Canaan Dog

The Canaan Dog is considered a natural dog breed, which means it has developed with little selective breeding from humans. These dogs have been in existence for at least 2,000 years, and the breed might be even older. There are drawings of dogs looking just like it dated back to 2,200 BC. 


This was the guard and herding dog of the ancient Israelites, and when then they were dispersed by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, the dogs avoided extinction in the Negev Desert. Some lived with the Bedouins, and some were used as guard dogs for the Druze people.

Today the Canaan Dog is quite rare. There are somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 Canaan dogs in the world. 

Being herding dogs and guard dogs they can be territorial and are often reserved with strangers, but they are also quite affectionate with their families.

Canaan dogs are versatile and intelligent. They are easy to train, but quite independent, and they need both physical and mental stimulation to stay happy. They are often seen winning agility trials, competing in flyball, or doing well in obedience. 

The Canaan dog is generally tan or black-and-white with curled tail, pricked, pointy ears and almond-shaped brown eyes.  

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