Description: The Ainu is thin, but sturdy and muscular. Here is a spontaneous and speedy dog. The Ainu has upright triangular ears; these are at right angles to the dog’s brows. It has small but triangular dark brown eyes. The teeth are non- protruding, solid and healthy. In some dogs, we see black spots on the tongue. The muzzle is straight and ends with a black nose. The tail has a curl like the Spitz family. The legs are straight and lean. It is 18-22 inches in height and the weight is 45-65 pounds. This breed has a double coat that is harsh and straight. The colors are white, wolf, brindle, red, brown, and sesame. The life expectancy is 11-13 years.

History: This dog came from Japan and is part of the Japanese Spitz family. This breed is still rarely seen outside of the country. The start, and history, of this breed is not known, but we know that they were in Japan some 3,000 years ago where they were brought by the Ainu tribe. This led to the tribe, and the dog, being pushed onto the island of Hokkaido. Here the dogs’ role was one of the guardian to the local villages as they are very alert. The Ainu is thought to be one of the oldest dogs’ of Japan. The blue-black tongue shows a distant relationship with the Chow Chow and the Shar Pei. This dog is good at big game hunting such as bears and has now become a designated Japanese Natural Monument. Some of their talents are in guarding and hunting. This dog has been used for sled pulling and can be trained to be defensive. The dog has a fantastic ability to sense direction and can find its owner over vast distances. This dog is also called the Hokkaido, after the area it lived, by Thomas Blankiston in 1869. This is a rare dog breed.

Temperament: The Ainu has lots of wonderful characteristics and is a fearless, watchdog, defender, guarding and very courageous. This dog is intelligent and trains well. Here we have a dog that can also be gentle, loving the family and the home. This dog needs an owner to show great leadership and set standards, or it can become aggressive and stubborn. This dog is not good to let off the lead around other animals. They can be good if raised with children but the children have to show leadership to the dog. Socializing this dog well will help the dog to be better with dogs and people. The Ainu needs walking daily at a moderate level to keep fit.

Health issues: The Ainu enjoys good health.

Grooming: This coat is double and harsh and will need brushed and combed weekly.

Living conditions: This dog is unsuitable for apartment living. The Ainu needs a large garden. This breed can live outside as the double coat will protect it from the hasher elements.

If you can't find a local breeder in your area don't worry, many breeders are using the major airlines like American, Delta, Continental and Northwest airlines for shipping their puppies.

At this time the airlines will ship puppies to the following States: Alabama AL - Alaska AK - Arizona AZ - Arkansas AR - California CA - Colorado CO - Connecticut CT - Delaware DE - Florida FL - Georgia GA - Hawaii HI - Idaho ID - Illinois IL - Indiana IN - Iowa IA - Kansas KS - Kentucky KY - Louisiana LA - Maine ME - Maryland MD - Massachusetts MA - Michigan MI - Minnesota MN - Mississippi MS - Missouri MO - Montana MT - Nebraska NE - Nevada NV - New Hampshire NH - New Jersey NJ - New Mexico NM - New York NY - North Carolina NC - North Dakota ND - Ohio OH - Oklahoma OK - Oregon OR - Pennsylvania PA - Rhode Island RI - South Carolina SC - South Dakota SD - Tennessee TN - Texas TX - Utah UT - Vermont VT - Virginia VA - Washington WA - Washington, D.C. - West Virginia WV - Wisconsin WI - Wyoming WY - Hawaii HI.