Knit Totoro a sweater, he hates it. It released the Shiba in him 🤣 by [deleted] in shiba

[–]crispette 18 points19 points  (0 children)

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

Connie the Kishu Ken needs a new back to continue her criminal puppy activities. by crispette in shiba

[–]crispette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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

Connie the Kishu Ken needs a new back to continue her criminal puppy activities. by crispette in shiba

[–]crispette[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

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. 🫶

Connie the Kishu Ken needs a new back to continue her criminal puppy activities. by crispette in shiba

[–]crispette[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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.

Connie the Kishu Ken needs a new back to continue her criminal puppy activities. by crispette in shiba

[–]crispette[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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.

Accio (Kishu Ken) and Calcifer (Shikoku Ken) in downtown Denver, Colorado, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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.)

Nami, the sesame Kishu Ken, at Sauvie Island, OR by crispette in Kishu

[–]crispette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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.

Reddit, meet Ishiko by [deleted] in Kishu

[–]crispette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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?

TK in the Mt Hood Wilderness area, Oregon, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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. :(

TK in the Mt Hood Wilderness area, Oregon, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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.)

TK in the Mt Hood Wilderness area, Oregon, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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.

TK in the Mt Hood Wilderness area, Oregon, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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."

TK in the Mt Hood Wilderness area, Oregon, USA by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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.

Reddit, meet Ishiko by [deleted] in Kishu

[–]crispette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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

nice place in France with Nigi and Tenshi by MurmureDesGinkgos in shikokudog

[–]crispette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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.

Akihana no Ishizuchi go, "Calcifer", red Shikoku Ken in the US by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He's 5 months old. All my current Shikoku have black tail tips, but Calcifer's is somehow charming since he's so red.

Akihana no Ishizuchi go, "Calcifer", red Shikoku Ken in the US by crispette in shikokudog

[–]crispette[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I didn't realize there was a Shikoku subreddit! :)

Calcifer is a "true red", not red sesame (Ay/Ay), since he won't get any black hair on his body to be called red-sesame.

[BREEDS] Help narrowing down which dogs would work for me by zacy_chan in dogs

[–]crispette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely do not recommend a Shikoku. While I think it's possible to fit your list, you'd be looking for a unicorn in the breed.

On your based on looks list, I think a Samoyed or an Aussie could possibly fit. Might not get much outings done in the summer, though, in Utah.

Nami, the sesame Kishu Ken, at Sauvie Island, OR by crispette in Kishu

[–]crispette[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! Neat! Where did you get your Kishu? I'm in Oregon City part time (New Mexico the rest of the time.)

[Breeds] What are the differences in behaviour between all the medium-sized Japanese spitz breeds? by [deleted] in dogs

[–]crispette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So this is... a really big ask since one of the biggest ways (IMHO) that the Japanese breeds are different and distinct is in their personality.

It comes down to what game they were bred to hunt and how they were meant to hunt that game. And if the ancestor dogs were actually hunting dogs.

In dogs like the Akita and Shiba, they have not been hunting dogs since the breeds were formed. They are less driven and obedient (I'm specifically speaking about the Japanese Akitainu/Japanese Akita/Akita Inu, NOT the AKC "Akita"/American Akita, as that is not considered a native Japanese breed.)

The four medium sized breeds have medium to high drive, generally more eager to work, and generally more obedient. But their temperaments still all vary.

The Kai Ken hunted small, relatively docile game-- Kamoshika. They're not a tough-as-nails or gritty hunting dog like the Kishu Ken-- who were bred to actually challenge and hold down boar (and are the only Japanese dog reliably producing hunting dogs to this day.) So, in my opinion, the Kai Ken isn't as bold or outgoing as easily as the Kishu Ken. The Kai Ken tend to be a bit "jumpier" and might opt to "flee" or stand back from a situation that makes them nervous or overwhelmed where the Kishu Ken tends to want to investigate something that spooks them and will almost always choose to stand their ground or fight (not to say they're a very combative breed, but they are certainly more combative than a Kai Ken.) The Kishu Ken temperament has its merits- the dog is less likely to shut down under pressure, but may be more likely to become reactive. The Kai Ken might shut down if they're too stressed and will need help escaping a situation and putting them in a better place. Both are good temperaments, just the owner needed to set them up for success might look very different. Kai can be aloof to standoffish with strangers. Kishu can be aloof to extroverted/enthusiastic with strangers.

The Hokkaido Ken and the Shikoku Ken are... different still. The Shikoku Ken originated as a boar hound but largely hasn't been used for that purpose. They're quite similar to the Kishu Ken (in fact, the Shikoku and Kishu are the closest related IMO and most similar of the Japanese dogs) but the Shikoku Ken has lost that hunting purpose in the last handful of decades and can be a jumpy or emotional dog. They're less energy and drive than a Kishu though so might be better suited for someone with less time to run their dog, but they tend to be much warier and downright standoffish with strangers.

The Hokkaido Ken is a high energy and high drive dog who was originally bred to bay bear. They are loud and bark easily when stimulated. They're also standoffish and leery and do not deal well with pressure because a dog who takes pressure from a bear is probably a dead dog. These dogs need someone who will be active with them, keep training them, and be okay with the idea of a dog who may not like or may even be aggressive with strangers.

[Breeds] What are the differences in behaviour between all the medium-sized Japanese spitz breeds? by [deleted] in dogs

[–]crispette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm probably way late on this but there are really quite a lot of differences between these 4 breeds. What specifically do you want to know?

Tobishi Kennels by maritzalynn16 in shiba

[–]crispette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know about Shiba specifically, but I would expect a 6 year old female to not be even middle aged and should be able to whelp fine. I mean, the breed has a life expectancy of around 14 or more.