Tamaskan Dog

Tamaskan Dog

A Tamaskan Dog
Common nicknames Tam, Tamaskan Husky
Origin Finland
Traits
Weight Male 65–95 pounds (29–43 kg)
Female 55–85 pounds (25–39 kg)
Height Male 25–33 inches (64–84 cm)
Female 24–28 inches (61–71 cm)
Coat Thick double coat; dense undercoat & coarse outer coat. Each individual guard hair is agouti banded.
Color Wolf grey, red grey, black grey
Litter size 6-10 puppies
Life span 14–15 years (projected)
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Tamaskan Dog was specifically bred by dog fanciers, being a crossbred dog of sled dog type, to morphologically resemble a wolf, wolfdog and has a notable lupine appearance. It's creation was in Finland, and as of 27 November 2013, has been recognized by the American Rare Breed Association, and the Kennel Club of the United States of America, two related dog fancier and pedigree registries.[1][2] It is a highly versatile dog that can excel in agility, obedience and working trials. Although there are a little over 600 registered Tamaskan Dogs worldwide, increasing interest has resulted in their spread throughout continental Europe, the UK and the USA, as well as Canada and Australia.

Description

A Tamaskan puppy

Tamaskans are large, athletic dogs; slightly taller in size than German Shepherds. With regard to build, they are substantially larger than typical sled dogs but smaller than the Alaskan Malamute. They generally resemble grey wolves and wolfdogs.

On average, Tamaskan adults measure around 24-28 inches (60–70 cm) tall at the shoulder and typically weigh between 55-88 pounds (25–40 kg)–the heaviest recorded Tamaskan males (to date) weigh just under 50 kg. Females are usually slightly smaller and lighter than males, with a distinct feminine appearance. Males are more heavyset with broader heads and a heavier bone structure. Tamaskans have a lupine appearance with a straight bushy tail and thick double coat that comes in three main colors: wolf gray, red gray, and black gray. Each individual guard hair is agouti banded along its length. The almond-shaped eyes range from yellow through to amber and brown, with lighter colored eyes being very rare. Blue eyes are not acceptable, nor are mismatched eyes.[3]

Health

An adult female

Overall the Tamaskan breed is healthy with only a few notable health issues, which affect a small percentage of the bloodlines to date. Roughly 10% of males suffer from cryptorchidism: undescended testes. With these cases, usually only one testicle fully descends within the scrotum, while the other testicle remains "hidden" up within the abdominal cavity. Epilepsy has been diagnosed in five dogs, affecting about 1 out of every 100 registered Tamaskan worldwide. Several dogs have been found to be carriers of degenerative myelopathy. As with all large breed dogs, hip dysplasia is a risk.

History

A Tamaskan

In the early 1980's, five dogs, of Siberian Husky origin, were imported into the UK from America. These dogs were then bred to the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, and German Shepherd, but also possibly other breeds exhibiting a lupine phenotype, to form the Utonagan Dog. The Utonagan dog was hypothetically later crossed with the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog to form the Tamaskan dog as it is known today.

In 2009, the Tamaskan Dog Register introduced a Saarloos Wolfdog as a "one-time only" out-cross to bring some fresh blood into the breed. However, it is believed that none of his progeny have been bred from to date. This particular Saarloos was specifically selected due to his great temperament, appearance, and health.[4]

Breed clubs

There are breed clubs in the United States (US Tamaskan Dog Club),[5] Canada (National Tamaskan Club of Canada),[6] France (Club Français du Tamaskan),[7] Germany (Tamaskan Club Germany),[8] the Netherlands (Nederlandse Tamaskan Club),[9] Croatia (Hrvatski Tamaskan Savez),[10] and the United Kingdom ("Tamaskan Dog Society of Great Britain"), [11]

Famous Tamaskan Dogs

A prizewinning Tamaskan Dog

In October 2007, a Tamaskan named "Genghis Khan" featured as a wolf in a music video for the band Lucretia Choir.[12]

In September 2010, a TDR registered male Tamaskan named "Wave" became the official Live Mascot of North Carolina State University's football team: NC State Wolfpack. Wave (aka "Tuffy") now attends most home games and can be seen stalking around the sidelines.[13][14][15][16]

In September 2012, four Tamaskan Dogs were featured on the Croatian HRT 1 television program "Kućni ljubimci".[17]

In September 2015, a Tamaskan Dog named Adler appeared in several news outlets including the Daily Mail, the Boston Times, and the Bark Post for mastering the game of Tug-of-War by using her mass instead of her strength.[18]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tamaskan.
  1. ↑ "International Tamaskan Forum – Login".
  2. ↑ "Kennel Club USA – Tamaskan Dog".
  3. ↑ "Tamaskan Pictorial Standard".
  4. ↑ "The History of the Tamaskan Breed". Tamaskan-Dog. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "US Tamaskan Dog Club". US Tamaskan Dog Club.
  6. ↑ "National Tamaskan Club of Canada".
  7. ↑ "Club Français du Tamaskan".
  8. ↑ "Tamaskan Club - Startseite". Tamaskan Club.
  9. ↑ Rahne Meeder. "Home - Nederlandse Tamaskan Club". Nederlandse Tamaskan Club.
  10. ↑ "Hrvatski Tamaskan Savez / Croatian Tamaskan Club". Facebook.
  11. ↑ "Tamaskan Dog Society of Great Britain". Tamaskan Dog Society of Great Britain.
  12. ↑ Paul Hornsey. "Lucretia Choir: News".
  13. ↑ "Local & North Carolina state news from Raleigh, NC - NewsObserver.com".
  14. ↑ "The Daily Tar Heel  :: N.C. State to use tamaskan dog for mascot".
  15. ↑ "Celebrity Pets Must See Photos and Videos - PEOPLE Pets : People.com". PEOPLE.com.
  16. ↑ "NC State's Live Mascot "Tuffy"".
  17. ↑ "1156. Emisija " Kućni ljubimci ", HTV 1, 22.09.2012. 10:10 sati - Facebook".
  18. ↑ "Adler the dog takes the lazy route in tug-of-war against her furry friend...by never getting up".

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.