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In the TOS film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Klingon captain Kruge has a vicious looking lizard-dog at his side. The animal is never given a name, although it was called "monster dog" behind the scenes. It's obviously not a targ but later in the sixth movie, we see similar animals - this time covered in white fur - on the Klingon planet of Rure Penthe, which are identified in canon as a type of Klingon Jackal. There are obvious differences between the two, but certainly no more difference that that between a Pitbull and a Great Dane.

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Within canon, is Kruge's pet intended to be a breed of Klingon Jackal, as seen on-screen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and mentioned a couple times on Deep Space Nine?

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    In the ST3 novelisation, Kruge's animal is referred to as "Warrigul". Memory Beta seems to think that this is also the species name (presumably like naming your dog "dog"). – Valorum Mar 13 '16 at 8:45
  • The old Star Trek adventure show at Universal Studios (which intercut footage from Star Trek II and III with footage shot of audience volunteers to tell a story) called it a "dragon hound." – Buzz Mar 14 '16 at 0:56
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Unclear, but unlikely (see below)

In the ST:III script, Kruge's pet is referred to as a ...

... frightening creature, half timber wolf, half lizard...

...but there's no indication what species it is. The ST:III Novelisation (developed alongside the film) states that the animal is called Warrigul, but again there are no indications what species it is.

Warrigul.
His beast, which he had owned since he was a youth and Warrigul only a larva, lay dying. Ignoring the chaos of the damaged bridge, Kruge stroked the spines of Warrigul's crest. His pet responded with a weak, whimpering growl, convulsed once, and relaxed into death.

By comparison, in the ST:VI novelisation, the animals are referred to as ...

... vicious-looking jackal-mastiffs

and by the script as much the same

FIFTEEN PRISONERS in leg irons and FIVE KLINGON GUARDS with JACKAL-MASTIFFS moving slowly across the frigid plain.

Based on the fact that Kruge's beast is "half-lizard", it seems unlikely that it would thrive well in a cold environment. It's certainly possible that the two sets of animals are related, but more than likely they aren't.

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This is not addressed in canon. Memory Alpha speculates that

It is also possible that a Klingon monster dog seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Jackal mastiffs seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country were different breeds of targs based on similar appearances and similarity to canine breeds.

Out of universe, each of the three creatures was created independently, without apparent reference to the other two. Nothing in canon or extended canon connects them, nor denies any connection.

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The definition of Targ needs to be settled prior to establishing if either animal seen in ST II, or III. If a Targ is an animal possessing the traits of both a mammalian canine and a dinosaur, then it is possible to imagine that there were different breeds of this animal developed for different purposes, some being more ancient and closer to the original than those bred or Genetically manipulated to perform specific tasks or for different environments.

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  • Can you provide any sources that suggest they're both Targs? – Edlothiad Jun 22 '17 at 2:38
  • In canon, targs are small pig-like creatures covered in fur that have a tusk on their head like a rhinoceros. I'm pretty sure these are something different, but the phrase "you Klingon jackal" or something similar is used several times in DS9, apparently as an insult. – Omegacron Jun 22 '17 at 12:15

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