What makes them "not for everyone?"
One of the MANY things Wraith has taught me is patience. But beside that, he has definitely taught me how big a variance there is from breed to breed. Often we hear about different dog breeds...how some are "easy" & some are "difficult" or the, "I would NEVER own one of those! They're crazy!!!"
As an example, the wiki article on Dutchies actually says, "The Dutch Shepherd is a high energy, intelligent dog which is not well suited to be a pet[...]"
Now, I could go on & on why not everyone should own a Dutchie, from my limited experience. They do require a special sort of crazy lol But what I'm interested in is...
What makes your NK of choice "not for everyone?" What is requirement for someone to [ happily ] own an NK? What makes NK more "difficult" or "less forgiving" then the "easier" dog breeds?
Would love to hear all of your personal experiences
---
[ & as I type this...thinking of that future NK puppy, whenever they appear, I wonder about the many ways they'll find to torture me that Wraith hasn't tried out yet...LOL ] ~
As an example, the wiki article on Dutchies actually says, "The Dutch Shepherd is a high energy, intelligent dog which is not well suited to be a pet[...]"
Now, I could go on & on why not everyone should own a Dutchie, from my limited experience. They do require a special sort of crazy lol But what I'm interested in is...
What makes your NK of choice "not for everyone?" What is requirement for someone to [ happily ] own an NK? What makes NK more "difficult" or "less forgiving" then the "easier" dog breeds?
Would love to hear all of your personal experiences
---
[ & as I type this...thinking of that future NK puppy, whenever they appear, I wonder about the many ways they'll find to torture me that Wraith hasn't tried out yet...LOL ] ~
Comments
----------------------------------------------
Life with a Shikoku Ken, by David L. Roberts
Thinking about getting a Shikoku Ken? Please read on. There are numerous descriptions of the Shikoku all over the internet that focus on their history. Yes, the Shikoku is a hunting dog developed to hunt large game in the mountainous regions of Japan. Yes, they are prized for their calmness in the home and tenacity when on the hunt. One thing these descriptions of the Shikoku don't tell you is what your life may be like if you are lucky enough to share it with one of these amazing dogs.
Here, we've tried to describe some of the REALITIES of living with a Shikoku. Despite what you may have read about the Shikoku on other websites, they are not the ideal companion dog. In fact, Shikoku aren't companion dogs at all, they are working dogs. In many working breeds, dogs from different lines will be described as either "working lines" or "show/pet lines." For the Shikoku, we prefer to think of this distinction as "working lines" and "conformation lines" as the Shikoku, even if not from working lines, still retains many of the qualities they needed to be effective large game hunters.
As always, dogs are living creatures and there are no absolutes when it comes to temperment and personality traits. The qualities we describe here tend to be prevelant among Shikoku in North America, but aren't guaranteed to describe your Shikoku. So, whether or not you choose to get a Shikoku from a working kennel and train them to hunt wild boar or bear, here are some of the things you can expect out of life with your Shikoku.
Your Shikoku is likely to be:
* an independent thinker, inquisitive, impulsive, and/or rude. Shikoku were bred to hunt in small packs of three to five dogs and to act independently of the hunter. As a result, your Shikoku is likely to be inquisitive and a problem solver. They probably won't look to you for assistance if their toy gets stuck under the couch or they want something on the countertop. They are going to figure out how to get it themselves, no matter how long it takes. Their independent nature and confidence can often make Shikoku impulsive and rude. If your Shikoku wants to lick the face of one of your house guests, they may not take no for an answer. An unsupervised Shikoku can get into a lot of mischeif. If you aren't willing to pay a lot of attention to your Shikoku, or to deal with the mess that she makes when you don't pay attention to her, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* filled with endless energy. The Shikoku's hunting background means that more often than not they have some very impressive stamina. Further, their drive to hunt often times will cause them to continue to play/chase/run long after they are over tired and may result in some "crankiness." Many Shikoku owners find that at least two long (around an hour) leashed walks per day plus plenty of time to run in a safely fenced enclosure is necessary to keep your Shikoku happy. Some owners also find that forcing their Shikoku to take a nap (either by crating or bringing them inside) will be beneficial to their behavior after extended periods of exercise. If you don't have the time or desire to provide the amount of exercise your Shikoku is likely