About Ryukyu Inu

Much of the Ryukyu Inu history has been destroyed and misplaced; hence, it could be more sparse. The purebred Ryukyu Inu was thought to be extinct after World War II due to food shortages and crossbreeding with Western dogs. In the early 1980s, Yoshio Aragaki, the founder of the Ryukyu Inu Hozonkai, felt a strong urge to save the breed when he managed to find purebred Ryukyu dogs up in Yanbaru.

It is believed that years of living in the rainforest are why the Ryukyu dog has a dewclaw on the back of its foot. Because of this claw, they can climb trees. It has been speculated that this would have been evolutionarily favorable to them because of the high incidence of tsunamis in Okinawa; they could climb trees quickly to evade the floods. However, this is unlikely to be true, as only a small percentage of Ryukyu dogs have working rear dewclaws. The preservation society believes that the dewclaws are a holdover from hundreds of years ago, when the dogs were genetically closer to wolves, and that the claws are used more frequently to brake when running.

The Ryukyu Breed is among the most rarest breeds of dogs across the world. As of 2015, only 400 Ryukyu Inu's existed in the world, and their numbers have been steadily on the decline. The Ryukyu Inu hold a brindle coat, red, black and white being the most common colors. They can weigh in between 33-56 pounds and stand around 18-20 inches tall. The ancient Japanese dog breed is known to be loyal, faithful and brave. They are not afraid of danger, especially in scenarios of protecting their loved ones.