Canadian Eskimo Dog

Working

Size:

Grooming:

Exercise Level:

Trainability:

Barking Level:

Good with Children:

Good with other pets:

Affectionate:

Protective:

Height: 61 - 73cm M | 61 - 73cm F

Weight: 30 - 40kg M | 18 - 30kg F

Life Expectancy: 12 - 14 Years

Searching for a Canadian Eskimo Dog?

For Sale

For Adoption

For Stud

Introduction

The Canadian Eskimo dog, also known as qimmiq, is a working dog of the artic breed almost similar in looks to a Siberian husky because of its thick coat. It is a sled dog that is reportedly bred with wolves. It weighs 65–90 pounds and stands 50–70 centimetres at the withers. The Canadian Eskimo has a robust and athletic appearance. It is a hardworking dog. The qimmiq is also loyal, brave, intelligent, and alert. It usually lives for about fifteen years.

Are you looking for an arctic breed like the Canadian Eskimo dog? Here is a brief information about this hardworking and sturdy dog.

History

The first Canadian Eskimo dog dates back to 1100 to 1200 A.D in the midst of the Thule Inuit migration throughout Canada's Arctic Region. It was called qimmiq then and was bred to haul sleds and hunt polar bears. The Canadian Eskimo dog survived the harshest terrain in the world and continued to be a popular sled dog for expeditions till the late 1800s and early 1900s.

However, with the advent of snowmobiles, the Canadian Eskimo dog almost became extinct. In fact, by 1970s, there were only an estimated two hundred pure dogs left. In 1972, William Carpenter and John McGrath initiated a breeding project to rescue the breed. They created the Canadian Eskimo Dog Research Foundation Kennel Club. In 1986, the first Canadian Eskimo dog was registered in the Canadian Kennel Club. It was only on 1 January 1996 that the United Kennel Club recognised this dog breed.

Appearance and Grooming

The Canadian Eskimo dog must be an epitome of strength, endurance, agility, alertness, and boldness. It is a large dog that weighs 65–90 pounds and stands 50–70 centimetres at the withers. It is a typical spitz-type dog in appearance, similar to a husky. It is powerfully built with a well-proportioned head that is broad and wedge-shaped. It has a moderately long muzzle that tapers to the nose. The Canadian Eskie has round eyes that are set wide apart and placed obliquely to its face. Eyes must have dark colours and a few light colours such as hazel and yellow, but never blue.

The Canadian Eskie’s ears are triangularly shaped, thick, and short with rounded tips. It also sports a strong jaw with a perfect scissor bite. The neck is straight, short, thick, and well-muscled. Its shoulders are broad and nicely sloped. Being solidly built, it has a well-developed, broad, and deep chest with well-sprung ribs and sturdy loins. Canadian Eskimo dog has a heavily feathered tail that rests over its back.

The Canadian Eskimo dog boasts of a dense double coat with thick and soft undercoat and stiff and coarse guard hair or topcoat. It also has a mane of thick fur around its neck, which makes it appear larger than its actual size.

The Canadian Eskie can sport almost any coat colour as long as it is not one colour, or colour pattern should dominate the breed. Accepted breed colours are white, black and white, grey sable, grey and white, red and white, sable and white, white and red, and white and grey. Despite its thick and dense coat, surprisingly, Canadian Eskie is low-maintenance when it comes to grooming. Brush the coat once or twice a week to keep it neat, tidy, and in good condition. However, it does shed more during spring and autumn, which merits frequent grooming.

Other grooming regimens also include nail trimming, cleaning the ears, and brushing the teeth for good oral health.

Temperament and Intelligence

The temperament of a Canadian Eskimo dog should reflect its hardworking nature. It is gentle and affectionate and exhibits quiet friendliness as well as harmless curiosity. It is also somewhat distant but develops a strong bond with owners. It is loyal, courageous, intelligent, and alert. It has specific training needs, which make it only suitable for experienced dog owners who know how to handle this type of breed.

Since the Canadian Eskie was initially bred to hunt, its prey drive is quite high. Thus, this dog breed is not the best choice for families with small children and small pets. However, if it can't be helped, make sure that interactions are strictly supervised to prevent any accidents.

The Canadian Eskimo dog also has a dominant nature that is quite problematic with other dogs, so early socialisation is crucial and establishing yourself as the leader of the pack in the household will also help a lot. When it comes to barking, the Canadian Eskie might prove to be challenging since it tends to howl when the mood strikes it.

Nutrition and Feeding

A typical serving for an adult Canadian Eskimo dog is four to five cups of high-quality dry dog food per day. The amount of serving will depend on the age, activity level, and metabolism of the dog breed. Like any other dog, the Canadian Eskimo may have unique nutritional needs, so don't rely only on online sources. Consult a veterinarian to know about your Canadian Eskimo’s dietary requirements.

However, as a rough guide, these are the typical calorie needs of an adult Canadian Eskimo dog per day:

Senior and less active: up to 1,670 calories daily
Typical adult: up to 1,870 calories daily
Physically active/working dog: up to 2,075 calories daily

The Canadian Eskimo dog requires a high-protein dog food. Make sure to supplement with meat, bone meat, and fat. Since this dog breed comes from an environment that is low in vegetation supply, its body never developed the capacity to digest certain grains and edible plants.

Health and Exercise

The Canadian Eskimo dog is healthy but is still known to suffer certain health conditions. You need to have your Canadian Eskie checked for hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat or gastric torsion, entropion and ectropion, cataracts, corneal dystrophy, and heatstroke/intolerance. It is also unable to digest plant-based food and is known to suffer from arthritis.

As a working dog, it needs a ton of exercise. It needs more activity other than walks around the neighbourhood. It thrive to be a good running and hiking companion. Inadequate exercise can cause it to become bored and destructive. Also, a significant reminder when you take your Canadian Eskimo outdoors is avoid walking it in sweltering weather.

Cost of Ownership

Buying a Canadian Eskimo dog will cost you £600 or more, especially if it is from a reputable breeder. Pet insurance will cost you about £20 for a basic cover and £50 for a lifetime policy.

For the cost of food, you will need to set aside a monthly budget of £40–£50 to buy premium-quality dog food. On top of this are the veterinary expenses. The annual cost for regular health checks, initial vaccinations, boosters, and spaying/neutering will be around £1,000.

As a rough estimate, owning and raising a Canadian Eskimo dog will cost you from £70 to £100 monthly. This estimate does not include the type of insurance you will purchase and other veterinary expenses for special treatments and procedures not covered by the insurance.