New Guinea Singing Dog or Singer is the name of an ancient, rare type of primitive canine that once inhabited all of the island of New Guinea
. New Guinea Singing Dogs are also known by the names: New Guinea Dingo, Singing Dog, Singer, New Guinea Highland Dog, New Guinea Wild Dog, Hallstrom Dog, New Guinea Highland Wild Dog, and the acronym NGSD. Hardly anything is known about the life, genetic status, social structure, or numbers of these dogs in the wild. All research has been performed on the captive population. Bloodline information and the exact number of captive specimens are not available for publication at this time.
The New Guinea Singing Dogs were probably taken to New Guinea by early travelers thousands of years ago. Free to roam on the large island and isolated from the rest of the world, they developed without influence from other canids. The combination of isolation and long term development produced several characteristics found only in this canine. Today, many New Guinea Singing Dogs are serving as companion and therapy dogs as a part of conservation efforts to focus attention on their exceptional intelligence and physical abilities. Some have been shown in competitive dog shows. When shown in competition, New Guinea Singing Dogs are presented in their completely natural condition with no trimming or alterations of any kind.