The Canaan dog has existed as a dog, according to current theories, for as long as 150,000 years. There is some controversy over where the originating point of the first dog was, whether in one place or in several, and there is still a good deal of research being done on this question. But there is little doubt that one of the points of origin, and perhaps THE point of origin, of the dog was the Middle East. The prevalent belief also is that the breeds existing today that are called primitive dogs, pariah dogs, land races, or similar, are very close in their characteristics and type to the original dog that branched off in a different direction from that of the wolf so long ago.
The Canaan Dog of Israel is one of these original breeds, which we believe has existed as is for thousands of years. There are as many as forty references to dogs in the Bible and we learn that the dog was common and well known thousands of years ago. Dogs of those times were used as shepherds and guardians of the flocks and home. References make it clear that the dog was of great importance in alerting the community to the presence of strangers. Although many citations were derogatory, it is clear that the dog was an accepted and valued part of life in those times. One of the oldest archaeological findings showing the relationship between man and dog, dating from about 12000 years ago, was found in Israel in the Galilee at a place called Ein Malacha. This is the skeleton of a woman that was buried with her dog in her hand.
There is good reason to believe that the dog of Biblical times was the Canaan dog, the only breed truly native to the land of Canaan, the modern State of Israel. Evidence includes the tomb drawings of Bene Hassan (2200-2000 BCE) (1,8), and rock carvings, such as those found in Wadi Celoqua in Central Sinai, depictingCanaan-type dogs chasing an antelope (1st-3rd century CE) (G. Ilani, personal communication), and from Har Harif in the Negev desert depicting an ibex hunt. A clear bas-relief of a Canaan type dog has been found on a 2nd century CE sarcophagus dug up in Ashkelon, and presently in the local archaeological museum.
A fairly recent discovery that presents evidence of the importance of the dog and its uniformity in ancient times is the find of a huge dog cemetery in archaeological digs at ancient Ashkelon. This dates back to the fifth century BCE with over 700 dog skeletons found, including numerous puppies, adults and subadults. Each dogwas buried individually and with great care, reflecting a strong bond between dogs and humans. The ancient Phoenecians, the primary population of this area at this time, celebrated the dog and its healing powers, due to its habit of licking wounds, so these dogs may have been part of a temple healing ritual. The descriptionof the dogs by the archaeological team is as follows: "The mature Ashkelon dogs were a little over 20 inches high and weighed a little more than 30 pounds.". Wapnish and Hesse have found a modern counterpart in today's "Bedouin sheepdogs", known as Palestinian pariah dogs. Or, as we would call them, Canaan dogs.
The Canaan Dog is one of the small group of rare and disappearing breeds that are considered to be primitive dogs, and are often referred to as “pariah dogs” or "land races". The pariahs, that include ancient indigenous breeds found mostly in Asia and Africa, are of great interest for a number of reasons. They are in type the closest to the original dog, the dog that was the ancestor of all the modern breeds, and that may date back as much as 100,000 to 150,000 years. These are the breeds that have survived on their own, the only criteria for the breed’s continuance being its ability to survive in very difficult conditions. On the other hand, pariahs, in their life style and relation to man, are very similar to the first dogs ever domesticated, willing to develop a partnership with man but able to live on their own if necessary.
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