The Hokkaido (北海道犬, Hokkaidō-inu or Hokkaidō-ken) is a breed of dog originating from Japan.

Males are typically 50 cm (20 in) tall at the withers, females slightly shorter, with body masses in the 20 kg (44 lb) range.

[3] The Hokkaido is believed to originate from the medium-sized dogs brought by immigrants from the main island of Honshu in the 1140s.

The breed was useful in the search for survivors of an Imperial Japanese Army regiment that was caught in heavy snow crossing the Hakkōda Mountains of Aomori Prefecture in 1902.

In 1937, the Ainu dog was designated in Japan as "a Living natural Monument"[6] and "a rare species protected by law" by the Ministry of Education and it was decided that the official name of the breed would be Hokkaido-Inu.