Ryukyu dog

Not one of the six and not recognised by any major kennel club, the Ryukyu dog of Okinawa and Ishigaki belongs here because it is as native as any of them, a boar-hunting dog of the southern islands. Thought lost after the Second World War, purebred dogs were reportedly found in the Yanbaru forest in the early 1980s; a preservation society followed in 1990 and Okinawa made it a prefectural natural monument in 1995. Brindle coats are common, and some dogs have working rear dewclaws that help them climb. It is quiet, brave and has a strong prey drive. Numbers fell to around 400 by 2015, so this is a breed to understand and support rather than one to shop for.