The Tamaskan is a rare breed of domestic dog originating from Finland. It is a highly versatile arctic breed of sled-dog type that is known to excel in agility, obedience and working trials. Morphologically, Tamaskan Dogs were bred to physically resemble wolves and they have a notable lupine appearance. Originally coined “the Wolfdog without the Wolf” these gentle dogs are designed to look as wolflike as possible, without the typically associated behavioral traits of true wolfdogs. Tamaskan Dogs should be friendly, social, outgoing and playful, without any signs of aggression nor overly shy.
The Tamaskan is still considered to be a “work in progress” breed and, due to its rarity and scarcity (limited genepool), the ITR has an open-studbook policy whereby unrelated outcross dogs are occasionally added to the Tamaskan breeding program in order to increase genetic diversity within the breed. New outcrosses may also introduce new desirable features into the breed, as well as (sometimes) negative traits; therefore, each potential new outcross dog is carefully selected by the ITR’s Committee of Breeders and must adhere to strict guidelines with regards to health, temperament and appearance. All offspring from approved outcross litters must undergo a temperament evaluation and a conformation evaluation, in addition to mandatory health testing, in order to qualify for future breeding.
