Satsuma Dog

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


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

The Satsuma Dog was used as a hunting dog in the Satsuma region, particularly for boar hunting. It was also effective at rabbit hunting. Saigo Takamori, a great admirer of this breed, owned a beloved female named "Tsun." The statue of Saigo Takamori at Ueno Station is supposed to depict a Satsuma Dog, but it was actually "Sawa," Admiral Nirei Kagenori's pet dog. Therefore, the statue's appearance does not correspond to that of Tsun. Although widespread, the breed had been crossbred with others and was believed to be extinct in its pure form by the 1920s. Toward the end of the Shōwa era, a purebred dog was discovered to have survived in the mountains of the former village of Shimokoshiki in Kagoshima Prefecture. Breeding began in 1989, and in 1996, the first pedigrees were established for seven fourth-generation dogs, renowned for their stable lineage. The breed is not classified as a national or prefectural natural monument. By 2000, their numbers had reached nearly 100 individuals, but the conservation society's activities stagnated, and by 2010, the breed had once again become extinct. Genetic studies suggest a close relationship with the Ryukyu Dog and a possible kinship with South Asian dogs.