A Canaan has a straight, harsh and short outer coat with a much softer and profuse undercoat which is quite low maintenance when it comes to keeping them looking tidy and their skin in good condition. A weekly brush is all it takes to get rid of any shed and loose hair bearing in mind that Canaans are not known to be heavy shedders. The only time they tend to shed more is in the Spring and then again in the Autumn when their undercoats tend to come out in handfuls and therefore more frequent brushing would be necessary to keep on top of things.
These dogs are very much like the Basenji which is another breed that likes to clean themselves in much the same way cats do. If there are two Canaan Dogs in a household, they often groom each other too. It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
The Canaan Dog is an athletic and energetic character which in short means they need to be given a ton of exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis for them to be truly well-rounded dogs. These dogs are easily bored and if they are left to their own devices, they will find new ways to entertain and amuse themselves which typically means they develop some unwanted behavioural issues.
As such, they need to be given a minimum of 60 minutes a day and ideally this needs to be a short walk in the morning followed by a longer, more interesting walk in the afternoon. Canaan Dogs also like to roam around a back garden as often as possible throughout the day, but the fencing has to be very secure so that it keeps these dogs safe and out of trouble.
Canaans are known to excel at canine sporting activities which includes things like Flyball, agility and obedience competitions thanks to the fact they are so quick to learn new things and the fact they love interacting with their owners on a one-to-one basis.
With this said, young Canaan puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives. They should not be allowed to jump up or off furniture nor should they be allowed to run up and down the stairs because this puts too much pressure on their still growing joints and limbs.
If you get a Canaan puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
