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Have you Heard the New Guinea Singing Dog?

One of the world’s rarest…

You’ve seen Dingos and Jackals.  This guys carries a likeness to both and he is one of the worlds rarest breeds – the New Guinea Singing Dog. One signature ability is his howl which has been likened to singing.  This dog can sustain a single note for a length of time. A bunch of them together can make quite a chorus as they join in with their various pitches. Their song displays on a sonogram much like the resonance of humpback whale.

An isolated habitat is how the New Guinea Singing Dog remained unchanged for 1000’s of years. They are sometimes heard in the wilds of New Guinea but rarely seen. In fact, it’s hard to find evidence they still exist in the wild.

A cat-like spine gives this canine enhanced agility when compared with other breeds. The dog is able to climb into trees when hunting for food and to squeeze through small openings.  They live in extremely rugged terrain and being flexible and adaptable is paramount.  The head is very wedge-shaped much like a Basenji and can turn 360 degrees.  A short double coat varies from brown to red and sheds during the warmer months.

There are only a limited number of these fox-like dogs in captivity.  The primitive breed is sometimes referred to as the ‘Stone Age Dog’.  Having a separate genetic mutation that the Dingo does not have, suggests the breed may be even older than Dingos.

Sir Edward Hallstrom brought four New Guinea Singing Dogs to the Taronga Zoo for the first time in 1957.  Descendants from these reside in North America today.  This breed lives a long time (15-20 years) when compared with other breeds of the same size, however this wild, independent dog does not play with other animals and is not recommended as a pet.  They can be destructive in a human environment and possess a very strong prey drive.

To see this fascinating animal ‘up close’ with Jeff the Zoo Guy ‘ go to…

 Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)

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