Taiwan Dog - Formosan Mountain Dog

Indigenous to Taiwan and descended from the greater South-Asian Hunting Dog population, as well as the pariah dogs of southern Japan, the rare Formosan Mountain Dog is a primitive breed which until relatively recently has been all but forgotten. Native dogs lost favour once the Dutch colonists introduced European breeds to Taiwan and the original incarnation of the Formosan Dog was believed to had been lost for decades, with most surviving specimens being of either poor quality or unpure, but in the 1980's a revival programme was started, reportedly utilizing only the most typical and pure examples for the salvation efforts. The project was a success and the breed has since been officially recognized by the Taiwan Kennel Club. It should be noted that the official name for the breed is simply Taiwan Dog, but there are two distinct types and quite a few regional varieties within this population. The breed is classified into the "Plain" and "Mountain" variants, with additional sub-categories for both groups, such as the basic Taiwanese "plain" Dog and the Chinese Huanan variety for the Plain type and the Mount Ali, Jade Mountain, Snow Mountain, East Coast Mountain and Central Mountain varieties for the Mountain type of the breed, which also counts two additional types that are seen as preferable to others, these being the Bunon and Taiya variants.

Although all types are classified as being the same breed, some differences in appearance can be observed between the Bunon, Taiya and Plain Taiwan Dog varieties, with the head type, coat texture and height being main points of distinction. Regardless of type, all Taiwan Dogs have strong bodies, deep chests and possess great agility, as well as great intelligence and trainability, although some can be quite stubborn and undemonstrative. They are excellent hunters and make good property watchdogs, while also being amenable family companions. The ears can be either fully or semi-erect, although an occasional drop-eared specimen can be encountered.

As mentioned earlier, the coats vary in length and texture between breed types, with the colouring ranging from uniform black, brown and fawn to various shades of brindle, with or without small white markings on the feet and chest. Average height is around 18 inches.