Canaan Dog

For millions of years the Canaan Dog has nationally been part of the Middle East. It is widely seen in Israel/Palestine. The Canaan Dog Looks typically like a pariah dog in its appearance.

These dogs have heads in the shape of wedges and are medium sized canines. Their ears are erect, medium in size and low set. They are rounded at the top and gradually become broader at the base. The Canaan dog has a medium length coat that consists of straight, harsh and short hair. Their out coat is very dense and conducive to colder climates. The undercoat is close lying to the top coat and can become profuse according to the weather change. The coat of Canaan dog comes in a wide range of colors from all shades of brown, cream, red and black. These Dogs are not always seen with a solid colored coat. Some white patches or markings are seen or an all white coat patches of other colors are seen. Spotting of all kinds is also noticed with masks that are either all black or all white.

The Canaan Dog comes in a variety of appearances based on a study conducted. This classification is heavy, sheepdog appearance, dingo-like appearance, Border collie appearance and Greyhound appearance. The males of this breed stand at an average of about 50 to 60 cms tall and weigh about 18 to 25 kgs. The females like in most breeds are lighter and shorter. They range in height from 45 to 50 cms and weigh anywhere from 15.8 to 19.8kgs. The Canaan dog shares its appearances with the Korean Jindo.

Canaan dogs have very strong instincts for survival and combat. They make very attentive watch dogs that alert their owners of any disturbances by barking loudly. The Canaan dog reacts very quickly to situations and has excellent reflexes. They remain very wary of any strangers and are unfriendly towards people they do not know. Even though these dogs are very defensive they are still not aggressive. They will not attack unless provoked. The provocation can come in the form of strangers approaching the house, people attacking the owner or even a child fighting with the children the Canaan dog knows. They are very protective of their family especially the children. They will watch closely as the child plays and will not allow any harm to befall the child.

They are quick to learn and are very intelligent dogs and require much care, although if they do find something else more interesting they may ignore commands. They get easily bored and tend to walk away from commands being repeated incessantly. The Canaan Dog does not suffer any hereditary health ailments. They are considered to be one of the healthiest breed of dog and are very easy to maintain. They require regular exercise and are not recommended in hot climates. The Canaan Dog is not a very common house pet and is seen more commonly in the Middle Eastern countries.