Free-ranging dog
Encyclopedia
A free-ranging dog is any dog
that is not contained. The term encompasses various loose categories relating to the ownership, behavior, and descent of such dogs, including wild dogs, feral dogs, stray dogs, street dogs, and village dogs, as well as dogs allowed to come and go freely by their owners. It sometimes overlaps with the polysemic term pariah dog. The term is used when distinctions of ownership are irrelevant.
of free-ranging dogs native to India
and other Asian countries, it later came to be used for free-ranging dogs in general. The United Kennel Club
uses it for a category of dogs also known as primitive dogs, which includes wild dogs, distinctive local free-ranging landraces, breeds recently developed from free-ranging populations, and very ancient breeds. There is also a specific breed
called the Indian pariah dog
, which is being bred from the free-ranging landrace
by the same name.
or neutered, and released back into in the parks, vacant lots, and other hiding places on the margins of human society where they are most commonly found.
, the Canidae; including wolves, jackal
s, coyotes, foxes, and many more which are commonly contrasted with "dogs" in other contexts.
It is also used as a common name for several specific canine species which are not true dogs; and may sometimes refer to any wild canine.
In scientific literature, free-ranging dogs such as Australian dingoes are considered to be " wild" rather than "feral
" to the extent to which they are not "commensal": dependent on handouts and cast-offs from humans; and instead hunt and scavenge in the wild. Ecologically, wild dogs are integrated into the ecosystem, often as top predators. Evolutionarily, wild dogs are more profoundly changed by many generations apart from people. Both wild dogs and adult feral dogs are less easily kept as pets than free-ranging or captive dogs that have been socialized to humans. Unlike feral dogs, however, wild dogs tend to maintain their wild nature even when taken in as puppies.
or Canis lupus dingo X Canis lupus familiaris
which are wild rather than feral
: New Guinea singing dog
s; Australian dingoes; some Australian dingo/dog hybrids; and others from Southeast Asia
and Australasia
. While still listed taxonomically as “domestic dogs", they are considered wild
rather than feral
domesticated animals, even when raised in captivity.
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Two Canid species have common names specifically calling them "wild dogs," but which are entirely different species from true dogs: Lycaon pictus, the African wild dog
, and Cuon alpinus, the Indian wild dog. They are not closely related to each other or to true dogs, but may be commonly called simply "wild dogs" locally or when the species or geographical location is already known or implied.
". They are not very closely related to each other and are even more distantly related to true dogs than African and Indian wild dogs.
Not as easily mistaken for a true dog is the wild raccoon dog
, Nyctereutes procyonoides, a quite primitive wild canine native to the Far East
named for the fact that it looks as if it were a cross between a dog and a raccoon
. It is more distantly related to true dogs than any other canid.
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
that is not contained. The term encompasses various loose categories relating to the ownership, behavior, and descent of such dogs, including wild dogs, feral dogs, stray dogs, street dogs, and village dogs, as well as dogs allowed to come and go freely by their owners. It sometimes overlaps with the polysemic term pariah dog. The term is used when distinctions of ownership are irrelevant.
Rural vs. urban free-ranging dogs
Ecologists find it important at times to distinguish among urban free-ranging dogs, rural free-ranging dogs, and feral or wild dogs. The distinction can be important as the ecological impact of, and evolutionary pressures on, the two groups can be quite different.Village dogs
Rural free-ranging dogs that rarely if ever leave a settlement are called village dogs. They are considered neither wild nor feral, and have less impact on the surrounding ecosystem than other rural free-ranging dogs. They pose a different set of environmental pressures than feral or wild dogs, or even free-ranging farm dogs. Experts on the behavior of early and primitive dogs have also noted interesting physical and behavioral differences between village dogs and other more feral free-ranging dogs. For example, village dogs tend to be smaller and to be found more often alone or in pairs.Pariah dogs vs. free-ranging dogs
The term "pariah dog" has been used inconsistently, but is sometimes synonymous with "free-ranging dog". Originally referring to the landraceLandrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
of free-ranging dogs native to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and other Asian countries, it later came to be used for free-ranging dogs in general. The United Kennel Club
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
uses it for a category of dogs also known as primitive dogs, which includes wild dogs, distinctive local free-ranging landraces, breeds recently developed from free-ranging populations, and very ancient breeds. There is also a specific breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
called the Indian pariah dog
Indian pariah dog
The Indian pariah dog is a purebred dog category of pariah dog.- Traits :The aboriginal breed of the Indian sub-continent is called the Indian Pariah Dog, Indian Native Dog and is nowadays referred to as the INDog by experts and enthusiasts...
