Formosan Mountain Dog
Encyclopedia
The Formosan Mountain Dog (or Formosan) is a breed of small or medium dog
s indigenous to Taiwan
. These dogs are also known as Taiwanese Dog/Canis or Taiwanese Native Dog . They are well-adapted to the uneven and thickly forested terrain of Taiwan, having become a semi-wild breed prior to the arrival of several colonial reigns and foreign powers. Notwithstanding these adaptations, Formosans retained the potential to be trained, and are now used as hunting dogs, guard dog
s, stunt dogs, rescue dogs, or simply as companions. Formosans are classified into one medium type and two small types.
However, now the pureblood Formosan Mountain Dog
is still close to extinction due to limited conservation efforts of the Taiwanese and their government. Native Dog is the common name in Taiwan nowadays to indicate that the dog is a offspring of Formosan with foreign dogs, it is commonly confused with Taiwan Native Dog .
There are two small types of the Formosan Mountain Dog; one is about 40 centimetres (16 in) tall at the shoulder, and the other is around 30 centimetres (12 in). However, the latter one was not found during the research conducted by Dr. Sung Yung-yi (宋永義) in 1976. The medium type of the Formosan Mountain Dog has a shoulder height under 50 centimetres (20 in), with a firm and fit body, slim waist, big chest, and half-covered ears. The most common type of these three in recent years, is the medium-sized dog. Its color can range from black to earthy yellow or yellowish brown, and the nose is black. Black coating on the tongue is one of the most distinguished traits of the Formosan Mountain Dog.
Dr. Sung of National Taiwan University
and Mr. Ming Jie, Xu of Formosan Dog & Guard Dogs Breeding Center (台灣犬護衛犬繁殖中心) described a typical Formosan as having almond eyes, firm jaw strength, black coating on the tongue, a triangular face, thin prick ears, and a sickle tail. The tail is upright or curved with a thick fur coat, but the belly is hairless; the tail is used to warm the belly, and may even be long enough to protect the snout from insects. The dog is also well known for being well-balanced.
s or German Shepherds, Formosan dogs will release their bite - it does not hold its bite on the target. This habit is adopted and may be traced back to early boar hunting. Taiwanese aborigines
used 5-6 Formosan dogs to circle a wild boar, and each dog would work to wound the boar. They would release their bite once they had attacked it, and wait for the next attack again and again until the boar was exhausted enough for their master move in for the final kill using a spear.
If comfortable and well-trained, the Formosan will be friendly to people and other animals, though they tend to be a bit aloof or suspicious of strangers, once they have bonded with their owner. Once bonded, they are extremely loyal and affectionate to their owners.
Due to the breed's alertness, these dogs can make great guard dogs, but if not well-trained, the Formosan can become overly protective and aggressive towards strangers.
settlement of Formosa, the Japanese rule
, World War II
, and the Kuomintang
era.
established a commercial base at Tayoan, the colonial capital (present-day Anping in Tainan). After the Dutch made Taiwan a colony, they began to import workers from Fujian and Penghu (Pescadores) as laborers, many of whom settled.
The Dutch military presence was concentrated at a stronghold called Castle Zeelandia
. The Dutch colonists imported a hunting dog (known as the "Flying Dog." Traditional Chinese: 飛狗) to Taiwan and started to hunt the native Formosan Sika deer
(Cervus nippon taioanus
) that inhabited Taiwan. Dutch East India Company
, established a trading post whose main business was the export of sika skins to Europe. During the six decades of Dutch activity two to four million sika skins were exported to Europe. Contributing to the eventual extinction of the subspecies on the island. The "Flying Dog" was thought to be Greyhound
or Pointer.
Exporting was reduced when the Dutch were forced out of Taiwan in 1684, but continued throughout the Qing period with a switch to Japan as the major export market.
