Description. The Tosa Inu is a big dog standing some 24 inches high and weighing in at anywhere from 80 to 200 pounds. The huge weight difference is down to their fighting heritage where they were separated by weight rather that height. This is of course similar to the classes of human boxers. They have a large broad head with a muzzle that is fairly long and squared off at the nose. Their nose should always be black. Their powerful jaws meet with a scissor action bite. Their eyes are comparatively small and brown in color, above which are their small high set ears that hang down towards the cheeks. Their thick muscular neck leads down to their deep chest and well defined strong shoulders. The overall body is athletic in look and the rear legs are heavily muscled. The tail tapers from the thick base and hangs loose when relaxed. Their dense, hard, short coat comes is several colors which can be brindle, as a solid color or a mixture of more than one color from yellow, fawn, black, apricot, tan, brindle, and red. The Tosa Inu often have white markings on their feet and chest and it is common for them to have a black mask.

History. These dogs have been bred in Japan for over two centuries. With their history of enjoying dog fights the Japanese crossed a couple of their native dogs with several large European breeds. Because of their great size the Tosa Inu is often referred to as a dog Sumo wrestler. As a breed they are classed as a national treasure, in Japan. Nowadays dog fighting is illegal in most countries but there are still thought to be fights taking place in the more remote areas, where policing is more difficult. The dogs used for this illegal fighting are at the smaller end of the breed, being dogs of fewer than 100 pounds in weight. It is a strange quirk of Japanese dog fighting that the dogs are meant to fight in silence and this breed did just that.

Temperament. The Tosa Inu is classed as a dangerous dog in many countries, and is therefore banned from ownership. They are however loyal and tone sensitive dogs that train well. They would be loyal to their family but should be trained very well. It is not a good idea to leave them unattended with small children. As a breed they are naturally very quiet but do make excellent watch and guard dogs. This dog requires very firm fair and consistent training, from a natural leader with the respect of the dog. If well socialized and properly trained they are a loving dog and will not normally attack anything or anyone. However in the hands of someone who does not understand dogs very well this will be a problem breed, which is very aggressive and unpredictable. This is not a dog for the faint of heart or a gifted amateur.

Health issues. As a big dog the Tosa Inu can be prone to bloat so several small meals are better than one large meal. They are also predisposed to CERF and OFA so they should be check prior to purchase.

Grooming. The Tosa Inu are a light shedder and regular brushing is all that is really needed.

Living conditions. These dogs require a good walk at least once a day. They will happily join you whilst jogging for their exercise requirement. As long as they are well walked and have mental stimulus daily the Tosa Inu will adapt to life in an apartment.