Greenland Dog

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Greenland Dog is also known as Greenland Husky, Gr�nlandshund, Gr�nlandshund and Esquimaux Dog. It is a husky type dog with strong built and is mainly used as sled dog and hunting dog for polar bears, seals and walruses. It is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, being carbon dated to be some 9000 years old. The dogs were brought in the arctic regions of Northern Siberian Alaska, Canada and Greenland by the Inuit people. It is known that the dog first reached Greenland with the Sarqaq people around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.

This breed is known for its hardiness, sturdy strength and endurance. The dog makes a great partner for people who love open-air life. This ancient and very strong polar Spitz has a wedge-shaped head. The muzzle is broad and wedge-shaped and tapers to the nose with a straight nose bridge. The nose is big and dark with coat matching colour. Slightly slanted eyes can have coat matching colour although dark is preferred. Neither deep nor protruding eyes hold frank and bold expressions. Erect ears are small and triangular in shape. Neck is rather short but very strong and powerful. The strong and compact body comes with a straight or slightly sloping top line, straight back and broad loins. Chest is deep and broad with slightly tucked up belly. Thick and bushy tail is set on high and is carried in a curled or slightly curled over back fashion. Fore and hind quarters are perfectly straight, muscular and strong. Hindquarters have moderate angulation. This dog has a weather-resistant double coat. The under coat is soft and dense and top coat is dense, coarse and straight. It can come in any colour and combination. This dog stands between 23-27 inches and weighs between 66-71 lbs. Female dogs are significantly shorter at 20-24 inches.

This breed is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCi, CKC, KC (UK) and UKC.

Color

All colours are permitted. The dog can have a solid colour or parti-colour. Albinos though are not permitted.

Coat

The Greenland dog has a double layer coat. The outer layer is long, dense, coarse and water-repellent while the inner layer is soft and dense. The coat is short on head and legs but longer and more generous on rest of the body. The coat protects the dog from harsh arctic weather.

Personality

The Greenland Dog has an aloof and independent nature. It does not attach itself to one owner that easily. Having been used as solely as independent working dogs, the breed displays self-willing, boisterous and independent behavior. Generally used in packs, the dog does not get opportunity to bond itself to its master and hence showing no particular loyalty to its family. Consequently, it is not a good guard dog. Early training and socialization is a must for this dog to teach most necessary skills. The dog is friendly to both its family and strangers. It has no protective or guarding instincts and hence does not make good watchdog. Though friendly and non-aggressive to people, the dog may not like other dogs of the same sex. While this dog will not start the trouble, it will not back down either. Mostly used as sled dogs and valued for their strength and speed, the Greenland Dogs are now becoming more of a companion pets after the advent of snowmobiles. They are starting to bring forward their loyal and affectionate personality. The dog has evolved into an ideal companion that forms a strong attachment to its master. It is playful and affectionate with children and makes a good family dog while not being able to qualify for the role of guard dog due to its very friendly nature towards strangers. As an energetic breed, it will need lots of exercises. The dogs can be good hiking partners. This is not a dog for first time owners as it needs an experienced handler who can train the dog with patience and determination to turn it into a good family pet.

Care

This breed does not require extensive grooming as simple brushing is enough to keep the coat clean. The coat does not need clipping or stripping as it protects the dog from cold weather. The dog loves to live outdoors and will need some shelter in the form of a wooden doghouse. Accustomed to living in frigid temperatures, the dog is not suitable for hot weather and should be provided with shelter from warm weather conditions.

Training

Training this dog is a challenge! It is an independent breed that is used to working on its own. It will not be an easy task to train this dog. Early age training, when the dog is still young, should prove wholly worthwhile. The owner or handler of this dog should be patient and determined as well as show true packleader qualities to make this dog follow the rules.

Activity

As a working dog, the Greenland Dog is not a dog that will lay around the house doing nothing. It will need lots of physical activities. It is very important that a mature Greenland Dog is exercised every day. It is equally important however that a young puppy is not over exercised as the breed?s heavy bone structure can be irreparably damaged by doing this. Instead, a puppy?s exercise should be built up slowly and steadily for as little as 10 minutes each day for one around 3 months of age, as they are already using up considerable levels of energy in play. In the same manner, it is vital not to under feed a puppy as it is this large intake of food at an early age that helps them develop their bone structure. You can always take excess weight off a puppy at a later stage but can never put bone on if it is not there.