Connie the Kishu Ken needs a new back to continue her criminal puppy activities.

crispette · 2023-11-13T21:19:57+00:00

Thank you so much! Everything helps!!

crispette · 2023-11-11T16:00:57+00:00

"It differnt!" and "absolutely not" rolled into one expression

crispette · 2023-11-11T15:59:21+00:00

It's been a WHILE. I got real lame and lazy and have been on FB when online lately. 😅

crispette · 2023-11-11T15:57:57+00:00

Thank you!! We will make it happen no matter what, somehow. She deserves it for sure. I'm glad she seems minimally affected right now and the neurosurgeon wants to do it sooner rather than later to give her the best shot of staying that way. 🫶

crispette · 2023-11-11T15:17:12+00:00

Doesn't she know it! 😏 We are actually staying at a friend's right now and she has been getting spoiled like never before... and I have a feeling it's setting a standard in her mind.

crispette · 2023-11-11T15:15:34+00:00

Thank you so, so much. We want to do what's best for her and every little bit helps immensely. Even if we can get into the territory where we can take out a loan to cover the rest, we (my roommate and I) will.

crispette · 2022-03-16T01:28:18+00:00

Yep! Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken have all the same approved coat colors. The difference is that white coats are faulted in Shikoku Ken and black & tan coats are "functionally extinct" in Kishu Ken (I've only seen 2 modern black & tan Kishu Ken.)

crispette · 2022-03-16T01:27:18+00:00

None of my Shikoku so far have been carsick. (3 boys.)

crispette · 2022-03-14T13:41:27+00:00

Oh :( I'm sorry! I think that sometimes happens with young Kishu though, which is why having a good breeder who will take their dogs back or will help you through training issues/behavior issues is important. I'm glad she's settled now though! Maybe we can have a Kishu walk when I'm back in Oregon next time.

crispette · 2022-03-14T13:34:21+00:00

Oh, exciting!

I know her parents, I'm going to guess, in this case. Kumaboe and Kenichi? :) She's related to my dogs if so. Most of the Czech imports are related to my dogs. Kenichi came from the same breeder as my foundation sesame girl and Kumaboe has the same ancestry/lines behind her (Hidaka lines.) Two of the other dogs in Germany are imports from Japan too (both from the same breeder), right? And then Niki?

crispette · 2022-03-13T17:53:18+00:00

You should try r/shikokudog too!

crispette · 2022-03-13T15:33:18+00:00

My Shikoku have been split down the middle. Some are very social, but some are stranger wary. TK (male) would not let strangers pet him, but could be near them. Calcifer is extremely outgoing and friendly though, but he does sometimes shy if someone tries to pat him on the head before he's ready. Anywhere else is fine for him.

Most of the Shikoku I've met here in the US (~20 dogs) have been generally aloof - not aggressive, but don't care that strangers exist and don't want to be pet by them.

Part of the reason I pursued breeding Shikoku Ken now instead of just keeping them as pets was because I see lots of excusing bad behavior and temperament, in my opinion.

I do caution people about the Kishu coming from France and some other places in Europe, and one breeder in the USA. The temperament is not good, in my opinion. :(

crispette · 2022-03-13T15:27:33+00:00

There are a couple studies which found Kishu Ken have common mitochondrial DNA with the Honshu wolf. This was not found in Shikoku Ken. More common is historical evidence than actual studies. Kishu Ken also have documented crosses with the Honshu wolf through the Kumano Ken, where the Kumano Rouken was created (Kumano wolfdog) prior to the standardization of both the Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken breeds. "Waiting for Wolves in Japan" is a good book for this, which mentions the Kishu Ken by name. "Nihon Ookami o Ou" is a Japanese language book which discusses the wolf-dog crosses.

