Raccoon dog – an exotic pet

Tanukis, another name for raccoon dogs, are an uncommon but growingly common option for people seeking an exotic pet. Animal enthusiasts are intrigued and drawn to them due to their unusual appearance, which combines canine characteristics with raccoon-like characteristics.

However, caring for a raccoon dog is not the same as caring for a typical dog or cat. These animals can be difficult for the typical pet owner to deal with because of their unique needs and behaviors. It’s crucial to comprehend their needs before choosing to adopt one for your house.

This post will go over everything you need to know about owning a raccoon dog as a pet, including their diet, housing requirements, and temperament. This information will assist you in deciding if a raccoon dog is the right pet for your home if you’re thinking about adopting one.

Aspect	Details
Origin	Raccoon dogs come from East Asia, mainly China and Japan.
Appearance	They look similar to raccoons with thick fur and a bushy tail.
Diet	They eat a mix of fruits, vegetables, meat, and insects.
Behavior	Raccoon dogs are shy but can become friendly with regular interaction.
Legal Status	Ownership laws vary by country; check regulations before adopting.
Lifespan	They live around 6-8 years in captivity.

Historical origin

Raccoon dogs are classified as a separate species of the canine family. These animals are found in the eastern Asian regions in their natural habitat, which includes eastern China, Korea, Japan, the northeastern part of Indochina, and the Far East of Russia.

They first appeared in the European and Asian regions of our nation between the years of the 1920s and the 1950s; during this time, thousands of people were brought here. This was done specifically with the intention that these game animals’ fur coat quality would improve with improved living conditions and sensible diet.

Then, raccoon dog individuals found their way into nearly eight dozen Soviet administrative entities. A few of them selected the Altai Krai, the Novosibirsk and Irkutsk regions as their home. However, these canines could not live in this harsh climate, where they would not survive the long, icy winters.

Raccoon dogs are now found in warmer climates, such as the Caucasus, Moldova, the Baltics, western Russia, and other places.

Description of the raccoon dog

As previously mentioned, raccoon dogs have bodies and coats similar to those of foxes or raccoons, but they are still dogs because they are members of the same order. Individuals of this species have a maximum body length of 80 cm and a maximum tail length of 25 cm.

Raccoon dogs have warm, thick fur that is 10 to 12 cm long. The guard hair is slightly coarse, while the undercoat is fluffy and soft. They resemble raccoons that have grown out of control and lack shape; occasionally, people compare them to fur balls.

The animals have small limbs and a medium-length coat. Their heads are narrowed and have black, erect ears. Depending on the season, these animals’ weights vary significantly. For instance, the animal may gain up to 7 kg in the summer and drop to 3–4 kg by the end of winter. Some men are able to reach a weight of 10 kg.

Colors of raccoon dogs

These creatures are nearly the same color as raccoons. The tail’s fur is either dirty brown or darker than the rest of the body, with a small amount of black hairs. There is a dark fur strip on the back that varies in width slightly where the shoulder blades meet.

The fur of wild animals undergoes seasonal color changes, and raccoon dogs are no different. These animals have long, dark fur in the winter, and lighter, grayish fur in the summer. But no matter the season, the dark stripe on the back is still there.

You may come across albino raccoon dogs, but this is a product of selective breeding rather than their inherent color. Albinos were bred to make very good companions. These individuals are extremely uncommon and significantly more expensive than their colored counterparts.

The nature of such pets

The raccoon dog is not brave even though it is a predator. Conversely, these creatures are likened to cowardly hares. Dogs try to hide, while only animals with long ears flee from any threat. They close their eyes, lie down on the ground, and act lifeless. Furthermore, even if you pick up such a "carcass," the animal won’t even flinch an ear, giving the impression that it is dead.

A raccoon dog will only tremble and not wake up from such a "dead" state, not even a loud, sharp sound like a gunshot. It will also start to squeal subtly and plaintively if it senses pain.

When the threat has passed, the dog will open its eyes, sniff, and run away fast if it sees no reason to be alarmed and everything is calm. Such behavior often confuses hunting dogs during a hunt, and after they smell the lying, suspicious prey, they just flee.

All of this suggests that raccoon dogs are not particularly hostile animals that actively seek out confrontations. Pretending to be dead, the animal prefers to walk by any confusing or dangerous situation. Pets can be happy with raccoon dogs, but there are some drawbacks.

While a wild animal can still be aggressive, it is not a dangerous animal that can do significant harm. The animal may occasionally bite the transgressor. However, raccoon dogs are less aggressive and more docile than raccoons.

Even though these pets get along with other animals, conflicts may still arise. They can even play with dogs that are the right size, and they get along better with dogs than with cats. However, any small animal, including birds, can be regarded as an excellent source of food.

By the way, these creatures are known as tanuki in their native Japan, where they have drawn interest from humans since prehistoric times. Numerous tanuki cults existed, and stories and legends were created. In the meantime, it was common to see raccoon dogs in Japanese homes; owning them as pets was a perfectly normal practice.

How to keep and care for a raccoon dog?

It is advised by experts to purchase a puppy from a nursery and provide for its needs. Typically, breeders start giving babies away as early as the second month of their lives. However, an animal accustomed to living in the wild should not be taken. particularly if there’s no particular need for it (the animal is safe, nothing is threatening it). In this situation, the captive dog will long for its environment, find it extremely difficult to adjust, and exhibit aggressive behavior frequently.

