MyDogBreeds
Great Pyrenees is originated from France but Canaan Dog is originated from Israel. Great Pyrenees may grow 21 cm / 9 inches higher than Canaan Dog. Great Pyrenees may weigh 29 kg / 64 pounds more than Canaan Dog. Great Pyrenees may live 3 years less than Canaan Dog. Great Pyrenees may have more litter size than Canaan Dog. Great Pyrenees requires Moderate maintenance. But Canaan Dog requires Low maintenance
The Great Pyrenees could be from Spain or France because the dog hails from the Pyrenees Mountains, which spans both France and Spain.
The dog was used to defend flocks from predators but its lineage goes a long way back, thousands of years in fact. It is thought that they only arrived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. The dog was adopted into the court of Louis the XIV as a royal dog.
During the mid 1600s, the dog's numbers dwindled but the French developed kennel clubs where the dog could be bred and its numbers restored. It was in 1933 that the Great Pyrenees received American Kennel Club recognition.
The Canaan Dog is an attractive dog and is Israel’s national breed. Research reveals that the dog’s history can be traced way back to 2200BC.
The dog’s origins go back to the pariah dog of the Middle East. It is believed that the dog has been perceived as a sacred animal and that he was both guard- and herd dog of the ancient Israelites.
A certain Dr Rudolphina Menzel moved from Vienna to Israel and was asked to establish a service dog organization. She trained and bred them, finding them to be highly trainable. She began a breeding program in 1934, providing working dogs for the military and starting a selective breeding program for the Canaan dog. The Israel Kennel Club dog recognized the Canaan for the first time in 1953.
This is a beautiful dog, noticeable by the essentially white coat and his overall size, standing at 70 to 82cm and weighing between 40 to 54 kg.
The double coat is medium to long, coarse and straight or wavy and and it can be solid white, cream or white with patches of light tan or grey.
The nose is black, the eyes brown, the ears of medium length and floppy and the tail long and plumed.
The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, strong willed dog with a mind of his own so he will be able to be trained and socialized successfully.
His huge size will require that he be trained because when he is indoors he can knock things over and he must be able to respond to you telling him to lie down.
As a large dog, he isn’t suited for tiny homes, as he requires lots of space even though he doesn’t require a lot of exercise. Not only that, he takes his watchdog duties seriously and he is inclined to bark a lot, and in a small place, you’ll be getting constant complaints from the neighbors.
When trained and socialized, your big dog is social, active and loving. He gets on well with children, the elderly and with pets in the home. He isn’t that overly active and will happily make himself at home on your couch and bed.
The Canaan Dog is lean, standing at between 51–61cm and weighing roughly 18-25kg. The medium sized Canaan Dog’s coat is medium length and can be sandy to brown, white or black or a mix of these. The eyes are dark and inquisitive, the ears are erect and the high set bushy tail is curled over the back.
The Canaan Dog is alert, intelligent, confident and territorial. They are wary of strangers and because they’re alert they’re constantly aware of movement, making them a superb watchdog. However, the dog isn’t aggressive and he makes an excellent family pet, even around children and other pets.
He will need training and socialization though to make him obedient and amicable. He is a strong-willed dog. He is co-operative when being trained and responds well. They are energetic and will make a good companion for runners and cyclists.
The Great Pyrenees is such a calm, independent, serious, well-mannered dog who loves to be around his human family and to please them. He is gentle and knows how to behave well around children, the elderly as well as with any pets in the home.
He makes a wonderful companion and although he loves indoor life as much as outdoor life, he is much happier settling into life in the country or the suburbs as opposed to life in the city and a tiny property.
Give your big white coated pet all the love he thrives on, and you'll enjoy a wonderful relationship with this large, amicable dog.
The Canaan Dog is an intelligent dog and this makes him easy to train. He is a strong-willed, independent dog and will require training and socialization to make him obedient. He is an affectionate and loving dog and will make a wonderful family pet.
The Canaan Dog is also a fairly healthy, robust breed and appeals to many dog owners who don’t have to spend money on professional grooming for him. He doesn’t require much – isn’t high maintenance at all and he is just waiting to become a member of a human family where he can be loved and cared for just like any other family member.
Your Great Pyrenees is a big dog with an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years. His large size means you will need to look out for typical 'big dog' ailments such as hip dysplasia.
This problem can cause your pet to be in pain and he can also become lame, battling to walk and play and battling to get up after lying down.
Also, look out for bone cancer with your pet and as mentioned previously, bloat, which is a life threatening disease where the stomach of the dog swells up.
The Canaan Dog has a strong immune system and with good care from his owner he can reach 15 years of age. He has been used to living in harsh conditions in the deserts of Israel.
If you want to buy a Canaan dog, as with any dog, a good breeder will be able to produce health certificates for the puppy's parents. These certificates confirm that the dog has been tested and cleared of certain common conditions that affect dogs.
Because hip dysplasia is such a common problem with dogs, you may want to see health certificates from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OCA).
A form of cancer that you might expect to see in this breed is Lymphosarcoma, a cancer which affects the lymphoid system. The lymphoid system is a critical part of the dog’s immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria.
Your Great Pyrenees isn't going to be a dog leaping around you demanding a game or walk like what you get from some energetic dogs. He certainly doesn't require strenuous exercise but will require a nice, brisk walk every day. Give him some ball or rope games too. He's territorial and likes large grounds to walk around and guard and this constant guarding is a good form of exercise too.
With two layers, the coat of the Great Pyrenees will need to be brushed twice a week to prevent burrs attaching to the fur and to prevent it from matting, It also gets rid of loose hair during shedding.
He tends to drool so it's handy keeping a damp cloth close by just to give his face area a wipe down. Your dog's ears will need to be cleaned with special ear-cleaning lotion and his nails will also need to be trimmed.
Socialize your Great Pyrenees with other dogs and people from a young age. Without proper socialization, this breed can become territorial and possessive of his family, which could lead to aggression. He bonds with his family but tends to be wary of strangers.
It is far better to feed your Great Pyrenees smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to 2 large meals a day. A large dog like him can develop bloat from gulping down a large amount of food too quickly.
If you feed your Great Pyrenees commercially manufactured food, make sure it is high in omega 3 and 6 to keep his thick white coat luxurious.
Your dog will need a dog food targeted at a large breed. Remember to include some raw meat as well as cooked chicken, vegetables and brown rice into his kibble and always ensure fresh, cool water is available.
The Canaan Dog needs a steady diet of high-quality food, whether you provide your own home-made food or you buy commercially manufactured food. A healthy diet full of minerals and vitamins is essential for good health. If you’re not sure how to feed your Canaan dog, your veterinarian can advise you according to your dog’s age.
Remember that dogs are carnivorous so even though raw meat can be pretty expensive, you want to include it in his diet from time to time to stave off itchy, dry skin rashes and other illnesses. Always see to it that there is a bowl of fresh, cool water 24/7.
The Canaan Dog is a low maintenance breed who has moderate, seasonal shedding. The coat is easy to groom. He will need a good brush twice a week to keep him free of loose hairs and to keep his coat shiny.
Other kinds of grooming are also important such as brushing his teeth 2 or 3x a week to remove tartar build-up. Bad teeth can affect the immune system and make him ill.
Canaans are going to require a moderate amount of exercise. Just like with any dog, you can’t just buy a cute puppy and when he becomes an adult and no longer cute to you, forget about him in the backyard. A dog is a 15 year responsibility and he will need regular walks and games from you to guarantee his health and happiness.