Canadian Eskimo Dog Questions

[Jenny]

Heard about these interesting dogs from a post here. TELL US MORE! They sound great, but I have a few questions:

Do you know of any breeders in Alaska? Chuck and I have never been into papers, so I don't care if we get a registered dog or not.

Sounds like these dogs are pretty rare. If that's the case, I'd think they would be way out of the price range for the average homesteader. About how much would you expect to pay for one?

In the past, we've just had from one to four dogs for work ----- hauling firewood, water, and some freight for short distances. Different breeds. Chuck mostly uses the sno-go and 4-wheeler now, but I don't care for anything with a motor. This is the first time we've ever been without dogs. Kind of lonely around here without 'em. We're not set on any one kind at this point, but the Eskimo Dogs are beautiful and sound like good homestead work dogs. Do they really eat less and pull more than huskies?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but this will do for now. Just looking for some thoughts on a good dog for us. I've seen some pretty good homestead dogs that were just mutts from the pound. Probably wouldn't do for racing or prolonged heavy loads, but do great for hauling water and firewood.

Jenny

[Washkeeton]

Google search them. Will give you 2 breeders names in Canada. I will need to do more research on them. I would like to get a couple if i go back to the bush.

My friend and I picked up 2 in White horse. He paid 700 per dog, american. Yes they are expensive. He got 4 puppies out of the Yukon somewhere. I think he paid like 400 american for each for the puppies. Yes they are papered only cause they are trying to bring back the breed. Most of these dogs are the ones you see the old sled drivers with the dogs fanned out vs in a line. They were used up around Barrow and the like cause of their coats. They dont do well even around the valley. Too warm. They dont use houses to sleep in they would put them up on spruce limbs to keep them off the direct snow. Feed them beaver, white fish, salmon. They do not do well on dog food. They are the closest to the wolf in the dog world. They, I think, were partially wolf. They can be very dangerous to small children as can any sled dog. (little kids that scream sound like rabbits when they scream, they dogs will attack.) This is regular sled dog lots and Canadian eskimo dogs also. They are very much a pack animal and they will kill any thing that runs (children included) as a pack. (cats, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, any thing.) These are not pets they are work dogs and to be treated as such. there is an alpha and the owner better be it. Just a little on the breed. I will look in my files and see if I still have the phone numbers for the folks in Canada that have the dogs.

[Jenny]

Thanks for telling me more about them. It's usually quite a bit colder here than in most of the Mat-Su valley, and we usually get more snow. Not this year, of course, but usually lots. We were attracted to the idea of something that could pull so much, is slower than huskies, and, overall, doesn't eat so much. But, considering what you've said about their personalities, they don't seem like the kind of dog we'd enjoy, especially since our boys are so young.

We've had full MacKenzie River Huskies, and one mixed 50/50 with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and some wolf mixes. All were great, except the wolf mixes. Actually, the ones that were less than 50% wolf were pretty good, but very jug-headed. The one we had that was 80% was certainly nothing I'd want around children. I want a friend and companion in a dog. Not a competitor. The best dog we ever had, and our last one was the MacKenzie/ Chesapeake mix. Only problem was that once he was in his harness, he was all business going full speed ahead! When you stopped for a quick rest or to adjust something, he'd lay down, curl up and close his eyes. But then you'd better be ready to take off the moment you got to the back of the sled, because he'd take off from a dead sleep in the blink of an eye. He wasn't too good when you had a day's work ahead. Just wouldn't pace himself at all.

The only way to tell if there was a bear around was if he stopped and tried to hide behind Chuck or me. Never would bark at bears. I guess he figured the best strategy was, "maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away". He could eat you out of house and home. Hmmm. When I describe him, makes ya wonder why he was my favorite dog. Don't know. Just had a great personality. Was the happiest dog I've ever seen. Energetic as anything, but still laid back. His mama, a MacKenzie, was the same way. She was a real people dog. She'd much prefer to be a house dog. Probably a lap dog, too, if you'd let her. ;D

Oh well, I'm just reminiscing. Sounds like the Canadian Eskimo Dogs are too much like wolves in personality for us. But thanks for telling us about them.

Jenny

[Washkeeton]

I love the dogs that go from a dead sleep to a full out and out run. Always need to watch them. They can take you for the ride of your life too. lol Love the story.

