3 Answers

An Australian wild dog.

A Dingo is a native Australian dog believed to have reached Australia via the land bridge to the sub continent..

Dingos are a russet red colour in the pure state but due to inbreeding with domestic dogs their colour can vary in theses cross breeds.

Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland is the last remaining pure Dingos in Australia due to the isolation and the banning of domestic dogs.

Dingos are about 24" at the shoulder and a slim build. I would guess a weight around the 18--- 24kg mark.

A few people claim to have tamed Dingos, and indeed the native Australians always had a few flea bitten Dingos in their camps, this aside it is felt most "domesticated" Dingos are in fact cross breeds.

No it is not allowed under Australian law and for that reason some pure dingos are said,by their owners, to be crossbreeds.

Dingos can be quite affectionate to their handlers in wild life reserves but they are non the less a wild animal and should be treated as such.

On Fraser Island, you will recall I said the last pure breeds, there have been numerous problems with tourists and the dingos. In my opinion mostly caused by the tourists who feed the dogs and then when they get tired of the "fun" shoo the dogs away. Of course it is natural the dingo will react to this and people have been bitten.

The dingo is also called a Warrigal in some areas.