Formosan mountain dog facts for kids
The Formosan Mountain Dog (or Formosan) is a breed of small or medium dog. They live in Taiwan. These dogs are also known as Taiwanese Dog/Canis (Chinese: 台灣犬), Taiwanese Native Dog (Chinese: 台灣土狗) or Takasago Dog (Chinese: 高砂犬). They are well-adapted to the uneven and thickly forested terrain of Taiwan. They had become a semi-wild breed earlier.
Formosans can be trained as hunting dogs, guard dogs, rescue dogs, or simply as companions. Formosan dogs can make good family pets but still have a strong hunting instinct. However, now the pureblood Formosan Mountain Dog is still close to extinction. This is due to limited conservation efforts of the Taiwanese and their government.
Native Dog (Chinese: 土狗) is the common name in Taiwan nowadays to indicate that the dog is an offspring of Formosan with foreign dogs. It is commonly confused with the Taiwan Native Dog (Chinese: 台灣土狗).
