Quick Facts

• Weight: 60 to 105 pounds
• Height: 23 to 27.5 inches

The Look of a Canadian Eskimo Dog

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is larger than most sled dogs at almost twice the size of the Siberian Husky. It looks a bit like a Siberian Husky/Malamute cross. Its double coat can be any solid color or combination of colors, though white is common.

Unlike the Siberian, this breed’s eyes are any color except blue and are set rather close together. The wide-apart triangular ears are distinctive, and small for the dog’s body.

Traits

• Small, triangular ears
• Powerful build
• Ability to pull twice their weight
• Ability to survive harsh conditions on little nourishment
• Lifespan: 10 to 14 years

Ideal Human Companion

• High-energy owners
• Runners
• Cold-climate households
• Physically strong owners
• Adult households or families with older children
• Suburban or country dwellers with large, fenced-in yards

What They Are Like to Live With

Canadian Eskimo Dogs are gentle, affectionate, playful dogs who need the run of large yards with six-foot fences (they can jump over anything shorter) and owners who will give them extensive daily exercise. You can also involve your Canadian Eskimo Dog in weight pulling and skijoring (ski driving). This breed is very intelligent and has a tendency to be stubborn, which can make training a challenge.

Life with the Canadian Eskimo Dog can be fun and exciting if you keep your dog active. These dogs can get destructive if left alone for long periods, so a crate helps keep them calm and out of trouble. It is also helpful for the dog, as they sleep in dens or caves in the wild and the crate provides them with security.

Grooming is moderate, with weekly brushing needed for most of the year and daily when they’re shedding heavily.

Things You Should Know

This is a deceptively powerful dog with amazing endurance. It is vital for the owner of this dog to be an alpha leader. Because of the Canadian Eskimo Dog’s size, strength, and potential stubbornness, you must be in control and preferably physically strong as well.

These dogs must always be kept on a leash or in an enclosed area, since if they are let loose they will start running and won’t stop.

Since most of the canine diseases seen in the rest of the world are unable to exist in the extreme cold of this breed’s origin, Canadian Eskimo Dogs do not have strong immune systems and must have all the recommended vaccines. Take precautions not to expose them to transmittable diseases.

Canadian Eskimo Dog History

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is known to have been used by the Inuit in Canada’s Arctic region more than a thousand years ago. They were bred for hunting and sledding, but are very versatile. They were the dog of choice for expeditions to the North and South Pole in the late 19th century.

In the 1950s, there were some 20,000 Canadian Eskimo Dogs registered. Today, this breed is rare, with as few as 300 registered, and may be in danger of extinction.