Karafuto Dog

		Karafuto Dog
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Japan
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Chien de Karafuto
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Karafuto-Hund
En español, esta raza se dice			Perro Karafuto
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Karafuto-hond

This breed is a spitz-type dog related to other Japanese breeds and considered an ancestor of the Akita Inu. Its height at the withers ranges from 56 to 66 cm, and its weight from 30 to 40 kg. Its ears are small, pointed, sometimes slightly tilted forward or drooping. The breed comes in a wide variety of colors, including red and black. Its coat is fine and thick, with a very dense undercoat, similar to that of the Greenland Dog. Karafuto-ken is a contraction of Karafuto, the Japanese name for Sakhalin, and Ken, which means "dog" in Japanese; thus, the breed's geographical origin is clear. Today, this breed is rarely used; consequently, only a few breeders remain in Japan. In 2011, only two purebred dogs remained, the breed having never recovered from the consequences of World War II.