Life span: 12 to 15 years
Availability: Rare
About Canaan dog:
The Canaan Dog is a medium purebred known for being aggressive, alert, intelligent, and protective. The most common colors for Canaan Dogs are black, black and tan, gray, and red. To keep it healthy, it will need to get exercise regularly. Known to be multi-talented, the Canaan Dog participates in a wide variety of activities such as agility, competitive obedience, guarding, herding, military work, police work, and tracking.
The Canaan Dog is an ancient breed dating back to 2200 to 2000 B.C. It was the sentry and herd dog of the Israelites, performing similar functions in encampments of nomadic Bedouins. Canaan Dogs were plentiful until the Romans drove the Israelites out of the Holy Land almost 2000 years ago.
The breed first came to the United States in 1965, when Ursula Berkowitz of Oxnard, California, imported four Canaan Dogs in hopes of establishing the breed in this country. The Canaan Dog Club of America was formed in 1965, and the breed ultimately was fully recognized by the American Kennel Club as a member of its Herding Group in 1997.
Catalina's Felix to the Max became the first Canaan Dog to compete in the Herding Group at the Westminster Kennel Club show. He's still a rare breed, ranking 150th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.