wild dog

The name ‘wild dog’ can mean several similar-looking dog-like animals that belong to the “dog family” that includes fox, wolf, jackal, coyote, (hyena), and the common ‘domestic dog’!

Some common species of ‘wild dog’ are: African wild dog, dhole or Asiatic wild dog, pariah dog, Carolina dog, New Guinea singing dog and Australian dingo. 

male ~~ dog

female ~~ bitch

baby ~~ pup

group ~~ pack

voice (call) ~~ bark (in general, but not all species)

home ~~ burrow, den {holes in the rocks or soil to give birth to and raise pups}

African wild dog:

(also called ‘African painted wild dog’, ‘painted wolf’, ‘Cape hunting dog’)

a rough hair (coat) with blotches (irregular patterns) of yellow, black and white, tall, lean body, dog-like face with large, straight, rounded ears, pointed muzzle (= mouth and ear part), slender but strong legs, bushy tail; size: 2½ feet tall at the shoulder, 3½ feet long with a 1-1½ feet long tail, and weight: 15-35 Kg (male larger than female); feeds on (eats) rodents – mice, rats, etc., big mammals – deer, antelope, etc., lizards, small snakes, and birds, bird eggs; lives for 10 years; 2 sub-species, found only in Africa

Special Features:

In a family clan of the African wild dog, dogs number more than bitches, and only the more dominant pair, called the ‘alpha pair’, mate and give birth to pups, and the other dogs help to raise the litter!

In most social (family) groups of mammals, such as monkeys, elephants, etc., the males leave the family group to join the other groups, which arrangement, animal experts believe, is to discourage inbreeding (within the same family).

In case of the African wild dog, in contrast, the females (bitches) leave their own family group and join others!!

The African wild dog has such strong jaws that it is the one having the highest bite force of all the meat-eating animals!

African wild dogs hunt in packs with well planned hunting strategy!

Dhole:

(also called ‘Asiatic wild dog’, ‘Indian wild dog’, ‘red dog’)

a more fox-like face, thick, short, mostly dark brown coat (hair), slightly rounded, straight ears, relatively long muzzle (= mouth and nose part) long body, medium-sized legs, long, bushy black tail; 1½-2 feet tall at the shoulder, 3 feet long, ½-1½ feet long tail, and weight: 10-20 Kg (male bigger than female); feeds on large insects, mice, rats, and other rodent species, lizards, frogs, birds, and bird eggs; lives for 10-15 years in the wild, and for more years in captivity; 3 official sub-species, found in several parts of Asia

Special Features:

The Asiatic wild dog is the most sociable and adaptable of all the wild dogs.

Unlike most other dog species, several males and females of the Asiatic wild dog family mate and give birth to pups, i.e. there is no alpha pair!

The Asiatic wild dogs are found in several stories for children, including Rudyard Kipling’s “Red Dog”, and also in several comics, cartoons, and the name is mentioned in some feature films/movies, too.

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