CANAAN DOG Breed Standards
The Canaan Dog is known as the natural breed of Israel and is sometimes called the Israel Canaan Dog. This herding dog was originally bred in the 1930s from Israel's feral dogs by Dr. Rudolphina Menzel, though the Canaan dates to pre-biblical times. Their lineage is documented in the tombs at Beni-Hassan in Egypt dating from 2200 to 2000 BC where drawings depict dogs that look very similar to the Canaan Dog.
Through the centuries, the Bedouins used the Canaan Dog to herd and hunt (and they still do today), and it is because of this that the breed managed to survive until the 1930s, when Haganah, an Israeli paramilitary organization, asked Dr. Menzel to develop a dog that could guard remote Hebrew settlements. Finding that traditional war breeds did not do well in Israel's arid climate, Dr. Menzel began concentrating her efforts on the local feral dogs, called "pariah dogs." Menzel domesticated and bred these dogs, and gave them the name "Canaan Dog" in honor of their homeland.
Canaan Dogss have proved highly intelligent and easily trainable. They have served as sentry dogs, messengers, Red Cross helpers, and were among the first dogs trained as land mine detectors. In 1965, four Canaan Dogs were imported to Oxnard, California. The Canaan Dog entered the American Kennel Club Miscellaneous Class in 1989 and was admitted to the Herding Group in 1997. Today, Canaan Dogs serve as seeing-eye and therapy dogs.
SKILLS: The Canaan Dog is a sturdy, medium-sized, squarely proportioned dog with a bushy tail carried curled over the back when the dog is alert. Not only does the Canaan Dog excel as a herder, but it has also proven itself in a variety of tasks involving dependability and obedience. This very intelligent and independent breed can do exceptionally well in obedience. It responds best to positive, motivational training, but tends to get bored with overly repetitive training.
SIZE: Height: 19-24 inches (48-61 cm.) Weight: 35-55 pounds (16-25 kg.)
COAT: The straight, harsh, double coat is Ð… to 2 inches long and lies flat. It comes in solid black, brown, and white, or in a patched pattern of white with black or brown. (The FCI standard allows solid white dogs, but the Canaan Club of American standard does not.) Solid colors may have white trim on the chest, feet and tip of the tail. The first four imports to the U.S. were white with black mask and patches. These dogs and subsequent imports introduced a variety of color patterns. Although the majority of the U.S. dogs are white & black, the complete range of colors found in the wild is represented in the U.S. population of Canaan Dogs. Brown & white and black & white dogs should have a symmetrical mask matching the color of their patches. Red dogs are either born dark reddish brown and then lighten, or creamy white and then darken.
CARE REQUIRED: The Canaan Dog is a very clean breed with no doggie odor. It is easy to groom. Comb and brush once a week, taking extra care when the dog is shedding. This breed is a seasonally heavy shedder.
CHARACTER: Gentle, devoted and docile, but also lively, alert and protective. It is a natural guard dog as well as an excellent watchdog that tends to bark a lot. May be aggressive with dogs of the same sex. The Canaan Dog tends to be a one person dog or one family dog. They are very defensive of their territory. He should be well socialized when young with both dogs and people, especially with children, as the breed tends to be naturally wary of strangers, though he is very friendly with those he knows.
TRAINING: This is a working dog that will not be happy just sitting around. It needs lots of exercise and mental and physical challenges. These needs can be met with herding exercises, a long jog or a strenuous game session along with a challenging training session.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: Its dense undercoat protects the dog from extreme temperatures, whether it be hot or cold - so it can live outdoors, but also makes a wonderful housedog.
EXERCISE: The Canaan Dog will do okay in an apartment if it gets enough exercise. They are moderately active indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard.
