General Description

---

(Kelef K’naani) The Canaan Dog is a medium-sized dog with square proportions. The breed has a strong body with a comparatively deep chest. They have straight limbs and round, cat-like feet with hard pads. Their head is wedge-shaped with a shallow, well-defined stop. Their almond-shaped eyes are dark brown in color and their dark nose is slightly slanted. The teeth of this breed meet in a scissors bite and the ears are pricked, broadly-based, and have a rounded tip. Their tail is bushy and forms a curl over the back. The Canaan Dog has a dense, thick double coat that is ½ to 2 inches in length. It comes in a variety of colors including brown, solid black, white, and a pattern of white with brown or black markings. White trim may exist on the chest, feet, and tip of the dog’s tail.

Character

---

The Canaan Dog is an excellent working and herding dog, but it is also extremely obedient and reliable. They are highly intelligent and spirited, and they can learn very quickly. They are most receptive to positive, encouraging training, and they tend to become bored with repetitive commands. They are very agile and work well with their handler. They are alert, loyal, devoted, and docile. They have natural guarding abilities and may be aggressive towards other dogs of the same sex. They tend to bark frequently. The Canaan Dog needs proper socialization and training from an early age. They are leery of strangers, but they are very friendly with people they know. They are very good and gentle with children.

General Health

---

The Canaan Dog is a hardy, healthy breed with few health-related issues or concerns. They have one of the lowest rates of hip dysplasia out of any breed. The Canaan Dog typically lives for 12 to 15 years.

History

---

The Canaan Dog is a descendant from the wild dogs of Israel. It was created in the 1930s. Bedouins continue to utilize the Canaan Dog to guard, manage, and herd their sheep. This breed is efficient, highly capable, and has a terrific learning ability. Throughout history, the Canaan Dog has been used in military and search & rescue work, as well as mine detection and guiding. They are a very healthy, hardy breed, and they are well-adapted to living in the harsh deserts of their native Israel. Similar dogs to the Canaan Dog have been seen in tombs that date back to 2200 BC. The breed was introduced to the United States in 1965, when four Canaan Dogs were imported by the breed’s founder. This man was named Rudolphina Menel.

The breed was not bred but is rather a natural dog free of man made intervention. Rudolphina Menzel was a renowned Austrian cynologist contacted by the Jewish Defence Force to help them find a working dog capable of being productive in the harsh desert climate. Wild dogs were captured in the 1930s for military use as noted, and trained for numerous tasks. The first 4 Canaan Dogs in North America arrived in California in 1965.

Maintenance

---

The short-haired coat of the Canaan Dog is naturally clean and free of odor. They are easy to groom, and only require a weekly brushing and combing. Extra care should be given to the dog when it is shedding. The Canaan Dog sheds heavily during season.

Ideal Environment

---

The Canaan Dog is content to live in a small household or apartment if he is sufficiently exercised. This breed is comparatively active indoors, and they are happiest with at least a medium-sized yard. They have a dense under coat that protects them from harsh weather conditions, so they can easily adapt to a wide variety of climates. This breed is content to sleep outdoors, but they also love to come inside and spend time with their family. The Canaan Dog needs lots of physical stimulation in addition to having a job to do. They are not content to simply sit around the house or lay in the backyard.

Canaan Dogs adapt to their environment. They are very laid back at home and quite content to nap during the day. They are not hyper, high-energy dogs. While being outdoors is not a problem for them in winter or summer, they generally much prefer being inside with their human family. They are definitely a "pack animal" - being left outdoors for long periods of time on their own is not where they should be. Indoors, they are quite independent - they know where their "humans" are, and are quite content to nap in the same room or another room of the house. Canaan Dogs are always up for a good walk or run however, and can keep going as long as their owners care to exercise.

Canaan Dog Q&AAsk a Question

Already registered?

Answer:
Please enter the text: (reload)
	* Thank you for taking time to help answer questions.

Canaan Dog PhotosUpload a Photo