During the settlement, the Dutch hunting dog started cross-bred with the Formosan Mountain Dog; this was the first time that foreign breeds had influenced the Formosan Mountain Dog. Furthermore, the Dutch prohibited native tribes from owning dogs, slaughtering large numbers of indigenous dogs.
of 1894-95. When the Treaty of Shimonoseki
was signed on April 17, 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan, which sought to transform Taiwan into the supply-end of an extremely unequal flow of assets (Gold 1986:36). The Japanese made efforts to exert full control over the Aborigines, the first time this had ever been carried out. The means of accomplishing this goal took three main forms: anthropological study of the natives of Taiwan, attempts to reshape the Aborigines in the mould of the Japanese, and military suppression. During Japanese occupation, Taiwanese aboriginals were under repressive rule, and the Formosan Mountain Dog was intensively cross-bred with Japanese dogs, due to the Japanese government relocating many remote high-mountain villages closer to administrative control (Takekoshi 1907:210–219). Furthermore, Japanese immigrants massively explored the east coast, currently called Hualien and Taitung Counties. The east coast expeditions further provided a chance of cross-breeding Japanese dogs with the Formosan.
Dr. Sung Yung-yi told a New Taiwan journalist: "Formosan dogs are very smart and agile, but they are more primitive animal, and do not want to be caged. For example, during birth period, they will find a cave and usually will not return until few months later with their puppies. Another example will be the masters do not need to provide a lot of foods for them, they have the habit of finding their own foods. These were the reason Formosan was called the “barbarian dog,” by Japanese. Using sanitation as an excuse, Japanese military launched a large-scale massacre of Formosan to reduce the local dog population."
During the time when the Japanese military was building the Central and Southern Cross-Island Highway, they were constantly encountered by the aborigines. The aborigines launched numerous assaults to the Japanese military bases. During the night time, Formosan dogs gathered and hunted down Japanese military dogs, leaving a bloody scene in the morning. For revenge, the Japanese military killed every Formosan dog they saw to reduce the Formosan population.
's retreat in 1945, due to the loss to the Soviet-supported Communist Party of China
(led by Mao Zedong
) at the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1945.
Furthermore, after Kuomintang occupied Taiwan, the son of Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Ching-kuo
successfully reformed Taiwan to an economic little dragon (Four Asian Tigers), he was credited for the Taiwan economic miracle, and has served as role model for many developing countries. Nevertheless, great economic comes with great price, with economic development and open society, businessmen from around the world start to introduce high-priced foreign dogs and Japanese dogs into Taiwan. With lack of conservative and pet care knowledge, many foreign dogs were abandoned and start crossbreeding with Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung Yung-yi believes that these are the two true reason that affect Formosan Mountain Dog's living space and the space for existence.
as hunting dog
s, but now purebred Formosans are extremely rare and valuable. Since pure Formosans are extremely rare, there is a high risk of genetic disorder
and unstable behavior due to the shallow gene pool. For this reason, crossing Foromosans with other breeds occurred often due to the lack of pure females with steady traits. This is one of the major reasons modern Formosans look different, compared to old photos or documents from the early days. Some insist it is a natural change which does not affect the whole breed, while others actively fight to preserve the "pure" bloodline. Nevertheless, this breed is now popular all across the island as a watch and companion dog.
is known as "fragrant meat" (香肉 xiāng ròu) in Taiwan. Dog meat was never commonly eaten in general, and when it was eaten, it was usually only eaten during winter. But those that did partake in eating dog meat would frequently consume the meat of the black Formosan. In Traditional Chinese Medicine
, dog meat was known to help retain body warmth. In 2004 though, consuming dog meat was banned by the Taiwnese government, due to both pressure from domestic animal-welfare groups and a desire to improve international perceptions, although there were some protests to the ban.
It is still possible to find dog meat in some rural areas, but this is becoming increasingly rare.
, Japanese Gifu University
, and Dr. Ota Keming's(太田克明) research team from Nagoya University
. Scholars targeted native Taiwan dogs as their subject, by visiting twenty-nine tribes of local inhabitants. As a result, it was confirmed that the present Taiwan Dog is a descendant of the South Asian hunting dogs. This project was originally Dr. Ota's idea, as he was tracing the origin of Japanese indigenous dog, so he sought Dr. Sung Yung-yi's help in completing his research project.
Of the 46 purebloods that Dr. Sung found during 1976-1980, blood tests showed that they were related to dogs found in Southern Japan and that they were descendants of the South Asian Hunting Dog. Little known outside of Taiwan, Formosans are recognized with a pedigree from the Taiwan Kennel Club and the International Canine Organization.
