- Rudolphina Menzel
Dr. Rudolphina Menzel was a noted cynologist, noted for her work in the field of animal behavior, from
Vienna ,Austria .Prof. Menzel was responsible for gaining recognition for the
Canaan Dog ; and she wrote the breed standard, which was accepted by the FCI in 1966.History
She immigrated, with her husband Dr Rudolph Menzel, to the
British mandate of Palestine , in 1934.She was asked by the
Haganah for help in setting up a dog section (forerunner to what would becomeUnit Oketz ). Dr. Menzel found that the standard breeds used for guarding, tracking and other tasks were unable to cope with the harsh climate and terrain, so she sought an alternative, turning to the local pariah dog.She began a redomestication program of the pariah dogs living on the outskirts of settlements and with the Bedouin in desert. She collected puppies and adults, and found them to be highly adaptable, amenable to domestication, and quick to learn.
Dr. Menzel's Canaan Dog breeding program was concentrated with the Institute where a foundation of kennel-raised Canaan Dogs was established, carrying the name "B'nei Habitachon".
In 1965, she exported the four Canaan Dogs to the United States, and later sent specimens of the breed to Germany.
Professor Menzel sent a male Canaan Dog to Mrs Connie Higgins in the United Kingdom. In 1964, Mrs. Higgins had already acquired a female puppy from a wild litter in
Damascus , and on 28th December 1969, she bred the first known litter of Canaan Dogs born in theUnited Kingdom .In 1970, Shaar Hagai Kennels, located near
Jerusalem , worked closely with Dr. Menzel in the development and breeding of the breed, and continues her work after her death in 1973.External links
* [http://www.itb.it/canaan/icdca/History/Menzel/Menzel.html Canaan Dogs from Bnei HaBitachon Kennel] Web page displaying the Canaan dogs belonging to Drs. Rudolph and Rudolphina Menzel, the founders of the breed
* [http://www.thecanaandog.co.uk/details/history-of-the-canaan-dog-203.html History of The Canaan Dog]
* [http://myrnash0.tripod.com/shaarhagai-canaandogs/id3.html A Biblical dog in modern times]
* [http://www.cdca.org/history.html History of the Canaan Dog] History of the Canaan Dog by Home The Canaan Dog Club of America
* [http://www.cdca.org/inrnpa.html Report on the Canaan Dog] Report by the Israel Nature Reserves and National Parks Authority on the Canaan Dog, written by Dr. Tamar Ron, October 1999
*Pariahunde - Pariah Dogs, written by Rudolf Menzel & Rudolphina Menzel, translated by Bryna Comsky
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