Canaan dog
noun
: any of a breed of medium-sized, square-bodied dogs developed in Israel from pariah dogs of the Negev desert region and having a short, straight, harsh coat and a bushy tail
There are 2,000 to 3,000 Canaan dogs across the world, but most are closely related. If the gene pool is not continually strengthened with new bloodlines from the wild, experts say, the breed could develop degenerative diseases.
Nicolas Brulliard
Nicolas Brulliard
Word History
Etymology
Canaan (region of ancient Palestine); translation of New Hebrew kelebh kĕnaʽanī
First Known Use
1948, in the meaning defined above