Is it a raccoon? It’s a dog? The tanuki or raccoon dog is a curiosity and mystery in this world . First say that these animals are biologically canines, so they belong to their family and act like them but they only exist on the Japanese continent and their emergence is a mystery.
It is considered to be one of the oldest dogs in history, so much so that it is said to be a dog from the archaic period. Although you love them, we must say that they are extremely protected animals in Japan and in most cases they are not allowed as pets since they have a strong presence in Japanese folklore (many legends are linked to them) and according to that mythology you have to have great respect for this breed.
They usually live in forests, valleys or country home areas (such as rice fields). They are very sociable and funny , tremendously intelligent, with a great personality and above all very curious. They are also extremely fearful animals, so much so that, when they see the lights of a car, they become petrified, therefore, they try to prevent them from traveling on the roads. Although this animal is native to Japan and most specimens are found in the Japanese country, they have also been introduced by human hand in areas of northern and eastern Europe.
These animals weigh from 4 to 9 kg and physically have a strong and thick hair that serves as protection against the cold as well as a long and hairy tail and considerably short ears.
Japanese folklore is so fond of these animals that they are often depicted as figures and statues outside houses and temples. They are also considered to attract good fortune. As a curiosity, in Japan it is said that on full moon nights these animals use their drum tripe to drive away evil spirits. For this reason, as we say, in the Japanese continent it is common to see thousands of statues and representations dedicated to these dogs. Representations that are quite funny and striking: they are picturesque characters with a large gut, mischievous face and large testicles (according to Japanese belief they are a symbol of economic fortune) .
