Dingo Breed Information Puppies and Breeders Australia

Dingoes are believed to have arrived in Australia from East Asia about 5,000 years ago. This cannot be definitely proven but according to the South Australian Museum Director, Dr Tim Flannery, the arrival of the dingo had a profound effect on the aboriginal population in various ways, such as diet and food production, population levels and trade patterns. Evidence of the beginning of these changes can be traced back 5,000 years. There is also no evidence of dingoes in Tasmania, which indicates that they arrived in Australia after the separation of Tasmania from the mainland.

For centuries the dingo was the only dog in Australia and was untainted. Some believe this may indicate that the dingo represents, at least to a large extent, what all dogs would have been like thousands of years ago.

Appearance and character

The Breed Standard describes the dingo as “An elegant, medium sized dog of great agility, speed and stamina”. Its characteristics include being individualistic, intelligent, gentle, curious and affectionate. The dingo does not bark but it does howl as a means of communication.

The dingo’s physical appearance reflects its surroundings. For instance, dingoes in warmer areas have a single coat while the coat is double for those in cooler climates; and the colour of the coat various according to region. Dingoes may come in red, ginger, gold, cream, and black and tan, and all colours may have some white spots in certain areas.

Their size is generally from 52cm to 60cm, and weight in the range of 13.5-19kgs. Dingoes are very lean with a low proportion of body fat.

Owning a dingo

Dingoes are basically a wild animal, and owning one is a unique and special experience. The NSW and WA governments (at the time of writing) allow owning dingoes as pets without a licence but the other states and the NT do not, and you would need to obtain a special permit in those areas.

The Dingo Care Network in Victoria is a body dedicated to the preservation of the dingo as it is becoming increasingly endangered. It aims to preserve the species by running a captive breeding program and selling dingoes to responsible owners, amongst other things such as keeping a pup register and participating in research.

According to the Network, owning a Dingo puppy is rewarding but demanding, and they will not sell any pups to people who are not genuinely committed to dingo welfare or are not well educated on dingo behaviour and needs.

Dingoes are not the same as domestic dogs. They are wilder in nature and while they can be trained, there are some limits to this. They are far more independent than domestic dogs and cannot be made to do anything they really don’t want to do. They can tend to get into mischief such as chewing your cherished items, pulling things off shelves, helping themselves to food from your fridge or cupboard, and they are good climbers. They are also natural wanderers and may roam if not contained. Some dingoes can also become quite fearful in public places, such as when they are taken out for a walk in a town.

Dingoes are also highly intelligent and need to be stimulated, or they might invent their own activities, such as rearranging your garden beds and chewing up the water hose. They are less responsive to training than domestic dogs; for example dingoes attending obedience training are more inclined to ignore their owner’s voice than other dogs, and instead get distracted and interested in the environment around them. A dingo can live quite happily with domestic dogs and loves to play, but may become dominant.

People who have owned dingoes say that it involves a lot of hard work and commitment, but the rewards are so good that it’s worth the effort, especially when a dingo comes to trust you and you experience the special bond this creates.

Anyone interested in owning a dingo needs to thoroughly research dingo behaviour well in advance, and to be prepared for a high level of commitment to this special creature.