What is Tosa (dog)?
[[File:Bukadai.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Tosa Inu]] [[File:Tosa inu - głowa.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Head of a Tosa Inu]] The '''Tosa Inu''' ({{lang|ja|土佐}}) also called the '''Japanese Mastiff''' is a breed of [[dog]] of [[Japan]]. It was originally bred in [[Tosa Province|Tosa]] (present day [[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]]) as a fighting dog and still today is a known fighting dog. == Appearance == The Japanese breed generally weighs between 40 and 60&nbsp;kg, while the non-Japanese breeders have focused on dogs that weigh from 55 to 95&nbsp;kg and stand 24.5 to 31 inches (62 to 80&nbsp;cm) at the withers. The [[coat (dog)|coat]] is characterized by its short and smooth appearance and is often red, brindle, or fawn. Occasionally it can be a dull black, but this is somewhat rare. Maintenance of the coat is usually minimal. Dogs should be very muscular and athletic. Tosa is a very resistant to pain and physical exhaustion.<ref>see on FCI standards [http://greatbreeds.com/articles/tosa-inu.html Основните информации, Gretabreeds.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030003048/http://greatbreeds.com/articles/tosa-inu.html |date=2012-10-30 }}.</ref><ref>[http://priderocktosa.com/page12.php] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912064954/http://priderocktosa.com/page12.php |date=2012-09-12 }}[http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/GuardianDog/TosaKen see also] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625222439/http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/GuardianDog/TosaKen |date=2013-06-25 }}</ref> ==History== This breed originated in the second half of the nineteenth century in Japan. The breed started from the native [[Shikoku-Inu]], an indigenous dog weighing about 25 kilograms (45 pounds) and standing about 55 centimetres high, which closely resembles the [[European Spitz]]. These dogs were crossed with European dog breeds, such as the [[Old English Bulldog]] in 1872, [[English Mastiff|Mastiff]] in 1874, [[St. Bernard (dog)|St. Bernard]], [[German Pointer]] in 1876, [[Great Dane]] in 1924