Tosa

FCI standard Nº 260

Origin
Japan
Group
Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds – Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs
Section
Section 2.1 Molossoid breeds, Mastiff type
Working
Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI
Wednesday 01 April 1964
Publication of the official valid standard
Tuesday 09 December 1997
Last update
Tuesday 09 December 1997
En français, cette race se dit
Tosa
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar
Tosa
En español, esta raza se dice
Tosa
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd
Tosa

Usage

Formerly fighting dog, nowadays watchdog.

Brief historical summary

Japan has a long history of dog fighting, beginning in the 14th century. With such a history in the background, this breed was produced as a hybrid of Shikoku-ken and Western breeds. Named after the area where they were bred, these dogs are sometimes called "Japanese Mastiffs". The Western dogs used for creating the breed were Bulldogs (1872), Mastiffs (1874), German Pointers (1876) and Great Danes (1924), all of which were used to improve the breed by sequential mating. According to some accounts, St.Bernards and Bull Terriers were also involved, but it is not known in what years they were used. The Tosa's established features of stamina and the fighting instinct typically found in Mastiffs may be attributed to the involvement of such breeds.

General appearance

Large-sized dog with a stately manner and robust build. The dog has hanging ears, short hair, a square muzzle and hanging tail thick at the root.

Behaviour / temperament

The temperament is marked by patience, composure, boldness and courage.

Head

Cranial region

Skull
Broad. 
Stop
Rather abrupt.

Facial region

Nose
Large and black.
Muzzle
Moderately long. Nasal bridge staight.
Jaws and teeth
Upper and lower jaws strong. Strong with a scissor bite.
Eyes
Rather small, dark brown in colour with a dignified expression.
Ears
Relatively small, rather thin, set high on the skull sides, hanging close to the cheeks.

Neck

Muscular, with a dewlap.

Body

Withers
High.
Back
Level and straight.
Loin
Broad, muscular.
Croup
Slightly arched at the top.
Chest
Broad and deep, ribs moderately sprung.
Underline and belly
Well drawn up.

Tail

Thick at the root, tapering towards the tip, reaching the hocks when let down.

Limbs

Forequarters

Shoulders
Moderately sloping.
Forearm
Straight, moderately long and strong.
Pastern
Slightly inclining and robust.

Hindquarters

Generality
Muscles very developed. Joints of stifle and hock moderately angulated, strong.

Feet

Tightly closed. Pads thick and elastic. Nails hard and preferably dark in colour.

Gait and movement

Robust and powerful.

Coat

Hair
Short, hard and dense.
Colour
Red, fawn, apricot, black, brindle. Slight white markings on chest and feet are permitted.

Size and weight

Height at withers
Minimum height at withers for dogs 60 cm, for bitches 55 cm.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

 Thin bone.
 Snipy muzzle.
 Slightly overshot or undershot bite.

Disqualifying faults

 Aggresive or overly shy.
 Extremely overshot or undershot bite.
 Shyness.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

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