The Dingo or Australian Native Dog is a Canis lupus familiaris subspecies that has never been fully domesticated. Anatomically, it is neither dog nor wolf, thus words lupus and familiaris are sometimes absent from its Latin name. It is believed that this wild dog is actually a true ancestor of all domesticated dogs as well as all modern dog breeds. However, this is still uncertain since there is no clear evidence of what exactly Dingo is – whether it is a primitive dog, a wolf, half wolf and half dog, a missing link between domestic dog and wolf, or some other species. Even their true origin is still a mystery to some extent. By one theory, Dingoes originated from semi-domesticated pariah dogs from Southeast Asia, who were brought into Australia by migrating tribes more than 4.500 years ago. However, some scientists believe these wild dogs as well as all other domesticated dogs have evolved from Indian wolves more than 6.000 years ago. This opinion was based on a large number of similarities in the anatomy of Dingoes and these wolves, but recent genetic studies favour the first theory. Continue Reading →