Canaan Dog - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Medium - large

Height: 51 - 61 cm (20 - 24 inches)

Weight: 18 - 25 kg (39.5 - 55 lb)

Life Span: 13 years

Grooming: Undemanding

Exercise: Demanding

Feeding: Medium

Temperament: Alert and distrustful of strangers

Country of Origin: Israel

AKC Group: Herding

Other Names: Kelef K'naani

Temperament:

The Canaan Dog is intelligent, alert, protective and independent. Canaans are wary of strangers with their natural guarding instincts and become very protective of their owner or family. Canaans should be socialized with other dogs, animals and people early on, to prevent them being aggressive or dominant towards other living things that they perceive to be a threat. The high intelligence of Canaan Dogs makes them easy to train and they are very versatile dogs. Canaan Dogs tend to be one-person or family dogs and can make docile and loyal pets if properly trained rom puppyhood.

Grooming:

The coat of the Canaan is easy to maintain with a quick regular brush to remove the loose hairs. Canaan Dogs shed heavily and will need more frequent grooming during these periods. A bonus with this breed is that they are typically odourless.

Exercise:

Daily exercise is necessary for Canaans and they enjoy freedom and having opportunities to run off the lead. They should be calm when indoors if they receive adequate exercise.

History:

The Canaan Dog has lived in the Middle East for centuries and was originally used by the Bedouins for both herding and guarding in the Negev desert. In the 1930s Dr Rudolphina Menzel began a selective breeding programme in Jerusalem, using the semi-wild Pariah dogs, which resulted in the versatile Canann breed that we know today. The Canaan Dogs were also used as messenger by the Israeli army.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Squarely-built, robust and eager.

Color: Sand, white, gold, black, cream, brown/red or white/red.

Coat: Straight, harsh, thick and can be short to medium length.

Tail: Set high, bushy and should curl over the back.

Ears: Set low, large, erect and slightly rounded at the tips.

Body: The body is strong and appears square in shape. The chest with square withers.

Additional Comments:

The Canaan Dog is a reasonably recent export from the Middle East and is new to western civilization.

Canaan Dogs can often retain natural wildness and defensive instincts and benefits greatly from early socialization with a variety of animals, people and situations.

Canaan Dogs have been used as guide dogs for the blind and as search and rescue dogs in Israel.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/canaan_dog/