All canids and felids worldwide

Tosa

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/
Details
Also available: Français (France) Deutsch (Deutschland) Español (España) Nederlands (nl-NL)
Hits: 976

Comments

Latest page updates

  • Rare breeds
    Telomian

    Telomian

    Telomian He is not recognized by the F.C.I. Origin Malaysia Translation Francis Vandersteen A brief presentation of the Telomian The Telomian is a very rare breed of dog, and the only one native to Malaysia to have been bred outside the country. They were originally bred by the indigenous people of Malaysia to combat parasites such as snakes, rats,...
  • Interesting crossbreeds
    King Wheaten -- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel X Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

    King Wheaten -- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel X Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

    King Wheaten He is not recognized by the F.C.I. Origin Great Britain <> Ireland -> U.S.A. Translation Francis Vandersteen A brief presentation of the King Wheaten The King Wheaten is a small dog with a heart this big and a playful disposition. Borrowing the energy and soft-coated waves of the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and the size and...
  • Interesting crossbreeds
    Spanierd -- English Springer Spaniel X German Shepherd

    Spanierd -- English Springer Spaniel X German Shepherd

    Spanierd He is not recognized by the F.C.I. Origin Great Britain <> Germany -> U.S.A. Translation Francis Vandersteen A brief presentation of the Spanierd The Spanierd is a hybrid dog. Its parent breeds are the English Springer Spaniel and the German Shepherd. They have an affable personality. He's known for entertaining family and friends with his...
  • Interesting crossbreeds
    Alaskan Goldenmute -- Alaskan Malamute X Golden Retriever

    Alaskan Goldenmute -- Alaskan Malamute X Golden Retriever

    Alaskan Goldenmute He is not recognized by the F.C.I. Origin U.S.A. <> Great Britain -> U.S.A. Translation Francis Vandersteen This breed is also known as Alaskan GoldenGoldenmuteAlaskan Gold Retriever     A brief presentation of the Alaskan Goldenmute The Alaskan Goldenmute is a descendant of two great dog breeds: the Alaskan Malamute and the Golden...
  • The FCI breeds
    French pointing dog Pyrenean type

    French pointing dog Pyrenean type

    French pointing dog Pyrenean type FCI standard Nº 134 Origin France Translation Mrs. Peggy Davis Group Group 7 Pointing Dogs Section Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs « Braque » Type Working With working trial Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI Tuesday 18 January 1955 Publication of the official valid standard Tuesday 01 August 2023 Last...
  • The FCI breeds
    French pointing dog Gascogne type

    French pointing dog Gascogne type

    French pointing dog Gascogne type FCI standard Nº 133 Origin France Translation Mrs. Peggy Davis Group Group 7 Pointing Dogs Section Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs « Braque » Type Working With working trial Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI Monday 17 January 1955 Publication of the official valid standard Tuesday 01 August 2023 Last...
  • Rare breeds
    Vucciriscu

    Vucciriscu

    Vucciriscu He is not recognized by the F.C.I. Origin Sicily Translation Francis Vandersteen En français, cette race se dit Vucciriscu Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar Vucciriscu En español, esta raza se dice Vucciriscu In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd Vucciriscu This breed is also known as Sicilian Vucciriscu Sicilian Butcher...
Planethoster

© 2026 Groupe Milouchouchou ASBL. Tous droits réservés. En savoir plus

Protected by Copyright01
We use cookies

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.

Ok