's model from Australia. The most notable action taken was by Dr. Sung Yung-yi. In 1983, he spoke at a conference on the Formosan Sika Deer
and requested Taiwan's government to take immediate action to protect Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung's request was made because he and his colleagues had difficulties in finding pure-blood Formosan Mountain Dogs during his five-year studies from 1976 to 1980. In order to find sufficient population for his study, he located 29 Taiwanese aboriginal villages in the mountain ranges and initiated a mass search. Nevertheless, only 46 out of 160 Formosan Mountain Dogs he found had an A-rank purity. Out of these 46 Formosans, 25 were males and 21 were females. This number alerted the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) of the United Nations
, as the animal was close to extinction
.
Dr. Sung told the New Taiwan News that, to this day, people in Taiwan do not have a strong respect for biodiversity. Dr. Sung believed that a Formosan Mountain Dog rehabilitation program should be encouraged by government efforts and carried out by careful planning. Currently, reproduction is the most urgent task. He believes, every Formosan Dog should be registered to a household, which specified mating. In recent years, Taiwan's government had not taken any action in protecting these indigenous Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung also said that after learning how Taiwan's government handled the Formosan Sika Deer Rehabilitation Project, he was discouraged, and did not dare have any thoughts on launching a conservation project for Formosan Dog. He said, "For a developed country, Taiwan currently is not one yet."
After half a month of testing, the ROC Air Force concluded that the Formosan Mountain Dog's sense of smell, hearing, dexterity, and alertness towards strangers were all more suitable for the purpose of guarding their fighter jets. More importantly, the Formosan Mountain Dog does not suffer from the bruising of the paws as the German Shepherds do. For this reason, it is likely that the ROC Air Force will replace German Shepherds with Formosan Mountain Dogs. The only concern for the ROC Air Force is that the Formosan Mountain Dog is physically less intimidating than a German Shepherd. Recently, the feasibility of replacing German Shepherds with Formosan Mountain Dogs has been tested.
However, some argue that credit must be given to those breeders, as they are the ones who are keeping the bloodline pure. After two or three decades of breeding, training, improving, and purification, it is now unable to fully distinguish the indigenous and the new breed. Further, it is also due to the subjective preferences of breeders and their belief of what the pureblooded Formosan should look like, which they created different trend of the "pure-blood." Many claim that their Formosan Mountain Dogs are pureblood. Such breeders also applied the "new type" of Formosan Mountain Dogs to the FCI to develop a "standard", which may be very different from what it originally should have looked like.
Breeders also created a conflict in debating for the future of the Formosan Mountain Dogs, as maintaining its purity or modifying through hybridizing it into a new type. For breeders who support purity, they believe that there is no need in improving the breed through hybridization. However, breeders who support modifying believe that, since Formosan Mountain Dogs have been accidentally cross-bred for centuries and it is not possible to identify and maintain its purity, then we should seek a
"new type" of Formosan Mountain Dog with improvements. These two different points of view are still an ongoing debate and remain controversial.
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s indigenous to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. These dogs are also known as Taiwanese Dog/Canis or Taiwanese Native Dog . They are well-adapted to the uneven and thickly forested terrain of Taiwan, having become a semi-wild breed prior to the arrival of several colonial reigns and foreign powers. Notwithstanding these adaptations, Formosans retained the potential to be trained, and are now used as hunting dogs, guard dog
Guard dog
A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
s, stunt dogs, rescue dogs, or simply as companions. Formosans are classified into one medium type and two small types.
However, now the pureblood Formosan Mountain Dog
Mountain dog
Mountain dog is a generic form of canidae, dog, dog breed or landrace typically from mountain environs.They are often a working dog, particularly a livestock or flock guardian or farm dog. By and large, these dogs tend to have a claimed Molosser dog in their genetic heritage...
is still close to extinction due to limited conservation efforts of the Taiwanese and their government. Native Dog is the common name in Taiwan nowadays to indicate that the dog is a offspring of Formosan with foreign dogs, it is commonly confused with Taiwan Native Dog .
Appearance
Dr. Sung of National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
and Mr. Ming Jie, Xu of Formosan Dog & Guard Dogs Breeding Center (台灣犬護衛犬繁殖中心) described a typical Formosan as having almond eyes, firm jaw strength, black coating on the tongue, a triangular face, thin prick ears, and a sickle tail. The tail is upright or curved with a thick fur coat, but the belly is hairless; the tail is used to warm the belly, and may even be long enough to protect the snout from insects. The dog is also well known for being well-balanced.
