Rare New Guinea Singing Dogs

Rare New Guinea Singing Dogs LIVESTOCK DOGS 32-1-26 Three Hills, Alberta, Canada is a long way from New Guinea, but zookeeper Irene Gustafson is passionate about saving the breed which is native to that warm weather country. The New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society (NGSDCS) has evidence from a 5,500-year-old dog fossil and DNA dating that indicates Singers have been separated from modern domestic dogs for at least 12,000 years. They're considered rare, with some estimates that there may be as few as 150 Singers in captivity. Gustafson met her first Singers when she married Bill Gustafson, caretaker and son of the owner of GuZoo Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in rural Three Hills. The zoo has a wide variety of wild and tame rescued animals and is open to the public. Gustafson became enamored with the zoo's Singers and fascinated by the controversy that some experts consider them feral dogs. "I want to create some public awareness because they are a unique animal," she says. According to the NGSDCS website, Singers are about 17 in. tall at the shoulder and average 25 lbs. They have a short double coat and are golden red or black and tan with white markings on the underside of the chin, the feet and tail tip. Wide cheekbones, narrow muzzles, tulip-petal shaped ears and triangular, obliquely set eyes give their faces a distinctive appearance. Their joints and spine are extremely flexible. They climb and jump like a cat. Their eyes reflect a bright green glow in low light. Named for their unique vocalizations, Singers make the sound of a wolf howl with overtones of a high-pitched whale song. Some sounds resemble birdcalls. They also whine, yelp, bark and scream, A sample of the dogs' sound can be found at the society's website (www.canineworld.com/NGSDCS/chorus.singers.mp3). Due to recent DNA findings that Singers are a unique ancient population, accredited zoos are starting to exhibit them, says Janice Koler-Matznick of the NGSDCS. "The world's premier zoo, the San Diego Zoo, put a breeding pair of Singers on exhibit in 2007. "As for having them as pets, they're non-aggressive, but have wild tendencies," Gustafson says. "They're very people-friendly, but are prey-driven to go after a squirrel or cat, or little dog." They're escape artists, so if they are kept outside they must be in an enclosure with a floor, walls and roof, Gustafson says. Some people keep them as pets in their homes, with access to outdoor enclosures. "There is room in some people's hearts for Singers," she says. "Singers are very affectionate, and they bond to people." They can live to be 19 or 20 years old and can handle both warm and cold climates. When she sells Singer puppies for pets ($800), she has them spayed or neutered to prevent crossbreeding with domestic dogs. Plus it makes them better pets, Gustafson says, because they become very territorial during breeding season. The NCSDCS sells one or two puppies a year to carefully screened and educated private parties for an adoption fee of about $500. They promote spaying and neutering at 9 months or later for health reasons. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Irene Gustafson, GuZoo Animal Farm, P. O. Box 898, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada T0M 2A0 (ph 403 443-7463; urafriend @xplore net.com; www.guzooforever.com) or New Guinea Singing Dog Conservations Society, jkoler@ccountry.com; www.canineworld. com/NGSDCS.

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