Kyusho  

   Hokkaido  

     History 

The Ainu Dog is a Japanese Spitz breed rarely seen outside that county. The dog  was named after the Ainu tribe. Origin is unknown. They arrived in Japan over 3,000 years ago when the Ainu brought this Spitz-type dog with them. As the Ainu were pushed onto the island of Hokkaido by an influx of Japanese people, their dogs gradually became restricted to this island. The dog's ever alert and suspicious nature lent itself to the required role of village guardian. Their dog has changed little over the centuries. The Ainu Dog is probably the oldest of the Japanese breeds. It was later named the Hokkaido Dog, but is still better known as the Ainu Dog; indeed it is registered with the FCI under that name. Many Ainu Dogs have blue-black tongues, a physical trait that suggests a distant relationship with the similarly tongued Chow Chow and Shar Pei. Through the active work of the Society For The Preservation of Japanese Breeds, the Ainu Dog was designated a Japanese Natural Monument in 1937. The Ainu Dog has always distinguished itself in big-game hunting (especially bears), in guarding property, and as a draft animal. This breed is olso said to have originated from medium-sized Japanese dogs that accompanied migrants from Honsyu (the main island of Japan) to Hokkaido during the Kamakura era (in the 1140s), when exchanges were developing between Hokkaido and the Tohoku District. When the breed was designated as a "natural monument" in 1937, it took on the name of the area. It also came to be known as the "Ainu-ken", since the Ainu-the former inhabitants of Hokkaido-used to breed these dogs for hunting bears and other animals.

GENERAL APPEARANCE   Medium-sized dog with secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, well balanced, sturdily built and well boned. Muscles tough and clean cut.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 10 : 11.
The ratio of skull length to length of nasal bridge is 3 : 2.
Length of skull equal to width of cheeks, being about one fourth of height at withers.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT Dog of noteworthy endurance, showing dignity and naive feeling. The temperament is faithful, docile, very alert and bold.

HEAD   CRANIAL REGION   Skull and forehead : Broad and slightly flat.
Stop Shallow, but defined.

FACIAL REGION 
Nose Black, flesh colour permitted with a white coat. Nasal bridge straight.
Muzzle   Wedge-shaped.
Lips   Tight, with black edges.
Teeth   Strong, with a scissor bite.
Cheeks   Well developed.
Eyes   Relatively small, nearly triangular, set well apart and dark brown in colour.
Ears  Small, triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked.

NECK   Powerful and muscular, free from dewlap.

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FOREQUARTERS    Shoulders Moderately sloping.
Forearm Straight, clean ut.
Pasterns Slightly inclining.

HINDQUARTERS Powerful.
Hocks Tough, sufficiently strong.

FEET Toes well arched and tightly closed; pads hard and elastic nails hard and black or dark colour.

GAIT Active, quick, light and resilient.

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COAT

HAIR Outer coat harsh and straight; undercoat soft and dense. The hair on the tail fairly long and off-standing.

COLOUR Sesame, brindle, red, black, black and tan, white.

SIZE  
Height at withers : Dogs 48,5 - 51,5 cm
Bitches 45,5 - 48,5 cm

Faults     Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note  Male  animals should have two apperently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. 

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