[wolfwoman]

Besides the www.canadianeskimodog.com/ which is apparently the home site, there is also www.sleddogcentral.com/canadian_eskimo.htm

Sled Dog Central has a good bit of info on a lot of types of dogs. I can't comment much on these as I've never had them however, I do know they are also called the Greenland dog and that a friend of ours a few miles up the road has 26 of them. He said they are tough dogs to keep as they ARE strictly working dogs and not a family pet, but he likes them. He also had 13 kids! Greenlands are also highly territorial and can and will fight amongst one another.

Here's a site on the Greenland:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland_Dog

Wolfwoman

[Washkeeton]

Wolfwoman I have no idea where you found that second link but thanks. It was in yellow knife where my friend got those puppies from I think. I knew it was way up north somewhere. Thought it was in yukon territory but maybe not. Thanks so much. I have tried contacting the other breeders for information on trying to get some of the puppies and I have never gotten any response from them. I would really love to have a team of these dogs 5 or 6 any way. Thanks for giving me another way to research them.

As far as your neighbor I would love to talk to them and see the dogs. I would love to see if they are really what I have been looking for. Thanks Wolf woman.

[wolfwoman]

I think the Greenlands would be a neat dog to have, but because I pen my dogs rather than chain them it wouldn't work for me, they fight too much from what my neighbor tells me. He said he's had to put down a couple of them because they were just too aggressive.

[Washkeeton]

Like the article says you have to establish you are alpha. There is no and ifs or buts. We had 14 dogs loose in a pen in fairbanks. I was alpha and there was no arguing about that. When an argument broke out amongst the teens and the older ones with the teens vying for position. I would quash it by a take down on the aggressive dog. We had one fight in that year that caused one dog to get a stitched up foot. We had a chow and a german shepard loose in that pen also. nary a problem. I felt they learned more about team work that way than they do on chains.
I have one now that will run and just grin the biggest grin when she is run. Let her or any one else loose in the lot and she will try to rip them to pieces. She is a gator on the chain but on line there isnt even a growl. she is all business and one of my best puppy trainers for team dogs.
When you get the dogs if you leave them as pupps loose in the yard and punish aggressiveness as small ones then you dont have that problem. They learn quickly what is expected of their behavior. The problem is when they hit one to two yrs of age then they are head strong teens and think they can concure the world. They have a hard time listening and a hard time minding. (kinda acts like human teens hu) That only lasts till they are four yrs old. By that time they settle in and will be a good running dog.

[wolfwoman]

Makes sense to me, and that's pretty much the way it is with my 8, tho Dakota will give me sour looks when I try and make him do something he doesn't want to. I'm not much worried about me being alpha when I'm around, but what about when you're not there and one or the other might try something? That's what my biggest concern would be if I were to get a greenland and introduce him/her to my current pups. You can't be there 24/7.

[Washkeeton]

My chain gator has met the muzzle. In the summer when they dont get to run around a whole lot I let them off the chains to run in the yards. I have created a large dog lot 60x40 and a large back yard 40 x80 connected by a drive through gate. I open the gate and let the dogs run until they are tired. My chain gater when she is loose to run is muzzled and when any one else is loose she is muzzled. I stand in the yard and do take downs when there is any growling.

A take down is the same as a mother dog does to punish her puppies. I grab them across the muzzle and lay them on the ground belly up and growel at them. Yes I have been known to growl and bite their ears. There is not a question who is in charge.

[wolfwoman]

Yup, been there done that will many dogs over the years, not necessarily sled dogs, but just dogs in general. Sam and I have had dogs our entire marriage (23 years next month) and there have been more than one that needed to be taught who was who and what they stood for. I think I was growling and biting ears before anyone knew it could be done...lol!!!

[Washkeeton]

I found it, I found it. I found the phone number for Bill Carpenter in yellow knife and the number for the guy that we got the two dogs in the picture from. Now lets hope they are still good numbers after ten years. Wow. I sure hope they are. ;D I am so happy. Dont ask about how I found it or how much stuff i had to go through to get it but I found it. Back when my friend had written the numbers down for me. I still have that piece of paper. ;D ;D

[wolfwoman]

Well cool beans If you get holda them ask em if they know anything about MacKenzies too!

Wolfie