Greenland Dog
A tough, powerful Arctic sled dog built for hard work in extreme cold, friendly with people but strongly pack-minded.
At a glance
- Size
- Large
- Height at the withers
- Males 60–68 cm · Females 55–62 cm
- Weight
- Males 30–40 kg · Females 27–32 kg
- Life expectancy
- 11–14 years
- Exercise
- 90–180 min a day
- Grooming
- A few times a week
- Coat
- Double coat, medium
- Colours
- Most colours
- Bred for
- Sledding, Hunting by scent
- Country of origin
- Greenland
- FCI
- Group 5, no. 274 · Spitz & primitive types
Breeders on Kuldo
No breeders on Kuldo have this breed yet.
Living with the breed
| Affectionate with family | 4/5 – High |
|---|---|
| Good with children | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with other dogs | 2/5 – Low |
| Good with cats | 1/5 – Very low |
| Open to strangers | 4/5 – High |
| Energy | 5/5 – Very high |
| Playfulness | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Needs mental stimulation | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Easy to train | 2/5 – Low |
| Prey drive | 5/5 – Very high |
| Watchful and protective | 1/5 – Very low |
| Barking | 4/5 – High |
| Shedding | 5/5 – Very high |
| Grooming effort | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Drooling | 1/5 – Very low |
| Good for first-time owners | 1/5 – Very low |
| Suits apartment living | 1/5 – Very low |
| Adaptability | 1/5 – Very low |
| Copes with being alone | 1/5 – Very low |
| Copes with heat | 1/5 – Very low |
| Copes with cold | 5/5 – Very high |
Kuldo's own guidance from the breed's typical traits. Every dog is an individual, so talk to the breeder.
Is it the right breed for you?
Great if you …
- run a sled team or do serious pulling sports
- live in a cold climate
- have experience with Nordic working dogs
Think twice if you …
- want a family pet for a suburban home
- keep cats or small animals
- live in a warm climate
Care
Temperament
Friendly with people and full of drive, it is independent, pack-oriented and can be dominant with other dogs. It is not a guard dog.
Exercise
It needs hours of hard activity daily, ideally sledding, skijoring or long pulls in the cold. Walks alone are not enough.
Grooming
The dense coat needs brushing a few times a week and daily during the heavy moult. It sheds a lot.
Training
Training takes patience, consistency and an understanding of pack dogs; it works willingly in harness but has little interest in obedience drills.
Health
A hardy working breed with relatively few documented problems, though hip dysplasia occurs and its heavy coat makes it vulnerable to heat. Ask the breeder for hip and eye results.
Health tests breeders usually do
- Hips (HD)
- Eye examination
Ask the breeder to show you the parents' results.
About the breed
The Greenland Dog is the traditional working dog of the Inuit of Greenland, used to pull sledges over sea ice and to help hunt seals and polar bears. Its type has changed little over centuries, and it accompanied several famous polar expeditions.
It is a working animal first. Greenland Dogs are friendly with people, but they are independent, very energetic and strongly oriented towards other dogs and the pack. They howl, dig and chase, and they need a cold climate and real work to be happy. Outside sled-dog circles, few homes can give this breed what it needs.
Did you know?
Greenland Dogs pulled the sledges on Roald Amundsen's 1911 expedition, the first to reach the South Pole.