Draft:Jikkoku Inu

The Jikkoku Inu, also known as the Azusayama Inu (Japanese: 十石犬, 梓山犬), is a breed of hunting and guard dog originating in the Azusayama area of Kawakami Village, Minamisaku District, Nagano Prefecture and later brought to Ueno Village, Gunma where it was given the name Jikkoku Ken. It was considered a type of Shiba Inu, sharing the same lineage as the Kawakami Inu.

History
The Jikkoku Inu originated in the Azusayama area of Kawakami Village, explaining its alternate name ‘Azusayama Inu’, where it was bred from the Taisho period to the early Showa period. It was a popular hound and guard dog in the Azusayama area that was designated as a natural monument.

In the 1900s the dogs had been kept by more people outside of Azusayama. Shozaburo Iide, a hunter in Ueno Village, Gunma Prefecture, owned an Azusayama Inu, that later became the dog of Hirokichi Saito. In 1928 Hirokichi Saito took the dog back to Tokyo with him, and named the breed ‘Jikkoku Inu’ after the Jikkoku Pass.

It is said that, like the Kawakami Inu, the Jikkoku Inu is the result of crossbreeding between wolves and dogs.

Documents relating to the breed state that it went extinct around 1955. However, the Chairman of the Jikkoku Inu Preservation Society has protected the lineage of the breed in Ueno Village since the Showa period.

Preservation
The breed isn't recognised by any Kennel Club, but has two preservation societies: The Jikkoku Inu Preservation Society, located in Ueno Village, Gunma, and The Azusayama Inu Preservation Society.

Characteristics
The Jikkoku Inu is a small, brown dog. It is closely related to the Shiba Inu and Kawakami Inu

It is a loyal dog with a high prey drive.

As well as being hunting and guard dogs, people living in Kamitakayanagi Village, Kamo City have found the dogs are excellent as pest control, keeping monkeys and birds away from their fields and preventing damage to crops.

Books
狼犬「十石犬」懐想 - 太田博 - November 15, 2022

十石犬