Northern Inuit Dog
Encyclopedia
The Northern Inuit Dog is a breed originating in the late 1980s, in an attempt to create a domestic dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 breed more closely resembling the wolf.

Appearance

A dog of large powerful build, athletic but not racy. Slightly longer than tall (as 10-9), with leg length slightly longer than overall depth of body. Oval bone is neither too heavy nor too light.
  • Head: Not too broad, skull slightly domed. Muzzle slightly longer than skull. Nose black (winter noses acceptable) Scissor bite.
  • Eyes: Oval, forward facing and set at a slightly oblique angle. Any colour or colour combination acceptable
  • Ears: Set fairly high, not too large and carried erect.
  • Body: Topline level. Tail set fairly high and reaching to the hock, carried down when standing, may be lifted when excited.
  • Coat: Dense double coat, slightly harsh in texture, well defined ruff and breeches. Tail bushy.
  • Size: Males: minimum 25 inches. Females: minimum 22 inches. - Overall balance more important than size.
  • Colour: Pure White or any shade of Grey and Sable through to pure Black. White faces and dark masks are permitted but any color change should be subtle.
  • Faults: Curly tails, long soft silk coats, patchy/pinto or Black and Tan colours.

Temperament and Health

Northern Inuit, like their spitz
Spitz
Spitz-type dogs are a type of dog, characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles...

 predecessors, are intended to be friendly yet stubborn dogs, and possess a high activity level. They are intelligent, independent thinkers, which can make them more difficult to train than other, more biddable breeds. They are good with children, but are boisterous when young so should not be left alone with them, as with all large powerful breeds. They are very loyal and form a close bond with their owner and family. Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety may refer to:*Separation anxiety disorder or Separation anxiety test*Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety, a 1995 SNES video game*Separation Anxieties, a 2000 album by 12 Rods...

 is known to be a problem when Inuits are left alone and unsupervised too long, leading to destructive and sometimes self-mutilating behaviors; often, they will do better with another dog for company. Socialization should begin early. The downside of their cleverness is that they do not obey their owners for the sake of obedience, and (even more so than many breeds) require motivational, reward-based training.

Some genetic problems have become apparent in Northern Inuit lines, such as hereditary cataracts, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy, all of which should be tested for prior to breeding by responsible breeders.

History

In the late 1980s, the founder of the breed, Eddie Harrison, utilized several mixed-breed rescue dogs of unknown origin or heritage, crossing them with the Siberian Husky
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...

, Alaskan Malamute
Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog originally bred for use as a utilitarian dog and later an Alaskan sled dog. They are sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact are quite different in many ways...

, and German Shepherd
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...

 to produce early Northern Inuit dogs. The breed's intent was to create a dog that phenotypically closely resembles a wolf in appearance while possessing the gentler, more trainable character of the domesticated dog. However, like many spitz
Spitz
Spitz-type dogs are a type of dog, characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles...

-type breeds, Northern Inuits have a more "primitive" nature than many breeds and are not recommended for inexperienced owners.

Over the years various people have split from the original Northern Inuit Society to form their own breed groups. These have included The Inuit Dog Association, The British Inuit Dog Club, and The Utonagan Society; the latter has also now splintered into different groups. None of these clubs have been accepted by larger organizations such as the British Kennel Club. Although not officially recognized by The Kennel Club, Northern Inuits are eligible to be registered in The Kennel Club's Companion Dog Club and participate in some performance events, including agility and obedience. They are ineligible for sled dog mushing events or pulling a rig (wheeled sled), as only purebred Kennel Club-registered dogs can be entered in these.

Similar Breeds

Other domestic dog breeds selectively bred to resemble wolves include the Utonagan
Utonagan
The Utonagan is a breed of dog that resembles a wolf, but in fact is a mix of three breeds of domestic dog: Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, and Siberian Husky.-Appearance:...

 and Tamaskan Dog
Tamaskan dog
The Tamaskan Dog is a rare dog breed of sleddog type, originating from Finland. It is a highly versatile breed that is known to excel in agility, obedience and working trials. It is also capable of pulling sleds, which is inherited from its Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute ancestors...

, and the hybridized Saarlooswolfhond
Saarlooswolfhond
The Saarlooswolfhond is an established breed of wolf-dog hybrid.-History:In 1921, Dutch breeder Leendert Saarloos started crossbreeding a German Shepherd Dog male to a female Mackenzie Valley Wolf...

, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a relatively new breed of dog that traces its original lineage to an experiment conducted in 1955 in Czechoslovakia...

, Kunming Wolf-dog
Kunming Wolf-dog
The Kunming Wolfdog , also commonly known as the Kunming Dog is an established breed of wolfdog originated in China. Unlike most other wolfdog crosses, Kunming dogs are suitable to be guard dogs and working dogs due to their German Shepherd dog ancestry. They have been trained as military...

 and Lupo Italiano
Lupo Italiano
The Lupo Italiano was created in 1966 by crossing a wild she-wolf from Northern Lazio with a German shepherd dog.-Characteristics:Unlike most wolf-dog hybrids this canine displayed a propensity to be used as a working dog, and its breeding was taken over by the Italian Government...

.
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