Tamaskan Dog

The Tamaskan Dog is a breed of dog.

Aliases Tamaskan Size Large Height (Male) 25 - 28 Inches (63cm-71cm) Height (Female) 24-27 inches (61cm-66cm) Weight (Male) 66-99 pounds (30-45 kg.) Weight (Female) 50 - 84 Pounds (23kg-38 kg) Life Expectancy 14-15 years Origin Finland Group(s) Northern Dogs Recognition TDR (The Tamaskan Dog Register), DRA

Description

The Tamaskan Dog is a large working dog and as such has an athletic look to them. Similar in size to their cousin the German Shepherd the Tamaskan has a wolf like appearance with a thick coat and straight bushy tail. They come in two main colours of Red Grey and Wolf Grey. Eyes are Yellow through amber & brown although light eyes are very rare. Adult Males 63cm – 71cm, females 61cm – 66cm.

Temperament

The Tamaskan is a good family dog being gentle with children and accepting of other dogs. His high intelligence makes him an excellent working dog and Tamaskan have been known to exceed in agility and obedience as well as sled racing. This pack dog prefers not to be left alone for long periods of time. They are better suited to other human or canine company. Be sure you are this dog's pack leader, providing plenty of daily mental and physical exercise to avoid separation anxiety. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined. You and all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. That is the only way your relationship can be a success.

Health Problems

No known health issues have yet arisen in the Tamaskan Dog. Their Husky and German Shepherd ancestors both suffered with Hip dysplasia and to guard from this the Tamaskan Register insist that all breeding stock be scored before mating and they have so far kept a good breed average of 8.1

Living Conditions

Tamaskan Dogs are not recommended for Apartment life, if left alone for long periods may become destructive or attempt to escape. They should have a large garden or at least be allowed free running every day.

Exercise

The Tamaskan Dog is very active and needs a great deal of exercise, which includes a daily, long, brisk walk or jog. They can be let off the lead and will return if trained. They need free running and also mind exercises as they are very intelligent. Most Tamaskan are easily trained but often stubborn. They can be worked in Agility, Obedience, Musical Freestyle and Pulling.

Grooming

Tamaskan need little grooming, perhaps a good brush once a week and more during times of moulting.

Origin

The Tamaskan Dog originates from Finland. Husky type dogs were imported from the USA in the early 1980’s. These were mixed with other dogs including Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute and a small amount of German Shepherd. The aim was to create a breed of dog which looked like a wolf which had high intelligence and a good working ability. More recently in order to improve bloodlines other dogs of husky type origins were integrated into the breeding program. Now the gene pool has been extended, Tamaskan Breeders can carry on mating only Tamaskan to Tamaskan and so creating a whole new breed of dog. Interest in the Tamaskan dog has been slowly increasing and there are now Tamaskan in UK, USA and across Europe, largely due to the efforts of The Tamaskan Register, the official registering body.

The Tamaskan Dog is a breed of domestic dog originating from Finland. It is known to excel in agility, obedience and working trials. It is also capable of pulling sleds, which is inherited from its Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute ancestors. Morphologically, Tamaskans have been bred to look like wolves and have a notable lupine appearance. Though still very rare, with less than 5000 registered Tamaskans worldwide, increasing interest in the breed has resulted in the importation of Tamaskans in continental Europe, the UK and the USA, as well as Australia.

Tamaskans are large, athletic dogs; slightly taller in size than German Shepherds. They are substantially larger than their Siberian Husky ancestors but significantly smaller than the Alaskan Malamute. 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). 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 Grey, Red Grey, and Black Grey. Each individual guard hair is Agouti banded along its length. The almond-shaped eyes are yellow through amber and brown, with lighter colored eyes being very rare. Blue eyes are unacceptable, as are mismatched eyes.

Tamaskans are highly intelligent and have been known to excel in agility, obedience and working trials. They also make good sled dogs and many Tamaskans living in colder climates are regularly used for recreational, and occasionally competitive, dogsled racing as well as skijoring. They make excellent search and rescue dogs due to their keen sense of smell, stamina and endurance. Tamaskans can also be successfully trained as therapy or assistance dogs due to their friendly and laid-back personality. As a breed they are very social and are good with people, children, and other dogs, as well as other small pets (cats, chickens, rabbits, hamsters, parakeets, etc). However, Tamaskan Dogs do not cope well without company and if left alone for long periods of time they may become bored, which can lead to destructive behavior and/or escape attempts. Unlike some of their husky ancestors, Tamaskans respond well off the leash and, with a small amount of training, will return when called.

Tamaskans are generally very healthy with only a few serious health issues that only affect a very small percentage of the breed overall. Roughly 10% of males, as with all other dog breeds, suffer from monorchidism: the state of having only one testicle within the scrotum. Epilepsy has been diagnosed in two dogs, affecting less than 1% of all registered Tamaskans worldwide. As with all large breed dogs, hip dysplasia is a risk; however, due to the work of the TDR and strict health requirements, which ensure that only dogs with good hip scores are allowed to breed, this risk has been greatly reduced.

The first generation of Tamaskan Dogs to be registered were born in 2002. Since that time the founders have continued to search for "wolfy looking" dogs to improve the breed. The last foundation dog was added to the breed in 2006, when the doors were closed to new bloodlines. The breeds used include Northern Inuit, Utonagan, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd and Finnish racing huskies (unregistered huskies and husky crosses bred for competitive sled racing in Lapland). Each dog was carefully selected for its appearance, intelligence, temperament and health.

The first Tamaskans to be imported into America arrived in 2005 and they had their first litter in 2007. Since that time the Tamaskan's popularity has grown exponentially and there are now several TDR-registered breeders across America.