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Caring for your Canaan Dog:
MidSummer's guide to puppy care!

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Prior to His Arrival

There are several steps you can take prior to your Canaan Dog’s arrival to make his transition smoother.  Although we have highlighted a few below, this list is by no means all inclusive.

Select a Name – Pick you puppy’s name prior to his or her arrival and make sure all family members agree to use this name. Avoid using “pet” names like “puppy” and “sweetie” for the first few weeks. This will eliminate confusion for your puppy and he will be more reliable on recalls. 

Prepare your Home – Prepare for a new puppy much as you would for the arrival of an inquisitive toddler.  “Puppy-proof” all areas of your home where your puppy will have access.  Be especially mindful of hazards such as poisons and toxins (plants and otherwise), electrical cords, and small or loose detachable items that your puppy could swallow.  We recommend not allowing your puppy full access of the house at first, therefore, baby gates may be a useful to block off rooms or hallways. He should slowly gain greater access to your home as he progresses with potty training and maturity.

Adjust your Schedule – The best case scenario allows for the puppy’s primary caregiver to spend as much time as possible at home.  Arrange to take a few days off to help your puppy adjust to his new environment and schedule.  Avoid bringing a puppy home during the commotion of the holidays, or at a time when you may have lots of house guests.

Purchase a Crate – You can forego buying several smaller crates to accommodate your puppy’s growth by buying one large crate up front. We recommend buying an “airline” crate that is amenable to a more secure “den-like” atmosphere. You may use this crate for travel, housebreaking, feeding, and home crating.  Generally size 400 will accommodate a full sized adult Canaan Dog (45-55lbs).  You will probably want to insert a divider at first; access to only half of the crate will prevent crate defecation.  Also find some comfortable machine washable bedding that will fit inside his crate.

Find His Safe-Place -Select a location for your puppy’s crate. Make sure the area you choose will not isolate your puppy from the family, nor be in the middle of heavy household traffic. You want your puppy to see and hear what is going on, but still feel secure. Choose a space or corner that he can call his own for an extended time. We suggest that your puppy sleeps in your room (in his crate) for the first two weeks.
 
Establish His Potty Area – Decide where you want your puppy to eliminate and take him to that spot frequently. Note that upon his arrival, he should visit this area on an hourly basis until he relieves himself. Your puppy will catch on quickly if you take him to the same area each time.  Teaching your puppy a simple command such as “go potty” will help your puppy know what you want him to do and focus on the activity at hand. Make sure everyone in the family uses the same phrase or command. Don’t forget to verbally praise your puppy when he eliminates and give treats to reinforce his positive behavior.

Puppy Gear – Have lots of puppy toys available with different tastes, textures, colors and sounds.  Canaan pups seem to enjoy puzzle toys most as they like to figure things out.  They like soft ones to lay on, squeaky ones to play with, and something with a rope to tug or chew on.  We also recommend purchasing a rolled leather collar, a slip collar, a six-foot leather lead, a bait pouch for training, a slicker brush for grooming and two stainless steel bowls for feeding.

Treats – Have a variety of treats on hand. For puppy training we like to use 100% liver treats or string cheese. Do not use treats with color additives, sugars or flour.

Choosing a Veterinarian – Make sure that he/she supports your feeding a raw diet and takes a conservative approach to vaccinations. Don’t forget to schedule an appointment to occur within the first three days of your puppy’s arrival. This is your opportunity to verify his clean bill of health and get him acquainted with your veterinarian.

Upon His Arrival

We have created a guide to help you through the early and continuing care of your Canaan Dog companion.  A copy of our guide will be available to you via email two weeks prior to your puppy’s arrival.  A hardbound copy will also be included in your care package and will arrive with your puppy. 

Successful Training Tips

Establish Yourself as a Pack Leader – Besides the socialization piece, this is the single most important advice we can give to new Canaan Dog owners. Before starting any other training, help your Canaan Dog feel secure and confident in your leadership by setting clear rules and following through in a fair and consistent manner.  Additionally, you can earn your leadership status by eating before him, walking through doorways and hallways ahead of him, and expecting him to move out of the way when you are coming through.

Re-Direction & Positive Reinforcement – Canaan Dogs are most responsive when trained with positive reinforcement methods such as clicker training. Re-direction also works well with puppies to re-focus their attention to appropriate activities/objects. Never use harsh corrections or physical punishment to deter behavior.  Such training methods will only make your Canaan Dog mistrust you.

Win Them Over- Canaan Dogs are independent and intelligent creatures that will choose to ignore you if they feel there isn’t something in it for them. Make training fun by offering incentives and limiting the number of repetitious commands. Create a win-win situation so that your dog feels he is getting something in exchange for his obedience. It will make training more fun for the both of you.

Stimulate Their Minds – Although the Canaan Dog’s exercise needs are minimal, they do require regular mental stimulation.  Exercise your dog’s mind by enrolling him in obedience classes, teaching him new skills such as herding or tracking, and by playing the socialization game.