The Japanese Fighting Dog

Every body knows about illegal dog fighting that goes on in various parts of the world, like Europe, the United States and so on. However, did you know that in one place, one country dog fighting is not only legal but also considered honorable? Yup, you heard it right, in Japan dog fighting is a thing that is not only legal, but also a nice fun sport.

Before you start hating the Japanese, let us find out what kind of dog fighting goes on over there. The breed of dog used for these fights is the Tosa Inu (he has several names). The Tose Inu is considered by many to be the sumo wrestler of the dog world, "but how can they say that about a dog that rips other dogs up?" you ask. Well the Tosa Inu does not rip his opponent up like in traditional pit fights! The style of fighting developed in Japan is very similar to the sport of Sumo Wrestling.

Sumo Wrestling is where two BIG men try to either push their opponent out of the ring or at least get him off his feet; that is exactly the same way these dogs fight; the Tosa Inu is supposed to get the other dog on the floor and then hold him there for at least three minutes, all this time there is supposed to be no growling, barking or noise making! You see there are very strict rules that surround the fight and any dog that broke those rules would lose instantly, these fights are not about blood and guts everywhere; these fights are about intelligence, strategy, power, stamina and style.

The Japanese fighting dog has had a long and hard road which even today is uncertain...the Tosa Inu started out as a slightly smaller dog then the one we know today; that is because when Japan finally opened up to tourism, dogs such as the Great Dane, the old English bulldog and the Mastiff, arrived in Japan. When these knew European breeds started fighting the Tosa Ken, the Tosa was losing most of the fights...this was considered a disgrace and because of this, the Japanese breeders started crossing the Tosa with several larger, more powerful European breeds and the end result was a bigger better dog that would win the fight.

The Tosa Inu is a very big dog that combines strength with obedience. Yes that's right the Tosa Inu is a highly trainable dog that will listen to his owner. However, that does not make the Tosa Inu a dog for the average dog owner, no; the Tosa Inu needs somebody with experience that knows how to handle animals of such size and strength. The Tosa Inu has been reported to be able to pull loads of over one thousand pounds that means that if he gets it into his head, he can pull you right down the street and there won't be anything that you can do about it. Because of this, obedience training is a must for these animals!

Never leave a Tosa Inu alone with small children, not that he would ever do anything to them, it's just that this is a very big animal that could do a lot of damage without even meaning to. It is not a good idea to have two dogs of the same-sex in the same house because if a fight ever occurred the Tosa Inu would win, without a doubt.

The Tose Inu is a big dog that looks a lot like the Mastiff, only bigger and sleeker; this dog can weigh up to 200 pounds.

When looking for a puppy always look for a breeder that has a good reputation in his area, even if you have to look in another city or even another state...believe me, its worth it! Buying from puppy mills or backyard breeders will often result in you purchasing an animal of low quality that does not meet the breed standards, a puppy that has health problems and a puppy that has an unstable temperament.....so why wait and pay a bunch of fines when it is perfectly avoidable?

The Tosa Inu is not a dog for everybody, but everybody that ever had one, did not regret it!