Canadian Eskimo Dog

Even though efforts have been made to protect these dogs and they have been around for a while, only about 300 Canadian Eskimo Dogs are known to exist as of 2025. The dogs are rarely seen as family pets. The breed is currently threatened by extinction.

Three Pros and Cons of Owning Canadian Eskimo Dogs

Size and Weight

The male dogs are about 22 inches to 27 inches long, while the female ones are about 19 inches to 23 inches. Meanwhile, male dogs weigh around 66 pounds to 88 pounds. The female dogs weigh around 39 to 66 pounds.

Origins 

Once believed to be a descendant of the wolf, the Canadian Eskimo dog has since been proven to lack any genes linking it to the former. However, the ancient origins of the breed are not in doubt — the Canadian Eskimo dog is believed to have existed for about 4,000 years. Out in the frozen Arctic, the hardy canine put its excellent tracking skills to good use hunting seals and polar bears, and pulling sleds across the ice, for several centuries.

These hardy canines were also popular companions for explorers braving polar regions during the 1800s and the 1900s. However, in spite of having been present in the Arctic in large numbers during the early part of the 20th century, their population declined drastically by the middle of the century.

Common Health Issues

These dogs are largely healthy. In fact, much of the reason for their low numbers has to do with the mass slaughter of Inuit dogs by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1950 to 1970. Rumors say that this action was a tactic to intimidate the Inuit people at the time. Without many dogs left in the breed, the preservation of their health is crucial.

Gastric torsion, which is a condition that is caused by the collection of gas in the stomach, can be life-threatening to the animal. Some signs that this twisting has occurred include the inability to vomit, rapid breathing, and frothing at the mouth.

Cataracts are also common, though these dogs may be likely to develop entropion (the inward turning of the eyelid) as well. Hip dysplasia and arthritis are both common issues as well, due to the reaction of the joints in warmer weather.

Temperament

These dogs are known to be loving and affectionate and are gentle and loyal towards the family that they live with.

These dogs can often also develop great bonds with their owners to communicate with them. This breed, however, is not suitable for apartments and is often comfortable living outside. With its innate ability to perform as a watchdog, most people who adopt Canadian Eskimo dogs will be pleased with their lack of separation anxiety.

Though these dogs do not often seek out small animals as prey, households that have pets like cats and birds may want to supervise their dog and properly train them to prevent unfortunate accidents.

How to Take Care of Canadian Eskimo Dogs

With the endangered status of the Canadian Eskimo dog, taking care of it properly is crucial to the life of the species. Do not adopt a pup of this nature without fully understanding the commitment. Still, they are rather easy to care for with the right preparation.

The Best Dog Food for Canadian Eskimo Dogs

These dogs require high-protein dog food. For particularly active and hardworking Canadian Eskimo dogs, supplementation with other meals and fat is helpful. Most adult dogs will eat twice a day, though the meals are a little lighter than if the dog were to be fed once daily. Every dog is different, and owners will need to watch their dog’s feeding habits to determine when it is best to feed them.

These dogs also find it difficult to digest grains other than rice and corn. If you add foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, or dairy products, it should be restricted to less than 10% of what they eat each day. Consuming typical “table food” is discouraged. As resistant as this dog is to unnecessary weight gain, this extra food can lead to issues in their digestive system and even obesity.

Maintenance and Grooming

To groom your Canadian Eskimo dog, you should brush its fur or coat about two times a week. However, these dogs shed a lot during one particular period. During this time of the year, it becomes increasingly important to brush your dog’s coat daily. These dogs need to be groomed quite often, though the dense coat will require some work.

Despite the need to groom this dog’s coat, the winter months are quite easy. Most owners don’t even bathe their dogs during this time of year.

Dog Training

The Canadian Eskimo dogs are very easy to train, unlike other spitz breeds, and can quickly pick up commands during training. These dogs are known to be highly intelligent and usually need an authoritative and firm training teacher to learn best.

As intelligent as the Canadian Eskimo dog is, training it as a detection dog or a therapy dog isn’t especially helpful. Their training is much better suited to family life.

Exercise

Due to their breeding as a working dog, Canadian Eskimo Dogs need a high amount of daily exercise. Their need for exercise will not usually be fulfilled with a simple walk, and they would usually need to make a run. Even with plentiful exercise, avoid apartment living with this animal — their wanderlust could lead to behavior issues without the freedom to roam. These dogs are well-suited for dog sports like mushing, carting, or agility, though their participation is limited due to their rarity.

Puppies

Even though the puppies can be given the same diet as the adult Canadian Eskimo dogs, they should be fed small quantities in a larger number of doses since it might prove difficult for puppies to digest huge quantities of food in one go.

Once puppies are weaned, they will need to eat a full bowl of food about four times a day. This number drops down to three bowls a day from 3 months old to six months old. From six months to one year, puppies will still need two meals a day. After one year, owners can feed the dog an adult diet.

Traditionally, the puppies of this breed are fitted with a harness as early as possible, allowing them to grow up with constant training. To encourage these pups to work hard, owners frequently pair puppies as young as 8 months old with adults to learn.

Children

These dogs are great with children. They are affectionate and loyal towards their owners and exhibit a special playful behavior around the children of the family. They are extremely loyal, but they may not like incredibly noisy households.

The territorial nature of these dogs may lead them to feel threatened around strangers. Even with family, it is common for these dogs to attempt to “herd” children in the same way that a dog on a farm may herd sheep. When children run and play, watch out for nipping at their ankles. While the behavior is not aggressive, an accidental injury may still happen.

Dogs Similar to Canadian Eskimo Dogs

• Finnish Spitz: Though the Finnish Spitz is about half the size of the Canadian Eskimo dog, both have extremely dense coats to keep them warm in cold weather. Both dogs are loyal and affectionate, but the Finnish spitz is more accommodating to noise. The Canadian Eskimo Dog is much more sensitive to change.
• Greenland Dog: Researchers state that the Greenland dog has the same genetic markers as the Canadian Eskimo dog. They are both playful and energetic, adapting well to Arctic conditions. However, the Greenland dog is better suited for changing lifestyles.
• American Eskimo Dogs: The American Eskimo dog shares the love of tranquility and remains non-combative like Canadian Eskimo Dogs. Both animals are also extremely intelligent, making training an easy task. However, the American dog is extremely vocal, barking much more than its Canadian relative.

Famous Canadian Eskimo Dogs

The Canadian Eskimo dog’s endangered status has kept it out of the spotlight, apart from a few films. To promote awareness of their endangered status, the Canadian Eskimo dogs were the featured animal of The Last Dogs of Winter. The 2011 documentary follows efforts to preserve the breed and features a group of about 150 Canadian Eskimo Dogs.