The home raccoon dog’s puppy is easy to acclimate to leash walks and appreciates the necessity of a tray. Although some people may believe that these animals are better off living in the wild, they can live up to 15 years as pets with the right care, and they typically don’t live longer than 5 years in the wild. Furthermore, domesticated animals procreate happily and without difficulty, so breeding is not a problem.

It is not recommended by experts to keep such an animal in an apartment for life. First of all, in this situation, frequent walks will be necessary; additionally, it is preferable to keep them away from distractions like people and traffic.

Second, because raccoon dogs have extremely dense, thick fur, they will perceive the apartment’s temperature as being excessively hot. A furry friend can pass away from stuffiness. Thirdly, even though the animal itself doesn’t have a particularly strong "aroma," its waste products do have a strong "smell." Because of this subtlety, having a cat on a balcony can be problematic; cat litter alone won’t make things better.

Both sexes of these exotic animal owners tend to mark their territory, and the fluid secreted by their glands has an even more pungent smell. This is another significant detail that these owners must be aware of.

This disadvantage can only be removed by castrating or sterilizing your pet when they are young. To avoid missing the window of opportunity, it is best to seek advice from a veterinarian regarding this matter as soon as the puppy enters the home.

It is preferable to keep the animal nearby, provided that a roomy booth or enclosure has been set up. However, it is always important to keep in mind that the pet will not behave amiably toward other people or animals. It is advised to exercise extra caution when other people’s kids are around.

What does a raccoon dog require? All the conditions in an aviary are the same as they are in a typical dog home. The same is true for accessories; these are chosen according to the animal’s size, but generally speaking, leashes and other items are appropriate for small breed representatives.

The cost of raccoon dogs is comparable to that of most other regular dog breeds, and they don’t require complicated procedures or extravagant care. When they shed seasonally, you should comb them, and you should start acclimating the pet to this process at a very young age. In the natural world, friction between different tree parts takes the place of this manipulation. Dogs that are raccoons do not require regular bathing; instead, it is done only when the pet becomes unclean.

Though not as strongly as bears, for example, these animals hibernate in the natural environment. Domestic animals don’t hibernate, but during particularly deep freezes, they can spend a considerable amount of time inside the shelter without opening their noses.

Enthusiasts of exotic pets are increasingly choosing the raccoon dog because of its unusual appearance and lively personality. Owning one necessitates a thorough understanding of its particular requirements, such as space, food, and socialization, even though they can be rewarding companions. When considering bringing a raccoon dog into your home, it’s important to carefully consider whether you’re ready for the responsibility because, unlike typical pets, raccoon dogs have wild instincts and behaviors that may challenge inexperienced owners.

What to feed a raccoon dog?

Tanuki eat both plants and animals in the wild; they are omnivores. Raccoon dogs’ diet is directly influenced by the season; during the summer, they consume frogs, insects, mice-like rodents, birds, and their clutches. They eat grain, berries, and ripe fruits in the fall, but they can also eat carrion and food scraps. Naturally, if the animals have built up substantial fat reserves by this point, they sleep through the winter and survive on nothing.

However, this does not mean that the owner can give his pet anything at all; after all, a healthy diet plays a major role in determining how long this tail-tailed friend will live. Meat and fish should make up at least 40% of a varied and well-balanced diet. The animal can be given meat, including fatty types, in raw form. Furthermore, nearly all offal is fit for feeding. Fish and shellfish can be fed to dogs.

Cereal porridge made of rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, and other grains can be combined with ingredients such as meat and fish. Berries, fruits, veggies, and greens are all accepted by these pets. Many vitamin and mineral supplements can be added to the diet when feeding natural food, but it is best to speak with a veterinarian first.

Additionally, owners have the option to select industrial dry food. Preference should be given to high-quality small dog products. Sweets, salty, pickled, spicy dishes, smoked meats, and sausages are some examples of unhealthy foods. Both regular and raccoon dogs’ digestive systems are adversely affected by them. Animal teeth quickly become spoiled by such food.

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Features of education and domestication of raccoon dogs

First and foremost, the prospective owner should be aware that, as these animals have not yet fully been domesticated, wild raccoons are still bred dogs, even in nurseries. As such, it will be impossible to totally alter this four-legged friend’s fundamental behavior. It will take some getting used to the features and adjusting gradually to the needs of a furry guest.

Breeders refer to these animals as "raccoons," but they are not dogs in the true sense of the word, so they cannot be trained for general training purposes or be used in sports. You can be persistent and teach some people the fundamentals of "to me!", "in place!", and "it’s forbidden!" And maybe this qualifies as a success. Even so, the majority of raccoon dogs are unable to learn even this basic. They are also limited to obeying within their own boundaries.

Not only that, but training your pet beyond the age of six months will make absolutely no sense. Certain raccoon dogs dislike walking in noisy, unfamiliar places because of their unstable nervous systems. A large number of them feel actual stress. They prefer to sleep during the day and go hunting at night when they are in the wild. However, your pet may adjust to a more conventional schedule if you encourage it to be active during the day.

Photo of a raccoon dog

Video about a raccoon dog

Although it has its difficulties, owning a raccoon dog as a pet can be an interesting and fulfilling experience. Compared to typical pets like cats or dogs, this exotic animal has different needs. Planning and careful consideration are necessary for their living conditions, dietary needs, and behavior.

Raccoon dogs are not for everyone, even though they can develop close relationships with their owners. It’s critical to recognize their untamed instincts and create an environment that supports their growth. Inadequate care may cause them to become agitated or even hostile.

Do your homework and be ready for the long-term commitment before choosing to adopt a raccoon dog into your home. When given the proper care and attention, they can grow into fascinating companions that provide a genuinely unique pet experience.

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