Kai Dog

Also known as the Kai Shika Inu, the Kai Inu, the Tora Inu, the Kai Ken, the Kai Tora-Ken. the Kohshu-Tora, the Tora Dog or the Tiger Dog, this breed was developed in medieval times for hunting large game, such as wild boar and deer. The Japanese words 'shika inu' means 'medium-sized dog'. Like several other native Japanese dogs, this one was overshadowed by exotic imported breeds in the period following World War I. Then, in the 1930s, an attempt was made to revive the ancient breeds and arrange them into some sort of ordered classification. This was done largely by canine expert Haruo Isogai, using size distinctions as his main criterion. The Kai Dog was one of the medium-sized breeds, and in 1934 it was declared a Natural Monument. A general-purpose hunting dog, it was named after the mountainous Kai district of the Yamanashi Prefecture where it originated. Its alternative name of Tiger Dog is not meant to indicate that it once pursued tigers, but is probably derived from its typically dark, brindled coat that, with a little imagination, can be said to show a few striped markings. There are three brindled coat colours - red, called Aka-Tora; red-black, called Chu-Tora; and black, called Kuro-Tora. The puppies are all born solid black, and do not develop their brindled colours for some months. The Kai can be distinguished from other medium-sized Japanese breeds by its mord tapered head and narrower skull. It is a stocky, spitz-type dog with a thick neck, pricked ears and a tightly curled tail. It is still little-known outside its native homeland although a few examples have reached North America.