Dogs in Australia: What is a dingo?

This is the story of the domesticated animal that feralised itself.

Where did dingoes come from and when?

Where does a wild dog stop and a dingo begin?

How much can genetics really tell us about Australia's only native dog — and how long do you have to live somewhere to be 'native'?

Featuring:

• Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University
• Dr Angela Perri, zooarchaeologist, Chronicle Heritage
• Kelly Ann Blake, Wadawurrung woman, and Jack the Dingo
• Professor Greger Larson, evolutionary genomics at the University of Oxford
• Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Nat Tencic, Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Jacinta Bowler, Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.