My take on the Tosa

   The accepted story, like many a dog breed origin story, leaves room for credible doubt.   What is believable is that the Japanese took Mastiff/Molosser types from visiting English Sailors in the 1800's and did what the Japanese do.... Improve other people's product/idea.  

  The politically correct, proud Japanese, version of the story is that they just mixed in a little mastiff to their native fighting Spits type fighting dogs ( Shikoku.. think small Akita ) and created these giant, very Boerboel, Bull-mastiff, looking products over time..... somehow.   I suspect rather the percentages are heavy in the opposite direction, and the remnant native Japanese Spits type DNA is actually very minimal in the Tosa.

  Having crossed akitas, and various landrace LGD with Mastiffs my experience is that the Mastiff is virtually invisible on 50/50 cross.   Kangal x boerboel can pass for a kangal; but would never pass for a Boerboel, for example.   The landrace and Spitz type breeds are older, closer to the root of the tree, they show up in dominant phenotype.

  Regardless as to the percentages, the most distinctly Japanese thing about the Tosa to me, is that they bred it to be quite.  The Japanese do not like barking dogs! In fact the story goes that any Tosa that barked, at any point at match ( and event with multiple dogs waiting around to fight ) was disqualified.  And yes, they were breeding fighting dogs, it should come as no surprise that the Japanese can be as ruthless as anyone.  That's not unique on a planet where men the world over fought dogs....forever.   But the emphasize on silence, even "stoicism" is very Japanese.  As is a certain perfectionist bent which seems to me permeates everything they do, as a people, temperamentally.  

  Look around my yard you see; Komatsu, kubota, Honda, Toyota's for days

  We were due for a Tosa :)

  I digress.

  Another thing  I accept as true about the origin story is that they were largely wiped out in and around world war two, and effectively reconstructed ( read line bred ) after that for lack of options.   That on top of what was very likely a small genetic foundation of dogs they managed to acquire from English sailors to begin with.   Read insufficient genetic foundation....like many a rare breed.   

  As such I suspect the Tosa Genetics will much rejoice in the diverse genetic bonanza that we have the ability to mix in here with our bully molloser all star Road dogs and LGD heavy Farm/Ranch dogs.  

"hybrid vigor" is a thing.  It's real.  The Tosa is uniquely suited to both our current branches, and our intended third.   I'm looking forward to watching it happen.

  Dog Aggression:  is a legit concern with any breed created to fight.  And  a headache for me, and most everybody, but dog fighters.   That reservation is why it took this long for me try a Tosa.   That and the search for one that looked good enough ( you can see these fuckers are inbred, and most don't pass the look test )  

 But at this point in the program, having doubled down on Dane.  In no small part to mitigate the dog aggression of inherently dominant breeds such as; Dogos, Kangals, Boerboels, Alabai, Malakli, etc.   We find ourselves, historically speaking, with a relatively low dog aggression yard in ( 2025/26 )  So, the timing is right.   And Hogo-Sha is the pick of a litter with two of the best looking Tosa's I've seen paired the world over.  Neither from immediate fighting lines.   Thus far he's certainly not afraid, odly fearless as a pup, but not actively looking to start a fight thus far as young adult.

 All that said, if you're looking for something to take to the dog-park, to impress the childless peeps there, you're in the wrong fucking place.  We got nothing for you, we don't want your business.   Better go..... have...  a child, you'll loose in the dog park.  And then you can get a real dog to protect your family.