Sanshu is originated from Japan but St. John's Water Dog is originated from Canada. Both Sanshu and St. John's Water Dog are having almost same height. Sanshu may weigh 16 kg / 35 pounds lesser than St. John's Water Dog. Both Sanshu and St. John's Water Dog has almost same life span. Both Sanshu and St. John's Water Dog has same litter size. Both Sanshu and St. John's Water Dog requires Low Maintenance.
The Sanshu was developed in Japan a century ago – in 1912 in fact.
It is a cross between the Chinese Chow Chow and the ancient Japanese Aichi. People who know these dogs say they bear a resemblance to other Inu breeds, but it has a straight tail and not the usual curved one that you'd expect.
The breed is rare and they aren’t recognized by any breed organization.
The breed known as the St. John’s water dog is an extinct landrace breed. They were domestic dogs found in Newfoundland and at times were called the lesser Newfoundland. There is not much information available about the other breeds that went into its development. Hypothetically it is believed they are a mix of the Irish, Old English and Portuguese dogs bred to work.
It is also thought that other breeds in their family tree, descending from them, include the Golden Retriever, the Flat-Coated Retriever, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the Labrador and the Curly-Coated Retriever. The Newfoundland is also related to the St. Johns Water Dog through the line of Rafeirio do Alenteios that Portuguese fisherman brought to the island.
The breed was exported to England in the 19th century and early 20th. There the breeds of retrievers were developed. In Canada during this time frame restrictions were placed on dog ownership in order to encourage people to raise sheep. At the same time England imposed a long quarantine on all animals coming into the country in order to get rid of rabies. These two factors contributed greatly to the extinction of the breed. It seems the last two dogs were seen in a remote area in the 1980’s. All attempts to save the breed failed.
The Sanshu is a medium sized dog standing at between 50 to 55cm in height and weighing in the region of 20 to 25kg.
There is also a smaller variety. This dog has a wedge-shaped head with a tapering muzzle, dark almond-shaped eyes with small erect ears. The tail is long and is straight but it can bend over the dog’s back. The coat is short and coarse and can come in a number of shades such as tan, white, reddish, white and black.
The Sanshu is a dog that loves to please its owners. Even so, training and socialization should be given to this dog. He is an intelligent dog, and with training and socialization he becomes well balanced and able to respond to a few commands such as sit, come, stay and lie down.
These are loving, loyal dogs and bond closely with their human family. It is a true companion dog and makes an excellent guard dog too. He makes a great pet with children, if the children have been taught to be kind and gentle to animals and not climb all over them.
St. John’s Water Dog is strong, medium sized and stocky. They looked more like English Labs than American Labs. They had a thick, short coat, loved swimming, had a lot of endurance and rudder tail. It was also described as a thin, black dog with short hair. They had white patches on their chest and feet. His nose was thin and tapered, his legs powerful, his chest muscular. The breed is quick, swims, runs quickly and is a fighter as well.
Never accepted by any major kennel club except as a foundation breed. They became extinct.
Sanshu dogs are known for the exceptional companionship they offer. They are loving, loyal dogs, wanting to fit in peacefully with their human companions and eager to please.They are amicable dogs, willing to get on well with other dogs in the family too.
In exchange for such devotion, everyone who owns one of these dogs should be eager to ensure they provide well for their 4-legged family member.
This dog from Japan is a fairly healthy breed, and you can encourage good health by ensuring he gets good food and adequate exercise.
Nonetheless, every dog can fall prey to some of the many dog illnesses there are, and some of these diseases can be skin allergies, hip dysplasia, bloat, digestive issues, cherry eye, cancer and obesity.
The condition of the eyes can give away some ideas of a dog’s health. Eye discharge can be a sign of an infection or an allergy. If your dog’s eyes aren’t clear and there is a constant discharge, talk to your vet and get to the root of it. Left untreated, there are some eye diseases that can lead to blindness.
Just like humans get all kinds of skin problems, dogs also do. It can drive them crazy and you see them scratching and biting. Skin allergies are sometimes caused by insect bites or allergies to medication or food. You might see excessive itching, scratching, a nasty rash, watery eyes and chewing of the paws. Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease and you will need to get your pet to the vet.
You need to check inside your pet’s mouth and make sure that a bad tooth isn’t causing your pet tremendous pain and infection. Sometimes missing teeth can also interfere with the way your pet eats.
There is no documented history of any genetic or hereditary illnesses in the breed. However, it seems rational to believe they suffered from ailments similar to Labradors and newfoundland though they are smaller dogs.
Brush the coat twice a week to rid the coat of loose hairs.
Check the ears and eyes for infection.
Feel for unusual lumps on your pet’s body.
Provide your pet with a warm, dry place to sleep.
Keep your pet’s vaccines up to date to eliminate killer canine diseases.
Have your pet spayed or neutered to avoid unwanted puppies.
Feed your pet well. A Sanshu dog will require the best dog food there is. If you give him commercially manufactured food make sure it is one of the better brands to avoid toxic ingredients.
To add some variety, feed him some home made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet. Try and include some raw meat into the diet as this can help in fighting off horrible skin diseases. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.
1Feeding the puppy – Don’t overfeed – they have a propensity toward obesity. Feed high quality, high protein 3 x a day.
2.Feeding the adult – Don’t overfeed. Feed a high quality, high protein 1-2 x a day.
4. Games and Exercises – They need space to run and they love to explore. They would also love to be near water where they could swim. Good at dock diving, field trials, flyball and frisbee.