Japanese Terrier

Japanese Terrier

Other names	Nippon Terrier Nihon Teria Nihon Terrier
Common nicknames	Kobe Terrier Mikado Terrier Oyuki (snowy) Terrier
Origin	Japan
Classification / standards FCI Group 3, Section 2 Small Terriers #259 standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Japanese Terrier (日本テリア, Nihon Teria) is a small terrier native to Japan. It is believed to be descended from the progeny of fox terrier types, pointers and indigenous Japanese dogs. This dog is also known as the Nippon Terrier. The breed is rare, even in Japan.

Description

Japanese Terrier head

Appearance

The Japanese Terrier is a balanced, square dog, most often black head with predominantly white body that has little black spots. It is 8 to 13 inches tall (to shoulders) and weighs 5 to 9 pounds, its ears are high set and fold forward, and the coat is short, slick and fine. Its tail can be docked.

Temperament

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) breed standard describes this breed as having "a lively and cheerful character" and as "swift and lively in temperament".

History

A female Japanese Terrier

It is generally believed that the ancestors of the Japanese Terrier were brought by Dutch merchant ships to Nagasaki, the only Japanese port open to the West in the 17th century. It is unclear whether these dogs were Dutch Boerenfox (a Dutch terrier strain, like the Fox Terrier of England or the German Pinscher of Germany) or whether these were dogs brought along by English sailors. Unlike other descendants of Fox Terriers, the JT seems to have been developed exclusively as a pet. The dogs became very popular as lap dogs in ports such as Nagasaki, Kobe and Yokohama.

According to the Japan Kennel Club (JKC), planned breeding of Japanese Terriers did not begin until around 1920, when fanciers began selective breeding from the progenitor, the Kobe Terrier. The Japanese Terrier was recognized by the JKC in 1930. The Japanese Terrier is recognized by the Japan Kennel Club and the FCI. It is little known outside Japan, but does have its admirers in Europe.

Although this dog goes by the name of Japanese Terrier it is actually not included in the group of Japanese Spitz. The Japanese Spitz group includes six distinctive dogs such as the Hokkaido Inu, the Shiba Inu, the Akita Inu, the Kai Ken, Kishu Inu, and the Shikoku Inu.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japanese Terrier.

• Japanese Terrier Photos from DogFacts.org

Dogs originating in Japan
Extant	Akita Hokkaido Japanese Chin Japanese Spitz Japanese Terrier Kai Ken Kishu Shiba Inu Shikoku Tosa
Extinct	Sakhalin Husky
Related articles	Japan Kennel Club Nihon Ken Hozonkai