MyDogBreeds
Shikoku is originated from Japan but Korean Mastiff is originated from South Korea. Shikoku may grow 49 cm / 19 inches shorter than Korean Mastiff. Shikoku may weigh 21 kg / 46 pounds lesser than Korean Mastiff. Shikoku may live 3 years more than Korean Mastiff. Both Shikoku and Korean Mastiff has same litter size. Both Shikoku and Korean Mastiff requires Moderate maintenance.
The Shikoku is from the Shikoku Island in Japan and they are very much like the Japanese Shiba Inu. There are six native Japanese dog breeds and the Shikoku is medium sized and sits in between the smaller Shiba Inu and the very large Akita Inu. All of the Japanese native breeds are members of the Spitz family. The Japanese have sorted their six breeds into 3 categories by size. Being medium size, the Shikoku is a member of the Shika-inus group. Others in this group are the Ainu Ken, the Kai Ken and the Kishu Inu. There are small differences between the three dogs in the Shika-inus group.
The Shikoku was bred to be a hunting dog in Kochi Prefecture to hunt boar and deer. Other names for the breed include Kochi-ken and Kishu dog or boar hound. This dog is considered to be the purest of the Japanese native dogs or Nihoken. They are today very , very rare. There are very few outsides of Japan, but some in North America are attempting to save the breed.
The are od Kochi Prefecture is a mountainous region with rough terrain that anyone outside of the area would have a hard time accessing. That is why the Shikoku is considered to be so pure as they were pretty well isolated in the mountains. The breeders were also isolated by the mountains and there was very little interbreeding. Although breeding the same dog, these different groups developed different lines of the Shikoku.
Documentation tells us that the number of originals lines was just two and these were the Western and Eastern Shikoku. The Western dog was known as the Mount Ishizuchi Shikoku and the Eastern as the Mount Tsurugi Shikoku. Within these two lines of Shikoku there are additional strains.
Within the Eastern line there is the Tokushima (lya) and the Koci-Aki strains. Within the Western line there is the Hata Uwahara, the Ehime-ken Shuso-gun and the Honkawa. Among these lines and strains, there are different coats and different colors; some heavier and some taller, but all figure into the development of the breed.
Finally, in the Showa Era the Japanese established the Dog Protective League and they began collecting the native dogs from around the country. They protected them so that the breed will go on. The Shikoku is today recognized as Foundation Stock by the AKC and it is fully recognized by the Japan Kennel Club, the Canadian Hound Club and the Shikoku has been declared a living Japanese “natural monument”.
Two bloodlines became the way the Shikoku were know after the war – the Honkawa and the Hata lines The Honkawa line were the descendants of the Choshun-go and the Hata line were the descendants of the Matsukaze-go. They bred the lines separately until 1955, when they mixed them to make the breed stronger. They are no longer considered separate in any way.
Because they are such primitive dogs, the Shikoku are good watch dogs and quite reserved with strangers. They need a lot of socialization to be a family pet but once they are, they make great companions. Intelligent, quick to learn and eager to please. Of the two lines of Shikoku dogs from the Western strains, the current Shikoku owes much of its current development to the Honkawa and Hata strains.
This large breed dog is also known as the Mee Kyun Dosa. In spite of his huge size, he isn’t aggressive at all and is bred to be a companion dog.
He was originally developed to be a working dog. The dog was developed in the late 1800’s from European and Asian working breeds. Those interested in dog breeds suspected that a crossing of the Japanese Tosa-Inu with the Neapolitan Mastiff and the Dogue de Bordeaux brought about the breed. They also thought that the Saint Bernard and English Mastiff were brought in later on as well.
These large molosser dogs have been developed through years of inbreeding. It is one of the biggest dogs in Korea.
Today’s Shikoku is a medium sized breed with a Spitz like body – square with a head that is wedge shaped. The ears are pointed, and the tail is curved and feathered. They have arched toes and hard pads with dark, hard nails.
The two lines of the Shikoku are slightly different in built and look. The Honkawa strain is slender and athletic; agile and single coated. They have dark eyes and most of them are black and tan.
On the other hand, the Hata strain is much heavier boned, with the front more muscular than the rear. They have small ears, a wide skull and a strong undercoat. His eyes are shaped differently than the Honkawa. Their coats are also mostly red and tan.
