Dog breeds :
Japanese Tosa / Tosa Fighting Dog / Tosa Inu / Tosa-Ken
Toshi's Kamikaze, owner: Pat James/Cindy Polowanchuk
General
Large-sized dog with a stately manner and robust build. The dog
has hanging ears, short hair, a square muzzle and hanging tail thick
at the root.
Characteristics
The Tosa Ken is a large, short-coated dog, with a stately manner
and a robust, powerful, and agile body. The body is slightly longer
than tall. The head is large and broad with a boxy muzzle,
pendulous flews, and clearly observable dewlap. There is wrinkling
on the head, particularly when the dog is alert. Ears are of medium
size, drop, and set high. The tail is uncut, very thick at the base,
and tapering to the tip. The Tosa Ken may be solid colored,
brindle, black with markings, or pied. The overall appearance
should be that of a massive but dynamic and flexible athlete, a
true canine samurai.
Temperament
The temperament is marked by patience, composure, boldness and
courage. The Tosa Ken is normally a tranquil, quiet, and obedient
dog with a calm but vigilant demeanor. The Tosa is quietly
affectionate with its own family but may be somewhat aloof with
strangers. This breed is also by nature watchful of other dogs and
may react aggressively to dogs it considers intruders. Overtly
aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the
breed and highly undesirable. The Tosa responds best to
positive-enforced training methods because of an inherent desire
to please its owner. This breed matures slowly and individual dogs
may not reach their prime until as late as four years of age.
History
Japan has a long history of dog fighting, beginning in the 14th
century. With such a history in the background, this breed was
produced as a hybrid of Shikoku-ken and Western breeds. Named
after the area where they were bred, these dogs are sometimes
called "Japanese Mastiffs". The Western dogs used for creating the
breed were Bulldogs (1872), Mastiffs (1874), German Pointers
(1876) and Great Danes (1924), all of which were used to improve
the breed by sequential mating. According to some accounts,
St.Bernards and Bull Terriers were also involved, but it is not
known in what years they were used. The Tosa's established
features of stamina and the fighting instinct typically found in
Mastiffs may be attributed to the involvement of such breeds.
Origin
Japan
Utilization
Formerly fighting dog, nowadays watchdog.
Classification
Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossians and Swiss Mountain- and Cattledogs
Size
Extra Large
Height
Minimum height at withers for dogs 60 cm, for bitches 55 cm.
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