New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation

08/13/2026

During our 3rd expedition, we had the opportunity to observe and study too social/familial groups, one of which was the KDL group. With the group were predominately ginger, with white, animals and two beautiful sables. The appeared to be close to the same age, almost identical in appearance, one being a male and the other a female. The female appeared to be actively lactating. We were fortunate enough to observe this group for two weeks, but were never able to locate this female at her “den”.

07/29/2026

A remote, heavily worn trail, used by both villagers and wild dogs, leading up to a lake at approximately 4100 meters. We observed dog tracks going down to the water as well as heavily used latrines, just off the path. A story that we often heard was that the wild dog stays away from Norwegians ( a humorous term they used for Caucasian folks ), but will readily walk up to traveling village people. At the time of the meeting, the villager MUST feed the dog. If he or she fails to, or forgets, bad luck or death will come to this person. The only way to rectify this, they say, is that you get to a village , you must kill a white chicken. This will take care of the oversight. ( Can you hear my labored breathing- These treks were no joke to me )

07/23/2026

Having logged 3 expeditions to Papua Province, We can honestly say that the research conditions were challenging. As a "flatlander", working at elevations, anywhere from 3657m to 4512m asl, was taxing. The steep, rocky areas in which these wild dogs would retreat to were virtually impenetrable to our team. Most times we had to be satisfied with long distance observations. Even though we were a mere 11 degrees from the equator and worked just beneath some of the world's only equatorial glaciers, the temperature range was between 0 and 10 degrees C. The average day generally started out clear and 5 C and usually deteriorated to cold rain and 8 C, every day. By the end of each afternoon, we were typically soaking wet and chilled to the bone. On three occasions we arose to the beautiful sight of clear skies and snow on the ground. For these dogs to not only survive, but thrive, in these conditions is a testament to their adaptations to this rugged terrain.

07/11/2026

This adult female is seen eating bait and exploring our cage trap during our "conditioning" phase when the unfamiliar traps are locked "open" to allow them to enter and leave, while getting accustomed to the trap. This particular female is pregnant. When we observed this video, we withdrew the trap so as not to traumatize her in the result of a capture. We did, however, continue to feed her and observe her through trail camera footage for the duration of this capture campaign. This particular female was observed, 4 out of 5 seasons, in this exact location, either pregnant or accompanied by puppies. The 5 season, no observations were taken. Side note: Observe the brilliant eye shine. This video was captured at 12:00 am and 6 degrees C.

06/29/2026

Some extraordinary video footage of a lone, young New Guinea Highland Wild Dog male in a remote valley at approx. 4000 meters. Quick disclaimer: The only camera I had to use was a hand-held Sony Sure Shot with its zoom to the max- hence the shaky footage. This clip give you a good idea of the rough terrain and the weather (driving rain and 1 to 4 degrees C almost every day ) This male was seemingly concerned with a small group we sent to investigate an area where we saw a black dog the day before. At approximately 1 minute in, we spotted and became concerned about us (who stayed back as a contingency plan in case our group got into trouble)We were able to see how seemingly healthy this dog appeared and how he navigated the uneven rocky slopes. Most certainly, unique primitive characteristics enable them to live and thrive in this environment.

06/11/2026

It takes teamwork to operate a foundation while developing comprehensive science-based international research expeditions. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the person who makes me look good and without her invaluable contributions, the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Project would hardly have risen to the level it is today. Lisa Wolf, co-director of the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation, very quietly “runs the show” behind the scenes and deserves much of the credit for the success of this project. Lisa is an internationally recognized canid ecologist, researcher, and author with over 35 years of experience with primitive canids. Her expertise spans neurobiological cognitive behavior, canid-human coevolution, genetics, and wildlife conservation—including field research on prey species like the northern whitetail deer.
Beyond this research, Lisa is a trusted advisor to state and federal agencies, an advocate for shelter and rescue efforts, and a U.S. Air Force veteran who retired after 25 years as a USAF Program Manager. At home, Lisa shares her home with New Guinea Singing Dogs and wolf dogs, but has had experience raising , arctic foxes, and Tamaskan Dogs. We have been working together since 2015. Our different areas of expertise and skill sets complement each other. Lisa Thanks for all you have done.

06/09/2026

This month marks,for me, 30 years of first searching for and eventually researching the rare and elusive New Guinea Singing Dog ( New Guinea Highland Wild Dog, New Guinea Dingo ) My travels have taken me across the Island of New Guinea, first in Papua New Guinea and then in Papua province ( West Papua ) Travel in these countries is not easy. Political roadblocks for foreigners meets you before you even embark on your trip and then again when you land. Then there is the foreboding terrain and altitude in which these wild dogs choose to live and thrive. With over 850 distinct indigenous languages, one has to try to learn the national "pijin" and combine that with charades and sincerity. The friendliness and generosity of the remote locals made all of the hardships worthwhile. The scientifically documented study of the NGSD has come a long way in the past 30 years. When you get a minute, please read the first account, in 1996, from a much younger man, embarking on what would become ground breaking discoveries regarding the natural history and conservation needs of the New Guinea Singing Dog.
*If you have difficulty reading this text, the full article is available. Google "My1996 one mans adventure looking for wild singers"

06/05/2026

This sequence of remote trail cam videos shows a healthy young Highland Wild Dog approaching a cotton ball inundated with New Guinea Singing Dog estrus urine ( Thank you Lisa Wolf). The canid immediately scent rolled on the spot. He circled around and then placed (urinated) his own scent over our original planted attractant. Because of the terrain, we were unable to get close to these wild dogs so we had to bring them to us, with assorted, baits, scents and lures. This handsome male was later captured, immobilized, measured, biological samples collected, GPS collared, reversed and released in the spot it was captured. Total examination time approximately 15-20 minutes. The results of DNA sequencing for this individual ( In fact all 8 animals we captured) came back as pure New Guinea Singing Dog.

06/04/2026

To all Friends of New Guinea Singing Dogs

After years of successful litters, our dedicated New Guinea Singing Dog owners are planning for this year’s and next year’s breeding programs.

We are currently seeking dedicated, qualified individuals who are interested in helping preserve the New Guinea Singing Dog.

While we have multiple Singers in our program, litters will only be planned once approved, serious prospects are in place. To protect the integrity of our program, details about the specific Singers we are working with will be shared only with those who are genuinely pursuing ownership.

If you are committed to responsible ownership and the preservation of this rare canid, we would love to hear from you.

For more information, please fill out the form and send us an email.
- [email protected]
- https://forms.gle/5ANcKTm4rAvag2br6

05/24/2026

This specific short, featuring the New Guinea singing dog from The Creature Cases, was released on YouTube/ Netflix on April 10, 2026. Educating and Entertaining kids. " The Mystery of the New Guinea Singing Dog "

When Sam and Kit get trapped, the Mice Squad steps in to solve the ...