| Tosas: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Tosa Inu personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Tosa Inu, including these excerpts:
"The FCI Standard lists the key characteristics of the Tosa Inu as "patience, composure, boldness, and courage."
This stately, massive breed is quiet, calm, and relaxed -- until aroused, which may mean a bad guy rushing at his family or a low-flying bird to be snatched out of the air.
In other words, he is a laid-back sofa connoisseur, until switched on.
His athleticism and agility, combined with his immense power, mean that he must be respected, well socialized, well trained, and under control at all times.
Weight pulling is an enjoyable activity, with some Tosa Inu pulling more than 3000 pounds.
Tosa puppies should be friendly and trusting, and become more discriminating as they mature, but this should always be a people-friendly breed. Protection training and Schutzhund are not recommended.
Animal-aggression (dogs, cats, livestock) is a real problem and requires committed socialization and training to keep under control.
The stubborn Tosa is inclined to do things his own way, but he will defer to confident leadership that includes consistent rules and cheerful praise. This breed cannot be outmuscled."
History
The Tosa Inu is often referred to as the "Sumo wrestler of the dog world" because of his great size and strength. He was developed for dogfighting and is often pictured in full ceremonial regalia.
Size
23-30 inches and 100-160 lbs |
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Tosa Inus
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- There are energetic Tosas, and placid Tosas.
- Hard-headed Tosas, and sweet-natured Tosas.
- Serious Tosas, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Tosas, and Tosas who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Tosa Inu puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
Now let's look at some common characteristics for this breed...
- Is massive and powerful
- Has a short easy-care coat
- Makes an imposing watchdog
- Is serious and self-assured with strangers, yet generally mild-mannered unless aroused
- Compared to other mastiffs, is more athletic, more agile, and more responsive to training
A Tosa Inu may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- A huge dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car
- A heavy dog who wants to sit on your feet, lie on your lap, and lean his weight against your leg
- Rowdiness and exuberant jumping when young
- Destructiveness when bored or left alone too much
- Aggression or suspiciousness toward strangers when not socialized properly
- Aggression toward other animals
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Shedding
- Snorting and loud snoring
- Slobbering
- Gassiness (flatulence)
- Serious health problems
- Extremely high prices
- Legal liabilities (public perception, future breed bans, insurance problems, increased chance of lawsuits)
A Tosa Inu may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Tosa Inu... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing the proper balance of exercise. Young Tosa Inus need enough exercise to keep them lean and healthy, but not so much that their soft growing bones, joints, and ligaments become over-stressed and damaged. Adult Tosa Inus need more exercise to keep them in shape, but not in hot or humid weather for fear of overheating. The proper amount of exercise can be difficult to regulate in giant breeds.
Since you have to minimize their exercise, young Tosas can be very rambunctious. They will romp with uncoordinated gawkiness all over your house. You need to substitute extra quantities of companionship and supervision. Otherwise, left alone, young Tosas become bored and destructive -- and their powerful jaws can literally destroy your living room.
- Providing enough socialization. Most Tosa Inus have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to dangerous aggression. Some Tosas go in the opposite direction -- without enough socialization, they become fearful of strangers, which can lead to defensive aggression.
| If you have children, I do not recommend a Tosa Inu. Young Tosa Inus (up to about two years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. In addition, Tosa Inus may try to protect their own children from other children, which could lead to tragedy if kids are simply roughhousing and your Tosa decides to stop it. With such a massive dog, I wouldn't take the risk. |
- Animal aggression. Many Tosa Inus will not tolerate another dog of the same sex, and some won't tolerate the opposite sex either. Some Tosa Inus have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
- The strong temperament. Tosa Inus are not Golden Retrievers. Though they are very responsive in the right hands, they have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Some Tosas are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
| To teach your Tosa to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Tosa Inu Training Page discusses the program you need. |
- Shedding. Tosa Inus shed more than you might think. Their short, coarse hairs come off on your hands when you pet them, and stick tenaciously to your carpeting, upholstery, and clothing.
- Tosa Inu sounds. Some Tosa Inus snort, grunt, and snore loudly.
- Slobbering. Though Tosas drool much less than most other mastiffs, they slobber their water, and those with loose jowls do tend to drool before or after eating.
- High prices. Though the Tosa Inu has become common enough in the United States, breeders are still charging $1000 and up.
- Gassiness (flatulence) that can send you running for cover. Fortunately, Tosa Inus who are fed a natural diet of real meat and other fresh foods have much less trouble with gassiness. See my Tosa Inu Health Page for more information.
- Serious health problems. From joint and bone diseases to skin and autoimmune conditions...all giant breeds are risky in the health department.
| To keep this breed healthy, I strongly recommend following all of the advice on my Tosa Inu Health Page. |
- Legal liabilities. Tosa Inus are already banned in some countries and may be targeted for banning in certain areas in the United States. Homeowner insurance policies may be refused if you own a Tosa. Your friends and neighbors may be uncomfortable around this breed. In this day and age, the legal liabilities of owning any breed that looks intimidating and has a history as a guard dog and fighting dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
| Frankly, most Tosa Inus are "too much dog" for the average household. This is a serious working dog with tremendous strength. Very few people really have the knowledge, facilities, or skills necessary to manage this breed. |
| If you're considering an adult Tosa Inu... |
There are plenty of adult Tosas who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2006 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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