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The
Canadian Eskimo Dog is known to have been resident in the
Arctic for at least 4000 years. The Canadian Eskimo Dog
was first bred by the Thule people, while research has
shown that it is related to the Greenland dog, with very
little significant genetic differences. It is sometimes
considered the same breed by authorities, although the
Greenland dog can be criticized for lacking any proper
breeding program, questioning its validity as a pure
breed. It was, and still is (to a very limited extent),
used by the Canadian Inuit as multi-purpose dogs, often
put to work hunting seals and other Arctic game, and
hauling supplies and people. Though popularly assumed to
be a wolf-dog hybrid, genetic testing has shown that the
Eskimo dog has no recent wolf anscestry. In
the 1800s and early 1900s this breed was in demand for
polar expeditions. When snowmobiles came into use, the
population numbers started rapidly declining, because
snowmobiles are faster and need less care. In the 1920s
there were approximately 20,000 dogs living in the
Canadian Arctic, and the breed had been accepted for
showing by both the AKC and CKC; however, in 1959 the AKC
dropped the breed from its registry because of extremely
low numbers. By 1963 there was supposedly only one dog
registered with the CKC, and when this dog died there
were still no others registered.
It
probably would have gone extinct if not for the Eskimo
Dog Research Foundation (EDRF). The EDRF was founded in
1972 by William Carpenter and John McGrath and was
largely funded by the Canadian Government and the
Northwest Territories, with some support from the CKC.
The EDRF purchased dogs from the small (about 200 dogs)
population remaining in the Canadian Arctic from remote
Inuit camps on Baffin Island, Boothia Peninsula, and
Melville Peninsula. The EDRF then began breeding dogs in
order to increase numbers. The
Canadian Eskimo Dog is still very rare; only about 20 CkC
reg'd breedable females, however they are making a come
back to the show ring in Western Canada. Dedication to
the preservation and future survival of the Canadian
Eskimo dog promises its place in our future history and
tradition. Through promotion and participation in the
show ring we are hoping more people will be willing to
undertake the responsibly and dedication of this
indigenous canine and work with us and other CKC breeders
to increase the genetic pool of registered stock. Those
already involved are working diligently to increase
numbers,ensuring genetic diversity and maintain the
working integrityof the Canadian Eskimo dog
Tho
these dogs aren't CKC reg'd, it is becoming more popular
in Arctic tourism, with an increasing number of sled dog
teams that entertain tourists. (Arctic outfitting
company's). According to them the dogs were taken care
of, if you think being given four feet of chain, no
doghouse to get out of the sun and to shelter him in the
-50c winters and minimal if any food is taking care of a
dog. We helped rescued some with help from recreational
musher's, one dog weighed 46 pounds and was so impacted
with worms that he almost died... It took two nights on
IV fluids to save him. He was due to fly to England with
friends of ours but we were to learn while he was doing
his 6 month quarantine with us that he had a problem
seeing. So off we go to the Veterinary hospital for an
eye exam, the doctors there saw no problems with his
vision even though he ran into gates, doors and people
like he was blind. The problam was optic nerve damage
from either malnutrition or that he suffered a blow to
the head. Needless to say we decided he was to live with
us in his retirement rather than fly him half way across
the world. He still has vision problems but he is now 75
pounds and is everything you expect of a Canadian Eskimo
dog, Happy, playful, initiating play with people and
other dogs and can still hold his own with the young boys
in harness Here
are some books that you will find useful |
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