Canaan Dog

The Canaan Dog possesses extremely keen senses of hearing and smell, and he can detect approaching intruders from a considerable distance, becoming instantly alert. He is an intelligent, trainable breed whose tracking ability is excellent. When raised with children and other pets, he becomes a devoted family companion and natural watchdog. He is aloof with strangers, inquisitive, loyal, and loving with his family. Because of the strong "denning" instinct of their recent semi-wild past, the Canaan Dog is naturally clean and easily housebroken. He does not require an excessive amount of exercise.

 

Canaan Dog breed facts

The Canaan Dog is described as alert, vigilant, devoted and docile with his family.

The Canaan Dog, the natural breed of Israel, dates back to Biblical times, originatingin the Land of Canaan. Drawings found on the tombs at Beni-Hassan, dating from 2200 to 2000 B.C., depict dogs that show an unmistakable resemblance to the Canaan Dog of today.

The Canaan Dog waas the guard and herd dog of the ancient Israelites, guarding their camps and flocks. They were plentiful in the region until the dispersion of the Israelites by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. As the Hebrew population dropped, the majority of the dogs sought refuge in the Negev Desert, a natural reservoir of Israeli wildlife. Avoiding extinction, they remained undomesticated for the most part, although some lived with the Bedouins and earned their keep by guarding the herds and camps. Some were also guards for the Druze on Mount Carmel.

This was how the Canaan Dog survived until the arrival of Dr. Rudolphina Menzel, who was asked by the Haganah (a Jewish self-defense organization) to develop a dog to guard the isolated Jewish settlements and supervise the build-up of war dogs for Israel's coming War of Independence. Remembering the Canaan Dog living in the desert, she knew only the fittest would have survived such hardships. As a breed the Canaan Dog proved highly intelligent and easily trainable, serving as sentry dogs, messengers, Red Cross helpers, and land mine locators. During World War II, Dr. Menzel recruited and trained more than 400 of the best dogs as mine detectors for the Middle East forces, and they proved superior to the mechanical detectors.

After the war, Dr. Menzel dedicated her time to helping the blind and in 1949 founded The Institute for Orientation and Mobility of the Blind, the only one of its kind in the Middle East. The entire Canaan Dog breeding program was concentrated within the Institute, where a solid foundation of kennel-raised Canaan Dogs was established that carried the name B'Nei Habitachon. The breed was first recognized by the Palestine Kennel Club, the forerunner of the Israel Kennel Club. By 1948, there were about 150 Canaan Dogs registered in their stud book.

On September 7, 1965, Ursula Berkowitz of Oxnard, California, imported the first four Canaan Dogs with the idea of establishing the breed in the United States. The Canaan Dog Club of America was formed the same year, and stud book records were kept from these first reports.

The Canaan Dog entered the Miscellaneous Class in June 1989, and dogs were registered in the AKC Stud Book as of June 1, 1997. The dogs began competing in conformation on August 12, 1997.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Large
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Short
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	Once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Medium sized, well balanced, strong and square. Marked distinction between sexes.
	Characteristics Agile, alert and highly intelligent.
	Temperament Confident and vigilant. Aloof with strangers. Steady and loyal to owners.
	Eyes Dark, almond shaped and obliquely set with black rims.
	Mouth Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws, level bite acceptable.
	Neck Muscular, well arched, of medium length without throatiness.
	Forequarters Well laid muscular shoulder, elbows close to body. Medium boned. When viewed from the front forelegs straight. Pasterns slightly sloping.
	Body Square, withers well developed, back level, loins muscular, chest deep and of moderate breadth, ribs well sprung. Belly well tucked up.
	Hindquarters Powerful, broad muscular thighs, hocks well let down. Legs straight when viewed from behind.
	Feet Strong, round and cat like with hard pads.
	Tail Set high, thick brush carried curled over back when trotting or excited.
	Gait / Movement Medium sized, well balanced, strong and square. Marked distinction between sexes.
	Coat Outer coat dense, harsh and straight of short to medium length. Undercoat close and profuse according to season.
	Colour Sand to red-brown, white, black, or spotted, with or without a symmetrical black mask. White markings permitted on all colours. Grey, brindle, black and tan or tricolour undesirable.
	Size Height 50-60 cms (20-24 ins). Weight 18-25 kgs (40-55 lbs).