to need, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* interested in chasing anything that moves, including your cat, squirrels, other dogs, leaves, etc. We can't stress this enough: Shikoku are working hunting dogs and they will chase everything. It is extremely common for new Shikoku owners to come on the Shikoku Dog Forum and ask how to get their puppy to stop chasing the family cat or squirrels in the yard. If you can figure out how to do it, we'd like to know! These dogs are the result of hundreds of years of selective breeding to produce powerful hunters with strong instincts to chase and bay prey. No small amount of training is likely to break them of that. If you have cats and don't want them to get chased around the house endlessly, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* unreliable off leash. The same characteristics that make Shikoku prized hunters in Japan, make them poor candidates to be off leash in uncontrolled environments. If you are looking for a velcro dog that will say on trail while hiking or can be let out to potty without a leash or fenced yard, keep looking---the Shikoku is not the dog for you. When worked as hunting dogs, Shikoku are trained from a very early age to "check in" with the hunter regularly. Properly trained they can be quite good at this. But, they likely will not remain within sight for very long and may even run out of earshot. If you aren't comfortable not knowing where your dog is for 15 minutes at a time (or maybe even longer), do not even try to train your Shikoku to work off leash. If you expect your dog to remain on trail during off leash hikes, to run directly from the house to the car for rides, or to stand by your side while you talk to a neighbor, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* somewhat mouthy and vocal. Shikoku tend to have a pretty "soft mouth" (meaning they don't bite very hard) and they use it a lot. Many owners report their dogs giving "mouth hugs" to their arms or nibbling on their earlobes/hair/etc. when they want attention. If you aren't comfortable with a dog being mouthy, a Shikoku may not be the breed for you. Further, Shikoku have a unique style of vocalization that involves a lot of growling. To those unfamiliar with the breed, this may be taken as a sign of "aggression" (we HATE that word) or a warning. While the Shikoku can and does use growls to communicate their desire for people or dogs to give them space, they also growl when excited, happy, or greeting other dogs. Some owners report their dogs will growl while displaying "appeasing" behaviors like licking their faces or the faces of other dogs. If you aren't interested in taking the time to learn what your dog's different vocalizations may mean, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* people friendly but alert to strange people around the home. In general, Shikoku love people. More often than not, Shikoku will greet strangers with some jumping/lunging, wagging tails, and lots of licks and nibbles. It is possible to train Shikoku out of this excited greeting, but requires a lot of patience and commitment from owners and anybody else that interacts with your Shikoku. Like with most dogs, if your Shikoku isn't exposed at an early age to visitors in the home or new people while out and about they may be shy or reserved with strangers. Because Shikoku love people so much, they do not make good guard dogs. Your Shikoku is more likely to shower an intruder with kisses than scare them away. Your Shikoku is likely to be very alert to changes in her environment and will not hesitate to alert you to the presence of an uninvited stranger, the pizza delivery man, or the mailman. Shikoku tend to alert using high pitched barks and/or growling, but the vast majority of Shikoku will back away from a confrontation with a stranger rather than "engage the threat." If you're looking for a breed to guard your family or your home, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* highly dog reactive and predisposed to barrier frustration. It seems most Shikoku have a very strict set of rules governing social interactions with other dogs. When those rules are broken, they aren't afraid to let other dogs know how they feel about it (which is generally not very good). Your Shikoku may approach other dogs courteously, but get offended at extended eye contact or an unfriendly body posture. Their reactions can range from growling to lunging and correcting. Shikoku are NOT AGGRESSIVE dogs, but may appear to not be friendly toward other dogs. Barriers, such as leashes or fences, can frustrate Shikoku. When meeting new dogs on leash or through a fence, Shikoku may put on a display with lots of vocalizing and lunging. It is best to introduce your Shikoku to new dogs off leash in a controlled environment. If you aren't comfortable holding the leash when your 45 pound dog is lunging to correct another dog, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you. The highly reactive nature of the Shikoku is the main reason we don't recommend them for the novice dog owner.
