This is the biggest dog I’ve ever seen in Tokyo. It may be a regular size in some countries but it’s rare to see such a big one in this city. Since most Tokyoites live in small houses and there are few places for dogs to run free it can be difficult for a big dog to live happily. Most dogs you’ll see will be tiny ones, Miniature Dachshunds being the favorite, followed by Chihuahuas and a variety of other furry lap dog breeds I’m don’t know the names of.
Dogs in Japan are very Japanese. Let me explain. In Canada, if you were walking down the street and there was a dog, the dog would stop and give you a death stare. If you made a sudden movement the dog would usually run right at you barking and going for your throat. When I was a kid I was traumatized by many big mean dogs that owners would let loose in the street. In Japan, however, you’ll hardly ever see an dog running free, but on the few occasions where I’ve encountered them, the dogs don’t even notice me. They look straight ahead and keep walking along their path as if I wasn’t even there. This is very similar to most Japanese who have a tendency not to acknowledge others on the street and generally avoid eye contact. Japanese dogs also seem to bark less and appear to be more well-behaved. This appears less true of cats though. I guess cats are less influenced by people.
I live in the US. and that’s a big dog
All the girls are looking at the dog (and the guy who owns it).Roy, you should get yourself one!
I live in the Tama area and there are quite a few more big dogs out here, probably due to the open nature of the area. Lots of Labs and Goldens, but one in a while you see a big dog like the one you have featured here.
I’m not sure what you mean by the Canadian Death Stare, however; I just got back from a 2-week vacation in the SF Bay Area and saw lots of dogs, and none were like that. Some were the walk-by-as-if-you’re-not-there variety, but those I approached, hand out, were quite friendly and playful, big and small dogs alike. I really didn’t notice that much a difference between dogs there and here. Maybe Canadian dogs are different.
I do recall meeting some nasty dogs here in Japan, but usually they were dogs who were tied up outside their owner’s small dwelling, and seemed to be neglected and under-socialized by their owners.
I was also interested by the fact that during my Bay Area visit, I saw two Akitas and two Shibas; these Japanese dogs seem to be catching on over there.
Very appropriate, what you write about the behaviour of Japanese dogs.
BlogD, of course I’m exaggerating a bit. Dogs in generally can be friendly anywhere but I noticed that when not with their owners dogs back home seemed generally more defensive and tended to be suspicious of strangers, thus the stare and subsequent fight or flight response (generally fight) from them if you approached. But in Japan, they would take a different attitude of ignoring people completely. At least from my experience.
When I encounter dogs with their owners all dogs are generally friendly and playful.
Was this in Shinjuku? When I lived in Tokyo one of the Animal Rescue Shelters would set up shop looking for donations.
My brother got his hand bitten by a dog in Tokyo. It took off all the skin on the back of his hand in a big flap. You could see inside his hand and it looked like the Terminator.
He had to have an emergency operation, shots, have his arm in a sling and visit the hospital each day for 2 weeks to get a drip in his arm. He has a terrible scar, but despite the nerve damage luckily no loss of hand function.
As such, now he never trusts Japanese dogs at all - no matter how cute or innocent they appear.
An irrelevant, though quite interesting fact: Roy, your post on Shimokitazawa, is sited as an external link, in the wikipedia article about shimokita (it’s rather a stub than an article).Did you write the article or something???
Tim, no not Shinjuku. It was near home in Setagaya.
Dylan, oh my god. Don’t tell me these things now I’m gonna get all paranoid around dacshunds! By the way, what kind of dog was it and why did it bite your brother?
John, hey thanks I didn’t know about the link. Very cool to be linked from Wikipedia!!
I’m sorry but I have to disagree what you are saying. I live in Canada and I have to say that dogs in here are not as aggressive as you seem to think. Most of the time they look really happy to see people and get all excited but it’s very rare they want to bite you that much like you said earlier.
Something else, when a dog doesn’t react at all, it’s hard to think how they will react so it’s a lot easier in here to guess if you can get near the dog or not.
achhh… Dogs aren’t that bad in Canada. C’mon. In Toronto they have banned Pit Bull terriers. Everyone knows they were bred for fighting. But some people raise them anyway. Here in Atlantic Canada you get all types of dogs. That dog in the pic looks sort of like an Afghan or Newfoundland dog. Anyway, I have a cat so what does that mean? He owns me. :)
Stoneman
Cute dog! Is it a Newfoundland? I love them! Sure looks like one. Newfoundland dogs are wonderful. Very sweet, gental giants. And their famous for saving people’s lives if someone is drowning. Their the only dogs in the world that have webbed feet and a water-resistant coat.