Canaan Dogs are great family members as they are not typically a one -person dog. It is important to remember that the entire family should have the same expectations as far as behavior. A Canaan Dog will quickly learn who to regard and who to manipulate.

As with all dogs, it is important to socialize a Canaan Dog with children at a young age and supervise all interactions. Canaan Dogs, in gerneral, do well with children as they are very gentle and aware of their bodies. These dogs are usually sensitive enough to adjust their play style to their playmate. Even the most wary of Canaan Dogs instinctively trust children. In fact, in the desert homelands of the Canaan Dog, it is often found that the children of the camps are the only ones who can approach the pariah dogs.

In most cases, Canaan Dogs get along well with other pets. Puppies and adults both need to be introduced to other pets properly and taught the boundaries. It is important to remember that the family cat in the house will be treated differently than a neighbor's cat walking through your yard. A cat running outdoors may be considered 'prey' like birds and small rodents. The cat in your home will be a companion, or at least ignored if raised together properly. Canaan Dogs do exhibit some same-sex aggression tendencies, which are manageable. If you plan to have only 2 dogs, then opposite sex pets or ones with a substantial age difference usually work best.

No. Canaan Dogs are natural dogs, which make them hunters. They retain the entire sequence of the prey drive; stalk, chase, catch, kill, and sometimes consume. In breeds bred for certain tasks, parts of the prey drive have been enhanced or diminished. For example, Border Collies have the stalking and chasing enhanced and not the behaviors beyond these. Generally the prey drive is directed at small game (mice, birds, rabbits squirrels, etc) and some Canaan Dogs are very successful hunters. Ironically, a high percentage of Canaan Dogs pass herding instinct tests with flying colors. When used on larger herds of herbivores, such as sheep, they exhibit the appropriate portions of the prey drive: stalking and chasing. This is not a quality that has been specifically bred for.

A well-socialized Canaan Dog is a unique and versatile companion animal. They are bright, inquisitive, alert, sensitive, and comical. They excel at all areas of dog sport including agility, herding, obedience, and conformation. A poorly socialized Canaan Dog or one going through a fear period is timid, fearful, reactive, and neophobic.

Yes and no. Canaan Dogs learn behaviors very readily as they are quite smart. Are they always obedient? Not necessarily. Canaan Dogs are gifted human manipulators and learn how to read their humans to achieve their goal. They usually do this by being charming. They learn quickly whom they must listen to and whom they can ignore and will constantly test the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Yes! With their minimal exercise requirements and independent nature, Canaan Dogs do very well in the city. They are naturally clean and have good house manners. The city environment is also great socialization for mitigating the wary Canaan Dog temperament. Please note, not all Canaan Dogs will be dog park friendly.

Canaan Dogs are exceptional watchdogs. Please note, this is not to be confused with a guard dog. Watchdogs sound an alarm when something is amiss. Guard dogs will generally take action. Canaan Dogs, with their keen senses and wary nature will sound the alarm at anything or anyone they consider new in their territory and potentially dangerous. They characteristically bark while staying out of reach of the potential danger by moving in circles. It is important to start training early by praising their alarm and teaching a "quiet" or "enough" command. Most Canaan Dogs respond well to this excercise.

No. A Canaan Dog would not risk his own safety for anyone. He is a watchdog and alarm barker. He alerts his 'pack' to potential danger by barking and circling. Personally, I do not feel like my Canaan Dogs are ever protecting me. They are protecting themselves and their territory - I just happen to be close by and reap the benefits.

The word aggressive is a broad term and covers a variety of behaviors to the lay person. Canaan Dogs are derived from an ancient stock of pariah dog and retain their natural canine ways. The Canaan Dog requires extensive socialization and training for a longer period than most breeds. Your dedication in their rearing largely affects the resultant adult temperament.

Canaan Dog puppies are generally outgoing and well-behaved in the department of house manners. Puppies can be termed 'aggressive' when seen roughhousing in doggie play groups. Canaan Dogs play very LOUDLY and rough, which leads to some to believe they are ‘aggressive.’ Remember the Canaan Dogs’ pariah dog roots…if you saw pariah dog pups on the Discovery Channel, you would notice their rough and tumble play. Canaan Dog fanciers know the pups are just playing the only way they know how.

Canaan Dog adolescents sometimes enter a fear period at ~ 9-12 months. For some, this period doesn't subside until ~ 2 years old. At this time, the dog may pull away from the touch of strangers, be hyper-neophobic, bark at benign things, have a wide-eyed stare and demonstrate avoidance. If the dog has not been raised and handled properly to this point, this stage may show itself in an extreme way to keep people at bay. Some people may consider this period 'aggressive' should they even appear ready to bite out of fear. In general, the Canaan Dog is not a biter. Canaan Dogs will largely choose flight over fight as a stress response.

