The kangaroo dog or kangaroo hound is an Australian type of sighthound purposely crossbred from a variety of sighthound breeds to produce a hunting dog.

Kangaroo dogs were first bred by colonial settlers in Australia from as early as the 1830s, the aim being to create a sighthound fast, strong and robust enough to outrun, catch and hold a kangaroo without being injured or disembowelled by the animal's powerful, clawed hind legs.

[1][2][3] From the 1830s onward, colonial hunting clubs were established across Australia's colonies, with native kangaroos, wallabies or dingoes pursued by mounted hunters and their kangaroo dogs.

[1][4] Originally, these dogs were bred from British sighthound breeds, principally the Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound, with occasional Irish Wolfhound blood; later, the Borzoi was also used and more recently the Saluki as well.

[1][2][3][5] Hunting of native species with sighthounds is now banned in Australia; however, kangaroo dogs are still bred for hunting invasive introduced species, such as feral pigs and red foxes.