I was searching for "Ryukyu tora" on the Internet and was dismayed to find very little information. Ryukyu tora (tora = "tiger"), or sometimes Ryukyu Inu or Ryukyu turaa, is the breed of my last dog, Courtney, and I figure her memory deserves a lot more respect from the Internet. Courtney was a street mutt that we picked up as a puppy. I began to suspect she might an actual breed when I ran into another street dog that looked exactly like her with different coloring. After seeing photos of Ryukyu toras in a local paper, there were enough physical similarities that I decided I could call her a Ryukyu tora if I wanted to. A ryukyu inu page I found has even more photos, including a poster that has Courtney's tawny coloring labelled as the 'Aka turaa' (red tiger) breed.
All Ryukyu inu are all mutts, as World War II was not particularly kind to Okinawan dogs and the American occupation afterwards brought many non-native dogs to the island. In the early 1980s they discovered a pack of dogs in the nothern rainforests that was genetically distinct and designated it a breed. Since then, the preservation society has 'stabilized' the breed and there are now two official lineages, Yanbaru and Yaeyama, based on where they were found. There are probably less than a thousand of the Ryukyu inu around, though there might be a lot more if more stray dogs were rounded up.
According to some pages I found in Japanese Dogs: Akita, Shiba, and Other Breeds :
Ryukyu inu are medium sized dogs... [and] look very much like wild dogs, which gives the impression of extreme ferocity, but, quite to the contrary, their disposition is mild and amiable and they make loving pets. Nevertheless, they have a strong territorial instinct, and they are not necessarily good with other animals. At one time they were used to hunt wild boar, and one should bear in mind that their hunting instinct is alive and well. [I've included the Ryukyu Inu pages from the book below if you'd like to sample the book]
This description pretty much matches my experience with Courtney, except that she looked very sweet and not the least bit ferocious. She was a very loving dog who enjoyed being pet or sitting out in the yard with you staring out at the ocean. She was also a thirty pound dog that commanded respect from larger dogs.
When we were staying at a friend's house, she wouldn't let their dog enter the same room, so he would just sit there in the adjacent room sadly staring in. She also required eight Marines to hold her down for a shot and she destroyed a dog toy with a three month guarantee in a single night. We bought her three stuffed animal toys, figuring that they might last her awhile. The first lasted a week, the second a day, the third had a hole in the heart within minutes. She definitely enjoyed the hunting of wild stuffed animals.
Comments (7)
Great information about the Ryukyu Inu. We picked up our dog from a pound in Okinawa, Japan 15 years ago.
http://i10.tinypic.com/4cxke4h.jpg
Posted by Ames | September 24, 2006 4:09 PM
Posted on September 24, 2006 16:09
I was doing some research on my two dog's breed. Their mom was a german shepherd-husky mix but the previous owner was unsure of what the dad (or dads) might be as she was left outside in heat on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. I found your site and your description of the behavior is EXACTLY like my dogs. They hate other dogs (and even each other on occasion) and they seem to chase any animal they can find especially liking squirrels and birds...they stop dead upon seeing a small animal to chase or attack. I have often been told they look like wild dogs or dingoes. I am so happy to see you have this site dedicated to the Ryukyu breed because I, too, feel that it would be a shame for the memory of my pups to be discarded.
Posted by Marci | May 20, 2007 2:33 PM
Posted on May 20, 2007 14:33
Marci: Thanks for stopping by to share your about your dogs.
Posted by kwc | May 20, 2007 4:26 PM
Posted on May 20, 2007 16:26
Ah! Thank you for this page! My son got a dog from a friend while stationed in Okinawa. To make a long story short, she arrived to live with us in the US pregnant. She had 7 pups, of which we ended up keeping 3, along with Mom.
Mom is mixed with lab--but the Ryukyu Inu traits are strong! I believe the pups Dad must have been RI also. The pups (now 3 yrs old) are the most amazing dogs I have ever owned. They are incredibly smart. They notice every nuance in their environment. But they are very bonded to us and only us. They are suspicious of strangers. NO ONE seems to have any info about the breed, and I am very interested in corresponding with others lucky enough to have Ryukyu Inus in their lives!
Posted by DogMom | June 22, 2007 4:40 PM
Posted on June 22, 2007 16:40
Glad to see some info... my dog was rescued in Okinawa.... he is a mutt who had been wild his first 4 months. He is a Shiba Inu/ Ryukyu Inu/ Daito mix... He is a beautiful brindle color with 4 white paws (knee socks in the front and ankle socks in the back), a white belly, a white muzzle with a streak that goes up between his eyes and the tip of his tail is also white. He is definitely not a people person.... but is great with us and our 21 month old. People always want to pat him because he is so unusual and beautiful looking... but he wants none of it!! We feel very blessed and lucky to have this great dog in our lives... even with his quirks and issues!!
Posted by Stephanie | October 17, 2007 10:21 AM
Posted on October 17, 2007 10:21
I rescued a female Ryukyu Inu who was dumped by her military family when they PCS'ed to the states in 2005. She is the most unusual dog I have ever owned! I have never seen a dog spin for joy but she does just that! Even though she has chased cats in the past, she recently is friends with several in the neighborhood. She even sleeps with one of them on the couch. I did some research and there is an article about the DNA of the Ryukyu Inu. It stated that the DNA is distintly like that of a pure dog..not like the mainland dogs or the US or European dogs.I wouldn't trade her for anything. She is a special special dog.
Posted by Maryanne Tirinnanzi | February 3, 2008 4:51 PM
Posted on February 3, 2008 16:51
My baby girl is beautiful! I was stationed in Okinawa for 3 years, shortly after arriving I adopted Kira from the base kennels. She is dark brindle with white socks, a white chest, and big pointed ears. The brindle picture on the poster looks like her a lot. The above paragraph sums her up for the most part. She looks really mean but is really a loving loving dog. She loves attention and is really good with other dogs, kids, cats, and any one else that will give her attention...and she draws a lot of it! When she was a puppy she would go threw her bones in mins. now shes slowed down a bit but any stuffed animal she gets a hold of is relieved of its stuffing directly. I love her very much and wouldn't trade her for anything.
Posted by Eric Hafner | February 12, 2008 8:40 PM
Posted on February 12, 2008 20:40