Which NK is the easiest - your PERSONAL experience?

Brego_mellon_nin

Hi guys,
Since my failure with AA Eowyn, I am now looking into the other NK breeds to see, which one (if any) will suit me.

Now the AA I had was too much for me for several reasons and I am not going to take in another akita.

I am interested in hearing which NK you think is the easiest, from your own experience. Ofcourse none of them are easy, so let's say, which breed is the least difficult. In training and with other dogs, and just generally to live with?

I kinda have a feeling that shiba and shikoku is not suitable for me, but let's hear your opinion guys.

Thanks

JessicaRabbit

I have had a shiba. I have a shikoku, and a Japanese akita. Of the three I have shared my home with,my JA is by far the easiest. He is a fraidy cat, and he needs a lot of encouragement, but he is gentle and sweet, and even when flustered is super sweet.

In my experience, my JA has been the easiest.

BradA1878

I agree with Jess, if you get a JA with a really good temp they are by far the easiest of the NK, but, having written that, I will say a fearful Akita is way more difficult to deal with than a fearful Kai or Shikoku. So, I think getting an Akita with a good temperament is very important for anyone wanting an Akita.

Same can be said for any dog breed, I guess, but I found our fearful Akita to be very difficult to socialize and take in public - they would shut down very very easily (and a shutdown dog doesn't learn anything).

Fearful Kai Ken are super flighty and feral, but they are still typically good with dogs. Fearful Shikoku will typically be ok with people, but be reactive with dogs and flighty around strange objects. Fearful Akita are bad with people, strange objects, and dogs. So, you see, that makes them a lot harder to deal with compared to the other NK IMHO.

Also, I experienced a lot of fear biting in Akita and Shiba, I have not seen that in Shikoku or Kai.

That's my $0.02 ... Obviously YMMV.

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shibamistress

I'm not too much use on this, since I've only had AAs and Shibas, but my well bred, well socialized AA is almost as easy as my GSD was. Not quite, but almost. My Shibas are VERY difficult regardless of breeding/socialization, but certainly the well bred one is much much easier than the not well bred and not well socialized one.

My AA who was neither well bred nor well socialized was a nightmare, and my experience was pretty much like Brad's....she was afraid of people, dogs, and strange objects, and she became aggressive when she was fearful, esp. towards people, and I was very ill-equipped to handle that when I had her (in my 20s and I knew virtually nothing about dog behavior/training). It's easier to handle a fearful Shiba than it is an Akita, partially simply because of size.

lindsayt

I love my Shiba boy. He is the best dog I have lived with so far. He can be run with any dog, is super chill, and has been a wonderful pet and companion. I would consider him to be a very easy dog to handle, and his breeder did a wonderful job matching him to me as my first show dog and breeder dog.

shishiinu

Not sure if my input would count but I have lived with a Hokkaido, raised a few Kishus, had family with Shibas and a AA. My own opinion is I feel that my kishus are the easiest. Although my brother's rescued AA is super good and the big guy loves kids to death.

Almost all the Kishus that I have had are some what responsive to commands, great with kids and some strangers, and ok around other dogs.

okiron

I've only had shibas and personally, I don't get what everyone means when they say shibas are challenging lol. My velcro ACD and chihuahua/dachshund were PITAs compared to my shibas.

Losech

I too have only had a Shiba, one Shiba so far. I was prepared for a monster and... well he's really taken me by surprise. He's the best dog I've had so far. (two past, three current)

sukoshi_mom

Tanja-

I have had three dog breeds: Dalmatians (30+ years), Border Collie (2 years) and Shibas (6 years). Each breed has presented different challenges. After Frisky (the BC) passed away, I waited about a year to start looking for another dog. Originally, I planned to get another BC, but when I saw Sukoshi, the Shiba, something "clicked". I knew about Shibas from my brother who had owned and bred them for about 20 years. Yes, I knew they were escape artists, rather independent, and could be little shits, but somehow the Shiba choice felt right. Sukoshi turned out to be the smartest dog I've had--and also the most mellow. She is very "zen", but can be downright stubborn if the mood or situation presents itself. She came out of puppy mill lines, so I really lucked out with her. I spent a lot of time socializing her. Hoshi is the 14 yr. old rescue bred by my brother. I have shared his story on the Shiba side. For an old dog who was sick and traumatized by the loss of his owner at age 13, he has rebounded remarkably well and has fit into our "pack" rather nicely.