Movement
Formosan dogs are particularly agile, they are known for their hopping skill. Especially, when they are hunting small animals, such as rats. When they are startled or trying to intimidate their target, they will hop sideways back and forth. Unlike RottweilerRottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
s or German Shepherds, Formosan dogs will release their bite - it does not hold its bite on the target. This habit is adopted and may be traced back to early boar hunting. Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
used 5-6 Formosan dogs to circle a wild boar, and each dog would work to wound the boar. They would release their bite once they had attacked it, and wait for the next attack again and again until the boar was exhausted enough for their master move in for the final kill using a spear.
Temperament and behaviour
The Formosan is a high energy, loyal, affectionate, and intelligent breed that learns very quickly. In unfamiliar situations though, they tend to be wary of strangers and sounds, and at times, they can possibly become fear-aggressive. In new situations where the dog is fear-aggressive, it can take a few days before the dog will calm down.If comfortable and well-trained, the Formosan will be friendly to people and other animals, though they tend to be a bit aloof or suspicious of strangers, once they have bonded with their owner. Once bonded, they are extremely loyal and affectionate to their owners.
Due to the breed's alertness, these dogs can make great guard dogs, but if not well-trained, the Formosan can become overly protective and aggressive towards strangers.
Standard
- Proportions
- Depth of chest:height at withers = 4.5:10 to 4.7:10
- Height at withers:length of body = 10:10.5, bitches can be slightly longer.
- Length of muzzle:length of skull = 4.5:5.5.
- Size & weight
- Height: Dogs: 48–52 cm (19–20 in) Bitches: 43–47 cm (17–19 in)
- Weight: Dogs: 14 to 18 kg (31 to 40 lb) Bitches: 12 to 16 kg (26 to 35 lb)
- Head
- Cranial Region:
- Forehead: Broad and roundish, without wrinkles.
- Skull: The skull is slightly longer than the muzzle.
- Stop: Well defined with a slight furrow.
- Facial Region :
- Nose: Moderate size. Wide nostrils. Black in color, but can be slightly lighter in all colors except for the ones with black fur.
- Muzzle: Flat nasal bridge. Tight lips, without flews. The muzzle tapers a little from the base to the nose, but it is not pointed at the tip.
- Jaws/teeth: Jaws are strong. Scissors bite, teeth are set square to the jaws.
- Cheeks: Well developed and slightly protruding.
- Eyes: Almond in shape. Dark brown in colour. Brown is also acceptable, but yellow or light eyes should be avoided.
- Ears: Pricked, set on sides of the skull at an angle of 45 degrees. Inside of the outline is straight, while outside of the outline is slightly rounded.
- Neck: Muscular, strong, good length, slightly arched. Without dewlap.
- Body:
- General: Sinewy and muscular, nearly square in shape.
- Back: Straight and short. Withers well developed.
- Loin: Firmly muscled.
- Croup: Broad. Flat or very slightly sloping and short.
- Chest: Fairly deep yet not reaching the elbow. Forechest slightly protruding. Ribs are well sprung.
- Belly: Well tucked up.
- Tail: In the shape of a sickle, set on high, carried erect, active, with the tip curving forward.
- Limbs:
- Forequarters:
- Shoulders: Well muscled. Shoulder blades are laid back. They should meet the upper arms at an angle of 105-110 degrees.
- Elbows: Close to the body.
- Forearms: Straight and parallel to each other.
- Metacarpus (Pasterns): Firm.
- Hindquarters: Hindlegs should be slender, with good bone, well muscled and parallel to each other. The rear angulation should be in balance to the front.
- Upper thighs: Broad, sloping and well bent at the stifle.
- Lower thighs: Should be in balance with upper thighs.
- Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Perpendicular to the ground.
- Feet turning neither in nor out. Pads are firm and thick. Nails are black in colour, but lighter colors are acceptable in all colors except for those with black coats.
- Gait/movement: Powerful gait with reaching stride. Agile enough to easily turn 180 degrees quickly.
- Coat/hair: Short and hard, lying tight to the body. Length is between 1.5 and 3 cm (0.6 and 1.2 in).
- Color: Black, brindle, fawn, white, white and black, white and fawn, white and brindle.
