Northern Inuit Dog

Bred to bear a close resemblance to a wolf, the Northern Inuit Dog is a large cross among the Siberian Husky, German Shepherd Dog, Labrador Husky, Canadian Eskimo Dog, and Alaskan Malamute. It is an athletic dog of a medium constitution, with a slightly domed skull, gently tapering muzzle, low set, erect ears, oval eyes, flat shoulders, strong, muscular neck, flexible, upright pasterns, well-angulated hindquarters with muscular thighs, and a bushy tail.

Northern Inuit Dog Pictures

History

It is believed that the Inuit of Canada, Greenland, and North America crossed wolves and dogs to produce mixed breeds that could work tirelessly and would also live as a friendly companion. In the 1980s, several dogs of unknown heritage were brought from the US into the UK for a selective breeding program. They were bred with Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, and German Shepherds in an attempt to develop a dog that would not only have a wolf-like appearance but also possess their strength and stamina, as well as be trainable like a domesticated dog. Thus, the Northern Inuit Dog was born.

In the 1990s, the Northern Inuit Society was established for governing the Northern Inuit’s breeding program and holding its complete pedigree database.

Temperament and Behavior

Adored for being gentle and friendly, the Northern Inuit Dog will win you over with its pleasant disposition. It is incredibly devoted to its family and friends, enjoying spending time with its people.

It may experience stress or suffer from separation anxiety when it is left alone or unsupervised too long.

Owing to its mischievous and spirited nature, it makes a great playing companion for kids. However, make sure that you supervise the interactions between your dog and young children.

Its excellent sense of smell combined with its high prey drive could make it prone to possibly chasing small animals like mice and rabbits.

Training

Since the NI dog has the propensity to become strong-willed, it needs firm and consistent training. Training these dogs could be a difficult task especially if you are a novice owner.

Preventing its chasing instinct
Make sure that you keep your dog on a leash while outdoors so that you can have full control over it at all times. However, you still may have your dog off-leash when you let it play and run around in the yard. In such situations, always have some tasty treats such as a steak or a piece of meat and hide it. You may also carry a plastic bottle loaded with coins. Use it to create a loud noise and attract its attention whenever it is chasing an animal. Moreover, wave the treat so that it gets attracted to the scent. Once the dog comes to you to have its treat, put its leash on and offer the treat.

Obedience training
Start training your NI puppy for obedience right after you bring it home. Teach some basic commands like sit, stay, come, leave it, and down, as these will be helpful for overcoming problem behaviors.

Feeding

While you may offer your NI dog high protein, dry kibble some of these dogs enjoy having raw foods. Make sure that you do not give your pet any human food, particularly if it contains a high amount of sugar.

Interesting Facts

• Northern Inuit dogs were used to portray young direwolves and puppies in the first season of the television series “Game of Thrones.”