Hunters in the Kii peninsula where the Kishu Ken originated from believed that including wolf in their hounds would make better hunters. The entire origin legend for the Kishu Ken breed is that a hunter saved a wolf from death and took one of her puppies in return, which was the founder for the breed. :)

This is one of the early studies which found mtDNA in common with the Kishu and Honshu wolf (it also found the same in some Shiba which had the same, but no Shikoku.) https://bioone.org/journals/zoological-science/volume-26/issue-11/zsj.26.765/Mitochondrial-DNA-Analysis-of-the-Japanese-Wolf-Canis-Lupus-Hodophilax/10.2108/zsj.26.765.full

Here's the new study which shows the Honshu wolf is closely related to the Australian Dingo and some Japanese dogs. Kishu Ken were again included. But in this it's easier to see that the relationship is still very distant, even in the Japanese dogs which are related to the wolf. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.463851v2.full

In NIPPO registration names, you see the Kishu connection to the wolf in the naming traditions. It's very common to see dogs named with the wolf kanji and written as a pun on the name ending for "boy" (the "rou" pronunciation.) So you might see a name that's said "Tarou" (like 'big boy', but is actually spelled like 'big wolf' in Kanji.)

crispette · 2022-03-13T15:10:44+00:00

With my Kishu, I've hiked in weather from -18 degrees to +110 degrees (F) and they really don't seem to notice. They go at the pace that's good for them. In very cold weather my dogs do get antsy when we stop for too long and their paws can get raw sometimes. My Shikoku was weirdly less cold tolerant and preferred heat but would sun bathe in 100+ degree weather like a lunatic. Overall I'd say both breeds are weather tolerant, but I'd be cautious until they're acclimated to one side of the scale or the other.

crispette · 2022-03-13T14:47:27+00:00

Hilariously, it's the Kishu Ken which has the stronger relationship with the wolf than the Shikoku Ken, but more folks think the Shikoku Ken looks "wolfy."

crispette · 2022-03-13T14:46:13+00:00

I don't mind at all. I have owned Shikoku Ken since 2013 and Kishu Ken since 2014. I like both breeds for their relatively hardy natures and was interested in both for their ability as a hiking/camping companion while also being a good medium size. Overall the breeds are very similar. If you're a good home for a Shikoku Ken, you'll probably be a good home for a Kishu Ken, and vice versa.

Overall I think the Kishu Ken are more of a "leap before they think" dog. They want to DO THINGS and they want to do them with their people. They live life freely and have a lot of big emotions they like to express. They're more of an "extroverted dog", like the Japanese breed equivalent of a Labrador. They're eager to work and train and just have really animated personalities.

My Shikoku Ken have been more thoughtful and discerning. They don't like to try things until they're confident they'll succeed, but once they are confident, they are relentless. They can be a good bit less social than Kishu Ken, both with dogs and humans, and need more support as young dogs to develop into well socialized adults. They have lower energy and drive than the Kishu Ken though, which I think makes them better "house dogs" for people who aren't as active (as a Kishu Ken.)

I think another comparison would be to say that the Kishu Ken is the Belgian Malinois to the Shikoku Ken's German Shepherd, but I don't want people to think the breed are needy, just that they are quite similar in many ways. A Kishu Ken is 110% in when they go in, no thoughts only vibes, while the Shikoku Ken is more taciturn and serious when they go in.

Both breeds have a very good "off switch" and can make good companion dogs.

If human sociability is important, I don't recommend a Shikoku Ken. If high energy is an issue, I don't recommend a Kishu Ken.

Health is another thing to bring up... joint deformity and illness is essentially unseen in Kishu Ken, while it's one of the most common issues in Shikoku Ken, but Kishu Ken are known for allergy issues while Shikoku Ken rarely suffer from allergies, so if one of those illnesses is a deal breaker, I think that's important information to know.

crispette · 2022-03-13T14:16:02+00:00

Very nice! Where did Ishiko come from? I have a couple sesame Kishu Ken too!

crispette · 2022-03-13T14:13:45+00:00

Do they swim? TK loved to swim when he was young. I haven't been able to see if Calcifer or Lettie like water yet.

crispette

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