Northern Inuit Dog

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Northern Inuit Dog is a large wolf look alike breed of dog that originated in 1980s in England. It was primarily developed as a working dog to perform tasks such as sled pulling, guarding and watch dog. There are two theories regarding origination of this dog. According to most fanciers of the breed, this large dog is the result of experimental breeding by an English breeder, Eddie Harrison, who crossed unknown rescue dogs with Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd and Siberian Husky and the result was Northern Inuit Dog.

Another theory suggests that it was developed by Inuit people who wanted a dog to suit their lifestyle and for this purpose, they stacked several bitches to be matted by wild wolves. There is no conclusive evidence to prove this theory though.

It is a large and a wolf lookalike dog that stands between 22-25 inches and weighs about 65-75 lbs. This is an athletically built and well balanced dog that comes with moderately broad head and slightly doomed skull. Strong muzzle is slightly tapering to the black nose with wide nostrils. Wide set oval shaped eyes can come in any colour. High set, erect ears are not too large. The strong well muscled neck is moderately arched and has a well defined ruff. When moving, the neck is slightly extended giving the dog a proud bearing. The wolf like strong and straight body is slightly longer than tall. It has a level topline and deep chest with flattened ribs. High set moderate length furry tail hangs down when dog is at rest and held high when it is excited. The harsh and dense double coat comes with soft and dense undercoat and rather long outer coat. This dog is commonly seen in pure white or any shade of gray and sable through to pure black.

This breed is NOT recognized by AKC or any other major kennel club.

Color

The Northern Inuit Dog is mostly seen in pure white or shades of sable, gray through to pure black with or without white faces and dark masks.

Coat

This dog has a long double coat. The topcoat is harsh and long while the undercoat is soft and dense. It protects the dog from extreme harsh and cold weather.

Personality

The Northern Inuit Dog is a hard working and loyal dog that is friendly yet moderately stubborn. It is a very human oriented dog that forms a strong bond with its family and almost constantly crave for their attention. As such, this breed abhors being left alone for longer time periods. It is very playful and lively with children and love being part of the family activities. With its friendly nature, the dog greets both family members and strangers with same vigor and fervor and as such, does not make a good watch/guard dog. It is very friendly with other dogs and pets in the family as well and will get along with them very well. As with any dog, early socialization and training is must. The Northern Inuit Dog is an active and high energy breed that would love to work or play. It is not a dog for apartment lifestyle or full time indoor life. Rather this dog likes to be outdoors, thus is suitable for families with large yard where it can play, run or roam as it likes. This breed needs a firm trainer due to its somewhat stubborn and over confident nature. The Northern Inuit Dog makes a very good family addition with its even temperament and loyal, loving nature.

Care

Regular brushing is needed for this long coated breed that sheds heavily. During shedding season, the undercoat is completely shed and the dog needs daily brushing to help in the shedding process by removing dead hair. Long coat does not need clipping as it protects the dog from cold weather.

Training

The Northern Inuit Dog may not be an easy to train dog as it is known to be stubborn and willful sometimes. A firm and confident owner will be needed to train this dog.

Activity

This dog is not for lazy owners due to its high energy needs and consequently high exercise demands. The Northern Inuit Dog needs open space to run and play. It will suit families with large yard or preferably a rural or suburban setting.