The Canaan Dog is a herding and flock guardian dog native to the Middle East.
History: The Canaan Dog was originally bred in the 1930’s from the wild dogs of Israel. This dog is one of the oldest, dating back to biblical times. The Canaan Dog was the guard and herd dog of the ancient Israelites, guarding their camps and flocks. The breed was first imported to the United States in 1965 when four dogs sent by the breeds founder, Dr. Rudolphina Menzel, arrived by ship on the western shores.
Appearance: Its medium-size, square body is without extremes, showing a clear, sharp outline. The Canaan Dog moves with athletic agility and grace in a quick, brisk, ground-covering trot. It has a wedge-shaped head with low-set erect ears, a bushy tail that curls over the back when excited, and a straight, harsh, flat-lying double coat. Color ranges from black to cream and all shades of brown between, usually with small white markings, or all white with color patches.
Size: Height 19-24 inches (48-61 cm);
Weight 37-57 pounds (16-25kg)
Temperament: Canaan Dogs are natural, aloof, independent dogs. They are intelligent and learn quickly. They are cautious with strangers, and will alert to any disturbances with prompt barking, thus making them excellent watchdogs. The Canaan Dog tends to be a one person dog or one family dog.  They are very defensive of their territory. He should be well socialized when young with both dogs and people, especially with children, as the breed tends to be naturally wary of strangers, though it is very friendly with those it knows.
Health: The Canaan Dog is a very healthy breed with one of the lowest rate of hip dysplasia out of any breed.
Life expectancy: About 12-15 years.
Grooming: The Canaan Dog is a very clean breed with no doggie odor. This dog has a straight, harsh short to medium length coat with an abundant undercoat. The coat may need to be brushed once a week. However when they are moulting the thick undercoat is shed in great handfuls. As a breed these dogs will groom themselves in the same way as a cat does, if there are two or more dogs in the same household they will groom each other.
Puppy price: $300.00 - $500.00