You can’t help but stare at the Korean Mastiff because of his strong, muscular neck of loose skin that forms dewlaps. His face is wrinkled and he has a cumbersome, sluggish gait.
He is a large dog standing at anything between 59 to 76cm in height, both male and female. He can weigh between 65 to 74kg. He is noticeable because of his fairly loose fitting coat, which is short and smooth and which is a rich, shiny reddish, orange or brown colour.
The nose of the dog is broad and dark, the ears soft and floppy and he has eyes which are set wide apart.
The Korean Mastiff is reserved with strangers but he is friendly and even tempered with his human family, making an ideal pet.
He is looked upon as a gentle giant, being an oversized playmate for children and he also tolerates other pets in the home.
He isn't an overly energetic dog, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be exercised. He will need long walks to avoid him putting on weight.
1.Children friendliness – They might be a little aloof with children. They are hunters.
3.Adaptability with your commitment to exercise they can live anywhere even in an apartment.
Your huge Korean Mastiff is a good natured dog who isn’t aggressive. He loves being with his human family and makes a particularly good pet when he has been trained and socialized.
He likes a firm but fair owner who takes a leader-of-the-pack role. In spite of his largeness and sluggishness, he can be quite agile and makes a good watchdog too.
All round, the Korean Mastiff, known as a gentle giant, is capable of making you a splendidly friendly, loving canine companion.
Being isolated as they were, the Shikoku was a fairly healthy breed, no genetic testing has been done. Despite this they suffer a few of the same potential issues as other breeds their size.
Otherwise this is an agile and hardy breed with no known congenital health issues.
Treat your big Mastiff dog like the wonderful fur-child he is and make sure your attend to all his medical needs to avoid pain and discomfort for him.
Cherry eye is a fairly common health issue with this breed. It affects the tear gland of the third eyelid, and if left untreated, can lead to ongoing eye problems.
All dogs have a third eyelid, as well as two tear producing glands to lubricate the eyes. Its an important protective component to eye health in dogs. When the connective tissue that holds the gland in place is damaged or weak, there is a red protrusion of the gland from the lower eye. This is a congenital disorder. Don’t ignore it, but get your pet to the vet so you can catch it early.
Canine bloat, known as gastric dilatation and volvulus can be a killer disease for your pet, more so with deep-chested, large breeds.
Gas accumulation is known as bloat, and its the accumulation of gas which can cause the stomach to rotate. A dog can go into shock from bloat. The reason for this is that the stomach expands, putting pressure on veins. Blood can’t flow as it should and the blood supply gets cut off to the stomach.
Your dog could be vomiting, restless, the stomach hard and bloated or he may be drooling. Dogs who gobble their food down and eat just one large meal a day have an increased susceptibility to GDV than other dogs.
The wrong ingredients of a dog’s diet can also contribute to bloat. High quality food and feeding your pet smaller meals can help.
Feeding the puppy Be careful with feeding the puppy and adult as the breed is known to have a tendency toward obesity. Fresh food is better as it is what the breed has been used to, but a high quality puppy kibble is acceptable. Feed three times per day.
2.Feeding the adult He is a high energy dog so feed a high energy food designed for a medium sized dog. Feed in two meals each day.
4. Games and Exercises You will need a fenced yard for this breed and time to play with them. If not, you would need time to walk her more than once a day. They love to play indoors as well, chasing balls, learning new things. The breed make great companions for hiking, swimming, play frisbee or catch outside. They do well at agility, rally, obedience and flyball.
A Korean Mastiff is an easy dog to groom with his short smooth coat. He is a moderate shedder so a brush twice a week will be sufficient to maintain the shiny, smooth condition of his coat.
Because the dog has lots of skin and folds, these folds will need to be washed and kept clean as grime can collect.
While you're busy attending to his skin check his nails too and check inside and outside his ears for signs of redness and irritation.
Puppies use up more energy than mature adults, requiring a diet of good quality protein. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered will require less calories as will senior dogs.
Korean Mastiffs require high quality nutrition, and if its dry kibble, make sure its the best brand. Mix in some home-made food such as cooked chicken, brown rice and vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat occasionally.
Protein and fat from good sources are top ingredients for your Korean Mastiff. Avoid food with allergens such as corn and wheat, sweeteners, preservatives and colorants.
Make sure your large pet has constant access to fresh water.