Dogs have been around for tens of millions of years, but the loyal and loving dog breeds that have become part of the family have only existed for 15,000 years or so. There are still quite a few wild dog breeds in the world. Almost every domestic dog is descended from a gray wolf, and humans have managed to domesticate dogs of all sizes and shapes, from the huge Irish wolfhound to the tiny Chihuahua and the square English Bulldog with the broken muzzle to the fast and slender greyhound with a long, graceful snout.
There are still no less than 40 species of wild dog breeds. Unlike domestic dogs, most of them have a basic body plan: they have a slender but strong body, a long snout, a long fluffy tail, large ears, and powerful jaws for their size. Wild dogs can be solitary or hunt in packs, some of which are endangered. Here are 10 of them:
# 10 Wild dog breeds: red wolf
Biologists are still not entirely sure if the red wolf is a separate species, or is it a cross between a gray wolf and a coyote, or some kind of oriental wolf that lives in Canada. The red wolf lives in the southeastern United States. Whichever dog species it is, the red wolf is considered critically endangered by the IUCN and has been nearly wiped out due to bounty hunting, habitat destruction and interbreeding with coyotes.
The red wolf is slightly larger than the coyote, but smaller than the gray wolf, and gets its name from the red patches on its fur. Its ears are larger than those of the gray wolf and coyote, and its legs and muzzle are long and thin. In terms of sociability, he is also in the middle between the gray wolf and the coyote, as he is more sociable than the latter and less sociable than the former. The red wolf is monogamous, and both parents help raise the young born in early spring.
# 9 Wild dog breeds: gray wolf
The ancestor of the modern dog, the gray wolf, has been the subject of myth, persecution and admiration for millennia. The largest canid is often 3.25 to 5 feet long with a tail 1.25 feet long and 1.97 to 2.95 feet high at the shoulder. Males are slightly larger than females. The wolf used to be widespread throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere, and the color of its thick coat varies depending on where it lives. Wolves in the far north have white coats, while wolves in the more southerly areas have iconic gray coats or coats in shades of brown or black. Most wolves have colorful coats.
Wolves are known to live in packs with a dominant or alpha male and female. Alphas are the first to eat prey, which can be an animal the size of an elk. Their accidental attack on livestock led to their pursuit, and wolves were exterminated in many of their native hunting grounds.
Gray wolves are known to breed with coyotes and domestic dogs. One example of this is the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, which is used as a police dog in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
# 8 Wild dog breeds: red fox
The red fox is the subject of almost the same myths and fairy tales as the gray wolf, but it is not so persecuted. This fox may have a classic red coat, but its coat can also be in shades of silver and rust. Its tail is surprisingly fluffy, with a white tip on the fur. The lower legs of the red fox are black and the belly is white. The muzzle and ears are pointed.
Foxes hunt day and night. His main targets are rabbits and rodents, although he will take chickens if the opportunity presents itself. It often hunts in thickets and finds prey with its keen hearing. It jumps high and presses the prey with its forepaws to the ground. He then grabs the animal by the neck and carries it back to the den.
Foxes live in pairs, with the female and male in overlapping areas that may be separated by relatives who are too young to reproduce. Cubs are cared for by both parents and non-reproductive females. The red fox is even more widespread than the gray wolf, and is found in many areas of the northern hemisphere. This includes the Arctic, Central America, Central Asia and North Africa. They were even brought to Australia.
# 7 Wild Dog Breeds: Maned Wolf
Native to the central and eastern countries of South America, this wild dog is known for its disproportionately long legs and dark mane at the back of the neck. The rest of its coat is reddish, rather like a red fox, although its long tail can be white or black, and legs, which are long, allowing it to see over the tops of the grass, have black “stockings”. Its fox-like muzzle is also dark. It lives in open grasslands and farms and has benefited to some extent from deforestation. His diet includes mice, birds, ants and rabbits, and he also eats fruits. From time to time, the maned wolf will take chickens, which has led to its pursuit.
Maned wolves form pairs that overlap, although they seem to get together only once a year to mate. This is why the maned wolf is generally classified as a solitary animal. It grows from 4 to 4.5 feet in length with a tail of 11 to 18 inches. It weighs between 44 and 51 pounds.
# 6 Wild dog breeds: Arctic fox
This small fox is known for its pure white coat, which forms during the winter in the Arctic, where it lives. In summer, the fox’s fur coat is gray. Both colors are camouflage forms. The pure white fur helps the fox disappear into the snowy landscape, while the gray one merges with the grayish hills and plains. The Arctic fox has a short muzzle and small ears, short legs and a short tail. These adaptations help the animal to keep warm during very cold arctic winters.
# 5
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ild dog breeds: jackal
There are several types of jackals, and their characteristics depend on where they live. Most of the species are found only in Africa, especially in the east and south of Africa, although the golden jackal can be found in Eurasia. They are medium-sized wild dogs and omnivores that eat whatever is at hand. This includes smaller mammals, reptiles, and birds. These dogs are crepuscular, and the main social unit is male and female jackals and their young children. Like gray wolves and foxes, jackals figure widely in human mythology and folklore. In the Bible, the jackal is mentioned at least 14 times.
# 4 Wild Dog Breeds: Dhole
The wolf is also called the Asian wild dog. It is a medium-sized dog, about 20 inches at the shoulders, about 35 inches in body length and 16 to 18 inches in tail length. Found in Southeast Asia. Like jackals, oxen are omnivorous and eat mammals the size of wild pigs and deer, as well as insects and lizards. He will also eat fruit. When they hunt in packs, oxen behave very much like hyenas: the prey is gutted and eaten while it is still alive. Wolves are long-lived for dogs and can live in captivity for up to 16 years.
# 3 Wild dog breeds: coyote
The coyote, which is found in most places in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has a gray hair that is yellowish around the ears, feet, and legs, and is gray-white throughout. On the back, tail and shoulders of the animal there may be a black tint. This highly adaptable dog has been found even in urban areas. Like a fox, he stalks his prey and pounces on it. Its natural prey are deer, pronghorns, wild sheep and livestock. He will also eat carrion and debris.
# 2 Wild dog breeds: Dingo
Like the red wolf, biologists are unsure if the Australian dingo is a separate species or a subspecies of the feral domestic dog or a variety of wolves. Whatever its origin, it has been wild for at least 10,000 years and has the typical body type and coloration of a wild dog, with brown and reddish fur on its body, with white on its legs, chest and tip of tail. … Dingoes sometimes form flocks, where only the dominant female is allowed to give birth. Dingo lives in temperate and tropical forests and grasslands.[pofitstailDingossometimesformpackswhereonlythedominantfemaleisallowedtogivebirthThedingoisfoundintemperateandtropicalforestsandgrasslands[pofitstailDingossometimesformpackswhereonlythedominantfemaleisallowedtogivebirthThedingoisfoundintemperateandtropicalforestsandgrasslands
# 1 Wild Dog Breeds: African Wild Dog
The African wild dog has a distinctive appearance: a lean body, huge ears, and a variegated white, black and tan color. His coat gave him the scientific name Lycaon pictuswhich means painted wolf. Once found throughout Africa, it is now found mainly in the southeastern part of the continent. Extremely social, he can form packs of up to 30 or more dogs. It hunts during the day, and its main prey is antelope. Because the flocks are so large, the prey can be chased until it falls from exhaustion. Then, unlike wolves, the cubs are allowed to eat first. There are five subspecies of African wild dogs.
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