, which is being bred from the free-ranging landrace
Landrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
by the same name.
Stray dogs vs feral dogs
Experts in the area of free-ranging dog control sometimes distinguish between stray dogs and feral dogs. The former is used to refer to lost and abandoned pets or others that had been socialized to humans before taking to the free-ranging life, and the latter to those who have lived all their lives apart from people. This distinction is important to them because stray dogs can be relatively easily taken into captivity, whereas feral dogs are more fearful and difficult to keep as pets, and so are more often captured, spayedSPAYED
Spayed is an independent punk band from Mexico, which also spends time in Spain and the UK.Spayed was originally formed by songwriter and guitarist Cecile....
or neutered, and released back into in the parks, vacant lots, and other hiding places on the margins of human society where they are most commonly found.
Wild dogs
The term "wild dog" may refer to wild and feral domestic dogs; to any of several wild canine species commonly called called "dogs" or "wild dogs" but which are not true dogs; or even, in the broadest sense, to any wild canid - any member of the dog family of carnivoresCanidae
Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...
, the Canidae; including wolves, jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
s, coyotes, foxes, and many more which are commonly contrasted with "dogs" in other contexts.
It is also used as a common name for several specific canine species which are not true dogs; and may sometimes refer to any wild canine.
Feral dogs vs wild dogs
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
" to the extent to which they are not "commensal": dependent on handouts and cast-offs from humans; and instead hunt and scavenge in the wild. Ecologically, wild dogs are integrated into the ecosystem, often as top predators. Evolutionarily, wild dogs are more profoundly changed by many generations apart from people. Both wild dogs and adult feral dogs are less easily kept as pets than free-ranging or captive dogs that have been socialized to humans. Unlike feral dogs, however, wild dogs tend to maintain their wild nature even when taken in as puppies.
True wild dogs
As a technical term, “wild dogs” is not used in scientific literature to refer to domestic dogs sub-classified as Canis lupus familiaris, no matter how feral or wild they may be. It is reserved exclusively for dogs classified as Canis lupus dingoCanis lupus dingo
The taxon Canis lupus dingo is named for its most famous and original member, the Australian Dingo, but it also includes non-Australian animals such as the New Guinea Singing Dog, the Thai Dog, and other animals which are considered taxonomically identical to the Australian Dingo. so any...
or Canis lupus dingo X Canis lupus familiaris
Interbreeding of dingoes with other domestic dogs
The interbreeding of dingoes with other domestic dogs is an ongoing process affecting the population of free ranging domestic dogs in Australia. The current population of free ranging domestic dogs in Australia is now probably higher than in the past...
which are wild rather than feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
: New Guinea singing dog
New Guinea Singing Dog
The New Guinea Singing Dog is a wild dog once found throughout New Guinea. New Guinea Singing Dogs are named for their unique howl....
s; Australian dingoes; some Australian dingo/dog hybrids; and others from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. While still listed taxonomically as “domestic dogs", they are considered wild
Wildness
Wildness is literally the quality of being wild or untamed, but further to this, it has been defined as a quality produced in nature , as that which emerges from a forest , and as a level of achievement in nature...
rather than feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
domesticated animals, even when raised in captivity.
Other species called "wild dog"
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
, and Cuon alpinus, the Indian wild dog. They are not closely related to each other or to true dogs, but may be commonly called simply "wild dogs" locally or when the species or geographical location is already known or implied.
Other wild canids
In South America, there are wild canid species which are commonly called "dogs" in English. These are Atelocynus microtis, "the small-eared dog"; and Speothos venaticus, "the bush dogBush Dog
The bush dog is a canid found in Central and South America, including Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru , Ecuador, the Guianas, Paraguay, northeast Argentina and Brazil...
". They are not very closely related to each other and are even more distantly related to true dogs than African and Indian wild dogs.
Not as easily mistaken for a true dog is the wild raccoon dog
Raccoon Dog
The raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
, Nyctereutes procyonoides, a quite primitive wild canine native to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
named for the fact that it looks as if it were a cross between a dog and a raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
. It is more distantly related to true dogs than any other canid.