Included in CITES – Appendix I. Occurs in several protected areas throughout its range.

Hunting is prohibited in Colombia (Law Number 848:1973), Ecuador (Law Number 74:1981), French Guiana (Law Number JO19860625:1986), Panama (Law Number 2-80:1980), Paraguay (Law Number 18796:1975) and Peru (Law Number 5056:1970). Hunting and trade is regulated in Argentina (Law Number 22.421:1981), Bolivia (Law Number 12301:1975), Brazil (Law Number 5197:191967), and Venezuela (Law Number 276:1970). There is no Information for Guyana and Suriname.

Bush Dogs do occur in captivity and are breeding successfully. No known attempts at reintroduction.

Gaps in knowledge
The distribution of bush dogs should be re-evaluated. There are no population estimates or demographic data for bush dogs in any of their range countries. Our understanding of dietary habits is based mostly on anecdotal information and does not address seasonal or geographic variation. Habitat associations are not clearly understood – the species was once thought to be dependent on forests but is now regularly observed in open habitats. The impact of disease, both historically and currently, is unclear (this is especially true for diseases introduced by domestic animals). Accepted ideas of behaviour and social structure, obtained from captive animals, have not yet been verified in wild populations. Interspecific relationships with sympatric carnivores need to be further evaluated.