Four catastrophes
There are four catastrophic events described by Dr. Sung Yung-yi that have been critical in the development of the Formosan Mountain Dog: the DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
settlement of Formosa, the Japanese rule
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
era.
The Dutch settlement
In 1624, the DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
established a commercial base at Tayoan, the colonial capital (present-day Anping in Tainan). After the Dutch made Taiwan a colony, they began to import workers from Fujian and Penghu (Pescadores) as laborers, many of whom settled.
The Dutch military presence was concentrated at a stronghold called Castle Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)
Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, present day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it...
. The Dutch colonists imported a hunting dog (known as the "Flying Dog." Traditional Chinese: 飛狗) to Taiwan and started to hunt the native Formosan Sika deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
(Cervus nippon taioanus
Formosan Sika Deer
The Formosa sika deer, , is a subspecies of sika deer endemic to the island of Taiwan. Formosan sika, like most of the terrestrial fauna and flora of Taiwan, arrived on the island during Pleistocene glacial periods when lower sea levels connected Taiwan to the Asian mainland.-Appearance and...
) that inhabited Taiwan. Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, established a trading post whose main business was the export of sika skins to Europe. During the six decades of Dutch activity two to four million sika skins were exported to Europe. Contributing to the eventual extinction of the subspecies on the island. The "Flying Dog" was thought to be Greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
or Pointer.
Exporting was reduced when the Dutch were forced out of Taiwan in 1684, but continued throughout the Qing period with a switch to Japan as the major export market.
During the settlement, the Dutch hunting dog started cross-bred with the Formosan Mountain Dog; this was the first time that foreign breeds had influenced the Formosan Mountain Dog. Furthermore, the Dutch prohibited native tribes from owning dogs, slaughtering large numbers of indigenous dogs.
Japanese rule
The Qing Empire was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
of 1894-95. When the Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
was signed on April 17, 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan, which sought to transform Taiwan into the supply-end of an extremely unequal flow of assets (Gold 1986:36). The Japanese made efforts to exert full control over the Aborigines, the first time this had ever been carried out. The means of accomplishing this goal took three main forms: anthropological study of the natives of Taiwan, attempts to reshape the Aborigines in the mould of the Japanese, and military suppression. During Japanese occupation, Taiwanese aboriginals were under repressive rule, and the Formosan Mountain Dog was intensively cross-bred with Japanese dogs, due to the Japanese government relocating many remote high-mountain villages closer to administrative control (Takekoshi 1907:210–219). Furthermore, Japanese immigrants massively explored the east coast, currently called Hualien and Taitung Counties. The east coast expeditions further provided a chance of cross-breeding Japanese dogs with the Formosan.
World War II
At the end of World War II, for military purposes and preventing US army landing on the east coast of Taiwan, Japan started to build the Central and Southern Cross-Island Highway. During the construction, there were military dogs traveling with the highway workers, the German Shepherds. This led to cross-breeding between the Formosan and the military dog. If it were not for these strategic constructions, the Formosan may have had a chance to preserve their bloodline high in the mountains. Furthermore, during this period, there was evidence showing that the Japanese military launched a massacre to reduce the population of the Formosan Mountain Dog. However, the true reason for this may not be known.Dr. Sung Yung-yi told a New Taiwan journalist: "Formosan dogs are very smart and agile, but they are more primitive animal, and do not want to be caged. For example, during birth period, they will find a cave and usually will not return until few months later with their puppies. Another example will be the masters do not need to provide a lot of foods for them, they have the habit of finding their own foods. These were the reason Formosan was called the “barbarian dog,” by Japanese. Using sanitation as an excuse, Japanese military launched a large-scale massacre of Formosan to reduce the local dog population."
During the time when the Japanese military was building the Central and Southern Cross-Island Highway, they were constantly encountered by the aborigines. The aborigines launched numerous assaults to the Japanese military bases. During the night time, Formosan dogs gathered and hunted down Japanese military dogs, leaving a bloody scene in the morning. For revenge, the Japanese military killed every Formosan dog they saw to reduce the Formosan population.
Kuomintang Era
Dr. Sung Yung-yi believes that the true reason that lead to Formosan Mountain Dog's extinction is the dog-eating culture. It was brought in along with the Chinese Nationalist PartyKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
's retreat in 1945, due to the loss to the Soviet-supported Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
(led by Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
) at the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1945.