* a highly social creature. Shikoku crave the attention of and playtime with other dogs. They are capable of building lasting friendships with other dogs, but introductions and early play sessions MUST be closely supervised to avoid any reactive behaviors escalating. The Shikoku style of play is often described as "hectic" or "intense" and is characterized by a lot of noise and showing of teethe. To the untrained observer, the noise and bearing of teethe can be a bit unsettling. Early socialization is vitally important to ensure your Shikoku develops manners and learns appropriate play boundaries. Especially as puppies, Shikoku can be relentless in their efforts to play with other dogs. If you already have a senior dog who isn't interested in play with a puppy, you will have to work hard to keep your puppy entertained. If you aren't comfortable reading the subtleties of dog-dog communication and managing your Shikoku's interactions with other dogs, a Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
* handler soft. Despite being a very tough and hardy breed, Shikoku tend not to respond well to punative training methods. Your Shikoku will likely be very in tune to you as a handler. They have a relative eagerness to please their owners, and can get extremely upset or depressed if harsh correction or punishment is used during training. Many american hunting breeds are trained using "stimulation" or "shock collars" to correct unwanted behavior. Those that work Shikoku will tell you punative methods are the fastest way to ruin a Shikoku. They will "shut down" and become unresponsive to everything. If you don't believe in positive reinforcement training methods, then the Shikoku may not be the dog for you. See our links for some pointers to information on positive reinforcement training methods.
* a loyal and loving family member. Shikoku have long been prized by the Japanese for their ability to be loving and loyal family members by night, and tenacious hunters of large game during the day. Whether or not you choose to hunt with your Shikoku, they need to live with their family. Shikoku are likely to be happiest near their people and may become depressed if kenneled outside away from the family. This doesn't mean they are snuggle bugs (most aren't). When not running around outside, the Shikoku will be happy to play with a toy at your feet or sleep on a bed or the couch near you. They like to know where you are, but won't necessarily follow you around. Their devotion to their family is deep and they show it subtly. If you're looking for a dog that will snuggle with you all day on the couch, the Shikoku may not be the dog for you.
If you've read up until this point, then hopefully the realities of living with a high drive working dog haven't scared you away. If you are thinking right now, "I bet I can train my Shikoku not to do those things" stop right now. Shikoku enthusiasts love their dogs because of or in spite of the quirks we just described. If a Shikoku doesn't fit your lifestyle as we just described them, it probably isn't a good idea to try to change it to be a better fit. There are many other breeds of dog that may fit more easily into your family, making life happier for both you and your future dog. If you are unsure whether or not your family is appropriate for a Shikoku, take some time to contact the breeders that are members of NASC. All of them will be more than happy to help you determine if a Shikoku is right for you. Alternatively, join the Shikoku Dog Forum and talk directly to other Shikoku owners.
You might also want to mention about the submissive peeing that many of the females do when greeting new people and/or if you scold them. If someone is adverse to cleaning up dog pee, owning a female shikoku might not be for them...at least until the dog is older and grows out of it.
Same with the barfing in the car. They all seem to get that too.
Being a Shiba owner, I would put a heavy emphasis on the 'crankiness' bit, the concept of needing to put a dog down for naptime was new to me and I'll still catch myself thinking, if the little guy is so tired why won't he just go to sleep!
Although I have just spend that last forty minutes cleaning the carpet that Inu just saturated!!!! Inu always comes to the side of the bed when he hears me wake up, so I greet him and for some reason this morning he squirts everywhere. So my husband cleans up as I go run. Then I went back to bed, got up a few hours later, went into the living room and I greet him again and he squirts some more. So as I clean up, he goes and hangs over by the door. Then he comes back to me a few seconds later and start peeing, I grab his collar, so he doesn't do circles everywhere, (which has happened) and he proceeds to empty his bladder. WTF!!! I used the steam vac to suck up all the pee, then poured vinegar and peroxide over the area. Good way to start a day. He hasn't done this in forever.
Kuma was very good and never did the submissive pee. Although when he started marking, he started trying it in the house too. We had a few go arounds about not marking my plants in the house :-).
The joys of a primitive dog!
I'm going to take my answer in a different direction and tell you why I see people not being interested in Maymay and Koda. There is only one person who has expressed a real interest in learning more about Kais, who do not already own Shibas.
I think the first thing that turns people off is the Kai look. I get comments about black dogs, the spots on their tongues, and how they look "wild" like a coyote. First and foremost, I think it's their look that deters people from being interested in them.
For people who do get to know them, I think it's their aloofness towards strangers. My dogs have this ability to completely ignore people's existence even when the person is standing right in front of them talking to them. They act as if that person doesn't exist at all. I think that they can be seen as "unfriendly". Personally, I like that they don't jump on people and try and kiss them. I like that my dogs are all about the family and not super into strangers or even acquaintances at training classes or the park. I do think that people get the feeling that they are boring though because they won't pay attention to them. They are too busy in public doing their own thing and acting independently to worry about other people. They also tend to be off from me at the park doing what dogs do and playing with other dogs. I let them go and be on their own. They just come in and check on me.
