Training a Kai Ken
Hello everyone! Hope everyone's holidays were great. I see everyone's puppies (or teenager for Koda) really enjoyed the snow! I know I did (even with out a puppy).
So heres my questions... Besides basic obedience training what types of training/ socialization is good for Kai Kens? How often has everyone trained a day, week... I know they need constant training, how do they react to training. Do they take well to it or are they really stubborn?
I ask because my friend has a pit bull and she's sooooo stubborn and unruly when she wants. (she is older and my friend doesn't really do anything with her, but I don't know if i could handle a dog like that 24/7) I want to make sure Kai Ken will be right for me and I will be right for Kai Ken when the time comes.
Thanks!!!
So heres my questions... Besides basic obedience training what types of training/ socialization is good for Kai Kens? How often has everyone trained a day, week... I know they need constant training, how do they react to training. Do they take well to it or are they really stubborn?
I ask because my friend has a pit bull and she's sooooo stubborn and unruly when she wants. (she is older and my friend doesn't really do anything with her, but I don't know if i could handle a dog like that 24/7) I want to make sure Kai Ken will be right for me and I will be right for Kai Ken when the time comes.
Thanks!!!
Comments
Having worked in rescue for most of my life now, I would say pit bulls are the easiest dogs in the world to train without any hesitation. My Shikoku has always been the test of my patience. My shiba was even more so. Worth every bit of the frustration but nonetheless frustrating.
With regard to training, I am a devoted believer in positive reinforcement methods, especially for Nihon Ken. They do not react well to aversive methods AT ALL. Classes make a huge difference because they allow you to work with your dog in many different scenarios and a lot of distraction. Other than that the main thing is just to be very very very consistent with your dog.
That said I would make same suggestions for any breed.
They love to do physical work [ hunting, hiking, packing, guarding ] but as far as "obedience" goes they can be a little stubborn, just because they don't "enjoy" it as much as actual physical work. I think, in terms of "bidability" Akita are the easiest, & shiba the hardest. The rest of the Nihon Ken [ Kishu, Shika, Hokka, Kai ] all fall in the range of "middle."
That said, if you start from an early age, AND continually train your pup, he won't be too "difficult." However, a big thing with Kai is you need to make it worth their time. That said, every dog is different & it will mostly depend on the temperament / personality of your puppy.
But, what most people would see as "difficult to train" I see as challenging & fun! I don't want a pup that'll do everything I say from the get go, I want a pup who will learn to respect me as I, in turn, give my dog respect.
With nihon ken, I think it's 99% about respect / trust. This is why aversive methods [ hitting, choke, shock, etc. ] tend not to work well on Nihon Ken.
I think it will also depend on how you are raising your pup. I'm not sure with Kai, but "Nothing in Life is Free" tends to work well enough on Shiba. [ & even cats ] I'm sure it'd be a good method to apply to other nihon ken as well.
Essentially, your dog, WHATEVER the breed, is only going to put out what work you put into him. Consistent, FUN, rewarding, training is the key to success!
My $oo.o2 ~
He is the star right now at his 2nd set of group obedience classes. His nature is so calm and patient. He loves going to classes and maintains his focus on me. We are also starting a tracking/hunting seminar next month. I'll let you know how that goes.
Koda does have somewhat of a stubborn streak. I learned that the first day I met him, and he wouldn't go back in the crate to drive home. Then he wanted to walk me on a leash after. He would throw his whole weight, all 7 pds....lol, into making me go his way. His stubbornness has never annoyed me, it's cute in a way and it was easy to overcome. When I give a command, he listens and that's it.
As far as the other stuff that you may worry about with a puppy, i.e. chewing on things, potty accidents, jumping on people, mouthiness, etc. Koda will not do any of that stuff. He has had the run of the house while I'm at work since he was 10 weeks old and hasn't ruined or gotten into anything he shouldn't have.
Positive training methods are the only way to go with Koda.
Hope that helps!
Here's the class description:
Tracking for Fun - Your dog already knows how to follow scents using her nose. Tracking for Fun students will learn how to work and communicate with their dogs to follow simple tracks. The objective of this class is to introduce the dog to the foundation of tracking - learning to follow scent for positive reinforcement. Dogs will learn to track a straight line and add corners. Handlers will learn tracking theory - including scent pads, the effect of weather conditions, wind, and different terrain.
As far as the positive reinforcement training, I totally agree! I worked with you children for a couple years and have taken psychology classes and positive reinforcement was always taught. I never watched Ceasar's show, something about him bothered me so I never got into it. But Victoria Stillwell I absolutely adore!! I try to watch the show as much as possible. The hard part is I get what she's saying while the show is on but actually being able to apply it to a real life situation makes me nervous because you know it never goes the why you want it to. So then when you run into a question or problem you can't ask Victoria through the tv. I'd try but my husband would probably have me committed and then I'd never get a puppy!
I'm so happy to hear that Kai Ken's like hiking and being outdoors. I wouldn't call my self a "hiker" but more or a woods lover. I love taking walks through the woods and just enjoy the fresh air and quiet time. I'm an amateur photographer so I love going places to take pictures. I would love to have my dog by my side while i do this. I want to be able to take my dog everywhere with me when I go out. My husband and I do not want children so the Kai Ken would be our baby!
P.S. i love coming on here and seeing everyone's babies grow but I dislike all of you at the same time! Its such torture, I'm soo jealous!
So true!!! T_T
& I'll tell you, the wait only gets harder
Unlike most dogs, the Kai doesn't live to please - they're too independent to play silly games. It's on THEIR terms, and they will only be "taught" by the pack leader. Once well conditioned, they'll respond to others (my kids can get our Kai to sit, stay, shake, etc., albeit grudgingly).
I find our pup to be very smart, keenly observant and always aware of what's going on. But she loves to play the "I don't care" game. Even food isn't a sure thing for her as far as incentive. It's on her terms or won't happen most of the time.
Honestly, I find Kai puppies maddening to train... but as they age & mellow a tad (after 12-16 months), they are among the finest dogs I've known. Just take strong, firm instruction (but that's always positive), and you absolutely must be the Alpha to get them to even think about doing anything at first...
We will try it again this week, but I'm with Tim if it's not on their terms forget about it!
The thing is, two years made all the difference. As he matured, he really became more interested in being with me, trying to figure out what I wanted, etc. He always did basic things for food, but now (finally) he's just eager to please and interested in learning and trying new things. So while I know it's kind of a cop out, I do have to say that for me, the puppy class was good for socialization but I just could not expect much from him until he was older. When I got him though, and he was such a little terror--truly like a feral dog--I met some people who had Shibas who said, don't worry, it will get easier, and I didn't really believe them....But it's true!