These hunters rely upon their dogs to hunt tree kangaroos, cuscus, and feral pigs.
The dogs are derived from the semi-wild New Guinea singing dog, which is a dingo that evolved to live in the New Guinea Highlands.
This footage shows the dogs hunting in the forest. It also includes a clip of the New Guinea singing dog howling.
The New Guinea singing dog is a critically endangered subpopulation of the ding (Canis lupus dingo) that is in desperate need of genetic diversity. Because these village dogs are derived from it, I don’t see why they aren’t recruited as potential outcrosses.
One of the most unfortunate aspects of the New Guinea singing dog is that too many of its advocates have considered it a separate species from the dingo and the domestic dog. Many older texts even refer to it as Canis hallstromi. Almost all of these dogs descend from a single litter that was born in Australia from imported parents.
Of course, that reality is not understood when a welfare situation pops up. When 85 of these dogs were recently discovered in Pennsylvania living in less than ideal situations, the dogs were confiscated. From my understanding, about half of these dogs have been spayed and neutered.
Now, spaying and neutering rescued dogs is required by law in so many jurisdictions. It doesn’t matter what kind of dog.
I’m very worried that big chunk of this breed’s potential genetic diversity has been compromised. Until those 85 were discovered, there were only 150 of these dogs residing outside New Guinea. There are a few still roaming the New Guinea Highland, though I would be highly surprised if these dogs were “purebred” and illegible for inclusion their studbooks.
Of course, all of this would be moot point, if their advocates were more willing to allow outcrosses to dingoes and other primitive dog breeds. The dingo and the New Guinea village dog seem to be the most logical outcrosses to increase this breed’s genetic diversity, but I have heard of someone crossing in Shetland sheepdog — of all things. There is also the Malaysian Telomian breed, another monestrous primitive breed from Malaysia that so strongly resembles the singing dog.
BTW, I should mention that the name Canis lupus dingo is controversial. Some taxonomists think all dingoes–including the singing dog– should be considered part of the domestic dog subspecies, Canis lupus familiaris. Dingoes are derived from dogs that existed in Asia or Indonesia that existed under a varying amount of domestication. Once out of agricultural societies, these dogs developed physical features and behaviors that are more associated with wolves than village dogs.
The dogs look like Basenjis. But Basenjis are from Africa, a long way from New Guinea.
Could they be related? Or is it like rat terriers? They look like Basenjis but are not related.
Some of the older European hunting terriers did look somewhat like this. And the Manchester terrier. And some of the pre-Columbian new World dogs.
And under all the hair, the spitz arctic dogs look somewhat like this.
Perhaps this is the original dog type, before the floppy ears.
You have pointed out one of the major drawbacks to seizures by animal control/humane organizations — the mandatory sterilization, regardless of the animals’ possible value or potential as breeding stock. In the case of the NG Singing Dogs, it is surprising that anyone even knew what they were or attempted to save some.
I can’t imagine the inbred statistics at play in the dogs seized in PA…
I love NGSD. They pique my interest and keep me hopeful about the potential for my own dog research. I’d love to work with them someday.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d probably think the black & tan dog was either a basenji or shiba mix. Very cool.
Seems the laws we have in place to protect these animals just may lead to their extinction. Specialty breeds should be spared the sterelization process so we can repopulate their breed. Hunting In Arkansas
[…] with dogs is almost universal. Native Australians hunted with dingoes, and those of Papua New Guinea still hunt with derivatives of the singing dogs. Not all Inuit used their dogs primarily for hauling. Some used them for hauling sleds on […]
[…] dogs are derived from domestic dogs that went feral in their respective countries. Some natives of Papua New Guinea have hunting dogs that are derived from “wild” stock, and different groups of Indigenous Australians used dingoes as hunting dogs. So we now consider […]