Canadian Eskimo Dog

Canadian Eskimo Dog
Size: Medium to Large
Other Names: Qimmiq, Canadian Inuit Dog, Inuit Dog, Inuit (Sled) Dog, Canis Familiaris Borealis, Esqumaux Dog (obsolete), Exquimaux Husky (obsolete)
Country of Origin: Canada
Accreditation:
American Kennel Club (AKC): FSS
Canadian Kennel Club (CKC): Working
United Kennel Club (UKC): Northern Breed
Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC): Utility
The Kennel Club (KC): Working Dogs
Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA): Working Dogs
National Kennel Club (NKC): Recognized
New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC): Utility

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is powerfully built, athletic, and imposing in appearance, giving the impression that he is not built for speed but rather for hard work.  He has erect, triangular ears, and a heavily feathered tail that is carried over its back.  Males are distinctly more masculine than females, who are finer boned, smaller, and often have a slightly shorter coat.  The Eskimo Dog has a mane of thicker fur around its neck, which is quite impressive in the males and adds an illusion of additional size.  This mane is smaller in females.

A northern freighting dog for cold space and a fence: a heavy seasonal coat, a howl, and no business as a hot-climate apartment pet.

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is a larger breed of Arctic dogs, which are often considered to be North America’s oldest and rarest remaining purebred indigenous domestic canine.  Although once used as a the preferred method of transportation by Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, traditional working dog teams became increasingly rare in the North after the 1960's, as snowmobiles became more popular, and tended to be faster and more efficient.
Height
Male: 23-28 inches; Females: 19½-23½ inches
Weight
Male: 66-88 pounds; Female: 40-66 pounds
Color
Multi-colored, with no one color or color pattern dominating; or solid white; white with patches of another color on the head, or on the body and head; solid liver, solid black; many of the solid-colored dogs have white mask-like markings on the face, sometimes with spots over the eyes; others may have white socks and nose stripes, with no eye spots or mask
Coat
Very thick and dense, with a soft undercoat and stiff, coarse guard hairs
Lifespan
10–15 years
Litter size
4–8 puppies

Temperament

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is loyal, tough, brave, intelligent, alert, and can be very vocal.  He is affectionate and gentle, develops a deep bond with his owner, and is intensely loyal.  Owing to his original environment, he takes pure delight in cold weather, often preferring to sleep outside in cold climates.  When used as sled dogs, Canadian Eskimo Dogs were often required to forage and hunt for their own food.  Consequently, many Canadian Eskimo Dogs have stronger prey drive than some other breeds.

Training

Canadian Eskimo Dogs are intelligent, and very trainable and submissive, unlike many spitz breeds.

Care and grooming

The Canadian Eskimo Dog’s coat is fairly easy to care for most times of the year, needing brushing only one or two times a week.  However when he sheds (which happens once a year), he will need grooming every day.  Canadian Eskimo Dogs need a very large amount of exercise.  They cannot just be walked, they need higher intensity work, requiring more exercise than many dog owners can give.  This need for work and stimulation also makes them well suited for dog sports, such as carting, mushing, and skijoring.  The Canadian Eskimo Dog is best kept in a cold climate, and is prone to heatstroke.

Shedding

Heavy and seasonal; the dense northern coat blows once or twice a year.

Health

Canadian Eskimo Dogs are typically hardy working dogs.  Hip dysplasia can appear, and the thick coat makes overheating a risk in warm climates.

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