Northern Inuit

From Pet Encyclopedia

Northern Inuit

Origin of Breed

England

Breed Nick Names

[edit] Introduction

The Northern Inuit is a relatively new breed of dog developed in England. The Northern Inuit is not currently recognised by the UK, American or any other Major Kennel Clubs.

The Northern Inuit Society is currently trying establish the breed as a working breed and their goal is to gain U Kennel Club recognition in the Working Dog Group.

[edit] Origin and History

The Inuit dog has existed for thousands of years, the Inuit people needed a dog to suit their lifestyle, and as a working companion, for this, legend has it, they staked out several bitches to be mated by wolves. By selective breeding and culling of the offspring, they eventually got what they wanted - a dog that could work long hours in cold temperatures, would live as a family pet and be obedient and loyal. In the early 1980's, a few Inuit type dogs were imported to Britain and by following the Inuit peoples example and using northern breeds of dogs, we have arrived at the Northern Inuit dog we have today, they withhold the original characteristics and traits of the original Inuit dogs, i.e. a willingness to work and to please. Although, originally having to battle against the elements for survival, they have fitted in well with our modern day lifestyle as a loyal pet capable of competing successfully in obedience, agility and also flyball, as well as their original job of pulling sledges.

[edit] Appearance

General Appearance

A dog of medium build, athletic but not racy. Slightly longer than tall (as 10-9), with leg length slightly longer than overall depth of body . Oval bone is neither too heavy nor too light.

Head

Not too broad, skull slightly domed. Muzzle slightly longer than skull, strong and gentle tapering. Lips close fitting and always black. Cheeks flat. Nose black (winter noses acceptable) and nostrils large. Scissor bite.

Eyes

Oval, forward facing and set at a slightly oblique angle. Any colour or colour combination permitted.

Ears

Set fairly high, not too large and carried erect.

Neck

Strong and muscular with a well defined nape.

Shoulders

Moderately sloping. Elbows fitting close to chest, which must not be too broad.

Body

Topline level, ribs well back. Loin short and deep with no exaggerated tuck up. Croup broad and fairly short but not steep. Tail set fairly high and reaching to the hock, carried down when standing, may be lifted when exicted. Good rear angulation. Short hocks.

Hind Feet

Oval, may have five toes, dewclaws permitted.

Fore Feet

Round, pasterns upright but flexible. Pads black and well cuishioned with hair.

Coat

Dense double coat, slightly harsh in texture, well defined ruff and breeches. Tail bushy.

Gait

Easy and far reaching covers the ground

Size

Bitches 22 " minimum, dogs 24" minimum. - Overall balance more important than size.

Colour

Pure White or any shade of Grey and Sable through to pure Black. White faces and dark masks are comitted but any colour change should be subtle.

Temperament

Friendly and placid, never aggressive or showing any guarding tendancies. Will submt when challenged.

Faults

Gay tails (curly), long soft silk coats, patchy/pinto or Black and Tan colours.

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree

[edit] Temperament

Where the Northern Inuit has not proved a success however, is as a guard dog, due to their friendly manner and a willingness to greet any visitor as a long lost friend. With their incredible sense of smell and eagerness to please, the future of the N.I looks bright, and could provide future services, such as search and rescue, guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf, some are already registered PAT dogs, but all are the pride and joy of their families as their loyal pets. The Northern Inuit dog is totally non aggressive, they are the most versatile of dogs, but, they are not for the novice owner as they can be very stubborn and are very quick witted, the owner of an N.I must show themselves to be the Alpha member of the pack or be prepared to be the underdog, and be taken advantage of, a firm hand is most definitly needed, however, the plusses far outweigh the cons of owning an N .I as they are a joy to live with and attract attention where ever they go. Nice gardens dont usually exist alongside a northern Inuit as they love to dig and eat any variety of garden plant, so most owners now have gardens consisting of slabs and concrete. Some N.I, if introduced to livestock at an early age, will grow up not wanting to chase sheep and so on, but two or more N.I become a pack and pack instinct will take over, and as their prey drive is quite high, caution should be taken at all times when out near sheep, cattle or horses.Common sense dictates that you should never leave children and dogs unsupervised. The N.I can be quite boisterous at play, and though they would never bite intentionally, they do sometimes like to 'mouth' things eg arms and hands, and can easily knock a child down. The Northern Inuit dog is also non dog aggressive and will usually submit when challenged. They dont like to be left alone and can often suffer seperation anxiety, at these times they will destroy anything in the immediate vicinity, chairs, doors, table legs, the best solution for this is to ensure your dog is never left alone for long periods of time, another dog as a companion is a good idea, the N.I is a very sociable animal and loves the company of people or other dogs.

[edit] Health

[edit] External Links

http://www.the-northern-inuit-society.com/index.htm

[edit] References