Japanese Terrier

The Japanese Terrier, also known as the Nippon Terrier, is a rare breed of dogs. Even in its country of origin, Japan, it is extremely rare. The Japanese Terrier is believed to have descended from a mix of fox terrier type dogs, pointers and native Japanese breeds. The body of the Japanese Terrier is balanced and well proportioned and is square in shape. In most cases, the Japanese Terrier has a black head and a white body. It also has a number of small black spots on the body. The Japanese Terrier is a small breed of dogs. It is only about 8 to 13 in. tall at the shoulders and weighs only about 5-9 pounds. The ears of the Japanese Terrier are usually highly set, and they have an inwards fold. The coat of this breed is usually short. The coat is made up very fine and slick hair. This makes the dog very easily to maintain in the house. However, the short coat does not provide adequate protection from the cold during winter. In many cases, the tail of the Japanese Terrier is found to be docked.

The Japanese Terrier is known to have a very friendly temperament and gets along with people extremely well. This breed of dogs seems to be happy and cheerful at all times and is always ready for a fun game or for a bit of affection. They are known to have a lively temperament and are great as house pets.

There is quite a bit of background on the Japanese Terrier. It is widely believed that the dogs that the Japanese terriers have descended from were most likely introduced to Japan by Dutch merchant ships at Nagasaki, which was at that time in the 17th century, the only Japanese port that the West had access to. It is highly likely that the Japanese Terriers are descendants of Dutch Boerenfox, which is a strain of the Dutch Terrier, akin to the English Fox Terrier and German Pinscher. On the other hand, it is also possible that the dogs from which the Japanese terrier descended were probably brought to Japan by English sailors and that they have strains of the English Fox Terrier. It is noteworthy that while terriers in other countries are usually developed to hunt game, in Japan, the Japanese Terrier seems to have been bred only as domestic pets. In any case, the Japanese Terriers saw immense popularity as lap dogs in some ports of Japan such as Nagasaki, Yokohama and Kobe.

The Japanese Kennel Club claims that only around the 1920’s did the planned breeding of Japanese Terriers begin. Around that time, breeders started selective breeding with the Kobe Terrier. After a decade of careful breeding, the Japanese Terrier came to be recognized as a breed by the Japanese Kennel Club. The Japanese Terrier is also recognized by the FCI, but in no Kennel Club in Europe or North America. This is mainly because this breed of dogs is hardly known outside of Japan.