Furthermore, after Kuomintang occupied Taiwan, the son of Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
successfully reformed Taiwan to an economic little dragon (Four Asian Tigers), he was credited for the Taiwan economic miracle, and has served as role model for many developing countries. Nevertheless, great economic comes with great price, with economic development and open society, businessmen from around the world start to introduce high-priced foreign dogs and Japanese dogs into Taiwan. With lack of conservative and pet care knowledge, many foreign dogs were abandoned and start crossbreeding with Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung Yung-yi believes that these are the two true reason that affect Formosan Mountain Dog's living space and the space for existence.
Crossbreeding
The introduction of a variety of foreign dogs to Taiwan in the past was also a big threat to preserving the blood line of the Formosan. A lot of dogs non-native to Taiwan were brought over during the "Kuomingtang" Era, and many were released into the wild. These began mating with the native Formosan, making pure bred Formosans harder and harder to find in the wild.Breeding problems
The Formosan Mountain Dog was originally kept by aboriginal TaiwaneseTaiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
as hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
s, but now purebred Formosans are extremely rare and valuable. Since pure Formosans are extremely rare, there is a high risk of genetic disorder
Genetic disorder
A genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes, especially a condition that is present from before birth. Most genetic disorders are quite rare and affect one person in every several thousands or millions....
and unstable behavior due to the shallow gene pool. For this reason, crossing Foromosans with other breeds occurred often due to the lack of pure females with steady traits. This is one of the major reasons modern Formosans look different, compared to old photos or documents from the early days. Some insist it is a natural change which does not affect the whole breed, while others actively fight to preserve the "pure" bloodline. Nevertheless, this breed is now popular all across the island as a watch and companion dog.
Dog meat
Dog meatDog meat
Dog meat refers to edible parts and the flesh derived from dogs. Human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including ancient China, ancient Mexico, and ancient Rome. According to contemporary reports, dog meat is consumed in a variety of countries such as...
is known as "fragrant meat" (香肉 xiāng ròu) in Taiwan. Dog meat was never commonly eaten in general, and when it was eaten, it was usually only eaten during winter. But those that did partake in eating dog meat would frequently consume the meat of the black Formosan. In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, dog meat was known to help retain body warmth. In 2004 though, consuming dog meat was banned by the Taiwnese government, due to both pressure from domestic animal-welfare groups and a desire to improve international perceptions, although there were some protests to the ban.
It is still possible to find dog meat in some rural areas, but this is becoming increasingly rare.
Study
Taiwan Dogs are originally native Taiwanese dogs, descendants of the South Asian hunting dogs called the "Pariah dog" which ancient local inhabitants used to live with in the central mountainous districts. This breed was the loyal companion of the ancient hunter in the wild forest. In 1980, a cooperative study was carried out by the National Taiwan UniversityNational Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
, Japanese Gifu University
Gifu University
is a national university in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is sometimes abbreviated as Gidai or Gifudai , with "Gifudai" being the abbreviation most commonly used throughout Japan.-Faculties and graduate schools:...
, and Dr. Ota Keming's(太田克明) research team from Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
. Scholars targeted native Taiwan dogs as their subject, by visiting twenty-nine tribes of local inhabitants. As a result, it was confirmed that the present Taiwan Dog is a descendant of the South Asian hunting dogs. This project was originally Dr. Ota's idea, as he was tracing the origin of Japanese indigenous dog, so he sought Dr. Sung Yung-yi's help in completing his research project.
Of the 46 purebloods that Dr. Sung found during 1976-1980, blood tests showed that they were related to dogs found in Southern Japan and that they were descendants of the South Asian Hunting Dog. Little known outside of Taiwan, Formosans are recognized with a pedigree from the Taiwan Kennel Club and the International Canine Organization.
