meet the...Dingo
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 1: Primitive, Pariah, and Feral Breeds
Sub-group :
Origin Country Australia
Weight Males: 28-50 pounds. Females: 28-50 pounds.
Height Males: 17-25 inches. Females: 17-25 inches.
Other Name(s) Australian Native Dog, Warrigal
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
The Dingo is a fascinating animal that has existed on the continent of Australia for over 4,000 years. Prior to recent studies, theories about how the Dingo first appeared in Australia abounded. However, a recent study of DNA and prehistoric archaeology helped to shed light on the mystery, and experts were able to determine that the Dingo was most likely brought to the continent between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago by ancient Sulawesi hunter-gatherers from the Indonesian islands.
It was believed that the dogs were bartered from the neighboring Borneo tribes, from which the dogs appear to be directly descended, and then brought to Australia, where they proliferated and thrived, despite the harsh conditions to the point of returning to the wild. There, the Australian natives would take the puppies and keep them as a source of food, as hunting dogs, and as companions. Today, the Dingo is making a comeback as a pet in some areas.Breed Characteristics
Head: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, and bluntly wedge-shaped. Always in proportion to the rest of the body. The cranium and forehead are moderately broad. A slight furrow is evident, starting at the stop and running up the center of the topskull toward the occiput. In profile, the forehead is slightly arched, tapering toward the eyes. The bone structure of the face is fairly strong, supporting strong—yet never prominent—temporalis and masseter muscles. When viewed from the front, the head is described as being hexagonal or round, with slightly arched topskull, fuller cheeks, and cheek furnishings. The head is clean-cut and dry, having no excess skin, looseness, or wrinkles.
Eyes: Moderate in size, almond to open-oval in shape, deeply set, obliquely set with slightly upturned outer corners, and medium to dark brown colors being preferable, but amber also appears in the breed. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Moderate in size, triangular in shape, thick, and set neither high nor low on the skull. They are held firmly erect, with rounded tips, and may be tilted slightly forward. They will be drawn up to the 11 and 1 o’clock positions when alert. They should be well-lined with fur. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken. Correctly positioned and carried ears may not be achieved until as late as eight months of age.
Muzzle: The muzzle is sufficiently full to prevent a snipy appearance, yet it is never bulky. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipey or weak. From the front, the muzzle appears conical, tapering smoothly toward the end of the nose.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black (always preferable), or self-colored, according to nonstandard colors. In lighter-colored dogs, black noses that fade to pink are permissible. The nostrils are well opened.
Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage. The neck is strongly muscled with a slight arch. It tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Sufficiently broad and deep to allow for ample heart and lung capacity, but without adding bulk, and never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows or just before, especially in the Northern type. The forechest is fairly well developed.
Body: Sturdy and of good substance, but capable of enduring lengthy travel over rugged terrain. The body lacks extremes in size and proportions, never being heavy and cloddy, nor racy or refined, but as close to a naturally produced body as possible, and capable of strength, speed, endurance, and surviving the elements. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension to the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level: it is naturally down in a relaxed position or out when hunting but never tightly curled or tucked. The tail is of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down.
Movement: Movement is powerful, steady, confident, effortless, efficient, and energetic. The head lowers as speed increases during the hunt. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Dingo breed exists in a unique place in the world. Neither completely wild nor completely domesticated, they are somewhere in between. Although easily tamed, Dingos remain aloof of people and animals outside of their family or pack unit, despite extensive socialization efforts from early on in the dog’s life. Those that do live lives as human companions are said to be sensitive, shy, aloof, and highly instinctual, which translates to stubbornness when it comes to obedience training. They can exhibit high bouts of prey drive and a substantial desire to chase and kill other animals. Any unprovoked aggression is incorrect for the Dingo breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 1: Primitive, Pariah, and Feral Breeds
Proportions: There are three geographical types of Dingos found throughout Australia: the Alpine Dingo, the Desert Dingo, and the Northern Dingo, as well as intermediary types. All three types should range from slightly off-square to almost square, with the length of the body measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being equal to just slightly greater than the height at the withers. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well put together, with sturdy substance and medium bone.
Alpine: The Alpine dingo tends to be larger and slightly more substantial. They also sport a thick double coat that is supported by a dense and supportive undercoat.
