The raccoon dog really looks like it is related to a raccoon, which is how it gets its name; but it is actually not related at all. The raccoon dog is a wild dog native to China and other parts of Asia, and has now also been introduced into some areas of Russia.
This beautiful creature looks almost like a Pomeranian when the face is photographed from the front, and I saw a picture of one with white fur that could easily have ben mistaken for a Pom. Raccoon dogs only weigh around 6-8 lbs, although they semi-hibernate in the winter, and usually eat a lot in the fall, gaining weight up to 15 lbs by the time winter arrives.
They are omnivores, and eat fruit and berries, as well as small animals like mice, and also lizards and other small reptiles.
Sadly, they are valued for their fur, and in China, raccoon dogs are now being raised in cages under horrible conditions, and killed for their beautiful, fluffy coats.
