Canaan Dog - Information on Health, Care, Characteristics, Personality and Temperament

Canaan Dogs: This dog from the Middle East has been a flock guardian and a herder for centuries.



The Canaan dog is medium-sized, and is a loving and faithful family dog. However, it can be aloof in the presence of strangers.

Health: Canaan dogs have a lifespan of 12 to 13 years. It isn't prone to suffering from any minor or major health problems. But do get its hips checked every now and then.

Care: If you have Canaan dogs or puppies, then you should know what suits them and what doesn't.



This breed of dogs can live outside in cooler or warm climates. Alternatively, it can live well as a house pet. You need to brush the coat of the dog every week to clean the dead hair.

This is a worker dog and is happy working.



So, even if you don't have a flock of sheep, make sure that you exercise the dog regularly. Take the dog for jogs, exercises and training sessions. Your dog will also enjoy strenuous playing.

Physical Characteristics: This dog has a soft, short undercoat that becomes dense or light according to the change in climate. The outer-coat is harsh and straight with a ruff. This helps the dogs adapt to weather changes that happen during the day and night.

Canaan dogs are either solid-colored or mostly white with patches of brown or black. According to Canaan dog info, these dogs can herd tirelessly for hours. This dog has a medium-sized body and is square-proportioned, which helps it to combine agility, strength, and endurance. Another remarkable feature is that these dogs can very quickly change directions.

Personality and Temperament: A well-behaved species, Canaan dogs are friendly with other household pets, but can be irritable with strange people and strange dogs. It is protective of its family and tends to bark a lot, a characteristic that fits with its protective nature. This intelligent dog is a superb herder.

History and background: These dogs developed in a place called Canaan - the place of Israelites. These dogs, at that time, were known as Dogs of Canaan. They were also referred to as Kelev Kanani. The Israel Canaan dogs, the modern breed, were developed by Dr. Rudolphina Menzel. She was asked to develop the new breed by a Jewish self-defence organization. These were dogs developed to live in harsh climates and guard the isolated settlements.

She bred the best dogs, therefore the breed of Canaan dogs served as sentry dogs and messenger dogs. Canaan dogs are also known to have worked as mine detectors, Red Cross helpers, guide dogs for the visually impaired after the World War. It also helped to locate wounded soldiers.