Canaan Dog facts for kids
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Canaan Dog is a very old dog breed. It is one of the oldest types of pariah dog still found in the Middle East. You can find these dogs in countries like Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Sinai Peninsula. Dogs that looked almost the same lived in Iraq and Syria over 9,000 years ago. The Canaan Dog is the national dog of Israel. In 2012, there were about 2,000 to 3,000 Canaan Dogs around the world.
Contents
What is the Canaan Dog Called?
The Canaan Dog has a few other names. People also call it the Kelef K'Naani, Israel Canaan Dog, Bedouin Sheep Dog, or Palestinian Pariah Dog. The official rules for the breed were created by an Israeli scientist named Rudolphina Menzel in 1966.
How Did the Canaan Dog Breed Start?
For a very long time, the Bedouin people have used these dogs. They helped guard their animal herds and their camps. When Jewish people were forced to leave their land long ago, they had to leave their dogs behind. These dogs then went back to living in the wild.
Scientists found an ancient dog cemetery in Israel called the Ashkelon dog cemetery. It is the biggest animal cemetery known from the ancient world. It had 700 dog skeletons. All these skeletons looked like the Canaan Dogs we see today. This cemetery dates back to when the Persian Empire was in charge. Archaeologists think these dogs were seen as special or sacred animals.
Dr. Rudolphina Menzel (1891–1973) was a scientist who studied animals. In the 1930s, she was asked to create a service dog group. She found these smart dogs living wild in the desert. She caught some of them, tamed them, and trained them. Dr. Menzel discovered that these dogs were very good at adapting and easy to train. It took her about six months to catch her first dog, named Dugma. But within a few weeks, she could take him into town.
She started a breeding program in 1934. She provided working dogs for the military. She also gave puppies to families as pets and guard dogs. She carefully bred these dogs to create the breed we now know as the Canaan Dog.
In 1949, Dr. Menzel started a place to help blind people. In 1953, she began training Canaan Dogs to be guide dogs for the blind. She trained several dogs, but she found that the breed was too independent. They were also a bit too small for most guide dog jobs. However, some of her dogs were successfully used by children.
After Dr. Menzel passed away in 1973, her breeding program continued. Today, it is harder to find wild Canaan Dogs in Israel. This is because many were removed to control diseases like rabies. Also, more people are moving into areas where these dogs used to live wild. Their pet dogs mix with the wild Canaan Dogs. This means that many Bedouin dogs today are mixed with other breeds. However, some original Canaan Dogs might still live with Bedouin tribes who keep their traditional way of life.
What Does a Canaan Dog Look Like?
The Canaan Dog looks like a "wild type" dog. It is a medium-sized dog with a square body shape. Its head looks like a wedge, and its ears stand up. The ears are set low, wide at the bottom, and have rounded tips. Their outer coat is thick, rough, and straight. It can be short to medium in length. They also have a thick undercoat that changes with the seasons.
Their colors can be black, cream, or any shade of brown and red. They often have small white markings. They can also be all white with colored patches. Any kind of spots are allowed. They can also have white or black markings on their face, like a mask.
When Dr. Menzel wrote the first official description for the Canaan Dog, she noted some key differences. She wanted to make sure people knew they were different from German Shepherds. Canaan Dogs have a square body, a short back, and stand very straight. Their tail curls over their back when they are excited.
What is the Canaan Dog's Personality Like?
Canaan Dogs are very alert and react quickly to things around them. They are often wary of strangers. They are good at defending their home or family, but they are not usually aggressive.
What Can Canaan Dogs Do?
Canaan Dogs are very smart and can learn many things. They can compete in fun dog sports like dog agility trials, obedience competitions, and flyball. They can also do tracking and herding events. Their natural herding skills can be tested, and if they show these instincts, they can be trained for herding trials.
How is the Canaan Dog Recognized?
The Canaan Dog was first officially recognized by the Israel Kennel Club in 1953. Then, the FCI (a big international dog organization) recognized them in 1966. Dr. Menzel wrote the first accepted rules for the breed. Today, the Canaan Dog is recognized by almost all dog clubs around the world. They are now bred in many countries. There are breed clubs for Canaan Dogs in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Finland, Germany, Israel, and France.
Canaan Dogs in Canada
The first Canaan Dog arrived in Canada on May 16, 1970. These dogs came from a kennel in Delaware. The Canadian Canaan Club was formed in 1972. The Canaan Dog was officially accepted into a special class of the Canadian Kennel Club in 1975. In 1993, the breed was accepted into the Working Group.
Canaan Dogs in the United Kingdom
The first Canaan Dog came to the UK from Lebanon in 1965. At that time, they were not yet a recognized breed. In December 1970, the Kennel Club in the UK recognized them. The Canaan Dog Club of the United Kingdom had its first meeting in May 1992. Since 1996, the number of Canaan Dogs in the UK has slowly grown.
Canaan Dogs in the United States
On September 7, 1965, Dr. Menzel sent four Canaan Dogs to Ursula Berkowitz in California. These were the first Canaan Dogs in the United States. The Canaan Dog Club of America was formed that same year. In June 1989, the Canaan Dog joined a special class of the American Kennel Club (AKC). Then, in 1997, they became part of the Herding Group. The breed became more well-known when John F. Kennedy Jr. bought a Canaan Dog named Friday in 1995. About 50 Canaan Dog puppies are born each year in the U.S.
See also
In Spanish: Perro de Canaán para niños
