Kangaroo dog

The kangaroo dog is an Australian type of sighthound purposely cross-bred from a variety of sighthound breeds to produce a hunting dog.

Kangaroo dog
Kangaroo Greyhound circa 1915
Other namesAustralian greyhound
Bush greyhound
Kangaroo greyhound
Kangaroo hound
Staghound
OriginAustralia
Foundation stockCombination of sighthound breeds
Breed statusNot recognised as a breed by any major kennel club.
Traits
Coat Smooth or coarse
Colour Brindle, black & bicolour common
Dog (domestic dog)

Kangaroo dogs were first bred by colonial settlers in Australia from as early as the 1830s, the aim being to create a sighthound fast, strong and robust enough to outrun, catch and hold a kangaroo without being injured or disembowelled by the powerful, clawed hind legs of the kangaroo.[1][2][3] From the 1830s colonial hunting clubs were established across Australia's colonies, with native kangaroos, wallabies or dingos pursued by mounted hunters and their kangaroo dogs.[1][4] Originally these dogs were bred from British sighthound breeds, principally Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound with occasional Irish Wolfhound blood, later the Borzoi was also used whilst more recently the Saluki.[1][2][3][5]

Hunting of native species with sighthounds is now banned in Australia; kangaroo dogs are still bred for hunting invasive introduced species such as feral pig and fox.

See also

References
  1. Alderton, David (2000). Hounds of the World. Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press. p. 124. ISBN 1-85310-912-6.
  2. Hancock, David (2012). Sighthounds: their form, their function and their future. Ramsbury, Marlborough: The Crowood Press Ltd. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-1-84797-392-4.
  3. Mason, Walter E. (1915). Dogs of all nations. San Francisco: The Panama-Pacific International Exposition. pp. 40 & 123.
  4. Gelder, Ken; Weaver, Rachael (31 August 2018). "Friday essay: the art of the colonial kangaroo hunt". The Conversation. The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. Fogle, Bruce (2009). The encyclopedia of the dog. New York: DK Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-7566-6004-8.
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