Tosa Breed of Dog:

The Tosa dog, also known as the Tosa Ken or Tosa Inu is one of the rarest breeds of dogs and is known to originate from Japan.



To be more precise, the breed is known to originate from the smallest Island of Japan – Shikoku. Much like the culture of its native country, the Tosu mastiff is extremely fascinating, yet not well understood.



The name Tosu was derived from the province in which the dogs were most prominently bred – now known as the Kochi prefecture. The Tosa dog breed was originally bred to perform as fighting dogs as this was the main pass time of the province and the animals are known to excel at combat and usually have a natural tendency to follow certain rules of combat.



Due to its viciousness, although this is only apparent when it has been triggered by some individual or other canine, the Tosa dog breed has been banned in certain countries. However, this is not so in the United States of America where the breed is only now growing in popularity. The Tosa dog is a very quick and agile animal despite its rather large frame.  They feature thick, dense coats that have short hair and the most common coat colors include black & tan, fawn, brindle or even a solid black.

Due to its natural fighting instincts, the Tosa dog breed is very fearless and bold. The animals are very sensitive and are usually able to respond to certain tones of their master’s voice. Moreover, the animal is extremely quiet and does not bark unnecessarily – this was a feature that has been instilled into it as a result of Japanese breeding. Their high levels of intelligence make them very quick learners however; they will require a very strong minded trainer as anything less would cause them to assume control – thereby leading to a number of character flaws including disobedience and destructiveness. It is essential that the animal be allowed to socialize during the younger years as this will promote social integration as well as help remove the tendencies of the animal to be suspicious of strangers. While the Tosa dog is a very jovial companion even for small children, the animal should not be left alone with them because of its sheer size. Despite its natural fighting instincts, these canines have an amazing temperament and will ideally never snap at a child. While the Tosa dog breed is a rather healthy dog, it is prone to bloating.