Spy Pup is a robotic spy puppy. His outward appearance completely resembles that of the wild dog puppies. Solid-colored with painted patches of brown, black and white. The only give-away is the camera in his eye.

The Purpose of the Robotic Spy Puppy

Spy Pup is in a wild dog pack setting in order to film the emotional dynamics of pack life. Spy Pup spending intimate moments with the pack of wild dogs is critical. It will allow him to gather firsthand information concerning the emotional dynamics of the pack life.

Fitting in Measures Taken by the Robotic Spy Puppy

Spy Pup must first be accepted by the wild dog puppies in order to fulfill his purpose. Failure to which, they could easily reap him into pieces. He mimics their body language to make them feel at ease. Spy Pup uses the play-bow, which is the universal invitation to have fun. He succeeds in winning over the puppies only that they now find him a little strange.

The adult wild dogs, however, may be harder to convince. Spy Pup makes a submissive gesture and wags his tail. Soon enough, the adults also accept him. He now gains the most intimate view of wild dogs ever seen.

Facts about Wild Dogs

The wild dog is a fierce carnivore found in dense forests and some open planes of sub-Saharan Africa. Wild dogs have large rounded ears, with each dog having its own unique body pattern. Most of them have a white-tipped tail to help pack members in finding each other in case of a hunt. They are an endangered species and can live up to 11 years.

Wild dogs tend to communicate vocally and lack the body language and facial expressions seen in most carnivores. Their diet consists of about 70% meat. Female wild dogs guard their puppies against predators. The wild dogs form social bonds and stay in permanent packs. A female who is dominant is often the oldest in a pack. On the other hand, the dominant male is usually the strongest or oldest. Typically, it is only the dominant pair that breeds. As such, only one litter is born per year. The mother looks after the puppies, driving away the other members of the pack. When the puppies are mature, the females break away from the pack.

Wild Dog Body Language

The body language of wild dogs allows them to communicate non-verbally and express their intentions and emotions. Their movements usually involve the ears, tail and body. One of the most common wild dog body language is tail-wagging among several others such as:

Head

The movement and position of a wild dog's head indicates various emotional states. An upright posture may signify dominance or aggression while a lowered head shows submission or fear. A repetitively moving head may signify playfulness.

Eyes

Eye contact among wild dogs conveys emotions as well as intentions. When backed by body stiffness, a prolonged stare may signify aggression. Avoiding eye contact, on the other hand, is proof of a submissive behaviour.

Ears

The direction a wild dog's ears are facing communicates a lot. The position of the ears matter as well. Ears that face forward in an upright way indicate dominance while those face downwards in a manner that is pulled back indicate submission or fear.

Mouth

Wild dogs express various emotions depending on their teeth and lips movement. An aggressive wild dog curls the lips back exposing clenched teeth. On the other hand, an open mouth with unclenched teeth is a show of playfulness or a relaxed mood.

Tail

Another effective way in which wild dogs communicate their emotions is by the positioning and movement of their tails. Wagging of the tail signifies different things based on the way the tail is moved. A vigorously and freely wagging tail displays a playful mood. A stationary tail placed between the hind legs shows fear while a highly held tail wagging gently displays dominance.

Body position

The whole body of a wild dog is also used for communicating emotions. An upright, standing posture indicates dominance or aggression if the body is stiff. A body position that is withdrawn pushing weight to the hind legs suggests fear. Rolling to the side while revealing the underbelly is also a sign of submission. There is also a difference between active and passive submission depending on a wild dog's body posture. Active submission is shown by a flat body position on the ground while passive submission is indicated by exposing the underbelly while lying on the ground.