Conservation status
Since 1976, many Taiwanese ecologists have tried to convince the Taiwanese government to take action on forming a Formosan research team to help and preserve the pure indigenous Formosan by potentially replicating the dingoDingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
's model from Australia. The most notable action taken was by Dr. Sung Yung-yi. In 1983, he spoke at a conference on the Formosan Sika Deer
Formosan Sika Deer
The Formosa sika deer, , is a subspecies of sika deer endemic to the island of Taiwan. Formosan sika, like most of the terrestrial fauna and flora of Taiwan, arrived on the island during Pleistocene glacial periods when lower sea levels connected Taiwan to the Asian mainland.-Appearance and...
and requested Taiwan's government to take immediate action to protect Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung's request was made because he and his colleagues had difficulties in finding pure-blood Formosan Mountain Dogs during his five-year studies from 1976 to 1980. In order to find sufficient population for his study, he located 29 Taiwanese aboriginal villages in the mountain ranges and initiated a mass search. Nevertheless, only 46 out of 160 Formosan Mountain Dogs he found had an A-rank purity. Out of these 46 Formosans, 25 were males and 21 were females. This number alerted the Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO) of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, as the animal was close to extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
Dr. Sung told the New Taiwan News that, to this day, people in Taiwan do not have a strong respect for biodiversity. Dr. Sung believed that a Formosan Mountain Dog rehabilitation program should be encouraged by government efforts and carried out by careful planning. Currently, reproduction is the most urgent task. He believes, every Formosan Dog should be registered to a household, which specified mating. In recent years, Taiwan's government had not taken any action in protecting these indigenous Formosan Dogs. Dr. Sung also said that after learning how Taiwan's government handled the Formosan Sika Deer Rehabilitation Project, he was discouraged, and did not dare have any thoughts on launching a conservation project for Formosan Dog. He said, "For a developed country, Taiwan currently is not one yet."
Security/Guard Dog
Currently, the ROC Air Force is considering the Formosan Dog for military purposes. At this time the ROC Air Force is using German Shepherds for security, but German Shepherds have some downsides. For instance, it was often found that German Shepherds who perform intensive security duties on a daily basis will suffer from serious bruising on their paws. Furthermore, they found that many German Shepherds' guarding mechanism towards strangers was not quite at the desired sensitivity. In many cases, strangers will need to get close for the dog to react. These factors caused the ROC Air Force to look to replace German Shepherds.After half a month of testing, the ROC Air Force concluded that the Formosan Mountain Dog's sense of smell, hearing, dexterity, and alertness towards strangers were all more suitable for the purpose of guarding their fighter jets. More importantly, the Formosan Mountain Dog does not suffer from the bruising of the paws as the German Shepherds do. For this reason, it is likely that the ROC Air Force will replace German Shepherds with Formosan Mountain Dogs. The only concern for the ROC Air Force is that the Formosan Mountain Dog is physically less intimidating than a German Shepherd. Recently, the feasibility of replacing German Shepherds with Formosan Mountain Dogs has been tested.
Breeder
Most of the foundation stock owners and breeders are hesitant to make public appearances. They stay behind the scenes and sell only males to those who have Formosan dog kennels and attend local dog shows. The most well-known and high-profile breeder is Ming Nan Chen. Like many who born in the 1950s, Chen owned a Formosan as a child. In the 1980s he started a business dedicated to creating a pure-bred Formosan close to the one in his childhood memory, beginning with a single puppy that he purchased for NT$30,000 (about US$910.00) from an aborigine man. Potentially, this may increase the dog's risk of having genetic disorders and unstable behavior, and they are breeding the dog through their subjective point of view, as to the appearance and what it looked like from their memory, without any scientific assistance, biological identification or background check.However, some argue that credit must be given to those breeders, as they are the ones who are keeping the bloodline pure. After two or three decades of breeding, training, improving, and purification, it is now unable to fully distinguish the indigenous and the new breed. Further, it is also due to the subjective preferences of breeders and their belief of what the pureblooded Formosan should look like, which they created different trend of the "pure-blood." Many claim that their Formosan Mountain Dogs are pureblood. Such breeders also applied the "new type" of Formosan Mountain Dogs to the FCI to develop a "standard", which may be very different from what it originally should have looked like.
Breeders also created a conflict in debating for the future of the Formosan Mountain Dogs, as maintaining its purity or modifying through hybridizing it into a new type. For breeders who support purity, they believe that there is no need in improving the breed through hybridization. However, breeders who support modifying believe that, since Formosan Mountain Dogs have been accidentally cross-bred for centuries and it is not possible to identify and maintain its purity, then we should seek a
"new type" of Formosan Mountain Dog with improvements. These two different points of view are still an ongoing debate and remain controversial.