Working Dog Group - Canaan Dog

Canaan dogs get their name from the region they were bred in - Canaan valley. This region is now in Palestine, Israel. Origin of these dogs was seen in the countries, where there were sketches of Canaan dogs found on the tombstones. There were noted for their abilities of herding cattle and also keeping a good watch. They were close to extinction, and were later revived by Dr. Rudolphina Menzel. These dogs were mainly used to collect the scattered Jewish population around the desert areas.

Later on their scavenging abilities were put to the best use with training them to detect land mines. They were later on imported to many different countries and were bred for their hunter-like abilities. They have various coat colors like black, brown, golden, beige, tan, red, white and chocolate color. They also have coats in a combination of the above colors. Weighing 35 to 45 pounds only, both the sexes can grow up to 19 - 24 inches. They can adjust to any climatic conditions though cool weather is mostly preferable for them, as they possess two coats.

These dogs are not only great watchdogs but are also highly intelligent breed that is very sharp in herding cattle and keeping a watch. They are very friendly but a tad bit dominating. They are known to have survived and braved many difficult conditions throughout the ages; therefore they are known to have the killer and the survival instincts.

These dogs can be friendly with the family members but distrustful towards strangers. They also can be aggressive if they see their family members getting friendly with strangers. They bark a lot and hence make excellent watchdogs. But at times the incessant barking can be grating for some people, hence they must be trained to keep the barking low from the puppyhood. They possess a natural instinct to train and guard their territory and they can be possessive about the area they guard.

They can be very dominating with other dogs and can be very aggressive with them. To curb this behavior, they need to be trained at their puppyhood. They are very independent as their basic tendency is the survival of the fittest. But this nature can be altered to a certain extent with proper training and discipline. These dogs are excellent herding dogs and have a good command on the cattle and the herds of the different animals.

An improperly trained Canaan dog will resort to biting and barking on all those people who displease them and will not pay heed to its owner. This can be a mark of poor leadership. Therefore, make sure that you are strong willed than this dog. They are highly intelligent and quick learners. Make sure that you keep them engaged constantly else they tend to become bored and may resort to continuous barking.

They need a fair amount of exercise, else they become restless. They are naturally active dogs and cannot live in confined spaces. They need a house with a huge yard to stay healthy and happy. They also need to be taken for long walks and should be trained for their herding skills at quite a young age. They also need rigorous amounts of physical activity. With minimum health problems faced by this breed, they live for 12 to 15 years on an average.

These dogs are excellent hunter dogs and can make excellent watchdogs.