- Black, brindle, fawn, white, white and black, white and fawn, white and brindle
About the Taiwan Dog
Origin: Taiwan
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 13-18 kg
- Female
- 11-16 kg
- Height
- Male
- 46-52 cm
- Female
- 43-47 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Spitz and primitive types
- Origin
- Taiwan
- Also called
- Perro de Taiwan
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Taiwan Dog?
Medium-sized spitz-type dog with triangular erect ears, wedge-shaped head, and sickle tail. This athletic, ancient hunting breed is characterized by its keen senses, strong hunting instincts, and unwavering loyalty to family.
Taiwan Dog history and origins
Ancient indigenous breed descended from hunting dogs of Taiwanese aboriginal tribes in the central mountain regions. Originally used for hunting wild boar and as guard dogs. Nearly extinct but revived through dedicated breeding program in the 1970s. Recognized by FCI (Standard No. 348).
Taiwan Dog appearance and size
Males typically weigh 13-18 kg and stand 46-52 cm at the shoulder; females 11-16 kg and 43-47 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hunting dog, watch dog, companion dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“Extremely faithful to his master, keen in sense, alert in movement, bold and fearless”
Quoted from FCI standard n°348. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 2 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Taiwan Dog
What you get with the Taiwan Dog
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hunting dog, watch dog, companion dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Extremely faithful to his master, keen in sense, alert in movement, bold and fearless”
- Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “Short and hard, lying tight to the body.”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Taiwan Dog
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Short and hard, lying tight to the body.
Length is between 1. 5 to 3 cm
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°348 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Taiwan Dog down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Undershot or overshot bite
- Missing canine tooth.
- Ears not pricked.
- Long hair (exceeding 4.5 cm)
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Taiwan Dog in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Taiwan Dog
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Taiwan Dog on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Taiwan Dog owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Taiwan Dog breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.