Their independence in public can be seen as not caring about me or people in general. Everyone wants that BC or Lab who will slobber all over them. It takes a while before people notice the bond that my dogs have with me. It is a deep one, but usually seen at home. People who think my dogs don't love their family have a complete misperception of who they are. When I walk into the room, they light up. If they had their choice, they would be with me 24/7. Their perfect world would be me not working. To the people they do know well, they are very jumpy on them and love them. They will make the strangest noises too when they see people they know. Very odd.
For people who really get to know my dogs, ie family, close friends. They can get turned off by their hunting drive. No rodent is left behind in my backyard and I pick up dead bodies a few times a week. Doesn't bother me. Kais also tend to be very cat-like. They are very clean, and like to climb on top of the couch or picnic table at the park. For people who don't like cats at all some of this type of behavior can turn them off.
Because Koda and Maymay are independent thinkers and very smart when it comes to problem solving they tend to be stubborn at times. They know what they want to do, how, and why. We have to compromise on issues sometimes. They can also get into just about anything. Again, Maymay more than Koda since I kind've raised him differently. Maymay opens doors, drawers, gates, etc. She will climb trees and the fence. This is a problem for a lot of people. She also can't be left alone. She goes crazy with nothing to do, and usually finds some sort of mischief.
Lastly, they howl at times. Maymay will howl when left alone and at night when she is allowed outside. Koda howls anytime he hears a fire truck. Their howls do not sound like dogs, but more like wild animals. I think Koda has the fire truck mimiced to the T. Their howl sounds have scared my neighbors who have dogs! Thank goodness it is kept under control.
They need a lot of exercise. I would say the same as Dave, 2 one hour walks per day and a yard. If someone is not up to that, then they don't need a Kai.
I think people find the aloofness of Shibas offputting. Mine are polite with strangers but utterly uninterested in them. (Bel is often afraid, poor girl) I don't mind that at all. I wish, however, that Shibas weren't quite so cute, because that cuteness draws in lots of people who would otherwise be put off by the Shiba personality....and I wish they were more put off by it, because I see Shibas getting more and more popular, which I believe will be--already is--a disaster for the breed and the individual dogs, as people get cute puppies then end up with....a Shiba! And find they can't handle the dog, so they give it up.
The thing I think makes Shibas not the dog for everyone are outlined very well above. They have a very strong prey drive and cannot be off leash. They are independent thinkers, and this means they may be very difficult to train. My Shibas are, in some ways, like feral dogs (esp. Bel who is timid and as undersocialized both before and after I got her). They're often not interested in people, and will not work unless they want to, and this includes working for treats. They like being out in the yard killing things (Bel eats the things she kills, too, so I only find little parts of her prey). They are not obedient at all. But I enjoy watching a dog who does seem somewhat wild.....it's pretty amazing to watch them stalking something in the yard, then having Bel come in later and lay on the couch like an ordinary dog. But I'm aware that many people would not like this, or be able to deal with. Many people would be simply frustrated to have a dog that does behave in the way they expect a dog to behave (ie. want to be with them, want to obey).
I will say that my AA puppy is very different. He behaves more like a "classic" dog....he wants to be with me, he enjoys training and learns quick. He comes when called with alacrity! He's a puppy--some of this will change no doubt (and I'll be sad when it does!), but what is interesting is that my Shibas were not like this as pups at all! Perhaps if I'd known about clicker training then, I'd have had more success with them, but even doing lure and reward training with them as pups was hard....they seemed simply not to be able to focus at all, or have the desire to focus. The learned much better as they got older an more mature. This may only be my dogs, but it's kind of the opposite of expectations: they are simply much easier to work with as adult dogs.
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts on why they are not for everyone.
"wild" like a coyote"
I never really thought Kai kens looked like wild animals..
Kai kens howl? Interesting do you got a video of it? I just wonder what it sounds like.
Saya never howls only did it two times very short. She yodels a lot though..
I agree with Shibamistress with all you have wrote on shiba inu.
Saya she loves on certain people and others she'll walk to them for a pet and lick their hands then after that she ignores them or walks back to me and ignores them despite their baby talking. lol
That's one thing that's sad about the shiba inu they are so cute so people buy them up without any research.
