Way back, in 1989, when Judy and I owned a pet store in Emporia, Kansas. One day a lady came in carrying two puppies.  We started visiting and I found out she wanted to sell them.  She said and I remember because it was so thoughtful of her, "Mr. Ehrlich, I understand you love animals and people have told me you might help me.  Would you be interested in buying these puppies?  They're 6 weeks old and I raise fancy chickens and they're stalking and killing my chickens.  I can't deal with that and have decided these puppies have to find a new home."

When I looked at the puppies, and they at me, it was an instant bond.  We were instantly friends and I was absolutely taken by them. I gathered my emotions together and tried to very calmly ask her what she wanted for them.  She replied," $25.00 each.  That's what I paid for them."  I replied, "OK, Sure, they're swell looking puppies."  And I went over to the cash register and drew out $50.00 and gave it to her.  I held one and she held one and we visited for a few minutes.

She said they were Dingo puppies and she had purchased them from the zoo at Clay Center, Kansas.  To this day, I don't know who she was or where she came from.  I wouldn't know her today if I saw her on the street, but I love that Lady with all my heart !  I have never seen her again. 

When she left, I began thinking about what I had done.  What had I done?  What had I gotten myself into? What were these dogs anyway?  Were they dogs?  They looked like dogs. How about shots and vaccinations?  What do they eat?  Are they really Dingos?  A thousand questions coursed through my head so I started digging for answers. 

I actually was pretty sure they weren't Dingos, because I didn't know of any Dingos in the US, but then, who knows for sure.  I had a book for sale on the shelf titled, Book of Rare Breeds.  I read through the book and found a page on New Guinea Singing Dogs.  One of the photos was of a NGSD from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, 90 miles from Emporia where we lived.  I looked at the photos and at the puppies and said, "Yes, you are Singing Dogs." 

I called the Clay Center Zoo and talked to the Keeper.  She was a very on-the-ball lady  and we were instant friends.  She told me a few things, enough to get me started in my research and I also found out that the Zoo called them Dingos.  I told her I thought they actually had New Guinea Singing Dogs.  She also gave me some history and said they had old records and a newspaper article of when the Zoo acquired its NGSDs. 

I wondered if I could legally have the puppies, so I called a couple of state offices and found out that my Exotic Breeder's Permit would cover them. At least as far as they knew!  They weren't  sure because they knew nothing about NGSD. 

In the meantime, I found out they would probably do just fine eating regular dog food and meat.  I also found out they would probably be OK with most regular canine medications and vaccinations.  I drove out to the Clay Center Zoo, Clay Center, Kansas several times.  They had a "pair".  One was an old female who was a cross between a Sheltie and a NGSD and the old male was still a purebred. 

I dug into and obtained all the old history they had archived in a shoebox.  There it was! The complete history and fascinating to read.  We, of course, still have all of that info. 

As time went by and Judy and I became more and more interested in these dogs.  I was able to get in touch with Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin.  He was the "expert on Singing Dogs in the United States." 

The second breeding season came around and the Clay Center Zoo bred their NGSDs again.  Part of the hybrid litter was sold, but I managed to buy three of them.  So now we had 5 hybids (Keech, Kema, Coma, Koach and Kia).  We spayed and neutered all five so there'd be no more hybridization.   I decided that the hybridized breeding was wrong and had to stop.  I talked the zoo into letting me have Old Dingo.

We eventually were able to get Singers from Bris once he was certain our intentions were honorable.  We were delivered an adult female by the name of Giluwe by some folks traveling thru Kansas.  In 1991, we bred our first litter from Old Dingo and Giluwe (the photo of the puppies on the stairs).

Later, Dr. Brisbin came to Kansas and verified that Old Dingo (the old man), was a purebred Singer. He issued Old Dingo an ISIS number.  Giluwe already had her ISIS number.  In 1992, our son and I drove down to Bris's place in South Carolina and brought back Murray and Kikori who were puppy litter mates. We also brought an adult male back for the Clay Center Zoo who took the place of Old Dingo.

Later still, we gave the zoo a female puppy to bred to the male. This was to ensure that the Clay Center Zoo had pure NGSD stock again and that there would be no more hybrid bred.  We acquired 3 more NGSDs from the Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita Kansas. They were Olga the older German female import, Madang, a male imported  from Toronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia and Maddie and American bred NGSD. The female that came from Australia with Madang, died earlier In rememberance, I took my email addy from Old Dingo. He lived to be 20 years and 1 month. I have always believed him to be a New Guinea Highland NGSD. His ancestry goes back to the original pair shipped to the San Diego Zoo by Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia, circa 1957-58. To our knowledge, the San Diego Zoo had the first known NGSD's in North America.

                                1991 Giluwe and pups

        

  Old Dingo