Formosan Mountain Dog History

The Formosan Mountain Dog (Taiwan Dog) is one of the oldest and most primitive dog breeds in the world. These dogs predate the first human inhabitants on the island, Austronesians, who migrated to Taiwan some 6.000 years ago. So, it is not surprising that very little is known about the true origin of these dogs. This breed, or better to say landrace, is in fact much older than any written records of dog breeding. A recent genetic study confirmed that the Formosan Mountain Dog descended from ancient Pariah hunting dogs from Southeast Asia, which had arrived in Taiwan sometime between 20.000 and 10.000 years ago. According to Japanese researchers who conducted this study, these ancient progenitor dogs were closely related to the Dingo and the New Guinea Singing Dog, with whom Taiwan Native Dogs share many similarities. Continue Reading →

Taiwan Dog Breed Info And Characteristics

The Taiwan Dog (Taiwanese Canis, Takasago Dog) or Formosan Mountain Dog (Formosan Native Dog) is a Dingo-like, versatile working dog originating from the island of Taiwan (Formosa). The breed is the descendant of the ancient hunting dogs of Southeast Asia, which had arrived in Taiwan sometime between 20.000 and 10.000 years ago. That’s why the Formosan Mountain Dog is considered one of the oldest and most ancient dog breeds in the world. For centuries, Formosans were mainly kept and bred by the Aboriginal Taiwanese people for hunting and guarding. Actually, they were the only breed of dog on the island. Unfortunately, that has changed with the arrival of Dutch colonists back in 1624. That was the first time foreign dogs were imported to Taiwan. Soon afterwards, they started crossbreeding with Taiwan Dogs disturbing the breed’s purity for the first time. In the coming years, numbers of purebred Formosan Dogs rapidly declined due not only to crossbreeding, but killing too, especially during the Japanese and Chinese rule of the island. Supposedly, the most brutal impact on the numbers of Formosans had the Chinese when they brought their traditional dog eating culture to the island. At the half of the last century, the Taiwan Dog breed was brought to the brink of extinction. Continue Reading →