Israel Canaan Dog

Canaan Dogs are a distinct breed which has survived in the desert since Biblical times. Their name "Canaan Dog" identifies this breed as the dogs of the ancient inhabitants of Israel, the Canaanites, who lived some 3,000 years ago. Cave drawings dated to 2200 BC show dogs resembling the Kalef K'naani. It is said that even Queen Jezebel kept one of these fine dogs attached to her throne with a golden chain, and the Bedouins used these dogs for herding and guarding.

After the Israelites were wandering in the desert, they left behind these dogs, which soon became feral. Surviving on their own for hundreds of years, they developed through the selective breeding of the semi-wild Pariah dogs of the Middle East. A dog authority named Dr. Rudolphino Menzel from Germany decided to capture this breed and put it to use; she was asked to develop a dog for guarding the community settlement, or 'kibbutz'. In the 1930s, it took 6 months to capture the dogs, but once they were domesticated, training came easily. The dogs were prized for their intelligence and easy training abilities. Used to guard and protect livestock, they were also a messenger dog in the Israeli army. They were used often as sentry dogs and messenger dogs. Many were trained for mine detection during WWII, and some also served in the Red Cross. This breed entered the U.S. in 1965, and maintained AKC status in 1997.

The Canaan Dog is a medium-size, robustly made, spitz-type dog. They have been indigenous to the region encompassed by modern Israel for centuries. Canaan Dogs are reserved with strangers but makes a good companion dog that is loyal and affectionate to their family. Soft and eager to please, they also need to know the rules of the house or they can become manipulative. Canaan Dogs have been used as a guide dog for the blind and as a search and rescue dog. They are known to be aloof of people and animals that they don't know, and are known to run away when a large change affects them, such as a new house or new person. This is how they coped when they were feral dogs in Israel. But such characteristics can be overcome with training, as these are highly intelligent and trainable dogs. They are known for their service as messenger and sentry dogs, and were once trained to detect mines. They can be barky, which makes them excellent watch dogs. Their endurance, reactability, and agility make them a popular breed in Israel.

They are intelligent, resourceful, and easily trained. They can survive on their own, and sometimes try to when situations at home change. If they are confronted with a big change such as a different house or different people, they tend to bolt. They do not adapt well to new situations, and a fence is necessary. They are very obedient, alert and vigilant. They are wary of strangers, including children and animals, but devoted to their families and friends. They are protective and are not afraid of a fight. They are said to be a joy to watch as they play. They bark and will guard their humans as long as necessary.

The Israel Canaan Dog Is The Few Existing Breed

The Israel Canaan Dog is one of the few existing breeds of primitive dog, known for thousands of years, whose natural habitat is the present day state of Israel. These dogs have not changed since biblical times, and their biological characteristics are evidence of adaptation of semi-arid zones. The breed still exists in the wild and with the Bedouins of the area. Breeders in Israel continue to bring in new bloodlines from the wild, and are attempting to preserve the natural characteristics of these dogs, despite them now being a recognized breed that are being bred in many countries abroad. One of the major factors in the successful preservation of the breed is its growing popularity as a pure bred, registered pet.

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.