African Wild Dogs: Amazing Photos & Fun Facts Book About African Wild Dogs The African wild dog is a member of the canine family which makes it a relative of domestic dogs or the ones that we keep as pets. Also known as Cape hunting dog, the scientific name of the African wild dog is Lycaon pictus which translates to "painted dog". If your parents let you watch the movie Underworld, you probably know of the Lycans, a breed of werewolves. While the existence of werewolves is still debatable, wild dog-like animals do exist. And the African wild dog is just one of many wilder relatives of man's best friend.