I mention my Shibas because I think Shibas may actually be an option for you. I would keep an open mind and allow yourself sometime to "recover" from the Eowyn experience. Visit some dog shows if you can. Talk to breeders of different breeds. Go to dog club meetings. Kind of mull it over as you go on horse rides.

There is a dog out there who would be just right for you -- and you would be great for him/her.

My comment/two bits worth.

Brego_mellon_nin

Hi folks,

Thanks for your answers.

I do plan to take a breather and not buy a dog for at least a year or so. But I need some time to research breeders and all, so I wanted to try and figure out, which breed I should go for...

@shishiinu
The NK I think I know least about is kishu. I dunno why that is... maybe lack of info... Are they mentally strong or are they also prone to being a bit skittish? Are they typically foodmotivated in training? Or is there other ways of training that works better with a kishu?

What would you tell a person, wanting to know if a kishu was for him/her?

shishiinu

Well imho the Kishus I have had have been good food motivated dogs for training. The only dog that showed quite a bit of skitish, aloof behavior is Riki but probably because now he's a crabby old man but when he was younger he was such a bright playful pup. Koyuki is my challenge right now, she has a bit of a botchy attitude but lately she began to calm down a bit. With Kishus they seem to reach their maturity anywhere from 2 to 5 years so expect puppy like behavior for the first few years.

In Japan many people view the kishu as a dangerous dog but none of the Kishu I have had or come across are agressive or dangerous. All of the Kishus I have had or known all loved kids, some strangers, and some what dog reactive. The thing is like any other NK they do require lots of time training and socializing. I wont surgar coat itand say its easy but I think the Kishu is a breed thats manageable and not completely difficult to have.

I'm sure you already know but they have high drive to hunt and are escape artists. They also require quite a bit of walks and runs just to keep them happy. I'm sure I just only scratched the surface but this is just a little bit of what a Kishu is like.

Brego_mellon_nin

@shishiinu
Thanks Gen, I do like the Kishu very much. Maybe I should try to meet one and see what they are like. I have met kai, and they charmed me like no other dog I've ever met, and will soon meet hokkaido, which is also a favorite of mine. But kishus are quite hard to find Though there is a breeder in Holland... maybe I should take a roadtrip sometime

I just have a problem with dog reactiveness, and the kai's way of ignoring other dogs is very appealing to me. I know it takes a lot of work too, but a breed that already has the potential to be great with dogs, is easier. Especially since I don't have much NK experience yet...

How good can kishus get, like with meeting strange dogs in parks/cities and such?

EDIT
Okay maybe I should have said that I have a problem with fierce dog reactiveness. I do know that it is common in the NK breeds, but I'd like as little as possible. It's the one charasteristic of the NK that I really don't like

Heidi

Sosuke's been the easiest for me. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm more experienced now and I got him at a good age and he was well-socialized beforehand. Tojo was a really good pup, but he was my first puppy, so I made a lot of mistakes. I also don't think he received as much socialization before I got him, as the dogs there were kenneled outdoors 24/7. Rakka has been the hardest, but she was already a year old when I got her, and she was pretty dog-reactive and I had two dogs already, so getting them all to get along was a real ordeal. Her impulsiveness and intensity made it hard a variety of situations as well, but she was quite willing to please.

Brego_mellon_nin

@hondru
Maybe could you help me with avoiding some mistakes? What did you do different with Sosuke?

Michelle M

I've had 2 Akitas 1 American and I suspect Tasha is a Tweenie due to her size. I also have a Shikoku. The easiest? Depends on what you mean by easiest. Ronan is easiest to pick up, bathe. He's cheaper to feed and healty as can be. Jack, the American Akita had health issues galore, but was certainly Cool Hand Luke and had exceptional confidence, intelligence, loyalty, and common sense. Ate anything you gave him. Trained like a dream. Tasha has been the easiest when it comes to personality and such. She's been the most willing to please, the happy-go-lucky girl. Pain to groom, though. Hates it with a passion. Akitas require more grooming than the Shikoku.

Overall, I'd say Tasha has been our easiest to dog to own and if I did a point system for various categories, she'd win overall in being the 'easiest' dog to own.