Hokkaido

The Hokkaido dates back to ancient times, although nobody knows his exact date of origin. It is thought that he comes from a Japanese breed called Matagi-ken. These dogs came from the Tohoku region by the Ainu people during the Jomon period. The Tohoku region is very isolated and the development of a new breed was kept hidden from the rest of the world until 1869 when Thomas W. Blankiston, an English zoologist discovered the breed and gave him the Hokkaido name. In 1902, the Hokkaido gained popularity when he was used in a search and rescue operation for an army expedition. The soldiers were caught in a heavy snow storm when crossing the Hakkoda Mountains in the Aomori Prefecture. Because of his ability to withstand very cold temperatures, he was able to search for survivors within the deep snows. The Hokkaido was selected to be on Japan’s protected rare species list in 1937. The Ministry of Education officially changed his name from Ainu dog to Hokkaido-Inu. Most Japanese people call him Hokkaido-Ken. He gained popularity in 2007 when a Hokkaido was used in a commercial for SoftBank, a Japanese telecom company. The commercial won the ACC Grand Prix Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award. The director was American and helped spotlight the breed in the United States. Despite his earned fame in the commercial series for SoftBank, the Hokkaido is still rarely found outside of Japan. His look has not evolved much from ancient times, he is fierce looking and very similar to his cousin, the Akita. It is suggested that he also descends from the Chow Chow and Shar Pei because most Hokkaido have blue-black tongues.