MyDogBreeds
Tamaskan is originated from United Kingdom but Hokkaido is originated from Japan. Tamaskan may grow 20 cm / 8 inches higher than Hokkaido. Both Tamaskan and Hokkaido are having almost same weight. Both Tamaskan and Hokkaido has same life span. Tamaskan may have more litter size than Hokkaido. Tamaskan requires Low maintenance. But Hokkaido requires Moderate maintenance
It is believed that the Tamaskan has been specifically bred to resemble a wolf, and he does too.
They aren’t recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale as they aren’t purebred. In fact they aren’t recognized by any kennel club, being crossbred with other dog breeds such as the German Shepherd, Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute.
The Hokkaido breed originates in Japan and is also called Ainu-ken, Ainu dog, Seta or Do-ken. The last being its common name in Japan. It is believed that the Hokkaido is descendent from the Japanese Matagi-ken, meaning hunting dog, deer hunting dog or bear hunting dog. It was the Ainu peoples that brought the breed to Tohoku. Many years later the Yayoi people brought in another breed of hunting dogs. These breeds were in isolation for most of their existence and therefore they had little influence on the further development of other breeds.
The Ainu dog was used in searches as well as hunting and became in 1937 “a rare species in Japan that is protected by law”. At that time the Official Name of the breed was set in place as Hokkaido-Inu. But they are still called Hokkaid0-Ken by most Japanese people.
This is a very rare breed of dog. It is hardly known outside of Japan and in country there are about ten to twelve thousand remaining. Of those about nine hundred to one thousand are registered in Japan every year. It is guessed that less than thirty exist outside Japan.
The Hokkaido breed is the oldest Japanese breed of dogs. Today they are great indoor companions, loyal and friendly. Most people in Japan still call them the Ainu dog.
The beautiful Tamaskan dog is large, standing at between 61 and 71cm in height and weighing between 23 and 45 kg.
It is a mix between several sled dogs – Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute. The thick double coat is coarse and can be grey, cream, black or reddish and the tail of the Tamaskan is wolf-like too – thick and bushy.
His ears are erect and alert and he has sharp hearing. His almond shaped eyes can be yellow or brown and they are alert and bright and don’t miss a thing.
The Tamaskan is capable of becoming a good family pet, being gentle with children and accepting of other dogs. His high intelligence makes it that he can learn a lot of simple commands.
Because he has been a pack dog, he doesn’t like to be left alone. He is social and as a pet he will want to be an interactive part of his human family. Leaving him unsupervised for days on end will see him getting up to mischief.
He will die of depression, boredom and loneliness if he is put into the back yard and ignored.
They are certainly not recommended for life in the city but will need to have a large space to run and play.
The Hokkaido breed is medium in size but very strong in build. Dogs bred outside Japan tend to be smaller. They have wide, deep chests, and long thick coats compared with Japanese dogs from other breeds. It is a double coat of long fur on top and short softer fur underneath for the second coat. Their ears are triangular and small while their eyes have a triangle outline. The double coat could be sesame, white, red, black, black and tan and wolf-gray.
They are an intelligent breed with an impulsive gait. They are alert, courageous and suspicious. They were used for guarding the city gates. Their skull is flat and broad and the tongue, like the chow chow, is blueish. black. With a black nose and a wedge shaped muzzle, the Hokkaido is a handsome dog. His lips are with black and tight. High set, thick tail over the back or slightly curved to the side.
The Tamaskan may look like a wolf but he isn’t aggressive. He’s looks can be to your advantage because intruders think twice before confronting a ‘wolf’.
Little do they know that this is a loving, loyal dog that makes an excellent playmate for children. They’re social too and want to be with their family a lot of the time.
They’re dogs so devoted to their human family that they can even suffer with separation anxiety.
Give him the love and exercise he craves and you’ll find in him the most awesome canine friend.
Your healthy Tamaskan, even though he isn’t prone to common genetic health problems, can get any one of the many dog illnesses there are, although this is highly unlikely.
However without good food, exercise, love and care, he can also be susceptible to parasites, rabies, parvovirus, hip dysplasia, bloat, skin infections and cancer.
Often breeds that are isolated like the Hokkaido, have a pretty good health history but there are a few serious issues that they face.
1/3 of all dogs have it while 2/3 are carriers. This disease is congenital and there is no cure. It affects the sclera, retina and choroid. It can be mild or it can cause blindness.
Affecting joints and cause arthritis and lameness.
Floating kneecap – not as prevalent here as in smaller dogs.
Could be mild or serious. Could require a pacemaker.
Seizures of an unknown origin. Can be treated with medication not cured.
Excessive, uncontrollable urge to drink large amounts of fluid without a stimuli.
The Tamaskan Dog is very active. He just loves activity - long walks and hikes and lots of running off a leash. He’ll love ball games too – anything that keeps him mentally and physically active.
Provide your beautiful, active Tamaskan dog with top quality food that is rich in protein. You can give him one of the quality commercially manufactured foods – just check out the ingredients on the packaging and go for the dog foods with wholesome, natural ingredients in them.
Your Tamaskan is part of the family and deserves some home-made food. Nothing spicey and exotic as you’ll sit with stomach problems. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a super healthy choice and food like this won’t play havoc with your dog’s digestion.
This food can all be chopped up and small portions added into the dry kibble twice a week.
●This is a fairly low maintenance dog. He does shed so a good brush twice a week will be sufficient for him.
●When you brush him, check him over for unusual lumps. Look inside his eyes and inside his mouth as he can’t tell you about a bad tooth that could be causing him pain. Check inside his ears too for signs of redness. If you don’t want to do these things, at least send him to a professional groomer who will do it all for you.
●Have your pet neutered or spayed if you want to avoid puppies. This can be beneficial for your pet’s health too.
The puppy needs about 300 -400 calories per day in 3-4 servings per day
The adult dog needs about 250-350 calories a day to maintain good weight and health. Feed 2-3 times per day.
Strong, stamina
These dogs love exercise and definitely need it. They will get to be anxious or bored if they don’t get enough exercise. A back yard run is fine but remember that the Hokkaido is a jumper and make sure your fence is at least six feet high. They need daily walks even if you have a fenced yard. Martindale collars or harnesses are needed when walking them.
These dogs love games and competitive activities. They are good at hunting and guarding of course. There are other activities they can excel at and enjoy jogging, biking with you, and hiking. In competition they enjoy and are good at agility, flyball, lure coursing, rally, weight pull, dock diving, and obedience. They do not participate in confirmation.