Desert: The Desert Dingo tends to exhibit a generally smaller frame and shorter, sparser double-coat than the Alpine Dingo.
Northern: The Northern Dingo appears higher on the leg and somewhat racier, with more angulation to the longer limbs. They are robust and powerful but overall appear to be sprinters.
The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, and bluntly wedge-shaped. Always in proportion to the rest of the body. The cranium and forehead are moderately broad. A slight furrow is evident, starting at the stop and running up the center of the topskull toward the occiput. In profile, the forehead is slightly arched, tapering toward the eyes. The bone structure of the face is fairly strong, supporting strong—yet never prominent—temporalis and masseter muscles. When viewed from the front, the head is described as being hexagonal or round, with slightly arched topskull, fuller cheeks, and cheek furnishings. The head is clean-cut and dry, having no excess skin, looseness, or wrinkles.
Expression: Sharp, self-composed, inquisitive, watchful, intense, and confident.
Stop: The stop is moderate but never abrupt.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 3:2 and 1:1, with the topskull being slightly longer than (preferable) or equal to the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: The muzzle is sufficiently full to prevent a snipy appearance, yet it is never bulky. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. Upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipey or weak. From the front, the muzzle appears conical, tapering smoothly toward the end of the nose.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean, with the upper lip fitting tightly just over the lower lip, covering the teeth and jaws. The lips are never pendulous or loose. They should be well-pigmented.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black (always preferable), or self-colored, according to nonstandard colors. In lighter-colored dogs, black noses that fade to pink are permissible. The nostrils are well opened.
Cheeks: The cheeks are full and well-developed. They should never appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth are preferred. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized. The roof of the mouth is darkly pigmented, ranging from brown-pink to almost black. The tongue is pink.
Eyes: Moderate in size, almond to open-oval in shape, deeply set, obliquely set with slightly upturned outer corners, and medium to dark brown colors being preferable, but amber also appears in the breed. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Moderate in size, triangular in shape, thick, and set neither high nor low on the skull. They are held firmly erect, with rounded tips, and may be tilted slightly forward. They will be drawn up to the 11 and 1 o’clock positions when alert. They should be well-lined with fur. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken. Correctly positioned and carried ears may not be achieved until as late as eight months of age.
Body and Tail
General Description: Sturdy and of good substance, but capable of enduring lengthy travel over rugged terrain. The body lacks extremes in size and proportions, never being heavy and cloddy, nor racy or refined, but as close to a naturally produced body as possible, and capable of strength, speed, endurance, and surviving the elements. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage. The neck is strongly muscled with a slight arch. It tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Sufficiently broad and deep to allow for ample heart and lung capacity, but without adding bulk, and never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows or just before, especially in the Northern type. The forechest is fairly well developed.
Topline: Straight and level from well-developed withers to croup. The back is broad, long, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut and may be straight or slightly arched yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Broad, powerfully muscled, and gently sloping.
Underline: A moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension to the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level: it is naturally down in a relaxed position or out when hunting but never tightly curled or tucked. The tail is of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and moderately well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are fairly long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of moderate bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, sturdy, of moderate bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: Straight, harsh, weather-resistant outer coat with stand-offish guard hairs. Short, close, and even on the lower and front portions of the legs, ears, and face. The coat is slightly longer and harsher, lying close to the body on the Northern and Desert types, but may stand away from the skin on the tail, forming a plumed “fan” appearance. Soft, thick, supportive undercoat. Trimming of the Dingo coat in any way is prohibited for the show ring.
Coat Color or Pattern: White, shades of cream, yellow, ginger, red, tan, black with tan markings, or all with or without white markings.
Movement
Movement is powerful, steady, confident, effortless, efficient, and energetic. The head lowers as speed increases during the hunt. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Dingo breed exists in a unique place in the world. Neither completely wild nor completely domesticated, they are somewhere in between. Although easily tamed, Dingos remain aloof of people and animals outside of their family or pack unit, despite extensive socialization efforts from early on in the dog’s life. Those that do live lives as human companions are said to be sensitive, shy, aloof, and highly instinctual, which translates to stubbornness when it comes to obedience training. They can exhibit high bouts of prey drive and a substantial desire to chase and kill other animals. Any unprovoked aggression is incorrect for the Dingo breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
