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Tosa and Breeder Information

About me

I consider myself a "hobby breeder", not a kennel and definately not a commercial breeder. My dogs are my family, live freely in the house, and partake in family activities. In 2002, I began my search for a large breed dog, and almost immediately became interested in the Tosa. Since then, I've absorbed every bit of information I can find regarding the breed, visited many breeders and other owners. I've also travelled to the Kochi center in Japan, and received the (very unexpected) royal treatment from the president of the center. Why do I love the Tosa? They are beautiful dogs for the most part, and able to keep up with me no matter how far I want to go. I enjoy watching them play, the rough and tumble wrestling, the high speed chases, and the nimble jumping around. Half a world away, my boy would have quite a different lifestyle, most likely as a fighting dog. Yet these dogs are exceedingly gentle with their families and friends. They tend to be quiet dogs, good thing as I don't have a high tolerance for noise. There is next to no grooming, and even mud wicks away from them in no time. One of the most loving and loyal breeds, they are happiest when they are with their families, even if it's just to curl up and watch a movie. While they do best with moderate to high activity levels, they are fine with low activity times too, such as bad weather days, or if you're sick. With a unique breed like a Tosa, I meet a lot of people as they're quite the conversation piece, and my dogs enjoy being the center of attention. They are excellent companions, and with some socialization and training, I can take them almost anywhere I go.

Perhaps my greatest influence in Tosas has been Bill Munier of Pharsyd Tosas. Bill is no longer breeding, but continues to offer me advice and support. I am forever grateful for all his help! One of the reasons I started breeding, is because he stopped. I feel there is a need for health screened, and physically and mentally sound Tosas. There also needs to be some thought behind breeding, not just in a "backyard" fashion.

What I hope to achieve by breeding Tosas:
-add to genetic diversity, via certain breeding practices, and by importing new bloodlines.
-produce Tosas that are free of genetic problems, especially hip and elbow dysplasia.
-produce dogs who have the soundness of mind and body to participate in just about every type of dog sports, at the very least they should be able to run the AD endurance trial without difficulty
-maintain good conformational qualities
-provide deserving homes with healthy, athletic, robust, attractive dogs who also have exceptional temperaments.

I am not breeding for dogs over 70kg(150lbs), dogs who show unwarranted human aggression, or strictly for conformation champions. Why do I not want dogs over 150lbs? Because I've never known one to live past 8 years old, and they sometime don't even last 5 years. The fact that my dogs naturally like children, or can pass a hip exam, is more important to me than any ribbons or titles. Dogs imported directly from Japan (so called "Yokozuna lines") are not likely to be in my breeding program as I've found there are too many health problems with them. If I can ever find lines where I'm comfortable with health and everything else, only then will such dogs be used. I aim to have a litter every year, or every second year. For anyone new to Tosas, I strongly suggest reading through my original site The Animals and I.





Summer 2008 in cottage country

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