A Word on Colour

We certainly get a lot of interest in Maccabee's colour - he is registered as a cream male with reddish gold markings. We realize that many people, even ourselves, find one colour more appealing than others. When we met Macc's sire  - a handsome cream Canaan with tan markings, we were more attracted to him than to his dam,  a white and black who was also stunning. But, after much research, we knew that colour was of secondary importance. Obviously, we got lucky since Macc turned out cream - but more important, he inherited the gentle temperament of his beloved sire and has consistently carried over his sound temperament to his offspring.

We do our best to educate people that we can't customize a colour in this breed. It is hard to predict the outcome of the colours in a litter of Canaan Dogs.  To date Macc has sired white and blacks, black and whites, cream, red and silver.  As breeders, it is crucial to match the right temperament with the right home; however, for those who are interested in showing, correct colour and markings are taken into consideration. But to us temperament and the health of the dog come first and other attributes like colour are of secondary importance. Keep in mind that the colour you love may not be the right temperament for your home - and from a breeder stand point, we would feel irresponsible placing a pup in a home on colour preference alone.

We feel it is important to educate people that our breed is not about colour - it is not a cookie cutter breed - which is something that attracted us.   Our responsibility as breeders is not to produce or customize a specific colour - it is to preserve what the founders saw in the wild pariah stock they brought into captivity - a dog that was square and well-balanced, frugal, resistant to indigenous diseases, and could work with man.

Michelle & Larry
Sufat Sheleg Canaan Dogs
- working to preserve the natural Canaan Dog that the Menzels so cherished.