# Northern Inuit Dog

The northern Inuit dog, along with its offshoots, the British timber dog, the tamaskan and the utonagan, is a crossbreed of dog developed from a 1980s breeding project in the United Kingdom with the objective of producing a dog breed resembling wolves.

## History

Northern Inuit dogs originated from dogs of unknown breed ancestry imported from North America in the 1980s that were crossed with Alaskan Malamutes, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies and possibly Samoyeds. The aim of these breedings was to develop a dog resembling a wolf in appearance but suitable for companionship and trainable for various tasks. During its development, the northern Inuit dog breeding initiative diverged into several related breeds, including the tamaskan, the British timber dog, and the utonagan.

## Appearance

The northern Inuit dog is a medium to large dog, with the males larger and heavier than the females. They have thick coats of varying color. The ears are upright, with the muzzle and skull usually the same length. They have straight, furry tails. Genetic testing has identified a color variant linked to partial recessive red traits that at least 50% of northern Inuit and tamaskan dogs carry. Initially detected in DNA samples from prehistoric dogs dating back 10,000 years, this variant was identified as one of the earliest mutations discovered in domestic canines.

## Character

Northern Inuit dogs are often confident and friendly. Their good-tempered nature has led to them being used as therapy dogs. They enjoy human company and sometimes develop separation anxiety. They bond quickly. Their trusting nature is known to make them bad guard dogs. They are good with children, but they should be supervised while near kids, due to their strength and size. They are known to howl. They are very intelligent and bore quickly, leading to them being hard to train. They are also quite sensitive. The breed is known to chase small, swift animals, like squirrels.

## Health

The breed is a very healthy breed, with dogs often living for twelve to fifteen years. However, northern Inuit dogs are known to develop elbow and hip dysplasia, a condition where their joints do not form properly, leading to pain and lameness later in life. They can also develop achondroplasia, cryptorchidism, and degenerative myelopathy. Oculoskeletal dysplasia has been identified in seven northern Inuit dogs.

## Registries

The Northern Inuit Society, founded in the early 1990s, exists to govern the wellbeing of the northern Inuit dog, as well as its breeding. It is currently the northern Inuit dog's only governing body. It also holds the complete pedigree database for the breed. All northern Inuit dogs are tested before breeding. The Northern Inuit Society does not approve of mixing the breed with other dogs.
The Tamaskan Dog Registry is the overseeing registry of tamaskan dogs. While there is a standard for the tamaskan, the TDR maintains an open studbook. Tamaskan dogs are recognized by the American Rare Breed Association.

## In popular culture

* Northern Inuit dogs were used in the filming of the television series Game of Thrones to portray dire wolves.
* A tamaskan dog named Luchta played a wolf in a 2016 Broadway production of The Crucible.
* A tamaskan named Tuffy has been the live mascot for the NC State Wolfpack since 2010, appearing on the sidelines of football games, bowl games, and other football and men's basketball events.
* The Starz series Outlander uses northern Inuit dogs to portray Young Ian's “wolfdog,” Rollo. The first, Dui (pronounced “Dewey”), short for Mac Dugh, appeared in seasons 4–6. His replacement, Yogi, assumed the role in season 7.