Pups at birth are all black and white. The tan patches develop from the black areas beginning in the second month. The pups eyes open at 3 weeks, but they will not emerge from the den until they start to eat solid food regurgitated by the adults. The entire pack is needed to help feed the large litter of young that are dependent for 12-14 months. The adults eat at their kill site, then return to the den and regurgitate meat as food for the young.
Adult males stay with the birth pack.
Unlike other animals, females between 14 and 30 months of age will leave their natal pack in groups of littermate sisters. They will eventually join a different male kin line. The African wild dog is listed by the IUCN as threatened by extinction. Fewer than 5,000 dogs remain and because they need vast home ranges, it makes conservation difficult. The breeding and raising of any animal in a captive situation, involves extensive knowledge of the animals' instincts and lifestyle in the wild, coupled with the expertise gained through observation and experience of an animal in captivity.