Tamaskan Dog

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Tamaskan
A Tamaskan dog
Common nicknamesTam, Tamaskan
OriginUnited Kingdom
Traits
Height Males 25–33 inches (64–84 cm)
Females 24–28 inches (61–71 cm)
Weight Males 65–95 pounds (29–43 kg)
Females 55–85 pounds (25–39 kg)
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
Notesrecognized ARBA Breed details
Dog (domestic dog)

Tamaskan dogs are a breed of dog that have been selectively bred to resemble a wolf or wolfdog. The Tamaskan Dog originates from Finland.[1] Although their exact origins are uncertain, these mixbreed dogs were primarily arctic breed crosses of Alaskan Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Canadian Eskimo Dog, German Shepherd, Labrador Husky, and Siberian Husky.[2] Tamaskans are not recognized as a breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale but are recognized as a breed by the American Rare Breed Association.[3]

Description[edit]

A Tamaskan puppy

Tamaskan are large, athletic dogs, and slightly taller than German Shepherds. With regard to build, they are larger than typical sled dogs but smaller than the Alaskan Malamute.

A black Tamaskan puppy

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. Tamaskan 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.[4]

Health[edit]

An adult female

Overall, the Tamaskan variety is healthy; only a few notable health issues 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[edit]

In the early 80's, five dogs, of Siberian Husky origins, were imported into the UK from America. These dogs were then bred to Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies and German Shepherds to create a dog with a wolf like phenotype, but with a good temperament. In the 80's these dogs were labelled as wolf dogs or simply wolf look-a-likes. Poor records were kept from this era and so the ancestry of most of these dogs is totally unknown.

Breed founders Lynn Hardey and Jennie Peacock were committee members of the British and International Utonagan Society, but believed the dogs were becoming too related to each other and decided to look for genetic diversity abroad. In Finland they found working husky crosses and purchased several to add to their lines. However, the majority of Utonagan breeders were not interested in the new additions and so the founders left to start the Tamaskan Dog Register in 2006.

Breed clubs[edit]

There are breed clubs in the United States (Tamaskan Dog Register), Canada (National Tamaskan Club of Canada), France (Club Français du Tamaskan), Germany (Tamaskan Club Germany), the Netherlands (Nederlandse Tamaskan Club), Croatia (Hrvatski Tamaskan Savez), and the United Kingdom (Tamaskan Dog Society of Great Britain).

Famous Tamaskan dogs[edit]

A prizewinning Tamaskan

In October 2007, a Tamaskan named Genghis Khan featured as a wolf in a music video for the band Lucretia Choir.[5]

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 (a.k.a. "Tuffy") now attends most home games and can be seen on the sidelines.[6][7][8][9]

In September 2012, four Tamaskans were featured on the Croatian HRT 1 television program Kućni ljubimci.[10]

In 2016, a Tamaskan named Luchta (White Elk Luchta) appeared on Broadway. Luchta played the role of "The Wolf" in Arthur Miller's The Crucible produced by Scott Rudin and directed by Ivo van Hove.[11]

On September 19, 2017, Kaoru, a four-year-old therapy dog, was accompanied by her owner, another handler, and 10 other dogs on a hiking trail in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Kaoru provided support to many people, including children with autism. On the hike Kaoru was mistaken for a wolf by a hunter, who shot her at close range, killing her. [12]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ [1],
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ ARBA Group 5 gallery
  4. ^ "Tamaskan Pictorial Standard".
  5. ^ Paul Hornsey. "Lucretia Choir: News".
  6. ^ "Local & North Carolina state news from Raleigh, NC - NewsObserver.com". Archived from the original on 2010-12-02.
  7. ^ "The Daily Tar Heel  :: N.C. State to Use Tamaskan Dog for Mascot".
  8. ^ "The Cutest Live College Mascots". PEOPLE.com.
  9. ^ "NC State's Live Mascot "Tuffy"".
  10. ^ "1156. Emisija "Kućni ljubimci", HTV 1, 22.09.2012. 10:10 sati - Facebook".
  11. ^ FOX (2016-06-14). "WATCH: Adorable dog stars is the hottest star on Broadway! - Story | WWOR". My9nj.com. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  12. ^ http://www.news1130.com/2017/09/19/therapy-dog-mistaken-wolf-killed/

External links[edit]