CANAAN BREED STANDARDS

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III. CANAAN DOG, AMERICAN STANDARD, Adopted May 5, 1973. Note that the appearance of other than prick ears is considered a minor fault, and that the skull may be longer than the muzzle, probably an oversight. Judge Mr. Jay C. Sheaffer, Fr. Elmer T. Robnett, and Mrs. Sondra Hill were on the Breed Standard Committee.

General Appearance and Characteristics:  A medium sized, well proportioned dog. Alert, aggressive, sharp, distrustful of strangers. Vigilant, devoted and docile.

Size:  Height… 19 to 24 inches Weight… approximately 40 to 60 pounds, commensurate with total conformation

Shape:  Square, well balanced.

Utilization:  Working Dog

Head
 
General Description:  Well proportioned, not at all heavy and clumsy. It is elongated, the length exceeding the breadth and depth considerably. It is wedge-shaped, blunt, not too broad in the region of the forehead, but appearing broader through ears, set low to complete an alert expression.
 
Skull:  Not domed, but also not flat. Approximately equal to the length of the muzzle or slightly longer.

Stop:  Slightly accentuated.

Nose:  Dark pigmented commensurate with color of dog.
Size….proportioned

Lips:  Not too thick, lying tight to jaws. Good pigmentation desired.
Pendulous lips not desired.

Teeth: Strong, scissors bite.
Overshot and undershot heavily penalized.

Eyes:  Dark, almond shaped, slightly slanted, the darker the better. Points dark, commensurate with color of dog. Unpigmented corners with harlequins.

Ears:  Prick ears desirable. Relatively broad, slightly rounded at tip, set low and wide apart. All other forms are to be considered as a minor fault.
 
Neck:  Profile… well arched, not clumsy Length… medium, proportioned to body and head Skin… tightened

Body

General View: Strong, but not too massive or clumsy. Top line straight, slightly sloping from withers to croup. Brisket deep and of medium length.

Croup:  Neither too short nor too slim. Not falling off.

Chest:  Not too broad, but deep (extending at least to elbows).

Belly and Flanks:  Well tucked up. Short but musculated flanks.

Tail:  Carried curled over back when excited. Set on high. Bushy.

Forelegs: 
General View, Front…..perfectly straight.
Proportions…………….medium bone
Shoulders……………...moderately angulated, well laid back
Arm………………....….straight, long enough to ensure the square shape of the body frame.
Forearm………………..musculature well developed but not hypertrophic. Straight, proportionated, well musculated.
Feet…………………….cat-like, soles hard, pigmentation harmonizing with the color, well up at pastern.

Hindlegs:
General view……….….perfectly straight.
Proportions…………….proportional to forelegs, long enough to ensure the square shape of the body frame.
Thigh……………………strongly musculated, broad but not corpulent.
Rear legs……………….when viewed from behind, must be quite straight without any tendency to cowhocks or bowhocks.
Coxal femoral angle…..well angulated at the stifle.
Hock……………………broad.
Feet…………………….cat-like with hard pads, pigmentation harmonizing with color. Well up at pasterns.

Gait:  Good drive, long reach, tends to single track at high speed.

Coat:
Desired: Hair medium length, harsh straight flat coat, not curled.
Undercoat according to season. Close lying.
Legs should be feathered. No trimming, natural state.
Tail plumed.
Mane desirable with males.

Color: All shades of brown, sandy to reddish, black and solids with white markings. Desirable: white with big markings in either black, brown or red. Grey not permissible.

Mask: Full mask, full mask with white blaze.

Faults:  Besides the deviations from the standard of the breed, all faults in body structure which constitute deviations from the general norm of a well built dog.

Major Faults: Unfinished eye trim and aggressiveness toward people.
Gray and/or brindle*, white mask.
*Brindle color referred to is the brindle of the Great Dane.