Ryukyu dog
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Ryukyu Inu | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other names | Ryukyu Dog, Ryukyu Ken, Okinawa dog. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Okinawa, Japan. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Breed status | Not recognized as a breed by any major kennel club. | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||||||||
The Ryukyu Inu (琉球犬) is a medium-sized breed of dog that originates from Okinawa, Japan. It is an Okinawan Natural Monument and is Okinawa's only pedigree dog breed. It is a rare dog and is slowly declining in Numbers. There are as few as 400 Ryukyu Inu as of 2015.[1] Unlike dog such as the Kai Ken, the Ryukyu is not protected by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai.
Description
Appearance
The Ryukyu Inu is a medium-sized Japanese dog breed. They are very similar to Kai Ken in appearance but are genetically not similar and are closer related to the Hokkaido Inu.
Colour and coat
The Ryukyu Inu comes in 9 colours. There are 5 Original colours and 4 newer recognised colours. The 5 original colours are
- Red (Black Mask)
- Red (Golden Eye)
- White Brindle
- Black Brindle
- Red Brindle.
The newer, non-official colours are
- Pure Black
- Pure White
- Ivory
- Sesame
Coat
Ryukyu Ken have Short to Medium coat. The Long Coated Gene is carried recessively but is rare and is a fault.
Temperament
The Ryukyu Ken is described as a quiet dog that is capable of hunting in a group. They are agile, brave and not sensitive. They are natural hunters and have high prey drive. Despite being a hunting dog, owners say they are Obedient, Playful and good with children.
History
The Ryukyu Inu originated in Okinawa, Japan. Its history is not well documented and there is varying stories, the more interesting version of the History is that the Ryukyu Inu was thought to be extinct after World War II due to Food Shortages. In the early 1980s however a small pack was found to be thriving in the northern Rainforests of the Yonbaru region of Okinawa. The pack was caught and scientists tested them to see if they were a distinct breed and the test came back that they were, hence the Ryukyu Breed was born and in the 1990s the Ryukyu Inu Preservation Society was founded.[2]
It is believed that the years of living in the rainforest is why the Ryukyu Inu has a Dewclaw on the back of the foot, because of the back dewclaw they can climb trees, which would have been evolutionarily favourable to them because of the high incidences of Tsunami in Japan they could climb trees quickly to evade the floods.
Lines
There are two distinct lines of Ryukyu Inu, the Yanbaru and the Yaeyama. Whilst they are the same dog, some subtle differences are there. Ryukyu from the Yaeyama lines are often a lot bigger, for example, males from Yaeyama lines are often on average 49.6 cm at the withers, whereas males from Yanbaru lines are on average 46.3 cm. The Yaeyama line dogs also tend to have longer bodies than Yanbaru and also deeper chests.
Ryukyu Inu Preservation Society
The Ryukyu Inu Preservation Society is a breed club for the Ryukyu Inu, it was founded in the 1990s and is the only Ryukyu Inu breed club and the only establishment that recognises the Ryukyu Inu thus far. The Ryukyu Inu Preservation Society has become inactive in recent years due to difficulties in breeding Ryukyu Inu, it is not certain whether this is due to infertility issues because of high inbreeding and small population or whether it is because of the decline in breeders or reluctance to stud the breedable dogs out.[3]
Health
The health of the Ryukyu Inu isn't well documented. Unlike in western countries, Japanese breeders don't tend to test for things such as Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Glaucoma, etc. However, because of the high level of inbreeding and what common issues the sibling breeds have it is likely they suffer from allergies, Collie Eye Anomaly, Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia and Hypothyroidism.