Canaan Dog Breed Description

An Owner's Canaan Dog Description
Meet Cadet. Don't let his aloof nature and sometimes dominating attitude around other pets and strangers turn you off. He is actually quite affectionate with me and my family. But it is true, he probably is more a one person or in Cadet's case, a one family dog. This means that he is generally reserved toward strangers at first meeting and is not quick to respect other people.

I think this is what has made Cadet an excellent choice for me. He's protective but non aggressive. He definitely is self confident and not afraid to stand his ground when needed. I made a commitment when Cadet was a pup to spend a lot of time developing his social skills. We introduced him to as many different animals and people friends as we could. Still, he is who he is. He just favors me and prefers my company. I actually like that.

Cadet is alert and attentive to his surroundings and the immediate circumstances. He displays his intelligence in numerous ways. For one thing, he learns very quickly without the need for the normal repetitive teaching methods. Cadet is so trustworthy and dependable, he never seems to go through mood changes and that's another thing I like about him.

Cadet enjoys being in the house, if I'm there too. But he really needs access to the outdoors, to run when he feels the urge. It's his strong, confident nature, along with his ability to be affectionate, that makes Cadet such a great companion.

He can be territorial at times and has a tendency to be somewhat vocal when he's acting as a watch dog. Mostly it's when he is outdoors. He is very acute to sounds and movement. These are not necessarily bad traits; they're just sometimes inconvenient and annoying.

 

 

Introduction

These dogs are an ancient breed resembling the wild dog type which has survived in Israel through at least 4,000 years of history. They were originally used by the Bedouins as both herders and guard dogs in the desert. Today's breed was developed in the 1930's and has proven to be exceptionally versatile. They are used today as livestock guarding, herding, tracking, search and rescue and companion dogs. During World War II these dogs were trained for mine detection. Although rather aloof, they make good companions. They are easy to train, willing to learn and good with children. The coat requires minimal grooming. They weigh 35 to 55 lbs. and stand 19-24" at the shoulders.

History

Visit the tombs at Beni-Hassan, an Egyptian cemetery with tombs cut out of the rock for centuries. There, along with countless other carvings on the walls, you'll find illustrations of the Canaan dog, looking just about the same as this breed does today.

That ancient canine was the Pariah Dog, and it guarded herds of livestock and human settlements for centuries. When those Hebrew settlements were abandoned, the dogs that remained either became feral or attached themselves to Bedouin tribes.

During Israel's struggle for independence, the need for a dog to guard far-flung settlements became obvious; that the animals would have to be acclimated to the harsh conditions of the land was a given. Dr. Rudolph and Rudolphina Menzel took surviving Pariah dogs and bred today's Canaan dog from that foundation in the 1930s.

The modern Canaan dog was developed to maximize the positive traits of their ancestors. They excel at tracking, which means they are efficient livestock managers, as well as search and rescue workers. Dr. Menzel trained several hundred of the Canaan dogs she bred to work as land mine detectors during World War II, where the animals distinguished themselves by out-performing mechanical detectors.

The Menzels established the B'nei HaBitachon Kennel and continued to improve the breed, always adding wild-born Pariah dogs to ensure that the original traits would stay strong in the Canaan line. Canaan dogs were registered by the Palestine Kennel Club by 1948 and the Israeli Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1953. In 1965, Ursula Berkowitz of California imported four Canaan dogs to the US. The AKC recognized the breed in 1997.

General Description

This is one of the breeds where the men look masculine and the women look feminine, even to the untrained eye. Overall, this is a Spitz-type animal in terms of skeletal frame. A wedge-shaped head with low-set erect ears (think Basenji). Those ears are part of the dog's communication system: it is possible to assess the animal's mood and mindset from the ear positions. The expression is alert and inquisitive thanks to dark almond shaped eyes set at a slight slant. Tight lipped, with scissors bite the norm.

The overall body look is agile and athletic, with an arched neck leading to somewhat angulated shoulders atop a broad and deep chest.

The tail is reminiscent of the northern Spitz types: bushy and dense, it curls up over the dogs' back when the animal is excited.

They are double coated; in their native land, that second coat insulates against both the days' heat and the night's cold. The outer coat is harsh but not wiry. Males have a 'ruff' of slightly longer hairs. Colors include cream, gold, red and sand as the most common, but white, black, spotted and red/brown also occur. Black masks and white markings are permitted on all colors. Piebald is accepted, meaning patches of one color on another but brindle and tri-colored are not.

Temperament

Intelligent and agile, the Canaan dog does well with livestock and many owners have their Canaans compete in herding events. They are expert search and rescue dogs and can be easily trained for just about any task thanks to their loyal and loving nature and a true desire to please. Devoted to their family, they will automatically be watchdogs, but will not 'herd' family members the way Border Collies and other herding breeds normally do.

Health and Care

Extremely adaptable, Canaan dogs do well in just about any setting. Their coat needs little beyond regular brushing; local climate will dictate how much they shed and how often they 'blow' their undercoat.

Colors

Solid black, brown or white, some reds that can lighten over time, as well as a pattern of white with brown or black patches.

Living Area

While the Canaan Dog is a natural herder and will do quite well in an open area, that does not mean that you need to live on a farm to have this dog breed in your life. The main concern with the Canaan Dog is that it gets plenty of exercise. So, if you live in an apartment and can be relied upon to take your dog outside for long periods of activity each day, the apartment life can suit your dog quite well.These dogs are active inside, but will do well with a good sized yard to run around in when they can. In fact, the Canaan Dog can live outside in a wide range of temperatures due to the thick undercoat-even extremely hot or cold temperatures. But this dog will also have a good life living indoors, if that's the case for your home.

Recognized By

CKC, FCI, AKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR

Pets4You offers listings of Canaan Dog breeders with puppies for sale.