AS YOU watch the six, four-week-old dingo pups huddle together in the long grass, it is difficult to determine exactly why these famous Australian wild dogs have received such a bad rap.
Like most puppies they are slow moving, attempting to bravely explore new smells while also fighting the urge to return to the warmth of their brothers and sisters.
Distinguished from domestic dogs in the blend of the signature sandy yellow or red ginger colouring, for most people their only encounters with these impressive animals are at the zoo or a chance sighting in the wild.
Not so for Lake Boga resident Dennis Murray and his family, who have taken on a social responsibility to educate the public and reveal the truth about the often misunderstood dingo.
Describing them as friendly and excellent companions, Mr Murray said over the past 17 years his family had grown to love the Australian wild dog.
“We have had lots of other pets over the years, and the dingoes are the friendliest,” he said.
“But the key is to make sure you are the dominant one.
“If you do want to own a dingo, you have got to own it for the dingo’s sake — not yours — as they don’t take well to new owners when they are older.”
The young pups were a bit of an unexpected surprise for the Murrays, with the mother, Katrina, thought to be too young to bear pups, while previous attempts to mate Warrigal, the sire, had proved unsuccessful.
But the pups have been well received, with four already having found homes.
Mr Murray’s daughter Tegan grew up with the wild dogs as part of her family.
She said, as with any other dog, it was important for people to be responsible owners if they chose to take on the task of looking after a dingo, adding that there were some extra obligations that came with it.
“They are very intelligent, they are friendly, not aggressive — which is often the opinion because they are a wild animal,” she said.
“But it is just like any other dog, their temperament is influenced by how they are treated.
“We try to socialise our dogs with other dogs and get them out meeting people.
“But at the end of the day, they are still more closely related to wild dogs, so you have to treat that with respect.”
Over the years, educating the public about dingoes has become a part of the Murrays’ life.
Recently, an opportunity to meet conservationist Jane Goodall — best known for her work with chimpanzees — arose in Melbourne, with Warrigal the lucky dingo picked for the task.
They also travel to events to promote the dingo’s plight, with the expansion of farming and concerns for livestock having seen eradication efforts decrease numbers in the wild.
“These guys have roamed around for thousands of years,” Mr Murray said.
“Farmers are worried about them killing their stock… but they actually help to keep other predators away.
“In the Aboriginal way of things, the dingo is considered a way to keep away bad spirits.”
The laws to own a dingo vary between states, but in Victoria it is necessary to have a licence.
