Despite its appearance, the raccoon dog is quite unrelated to the raccoon. A native of Japan, eastern Siberia and north China, it is unique among dogs as it spends the winters asleep in its den. Valued by fur traders for its thick pelt. It was introduced to Eastern Europe in the late 1940s and has since become widespread from Scandinavia, through Poland, to Romania, adapting its way of life to a wide range of habitats.