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The Ainu is rarely seen outside of Japan. They were named after the Ainu tribe and arrived in Japan 3,000 years ago with the tribe brought this spitz type dog with them.

As the Ainu tribe were pushed to the island of Hokkaido by the Japanese people, their dogs gradually became restricted to the island. The dogs then became the village guardians due to their suspicious nature.

The breed has changed very little over the centuries. They were later named the Hokkaido Dog, but are still more known as the Ainu Dog.

Many Ainu have blue-black tongues which suggests a distant relationship with breeds such as the Chow Chow and Chinese Shar Pei. Through the Society For The Preservation of Japanese Breeds, the Ainu Dog was designated a Japanese Natural Monument in 1937.