As everyone knows, a dog is a man's best friend. However, not all breeds are domesticated. In nature, there are wild dogs of various types. Let's talk about them.
Wild animals - dogs
Recently, scientists have conducted research. During them, it turned out that the oldest wild dog is a dingo.
This is a very controversial breed, disputes about which have been going on for quite a long time in the scientific world. For example, it is not known for certain how dingoes got to Australia. The very first theory tells us that these wild dogs were brought to the mainland by natives 40-50 thousand years ago. But this conjecture was destroyed thanks to the skull of a dingo found in Vietnam, which, according to scientists, is about 5,500 years old. As a result of this discovery, it was suggested that dogs crossed over land during the period of the existence of our planet, when the continents were not yet separated from each other.
Another theory suggests that dingoes were simply brought to Australia from Asian countries.
The origin of this breed is also not known for certain. Indeed, by the structure of the teeth of these dogs cannot be distinguished from domestic ones, and many questions arise about who should still be considered a dingo -a wild breed or a descendant of feral domestic dogs?
At the moment, geneticists believe that Australia cannot be the birthplace of such dogs. Possible ancestors of this dog include Chinese domestic, Indian wolf, Pariah dogs, etc.
External data
Describing the appearance of this breed, one can distinguish, for example, that it is a medium-sized dog with a strong muscular body. The color of the dingo is reddish-brown, the ears are short, either hanging or standing upright. The tail is fluffy, curved, and the head is sharp-faced.
Harm and benefit from dogs
Despite the fact that in our country the image of the dingo has a romantic component that arose because of literary works, this breed terrifies Australian farmers. This is not at all surprising, given the fact that the dingo causes irreparable damage to livestock breeders. One pack of 4-12 dogs per night may well destroy 20 sheep heads. This wild breed of dogs began to annoy the inhabitants, and they began to actively destroy the animals. But conservation organizations have intervened, proving that dogs affect the number of rabbits, which are also a huge problem for local farmers. It is believed that the dingo is the wildest dog in existence.
Where do they live?
There are several varieties of dingo living in countries such as:
- Philippines,
- Indonesia,
- China,
- Myanmar,
- Laos,
- Borneo,
- Malaysia,
- Thailand,
- Australia,
- New Guinea.
How are they?
Dingoes live in packs of 4 to 12 dogs. In each there is a dominant pair, and all other dogs obey it. It is noteworthy that only this pair can also breed.
Dingo can only be tamed if it falls into human hands as a puppy. It is worth noting that at the same time the dog absolutely does not tolerate the change of owner.
Singing dog
Science knows wild dogs similar to dingoes. These animals live in New Guinea. This breed of dog is called the New Guinean Singer. Wild dogs got such an interesting name for a reason. The thing is that the howl of these animals resembles the singing of birds or even whales, but it has nothing to do with the sounds that dogs of other breeds make. Although canines can also bark and squeal.
Description
As mentioned above, New Guinea singing dogs are very similar to dingoes, but inferior to them in size. The fangs of these animals are enlarged, which is typical for wild breeds of dogs. Singing dogs have a very flexible spine, movable feet and short legs. With this structure, New Guinea singing dogs can even climb a tree. The color is golden red or brown. It should also be noted that these wild dogs have a certain resemblance to domestic dogs, to which singing dogs are inferior in running and endurance, but surpass them in dexterity and flexibility. Growth at the withers reaches up to 40 cm in males, and up to 35 cm in females. The weight of males varies from 11 to 14 kg. Females weigh slightly less (9 to 12 kg).
Origin and numbers
The origin of singing dogs causes a lot of controversy and speculation. According to one version, New Guinean dogs are dingoes that migrated from Australia by land. But there are other hypotheses.
There are so few purebred singing dogs left that even the natives have not seen them for a very long time. There are now only 100 of them in the USA, exported in the 50s.
New Guinea Singing Dogs used to be quite common throughout the island, now this breed is considered extinct. No observations have been made of this breed in the wild, so nothing is known about the lifestyle of a dog of this breed.
A distinctive feature of the character of an animal is its friendliness towards humans. The Asian wolf is considered to be the alleged ancestor of such a dog.
Caroline dogs
There are also wild dogs like the Caroline. This breed lives in the USA. This dog has a rather powerful and muscular body. The weight of the animal can reach from 15 to 20 kg with a height of 45 to 61 cm at the withers. The coat is short, thick, bristly, the color is various shades of red. It is believed that dogs of this breed are quite smart and agile.
Behavior
Lifestyle resembles a wolf. For example, Carolina dogs hunt collectively, and they also have a clear hierarchy. However, unlike wolves, females dig small holes in the ground with their noses in autumn. Thisthe feature is inherent only to this breed, and the meaning of this action is not known to anyone. The Carolina Dog is considered a semi-wild breed because of its fondness for eating leftovers from garbage cans. At the same time, in order to train an animal, it will take a lot of time. But with constant upbringing and decent respect, the Carolina dog becomes quite faithful. Dogs of this breed make good guards.
Appearance
About the origin of the Carolina dogs, the theory is put forward that they got to their current habitat along with people who settled here, subsequently becoming wild. DNA studies of this breed showed that the animal is closest to dogs from East Asia. The Carolina dog was a faithful helper of the Indians. This is primarily due to her watchdog abilities.
African dog
Another no less interesting breed is the African wild dog. Representatives live on the African continent south of the Sahara. The second name of this breed is a hyena-like dog. These animals live in packs of 30 to 100 individuals, in which there is a clear hierarchy. Males obey the male leader, and females obey the alpha female. Only the alpha female also has the right to give birth. Other dogs preparing to reproduce are deprived of food, and the cubs can be killed by members of the pack. A distinctive feature of this breed is its ability to run very fast over a fairly long distance.
Conclusion
Now you know what wild dogs are like. A photo of these animals is presented in the article for clarity.
