Wild dogs are a key issue for Australia’s livestock producers, causing significant economic and psychological impacts through predation and disease transfer. Wild dogs also threaten our precious biodiversity.

What are wild dogs?

Wild dogs are defined as all wild-living dogs including dingoes, feral dogs and their hybrids: all are the same species (Canis familiaris). Scientific evidence suggests the dingo was likely brought to Australia as a semi-domesticated animal from Asia some 3,500 to 4,000 years ago. An ancient breed of dog, the dingo (Canis familiaris) will readily breed with other dogs and this has occurred to varying degrees across the country since the arrival of domestic dogs with the First Fleet in 1788.

The dingo is included in the definition of wild dogs for the purposes of the Plan as being managed where they pose a risk or impact upon agricultural, biodiversity and social assets. The Plan acknowledges the environmental and cultural significance of the dingo, its conservation status and legal protection in a number of jurisdictions and advocates that these considerations are taken into account through the local wild dog management planning process.

Adverse impacts of wild dogs

Wild dogs impact agricultural production due to livestock predation, disease transmission (such as hydatids) and the costs associated with control. In areas particularly affected by wild dogs, predation limits livestock enterprise choice, with producers often forced to give up sheep and goat production and move into cattle. This can impact regional communities through reduced employment, business opportunities and loss of community services.

Wild dogs impact natural environments by preying on a wide variety of native fauna and are considered a known or potential risk to endangered or vulnerable native mammal, reptile and bird species. They also carry pathogens and parasites that can have negative impacts on native species like macropods that severely limit their lifespans and reproductive fitness.

Wild dogs also impact cultural and social assets by causing serious emotional and psychological damage to landholders and their families.

The livestock industry manage wild dog impacts on primary production (to minimise livestock loss) humanely and following government regulation; conservation organisations focus on reducing the threat of wild dogs on biodiversity and local government manage risks on social assets and communities.

Wild dog impacts on livestock

Wild dog attacks on livestock conservatively cost the Australian economy upwards of $89 million a year in lost production and control costs – but the impacts don’t stop there.

  • Producers lose enterprise choice – farming small stock (sheep and goats) is unsustainable in areas where wild dog numbers are excessive.
  • Wild dogs cost jobs and livelihoods for many in the Australian agricultural sector. Each year millions of dollars’ worth of livestock are killed or maimed by wild dogs. In western Queensland alone, the region has seen a 75% drop in sheep numbers and this affects the social and economic fabric of rural communities. Reduced employment means reduced population which affects vital basic services such as education and health.
  • Stress – Prolonged wild dog attacks on livestock can cause serious emotional and psychological damage to rural families and their communities (ABARES 2014).

About two-thirds of Australia’s producers regularly experience wild dog problems on their properties with a third describing their problems as severe. Wild dogs are highly mobile and able to cover extensive distances in even the most rugged terrain. Learn more here about how wild dogs use the landscape from Dr Guy Ballard, Research Leader – Predator Management at NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Wild dogs regularly kill more animals than they need to eat and not every animal dies immediately. Producers, supported by the wider community, have an obligation to protect the welfare of livestock.

When sheep and goats see a wild dog, they usually bleat, form a mob, circle, break and run. Whether a wild dog is hungry or not, this fleeing behaviour instinctively triggers a response from the dog to chase and attack. These attacks can go on for hours with numerous individuals often fatally wounded but still alive.

When sheep are desperate and can no longer run, they head to water to try and save themselves. Tragically, the end result is often the same.

“The National Wild Dog Action Plan has been invaluable to our cattle operations, providing us with best-practice management advice for wild dogs and dingoes through field days, the use of FeralScan and development of management plans.” – Rusty Richter, General Manager – Operations at Victoria River Downs Station.

Managing wild dogs

The Plan endorses the use of current best practice management techniques for the control of wild dogs through coordinated, strategic community led management programs. Find out more here.

Role of wild dogs in the ecosystem

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Dr Peter Fleming discusses wild dogs’ influence on feral cats

Whether wild dogs and/or dingoes play a valuable role as apex predators is a question that has attracted considerable interest. Numerous scientific papers have claimed to provide evidence for the biodiversity benefits of dingoes. However the role of wild dogs and dingoes is likely to be complex and vary significantly across different environments and ongoing research has brought into question these claims.

Food and habitat availability plays a far greater role in managing our wildlife and introduced predators species than any pressure from wild dogs and dingoes.

There is also a widespread belief that wild dogs and dingoes can help conserve biodiversity by controlling feral cats and foxes but recent research does not support this theory.

Fancourt et al. investigated the relationship between dingoes and feral cats in central Queensland. Contrary to previous suggestions, they found that cats remained abundant, active and widespread, regardless of whether wild dogs and dingoes were present or absent, and regardless of where or when dogs were active.

Research is being carried out to further investigate the role of wild dogs in the environment.