Group: Southern
Weight: 50-70 pounds
Height: 19-23 inches
Overview
The first known Dingo skulls were found in Vietnam, and these skulls are about 5,500 years old. Dingo remains between 5,000 to 2,500 years old have been located in other sections of South-east Asia. The oldest fossil proof of a dingo in Australia is 3,500 years old. Bones similar to those of a Dingo have also been found in Israel and the West Bank, and estimated to be 14,000 years old. The origins of the Dingo are not entirely sure, but they are most probably related to the wolves of south-west Asia. Many think that the modern dogs such as the Norwich Terrier are a cross between several different domestications of wolves. The Carolina Dog that has been found in the United States resembles the Dingo, and it has common inherited characteristics that can not be found in other dogs.
Temperament
The Dingo is not entirely domesticated, and is therefore not very often kept as companion dogs in the household. This is mainly because of the fact that they are fairly isolated, but also because they have not been fully developed and been in contact with humans all the time. If a Dingo is not trained properly, they will not get along well with children. They will also not perform well in obedience. They will however do well in obedience if their training is kind and tolerant. The training environment should also be fair and firm for the best results to be obtained.
Care
The Dingo is a very low maintenance dogs, and will not required a whole lot of grooming. The coat of the Dingo is water resistant, and will maintain itself. The Dingo also does not have a doggie odour.
Training
The Dingo can be trained fairly easy. They catch on to what they are told very easily, which makes the whole training process very productive. The training environment for these dogs should be one that is firm but yet at the same time gentle. The training will be successful if it is done in a patient and consistent manner. The handler should also be positive for the best results to be obtained.
Health problems
As with many newly broken in wild dog breeds, the Dingo has no known genetic health problems. These problems would have been weeded out by normal selection in the natural. The Dingo is a very tough breed that is usually long lived. There are records of some of these dogs that lived for 25 years. This is an exceptional clever breed. Some of them are now trained in Australia is seeing eye dogs.
