Ryukyu

The Ryukyu is an Okinawan hunting dog, one of Japan's native types and the rarest of them.

History

It comes from the Ryukyu islands, where it hunted boar in dense subtropical forest, and it carries a trait uncommon in Japanese breeds: dewclaws on the hind legs, which its hunters said helped it climb. It was close to extinction after the Second World War and the battle of Okinawa; a preservation society formed in the 1980s and the population remains in the low hundreds.

Temperament

The breed is known for being courageous, agile and devoted to its handler, reserved with strangers and strongly driven to hunt.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and secure fencing; the prey drive is real. Training works through relationship. The short coat needs little.

Health

Generally hardy; a very small population is the standing genetic caution. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.