The Israel Canaan Dog
by Myrna Shiboleth

Available from Alpine Publications, PO Box 7027, Loveland, Colorado 80537; or online from Amazon.com

THE Canaan has been bred as a domestic dog since the 1930s, when Prof. Rudolphina Menzel became interested in the breed. It has been officially recognised by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) for over 40 years, and was bred by Prof. Menzel's kennel, and subsequently by the writer Myrna Shiboleth at Shaar Hagai Kennels, as well as by private owners and breeders (in Israel). For a number of reasons there are very few large kennels (most breeding is done by private individuals who have a bitch or two). The writer has been breeding since 1970. Over the years there has been a huge effort to collect dogs from the desert, from the wild and from the Bedouin, in order to provide as large a gene pool as possible.

Today, it is very hard to find pure Canaans in the desert, both for the reason that their natural habitat has shrunk greatly and because most of the Bedouin are no longer living nomadic desert lives, they are now living in villages and keeping all sorts of dogs which have mixed with the native population. The Israeli government does not recognise any need to preserve wild dogs - for them, they are a pest, probably similar to the situation that existed with dingos in Australia. The Nature Reserves Authority does recognise the Canaan as a native animal of some historic and biological value, but is not able or prepared to do anything to preserve them in the wild. So it is very hard now to find any stock other than the domesticated dogs, although on occasion a dog may be found that can be brought in from outside the registered stock.

However, there is a well-established population of Canaan Dogs living in Israel as domestic dogs and pets, and as working dogs, and there is enough breeding and interest in the breed to ensure its continuation. The gene pool is not large, but seems to be adequate for continued development of the breed. The Canaan Dog is fairly popular in Israel as a pet and home guard dog-companion.

The breed is today recognised by all the kennel clubs - FCI, AKC, and is being bred in many countries, so there is no real concern for its preservation. There are breed clubs in the US, England, Germany, France, and of course Israel. The author has put together a most informative book on the Canaan dog - a history of its development, its place and lifestyle in nature, the breed's standard, its character (territorial, alert, aggressive, adaptable, intelligent), caring for a Canaan, breeding, the North American scene, and Canaans abroad.

As far as health goes the species is a strong and particularly healthy one. There are so far no instances of hip dysplasia or degeneration - patella luxation appeared in one or two dogs, but was swiftly bred out and no more cases have appeared. A natural life for this breed has been in the desert as a wild dog, or as companion/worker for the Bedouin tribes, so they had to be strong, agile and healthy.

One recent illness that has taken an initial toll with the breed is parvovirus. This disease can kill whole litters, so it is essential to keep pups isolated until they have been fully vaccinated. The Canaan bitch offers her pups wonderful care - unlike the typical bitch of most other breeds she will nurse them and clean up after them until they are two to three months old. She will also teach them important life techniques such as how to catch small animals for food, how to dig out of a fenced area, how to find their way home after being left in the bush, how to climb over obstacles etc!

The Canaan breed can be found in most colours and there are photos throughout the book of dogs with solid colour, with patches, or with white paws and chest. The colour range covers everything from solid black or white, cream or tan, to all combinations of them, as the illustrations show.

Myrna Shiboleth is a pet behaviour counsellor; a breeder of Canaan dogs, shibainus and collies; and runs a boarding kennel, so is well qualified to write on the breed that she has been collecting and selectively breeding for decades. As far as I know there are as yet none of this breed in New Zealand, but if I am wrong please contact and correct me - I would love to hear from anyone who is breeding or has had experience with this handsome, exotic breed. - EP

DOGS - Australia's best-loved breeds
by Dr Bruce Fogle
Penguin Books $24.95

THIS is a delightful, pocket-sized book that you can take with you anywhere. But don't think I have indicated a 'quick read'. Though small in dimension it is 432 pages thick, and all those pages approaching light card weight. In all, 190 breeds and varieties are represented - two of them 'random-bred' dogs (A lovely way to say 'mongrel').

The presentation of the book is rather well organised, with the breeds divided into type sections - primitive dogs, sight hounds, scent hounds, spitz types, terriers, gundogs, livestock dogs, companions and random-bred dogs.

Inside the front cover is a list of the symbols used in the book to signify particular attributes such as 'will happily sleep outside' or 'good with children' or 'requires hot, sunny climate' etc. And if anyone is still unsure, the introduction explains a typical page and what each item on the page refers to.

The chapter on primitive dogs, though small, is most interesting and covers the Canaan dog (see previous review), Basenji, Mexican hairless, Pharaoh hound, Ibizan hound and even a little about the dingo.

Interesting also is the coat colour key - a box on most breed pages shows the colour range of each type. Many of the dogs listed are uncommon breeds - a few even listed as endangered at some stage of their development.

Although not covering a huge spectrum of breed facts, description and history, this most useful little book does cover the basics of a huge number of breeds. A useful tool to help you make a choice if you are unsure what breed would be best for you to purchase - each page carries a picture highlighting major conformation points; history; symbols bar; key facts box; and most pages also carry coat colour boxes. With all this information it should be easy to find the perfect dog to fit into your lifestyle and living quarters; and to give the kind of responses you expect towards family members or strangers.

If you have an interest in dogs or want to view the spectrum of available breeds, then this book is for you. - EP