In 1965, Ursula Berkowitz of Oxnard, California, imported four Canaanite dogs. In the same year, the Canaan Dog Club of America was founded. The United Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1992 and the American Kennel Club in 1997. In 1998, the breed came to the spotlight of the country when Ch. Catalina’s Felix to the Max became the first Canaanite dog to participate in a reindeer herding group at the Westminster Kennel Club Show. It remains a rare breed to this day, ranking 150th out of 155 breeds and varieties registered with the AKC.