I get tons of comments on how cute Saya is and how a shiba inu would be the most perfect dog for them..
Saya is pretty well behaved and listens to me when I need her to which people see how well she behaves and thinks that's how all shiba inu are it took me months and months of training and work to get her to where she is..
I always try my best to tell people the pros and cons of shiba owner ship usually at the end people admit that sounds like too much for them..
It's tiring doing these talks though I'm thinking of making a booklet to pass out to people.. lol
Yes, my Kais howl. Koda's sounds like a Muaw wa Wooo wooo waa wooo in a deep voice. Not sure if that's exactly right, but it's something like that. Maymay's is more high pitched, but not too high and kind've sounds the same. Maymay howls when left alone. One reason why she was hit with rocks when she was with her previous owner. They would throw rocks at her to stop her and so did the neighbors. Maymay is never left alone. She always has me, Koda, or my mother with her. I'm lucky that my mom loves them and only works 2 days a week. She is semi-retired.
Maymay is also very vocal. She kind've acts like Dave wrote about Shikokus. It can seem rude to other dogs, and people think she's killing Koda. They both have very strict rules of engagement though, and only like dogs that adhere to their social rules as rude as Maymay's may seem. Koda is way more polite, but then Maymay has a higher drive.
Koda is vocal when he is annoyed with me. ha ha The other day I was teasing him and saying "squirrel" when there weren't any. He caught on quickly and gave me a "mouw wow wow wow mow." My neighbor was cracking up. Again, it sounds nothing like a dog though. It tripped my neighbor out a bit. She sees Koda as so calm, but made the statement that now she sees Koda's wild side. She has dogs and has never heard those noises. I'm so used to them, that I don't think about it as much as when Koda was a pup. I don't see his cat side as much either. Other people tend to point these things out to me when they happen, and I think oh yeah that's not entirely normal for your run of the mill lab.
Sachi, who was socialized in exactly the same way, is very afraid of kids, especially the younger they get (esp toddlers).
Tyson also loves kids, although my sample size is only one. Before I left Atlanta, I took him over to a friends house a few times. They have a 2 year old and a Swissy, so he's pretty confident around dogs in general. Tyson absolutely adored him. He would sprint around the house, stop right behind Sean, lick his hand or the back of his head, and then take off sprinting again. Sean liked it, Tyson liked it, and Joey was happy because Sean wasn't paying any attention to him.
So called "dog people" hate when Ife don't pay attention to them and then they starts to blame me for not trained her well
Mine Ife doesn't howl. She has started to bark to strange noises but it doesn't bother me (don't know what my new neigbours like it lol).
I think she's younger than Koda and Maymay. Maymay came to us at 16 months old and howled. It sounded like it had only started a few months before. This was the breaking point for her owners and their neighbors that made them surrender her to the shelter. Koda started really howling 2 weeks ago at 15 months old. He used to as a pup sometimes, but I don't think he had really found his voice. Now, he really gets into it.
But I agree with what most everyone has said before. NK have different personalities than most dogs. People that are not used to their stubbornness and independence can be quite put off and frustrated. Even Phil seems baffled by my love for these dogs.
The requirement to socialize, socialize again, and socialize even more also makes these dogs not for everyone. Not everyone has the time, energy, or dedication that is required to make these dogs positive members of society. And while that is not a slight towards them, it would be a horrible thing if they were to be the owner of a NK.
Kishu Ken are highly energetic and have amazing physical abilities. So they are not for people who are not in reasonably good shape.
They have no hereditary tendency towards obedience. So they are not for people who are only looking for measurable intelligence in a dog - how long it takes for a dog to learn a vocal command. It takes a lot of time and patience. Not that they don't hear you or understand what you are saying, its just that...there are other factors, you know? There was a DEER here. Less than two hours ago. And he was going THAT way. Why are we not running THAT way?
They are very dog reactive, so they are not for people who have other dogs, or who have other dogs but don't have the time, patience, and room to be able to manage a certain amount of drama. My Kishu is dog reactive in a very positive way - she wants to PLAY with every dog she sees - she wants to jump all over them and wrestle with them. She's definitely learned to respect dogs that don't want any of that as she has gotten older. However, the fact of the matter is, she is always the worst dog in the obedience class simply because NOTHING is more important than the other dogs that are within 20 feet of her.