At the age of ~ 2, the maturing adult might become more territorial of his home turf. Home turf for a Canaan Dog means anything he considers "his" - which could include your local dog park (if you visit often enough), the family car, or other frequently visited places. A Canaan Dog will keep interlopers from invading his space unless they have been raised to regard his owners opinion over his own.

Canaan Dogs (adults and pups) tend to be the dominant sort and will often be the 'bully' or top dog. To people with breeds less wanting to lead, this can appear as aggression.

For example, one of my bitches when taken to an offleash dog park (which I have found only to be enjoyable for all until the dog reaches maturity) is the 'controller'. She is happy to ignore other dogs at my request, however if any other dogs start playing rough, she breaks it up. Her appearance between to wrestling dogs, accompanied by barking or grumbling at each, has been called 'aggression'. She did not attack, bite, or otherwise torture the playing dogs. She simply stopped them from playing. I do not call this aggression, but others did and it certainly did put a damper on the fun of the wrestling labs and their owners.

As an adult the types of aggression that need the owners management the most would be same-sex, territorial, or prey-drive all of which are managable in a well-trained and socialized Canaan Dog. But the question is, do you want to be a manager? Canaan Dogs need management, otherwise they will walk all over a passive owner. If you train and socialize with confidence throughout puppyhood and adolescence, you will be rewarded with a well-adjusted, entertaining, sensitive companion who can accompany you most anywhere.

So, to answer the question as best I can, I believe Canaan Dogs could be considered by some to be aggressive in some way, but that is largely the fault of the owner. Canaan Dog owners have to be aware that they have a savvy, intelligent, and very natural dog whose regard is earned with lots of early training and socialization.

The Israeli Army originally used Canaan Dogs as sentry dogs and for mine detection. The pariah dogs lived on the fringes of human settlements and were used as flock and camp guardians. Today, most Canaan Dogs are loyal family companions and watch dogs. They are used in dog sport competitions such as obedience, conformation, agility, herding, and tracking.

Every breed has a breed standard. In Canaan Dogs, the original breed standard forms the basis of the standard for different kennel clubs. Canaan Dogs came from stock with a wide range of ways to look and different people interpret the standard in their own way. This results in some Canaan Dogs that look different from one another. Please visit A Range of Styles for a more in depth explanation.

The AKC standard accepts Canaan Dogs between 18-25 inches and 35-55 lbs. This is a large range, with the males at the middle to upper end and females at the lower to middle end of the spectrum. The ideal Canaan Dog falls in the middle of this range 19-23 inches and 40-55 lbs.

Yes. Canaan Dogs blow their coat twice a year. This is most dramatic in intact females. Weekly brushing and a bath during shedding season are helpful.

Canaan Dogs are generally considered a healthy breed. On occasion, some exhibit health issues such as hypothyroidism, cardiac abnormalities, cancer, cataracts, hip dysplasia, slipping patellas and epilepsy. These occur sporadically and at no greater incidence versus any other breed.

A Canaan Dog can live a long healthy life. 12-16 years is not unreasonable. This breed remains active and in working and breeding condition long beyond what is possible in other breeds.

Look for a breeder you feel comfortable talking to and connect with. Your relationship with a responsible breeder is going to begin- not end-with the placement of your puppy and will extend for the lifetime of that dog. You should look for a breeder who asks a lot of questions, has a placement contract, and offers post-placement support. Part of a responsible breeders job is to help determine if a Canaan Dog is right for you.

If possible, you should try to meet the breeder and his/her dogs in person so you can assess the condition of the dogs and facility. However, this is not always possible due to the rarity of the breed. Don’t be afraid to ask your breeder for references from other people who bought puppies from them.

Yes, once you have established a relationship with a breeder and you both have decided that a Canaan Dog is right for you. The Canaan Dog is a rare breed and it is not uncommon to wait 6-12 months for the right puppy.

Since the Canaan Dog is a rare, it is very important for the breeding community to keep our best dogs intact for contribution to future generations. Responsible homes wanting to show their dog in conformation and/or performance events as well as keep the animal intact for the breeder are generally given a higher priority.

Depending on whom you get your puppy from, you should expect to pay $600-$1200 for a well-bred Canaan Dog from a responsible breeder. The average cost being closer to $1000.00. Depending on the breeder, some may retain breeding rights on animals sold as show prospects or charge more for show vs. pet Canaan Dogs.

We send puppies home between the ages of 9-12 weeks.

We breed Canaan Dogs because we love the breed and support its place in the dog fancy. We enjoy dogs and the sports we partake in with our Canaan Dogs. We are fascinated by the art and science of producing quality Canaan Dogs to touch and enrich other people's lives as much as our dogs enrich our lives.

That they are so bright, they keep us on our toes in their efforts to outsmart us. We enjoy their versatility, beauty, and natural canine behavior.

That they are so bright, they keep us on our toes in their efforts to outsmart us.

We look for a healthy Canaan Dog with a wonderful temperament that has a sound structure and beautiful effortless movement together with correct breed type.