trained for obedience. Obedience training should be done with lots of patience, kindness and a firm and gentle hand. If proper training is provided and cared for, these dogs can make good pets. They are known to be able to perform well in agility and general obedience.

Activity

These dogs are undomesticated animals that require a lot of exercise. They should get their daily long walks or jogs to fulfill their primal migration instinct as any other dog. The walk should emphasize that the human is the pack leader where the dog is made to heel beside or behind the human. Dingoes are not recommended in small space living. They are naturally wild dogs that when taken as a family pet should be taken as a family member. They need a large securely fenced yard where they could run around and play.