They tend to be mouthy, jumpy, and goofy. So they are not for people who aren't tolerant of these things or who need a dog who is very tame and mellow; definitely not for people who are afraid that "dominant" dog behaviors are bad and mean the dog is trying to become the "pack leader" and will never listen to you. Tomoe has developed a very soft mouth - we were just at the vets today and she was very freaked out and placed her teeth on the vet's hand, but she did not bite down at all. But the fact of the matter is, she LOVES to experience her people with her mouth. It actually seems fair - people put their hands all over her, why can't she use her primary tactile facility to touch you? So what if there is a considerable amount of saliva involved when she does it.
My dog's motivation is really to hunt things and chase after them. This means that walks are very important - we have a yard but she really needs to be walked, so she can keep up on what's going on in the neighborhood, smell what animals have walked through recently, etc. She is very serious about smelling things and she is either pulling the leash or she is lost in a smell and refuses to budge. This can be frustrating and physically difficult to deal with.
Despite the importance of walks to keeping her happy, though, I cannot imagine not having a decent-sized fenced-in yard for her. Without an outdoor area of her own to run around in, and also just to sit and watch the world go by in the non-hot months, she'd be unhappy and anxious. We live where the historic snowstorms hit in early 2010 and the snow got so high we couldn't let her out. It was hellish for everyone. So, not a breed for people who live in apartments or without fences. You might be able to get away with apartment living with a Shiba due to the smaller size, I don't know. But I would not advise it with one of the medium-sized Nihonken.
Last but not least, as a summation of a number of the points above, if your Kishu Ken gets off her leash, escapes the yard, or bolts out the door, you might as well just go back inside and start writing up "Lost Dog" signs. We've had three escapes, and each time we've chosen to go after her. I can get that dog to sit, stay, and recall under a lot of circumstances but she KNOWS how rare it is for her to be completely free and she will absolutely not pass up the opportunity to explore all of those deer, squirrel, fox, hedgehog, etc scent-trails all over the neighborhood. Each time except for one that she has gotten away it has been the help of another dog that gave us the opening to nab her...she has an uncanny sense of how close you need to be to lay hands on her and she can dodge you with supernatural alacrity. I actually have half a mind to get a border collie as my next dog to help me rein her in if she escapes.
So in summation:
- not for people who are not relatively physically fit and athletic
- not for people who don't have yards
- not for people who aren't very very patient with dogs, but also very attentive to socialization and training
- not for people who already have a reactive dog
- not for people who can't handle a rough, mouthy dog
But let me add that there are some really distinctly wonderful things about my dog:
- wonderful in the car
- a breeze to crate-train
- very quiet
- quite brave - I believe my dog was just never inclined to develop a number of behavior problems that have to do with insecurities, like dog and people aggression, certain patterns of chewing and other destrucive behavior, etc.
I will have to say for Kai. If you can go to individual training lessons rather than group lessons, I would highly recommend you pay the cost difference. Group did not work well for Koda and I at all. He was so bored and kept looking at me like "come on mom let's go on a hike and ditch these obedient idiots." I went straight for private lessons with Maymay.
However, he tends to "size" up his opponent. If he thinks you are a threat then beware! Even if you're a stranger, I still trust him around young children and elder ladies. He is such an arrogant, over confident dog but surprisingly very tolerant. He behaves most of the time when I introduce him to people. It would seem that certain high presence human females and mature, overpowering or strangely peculiar human males trigger his reactiveness.
He needs to be constantly reminded about manners (he just needs to practice them every day =])...while I think he is relatively an "easy" dog...most average pet households may deem him as instable, aggressive and difficult to train. I totally think he is the PERFECT dog (in terms of attitude/personality)!
I might be a bit bias but I also think Shoushuu is a good example of the Shikoku breed:
- Territorial
- Retains Aggression/Reactiveness but is NOT a liability or dangerous
- Good Judgement
- Bold; Confident
- Independent but Loyal (he may not be a "velcro-dog" but he still likes to be with or near me and keep me within his sight)
- Trainablity; Shows Eagerness to Learn
- Agile
- Not just an Owner dog but also makes for a good Family dog
- Calm, Relaxed & Quiet and yet very Energetic (highly environmentally orientented)
- Spirited
Main reason Shikoku are not a dog "for everyone" is because they aren't Labradors or Golden Retrievers =p.