Canadian Eskimo Dog (CED)

The Thule, the ancestors of today’s Inuit, were the first people to use dogs as draft animals, hunting companions, and guardians (especially against polar bears). This is how the Canadian Eskimo Dog developed.

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The Canadian Eskimo Dog originally comes from Alaska, the homeland of Inuit culture. From there, the Thule spread with their dogs 800 to 1,000 years ago eastward into the Canadian Arctic and as far as Greenland.

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The Canadian Eskimo Dog thrived in the Canadian Arctic until, from the 1950s onward, a series of events pushed the breed close to extinction. The first was the forced relocation of the Inuit from seasonal camps into permanent settlements established by the Canadian government. During these relocations, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) shot many dogs that interfered with the process.

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Another major event was a devastating outbreak of distemper in the early 1960s, along with diseases such as rabies and canine hepatitis, which decimated thousands of Inuit dogs in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

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The third event was the introduction of snowmobiles, which largely replaced the partnership between the Inuit and their dogs. At one time, an estimated 20,000 CEDs lived in the Canadian Arctic. Between 1960 and 1970, reports suggest only a few hundred remained.

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In 1972, efforts by the Eskimo Dog Research Foundation in the Northwest Territories led to a revival of the Inuit dogs. The present CED breed descends from animals that came out of these programs.

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All colors and markings are possible.

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We have been breeding CEDs for 7 years. They are different. They are special.

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Today, there are only around 400 individuals worldwide. Breeding requires close cooperation among the few existing breeders to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible – the only chance for the long-term survival of these dogs.

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The breed is still considered endangered.

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An important part of this work is also the

Canadian Eskimo Dog Research & Legacy Foundation.

It brings together knowledge, promotes international collaboration, and is dedicated to the long-term preservation of the breed – through responsible breeding strategies and the development of scientific foundations in cooperation with universities.