GREENLAND DOG

COUNTRY: Scandinavian countries
WEIGHT: 66 pounds and up
HEIGHT: 24 inches
COAT: Medium, dense, stand-off
COLOR: Any color allowed, except albino
OTHER NAMES: Gr0nlandshund
GROUP: Northern

The Greenland Dog is closely related to other northern hauling huskies. At one time, there were dozens of breeds and varieties, but many have disappeared due to modern use of snowmobiles and other machinery, which has supplanted the use of these dogs. Much crossing of types occurred as the modern settling of northern areas provided contact between previously remote areas. The Gr0nlandshund is one of the breeds saved and fostered by fanciers, especially in the Scandinavian countries. Sadly, the breed is no longer numerous even in its native environment.

Before use of the more recent method of chaining sled dogs when not working, the practice among the natives was to keep them tethered with thongs of seal hide. Of course, dogs chewed through their ties, so most working sled dogs had their incisors broken (the small cutting teeth in the front of the canines), which necessitated cutting their meat. Since most of the dogs were fed frozen meat or fish, the rations were chopped into small pieces which could be swallowed whole. In The Voyage of the Fox., McClin-tock recalls how he once cut 65 pounds of seal meat into small pieces, and his 29 hungry Eskimo dogs devoured every morsel in 42 seconds!

Greenland Dogs were also used by the natives as hunting dogs, utilizing their keen sense of smell to find seals' breathing holes in the ice. Once the hole was found, the dog and master sat back to wait, as sooner or later the seal came up for air and it would be speared. In the summer months, the dogs carried backpacks of supplies up to 33 pounds.

The breed remains principally a working dog. They have the typical, Nordic, good, loyal, affectionate temperament, but when the dogs work in teams, they don't have the opportunity to develop a relationship with one master. They are independent and self-willed, and rowdy and boisterous in their play. The thick, stand-off outer coat and dense underwool allow them to withstand constant outdoor living in temperatures that can reach -50 or even -75 degrees Fahrenheit.