Tosa Inu
Temperament:
Tosa Inu dogs are considered calm and patient dogs that are often used as companion dogs today. They are affectionate and build a very close bond with their family. Towards strangers they are reserved. The great courage, self-confidence and fearlessness refer to a long history as a fighting dog.
Characteristics
Although dogs of the Tosa Inu breed have a reputation as "fighting machines", they are calm and peaceful animals. According to the FCI, the Tosa Inu is counted among the mastiff-like dogs. In the Tosa Inu, the combination between the imposing figure and the calm nature is particularly striking.
The Tosa has a very cool, almost condescending aura. Males should have a height of 60 centimeters. Bitches, on the other hand, should not have less than 55 centimeters. With the weight of proud 50 to 70 kilograms, it is a very large and muscular dog. Thus, he demands a lot of strength from his master.
The coat of the Tosa Inu is hard, short and dense. Recognized coat colors are apricot, red, fawn, black and brindle. Discreet markings on the chest and paws are permitted. Fearful, shy or aggressive dogs are excluded from breeding.
The Tosa Inu has a balanced nature. Hardly anything can upset him. True to the saying "the quietest are the bravest". He is oriented to his family members. He is always faithful to his master.
Unknown to strangers, the Tosa neutral repellent. However, the dog can be petted by strangers without any problems. If he likes someone, then this friendship lasts a lifetime. He comes alone to get his petting.
Its essence is defined in the standard: "Determined by patience, serenity, fearlessness and courage." This very strong dog needs a master with dog experience and sovereign composure. The Tosa Inu is therefore not recommended as a beginner dog.
The Tosa is good-natured, fond of children and Facing people. However, the dog is not always compatible with other four-legged friends. He tends to dominance behavior. The dog is self-confident and calm, but always wide awake. The Tosa is a real stubborn dog.
As with all other breeds, the Education of the Tosa Inus start as early as possible. Consistency is especially important. The dog should be shown exactly what he is allowed to do and what not. Shouting is of no use, you should bring an unmistakable authority. Therefore, especially children should not be left unsupervised with the dog.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
To prevent the dreaded Hip joint dysplasia you should always keep an eye on your four-legged friend's food. Puppies need a quite energy-rich food. The energy density of the food should be slowly lowered after half a year. This avoids too rapid growth. This is because joint problems often arise when dogs grow very quickly and the bones can't keep up properly.
But otherwise the Tosa Inu has no special demands on his food. He likes Meat Regardless, it could also mean that your dog Fish equally. These he likes to eat raw, but also cooked. He accepts dry and wet food.
You should note, however, that the breed quickly put on fat. Especially if overweight is already known in the breeding, you should pay attention to the right amount of food. You should also avoid giving too many treats. To find out exactly what should go into the food bowl and in what quantity, you can contact a veterinarian. A nutritionist especially for dogs can also give advice.
Not only the ration of the feed is important. The ingredients and composition also play an important role. The need for minerals depends on individual criteria of your dog. These include age, activity level, weight and housing conditions.
If your Tosa Inu sleeps outside frequently in cold temperatures, his energy needs will also increase. The need increases by about 30 percent. Under normal conditions, an adult male dog with an average amount of exercise needs about 1.5 kilograms of meat and just under 500 grams of vegetables.
In addition, it is important that the dog always fresh drinking water is available for free disposal. Because the dog drools a lot due to the large lips. Especially when eating, long strings often hang out of his mouth. Therefore, his water bowl should be rinsed out often and filled with clean water. Otherwise bacteria can easily settle in the water.
Tosa Inu care
In contrast to consistent education, the four-legged friend makes few demands on the care. Regular brushing is absolutely enough for the Tosa with its short coat. Also, the Tosa Inu is quite robust in health. Breed-typical disease patterns are hardly known in the dog.
Only the Hip joint dysplasia poses a problem. Especially in the growth phase, the dog must not be physically overloaded. Long running sessions and frequent stair climbing should be avoided at all costs during this time.
It is also important to have a soft lying surface for the Tosa. The strong dog tends quickly to lie calluses, if he lies for a long time on hard ground. Therefore should be included in a good Dog bed be invested.
The Tosa is quite undemanding in terms of external conditions. One Floor apartment is still not suitable for the attitude. He likes best a large house with garden. The four-legged friend likes to be outdoors, but is not a kennel dog.
The Tosa Inu is basically very easy to care for. With a knowledgeable master, he can be a family dog and a friend of children. Especially children love the dog more than anything. But other animals he does not always accept in the household.
However, there is one fact you need to consider before purchasing. The Tosa is considered a dangerous dog in some states. It is also one of the dogs that may not be kept and imported in several countries. A vacation with Tosa should not be taken in the Netherlands undertake. Here, there is a threat of confiscation and in some cases even euthanasia.
The Tosa Inu understands people very well. He also likes to follow people. This is based on mutual respect and recognition. If you take this to heart, you will be rewarded with a wonderful friendship between dog and human.
Suitable accessories
The powerful Tosa Inu enjoys sports very much. Already due to its stately size, it needs a high level of exercise. Various sports are suitable for this. The Tosa Inu can already with an age of one and a half years at the Bike run along. Also he accompanies you with pleasure at the Jogging.
If the run turns out to be smaller, he won't hold it against you. You should still pay attention, that the Tosa enjoys sports, but is not persistent. Very active dog owners who walk long distances with the dog every day will not have fun with the strongman. The Tosa appreciates it with suitable toy to be distracted from everyday life.
Due to its strength, the dog needs a strong leash. Also the Dog collar should be stable. Special leashes and collars are available in almost every good specialty store. Otherwise, the Tosa Inu does not need special accessories.
Origin & History
The Tosa Inu originally comes from Japan. He is the largest dog breed there. The dog was in origin a docile Japanese fighting dog. However, Kampfhund means almost the opposite of the image of the fighting dog in Germany. The dog fights in Japan are modeled on the fights of sumo wrestlers. The fights have been fought since the 14th century.
The fight is a ritualized competition. Where, in addition to physical strength, mental strength is particularly crucial. The dogs must not injure each other in the fight. The dogs are supposed to push each other down and impress each other. Special judges evaluate the mental strength of the dogs.
These dogs must not show aggression They are not even allowed to growl. Growling means immediate disqualification. Therefore, the Tosa Inu is also called "Sumo Inu". The dog breed is highly revered in Japan. According to estimates, around 10,000 Tosa Inus are kept there. Here in Europe, the Tosa is also known as the "Japanese Mastiff".
Major incidents towards humans are not known so far. The dogs have a very high threshold of irritation. Especially towards people the dog is very calm. He is not easily provoked. A Tosa Inu is just too cool to simply lure him out of his reserve.
The Tosa as we know it today is rather young. The traditional Tosa Inu "Shikoku-Ken" should be improved by European breeds. According to the standard Mastiffs, Bulldogs, Great Danes and German Pointers crossed in.
It was not until 1964 that the Tosa was recognized by the "Fédération Cynologique Internationale". In Germany, the powerful dog is a rarity. The first purebred dogs came to Germany around 1970. Nevertheless, here is still one of the rarest breeds at all. In the VDH are officially registered not even a handful of Tosa-Inu breeders.
