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The is a small terrier native to Japan. It is believed to be descended from the progeny of fox terrier types, pointers and indigenous Japanese dogs.
Appearance
thumb|left|Japanese Terrier head
The Japanese Terrier most often has a black head and a predominantly white body with little black spots. The length of the Japanese Terrier is anywhere from 8 to 13 inches tall (to shoulders) and it typically weighs 5 to 10 pounds. Its ears are high set and fold forward, and the coat is short, slick and fine. Its tail can be docked.
Temperament
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) breed standard describes this breed as having "a lively and cheerful character" and as "swift and lively in temperament".
History
thumb|A female Japanese Terrier
The Japanese Terrier was bred in the 17th century by mating Smooth Fox Terriers, brought by Dutch merchant ships to Nagasaki, with small-sized pointers or small native Japanese dogs. By the 1900s, at the end of the Meiji Era, some of these dogs were seen in the Kobe streets, and were called the “Kobe Terriers”. The appearance of these “Kobe Terriers” was like a mix of the modern Smooth Fox Terriers and the Japanese Terriers. The dogs were then kept as lapdogs in other ports such as Kobe and Yokohama. Planned breeding did not begin until around 1920, and the Japanese Terrier was recognized by the Japan Kennel Club in 1930.