The Dingo is a medium-sized wild dog whose territory primarily spans Australia. This canine is descended from domestic dogs that were introduced to the continent roughly 4,000 years ago by settlers from Asia. Given that the dingo’s appearance is quite similar to other dog breeds and looks like a larger Shiba Inu or a Carolina dog, many wonder how close the dingo is to a regular dog and if they can be domesticated as a pet. That said, there are dangers in bringing any wild animal home. Here’s what you need to know about the dingo and whether you can own one as a pet.
The dingo also has many other names in indigenous Australian languages, including the kurpany, kal, boolomo, wantibirri, noggum, maliki, mirigung, joogoong, dwer-da, papa-inura, and noggum.
Table of Contents
- What is a Dingo?
- Is a Dingo a dog?
- What does a Dingo look like?
- How much does a Dingo weigh?
- Can you domesticate a dingo?
- Can you own a Dingo as a pet?
- Did a Dingo really eat a baby?
What is a Dingo?
The dingo is a medium-sized mammal that is found in many habitats across Australia. It typically prefers the forest and the plains, though their territory has diminished since European settlers introduced agriculture to the continent.
As a historical point of comparison, the dingo is treated similar to the coyote or jackal in the United States; that is, a wild species that can threaten livestock. Many farmers and ranchers have attempted to remove the dingo from their land with mixed results. Before the introduction of agriculture, though, the dingo had a commensal relationship with indigenous Australians, but it did not need to depend on humans for survival.
The dingo can be found roaming alone, though like wolves, they are often found in a pack that include two parents and their offspring. As opportunistic carnivores, they catch and consume other animals, particularly rabbits, wallabies, wombats, and kangaroos. It has also been seen eating insects, birds, and reptiles as a secondary source of food.
Unlike many canines, the dingo does not bark often, preferring instead to howl to attract mates and deter other animals from entering its territory.
Is a Dingo a dog?
The classification of the dingo as a dog has been disputed. Some include the dingo as a part of the dog species (Canis familiaris) while others give it a distinct taxanomy, like Canis dingo, Canis lupus dingo, or Canis familiaris dingo.
That said, the dingo is more widely recognized as a wild dog, a canine closer to a feral domestic dog. Since the introduction of other dog breeds in Australia, the dingo has been interbreeding with them, creating hybrids and crossbreds. These are colloquially dubbed “dingo-dogs” or “dingo-dog hybrids.”
What does a Dingo look like?
The typical dingo has a lean and muscular build with sandy-yellow or ginger-colored fur that resembles a shiba inu. Their body is hardy and suitable for speed and stamina as they need to hunt prey in the wild.
A dingo’s coat can also be black and tan or creamy white, with yellow dingoes more typically found in sandy regions. They have ears that are usually pricked and a tail with a white tip.
Compared to the common domesticated dog, the dingo is capable of rotating its wrists and have flexible shoulder joints that allow it to climb difficult terrain more easily. It also has a longer muzzle, more slender canine teeth, and a flatter skull.
How much does a Dingo weigh?
The dingo typically weighs between 26 and 52 pounds, or approximately 12 and 24 kilograms.
Excluding the tail, its body ranges from 3 and 4 feet, and its shoulders are about a foot and half or more above the floor. It is considered the largest territorial predator in Australia.
The weight of any individual dingo in the wild depends on its geographic location as well as the social status of the animal in the pack. Low-ranking dingoes have more limited access to food.
Can you domesticate a dingo?
Yes, the dingo can be domesticated, and evidence suggests that this canine has been domesticated by indigenous people in Australia in the past.
Observations of traditional First Peoples’ societies in the 19th and 20th centuries, per UNSW Sydney, show that “many would take dingo pups from wild dens and raised them to keep as companions and for a variety of other purposes including as guards, hunting aids, and living ‘blankets’.” The skeletal remains of dingoes have also been found alongside First Peoples’ burial sites.
In many territories of Australia, like the Northern Territory, dingoes cannot be taken from the wild, meaning it’s usually against the law to domesticate a wild dingo.
Can you own a Dingo as a pet?
Yes, in many cases you can own a dingo as a pet, and it should be noted that they are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 in Australia.
In the Northern Territory, owners need a permit to keep protected wildlife and can only purchase a dingo from a legal source. The dingoes also need to be desexed. Permit holders may need to gain council approval as well to keep a dingo.
Since dingoes are potentially dangerous animals and can exhibit destructive or aggressive behaviors, owners also need to have specific requirements, like having enclosures of a specific size, and follow specific rules, like not feeding dingoes live animals.
Did a Dingo really eat a baby?
Yes, a dingo really did eat a baby.
This comes from the infamous case of Lindy Chamberlain who lost her baby, Azaria, in August 1980. Per the National Museum of Australia, at a campsite in Uluru, she claimed that she found a dingo leaving the tent of her child. Through various inquests and legal proceedings, the Chamberlains were found guilty of murder, despite support from the other campers and Indigenous trackers.
However, in 1986 police searching for the body of British tourist David Brett in Uluru came upon Azaria’s missing matinee jacket in an area with many dingo lairs. The Chamberlains were subsequently released. It wasn’t until 2012 that a certificate from Coroner Elizabeth Morris found that the baby’s death did results from her “being attacked and taken by a dingo.”
In 2001, dingoes attacked two boys, killing one and injuring another, according to Daily Mail. There are also numerous accounts of dingoes attacking children, particularly in K’gari, Queensland and Karijini National Park.
