1. Do American Northern Inuit dogs get along well with other dogs, cats, or small animals?

American Northern Inuit dogs usually get along well with other animals as long as they are socialized from an early age.  We cannot overstate the importance of early socialization! If there are other animals in your household, supervision is crucial during early play sessions, as ANI puppies can play a somewhat rough.  You must also monitor your puppy to observe its prey drive which, if strong, can lead them to go after smaller animals.

Keep in mind that your ANI puppy is young and will easily adapt to living with other animals while the other animal (cat, dog, etc) is likely older and set in their ways.  If anything, it is likelier to be more difficult for them to adapt to the new puppy.

2. Do American Northern Inuit dogs get along well with children?

We do not generally recommend American Northern Inuit dogs for households with small children (younger than 5 years old).  This is because ANI dogs have a pack mentality. They are likely to view the child as a sibling and may show them less respect than they do the adults.  ANI dogs do better with older children, who can establish themselves as “pack leaders”.  Regardless of the age, children should be supervised with the dog and should be taught how to properly interact with and respect the dog.

3. What are American Northern Inuit dogs’ temperaments like?

American Northern Inuit dogs have excellent temperaments.  They enjoy being active outside as much as they enjoy cuddling with you on the couch.  They are friendly, curious, and outgoing.  They get along well with older children (and younger children if supervised), other dogs, and small animals if socialized with them from an early age.  

ANI dogs are pack animals. They bond deeply with their owners and can suffer from separation anxiety. They are at their happiest when allowed to follow their owners everywhere they go, and may become destructive if left alone for a length of time.  Adult dogs should not be left alone for more than 4-5 hours and puppies for no more than 2-3 hours (this is also about how long a puppy can hold his bladder).  

New owners must be prepared to accommodate for these needs. If you work a standard eight-hour workday we highly recommended that you place your fur baby in doggy day care for mental stimulation, companionship, and ongoing socialization. For more information on temperaments visit the Breed Standards page.

4. How do American Northern Inuit dogs fare in hot climates?

As their name implies, American Northern Inuit dogs are a northern type breed. They do best in cooler climates, as they have a double coat and love snow. They like water and can be good swimmers and retrievers.

It is important to have air conditioning or some other means for the dog to keep cool. Ideally 60-68 degrees in the house is good. 

In warm weather, you’ll want to walk your ANI dog earlier in the morning before the day heats up and after the sun goes down when it’s cooler. In between, aim for shorter walks so your dog doesn’t overheat, and avoid hot pavement.

They should have access to cool water at all times.  Even better, if you have a wading pool for them to cool down, it will help them weather the heat.

You should never shave this breed’s coat, as you will spoil its texture and the beautiful wolfy markings of the outer coat.

5. I need a protective dog. Will an American Northern Inuit dog guard my property?

In a word, no. ANI dogs tend to be quite friendly, even with strangers. For this reason, they do not make good guard dogs.  Most rarely bark, preferring howl-like, almost yodeling noises, which is their way of trying to talk to you.  Females tend to be more alert than males and might even patrol your property. However, it is highly unlikely they will show aggression towards any human.

6. Are American Northern Inuit dogs easy to train?

American Northern Inuit dogs are not recommended for the novice owner.  They can be a somewhat stubborn when it comes to training. They tend to be free thinkers, with a “what’s in it for me” mentality. It has been said that they are inclined to treat commands more like suggestions. 

ANIs are highly intelligent. Early training is imperative in order to have a well-trained dog. You should plan on enrolling your dog in puppy classes or to work with a professional trainer as soon after you pick it up as possible. Training sessions should be kept fresh, short and interesting. 

Owners must know their dog well enough to be able to properly motivate it to learn, either with treats, praise, belly rubs, or similar incentives.  Training also needs to be reinforced on an ongoing, regular basis.

7. Can you ship me my puppy?

We do not ship our puppies, as it can be quite stressful for a 10-week old puppy who has never been separated from its mother and litter-mates.  We prefer that new owners come pick up their puppy in person, ideally by flying or driving in to New Hampshire and driving back with their puppy. (This is what we ourselves have done with the different dogs in our pack, driving back from Colorado and Virginia.)

If that is not possible, there are services through which you can hire a driver to pick up your puppy and drive it to you.

8. What do Northern Inuits eat?

We strongly advise our owners to feed their puppies the same food we have been feeding them, which is designed for large-breed puppies up to the age of two.  This to prevent puppies from developing loose stools which can lead to weight loss and is not good for a developing puppy. 

American Northern Inuit dogs should eat a combination of kibble and raw food.

We recommend that the puppy’s/Dog’s diet be supplemented with raw and/cooked meat (chicken, pork, beef) for variety but not more than 3-4 times a week or you will get yourself a fussy eater.  

We recommend that they occasionally snack on refrigerated large carrots (to help with teething), cracked-whole coconuts in their husks (helps clean their teeth and nourishes their coats), cooked pumpkin and sweet potatoes, and raw peas and berries. Only feed dogs natural (raw) unsweetened peanut butter.

9. Are Northern Inuits escape artists and/or diggers?

Northern Inuits generally like to be near their owners and do not tend to run off and not return.  They do like to dig, especially if you have underground critters in your yard.  This digging behavior can be corrected by assigning the dog a designated digging location in your yard.

10. Do Northern Inuits suffer from hip dysplasia or other health problems?

Northern Inuits are classified as a generally healthy breed.  However, hip dysplasia is common in all larger breed dogs.  We mitigate this by testing all our dog’s hips, elbows and eyes prior to breeding them.  We can guarantee that our dogs are hip dysplasia free for many generations back (at least 5 or more generations). 

Northern Inuits do tend to suffer from separation anxiety and are at their happiest when they are allowed to follow their owners everywhere. Northern Inuits live to be anywhere between 11-13 years old.

11. How are Northern Inuits in crowds or public settings?

Northern Inuits, if socialized properly, are great in crowded settings.  Most (especially the males), enjoy attention and you will see them trot happily when they get it.  Most importantly, the dogs take cues from their owner, a confident owner produces a confident dog.  If the owner is nervous about their dog being in public, the dog will sense that and become nervous.

12. How do Northern Inuits compare to other Northern Breeds?

The main difference is that Northern Inuits were bred to be pets. therefore, they do not exhibit some of the characteristics of other Northern Breeds.  For example, Northern Inuits are not working dogs, so they do not have excessive amounts of energy like Huskies do.  They do have some working ability, such as pulling a sled, but they would not be able to do this for as long as a Husky or a Malamute.  A Northern Inuit is content with a run at the off-leash dog park and then plenty of couch cuddle time afterward.  Furthermore, Northern Inuits do not possess as much wanderlust as other Northern breeds.  It is unlikely that they will run away.

13. Do Northern Inuits like water?

Northern Inuits love water and some are excellent swimmers/retrievers.  Most, however, like to run around the shallow end of a creek or a lake.  It is very impressive to watch a Northern Inuit “cool off” in an icy creek when it is 20 degrees outside.  They are truly cold weather tolerant.