Qimmiq

The Canadian Eskimo Dog is an Arctic breed of dog (Canis lupus familiaris), which is often considered to be one of North America’s oldest and rarest remaining purebred indigenous domestic canines. Other names include Qimmiq (Inuit for "dog"). Although once used as the preferred method of transportation by Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, traditional working dog teams became increasingly rare in the North after the 1960s. This is often cited a result of snowmobiles becoming more popular, however it may also be the result of the alleged organized and systematic mass slaughter of Inuit sled dogs in the Eastern Arctic between 1950 and 1970 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.