Shikoku Inu

A dog of marked endurance, keen in sense with a naive feeling, energetic and highly alert; an enthusiastic hunter; docile towards his master.

This breed goes back to medium-sized dogs that existed in Japan in ancient times. The Shikoku was bred as a hunting dog, mainly for hunting boar in the mountainous districts of Kochi Prefecture. It is sometimes called « Kochi-ken » (ken = dog). There were three varieties of this breed-Awa, Hongawa and Hata-all named after the area where they were bred. Among them, the Hongawa maintained the highest degree of purity, because the breeding area was not easily accessible from anywhere.

These dogs are tough and sufficiently agile to run through a montainous region. They are characterized by their sesame coloured coats. The breed took on the name of the region and was designated as a « natural monument » in 1937.

Fenced yard, leash, socialization and training.