Kai in movie?

ayk

Marian Campbell posted this on yahoogroups. I hope she doesn't mind me cross-posting here:



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Hi everyone,

If you get a chance, rent or buy the movie "FIRST DOG" a movie about the
president and his dog. The starring role is the dog clled TEDDY aka LITTLE BEAR
a rescued Kai. Bear was found on the streetsin Califoria as a puppy by Patty
Davis (yes President Reagon's daughter) and he had parvo and survived. He lived
with Nancy Ragon until Brian Michael Stoller a film producer came along and
adopted him 9 years ago! Brian has mad an awesome movie about the President's
dog. You can view the trailer at http://www.firstdogus.com/trailer.html

The protrayal of the Kai is awesome. At the time of the making of the movie, all
thought he was an Australian Blue Heeler mix. My suspicions arose after Brian
sent me numerous pictures of Little Bear and once I saw the movie, beyond a
doubt Little Bear is a Kai dog. Slightly stunted because of contacting Parvo and
being sick, but definitely Kai!

What an honor to share this movie with all who love the Kai.

Marian
Classy Kennel, MI
BIS KAI & SHIBA

Saya

The owner of little bear posted a intro here.

http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/6583/i-was-invited-to-join-your-group-because-of-first-dog/#Item_15

Poor dog had parvo poor pup.

ayk

Oops. Missed that intro.

tjbart17

I read Marian's post this morning. It's funny. She always seems to outwardly deny the existence of Kai rescues at all and in any form until this dog. I wonder why this dog has convinced her so thoroughly?

curlytails

I have no opinions about the breed ID of Little Bear (who is a gorgeous leading dog, for sure!). If he IS a Kai though, wouldn't this be the second Kai puppy to have wandered away from his litter apparently without his breeder noticing?? I was just thinking about the other one on Dogster that someone had posted...

tjbart17

There have been quite a few Kai rescues. Marsha @kaikenone could tell you more. She is a Kai breeder that works with rescuing.

Araks

Also, wasn't Josephine found wandering around too as a puppy?

tjbart17

Yes and Sage is a rescued Kai.

BradA1878

Sage is a rescued Kai *mix* ... And I only make that distinction because it implies that an intact Kai Ken was lost and reproduced because Sage's mother, I think, was brought into rescue pregnant.

So not only are pure Kai Ken being found in rescues but also Kai mixes are too.

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sukoshi_mom

Is it possible that Kai are coming out of Asian communities in the US--much in the way that Jindos sometimes show up ?

jan3t

Staring in a movie has ruined more than one breed: fad dog of the moment. Breeders start getting calls and money begins to flow and bad decisions [for the dogs anyway] are made. This would be a time to get really serious about our breed rescue; be proactive.

That said - it was really fun to see little bear!

Heidi

Teddy isn't officially a kai. Most sources indicate that he's a heeler of some kind. As for kais in rescue, obviously there have been several kais in rescue. There have certainly been kai look-a-likes that aren't actually kais, but there have been real kais, too.

There's definitely the fact that being too popular can hurt a breed, but I think people sometimes think the inverse is true as well; that just because a breed is rare, that it's safe from the pitfalls that "ordinary" dogs face.

Katell7708

Having looked at pics and watching the trailer, Little Bear is definitely a heeler of some type. Without being compeletely familiar with the Kai breed, I'm not sure how else the coloring would come about.

ayk

Teddy looks to be a brindle. Do heelers or kelpies even come in brindle?

Losech

Heelers don't come in brindle. They pretty much have two colors. Kelpies have a LOT of color variations. Show kind don't come in brindle, the working lines might, but they tend to be taller than Heelers.
I'd say he does look like he's got some Heeler in him. The face isn't quite right for a Heeler and I don't know where the brindle came from, but he sure is a cutie.

Heidi

Well, there are lots of brindle dogs out there. Could be anything. No reason why he can't be an honorary kai, though!

Brego_mellon_nin

The kelpie doesn't come in brindle. They come in black, chocolate, red, blue, fawn, black & tan and red & tan.
I was thinking that Little Bear has a kelpie expression, but the body doesn't really fit, plus the kelpie does not come in brindle, so he'd have to be a kelpie mix, but that would be very possible...

WrylyBrindle

Sage's mother was brought into the shelter with her 3 pups, then into foster from there on their "expiration" date. He is def mixed.

jan3t

@wryly - what mixes would you say Teddy has? I am only just becoming familiar with the Kai myself, and I agree that head shape, eye set, and paw type are not kai. He looks more 'doggie' and less 'foxy'. The density of his coat is missing and he moves like a cow dog (corgi or heeler). But he be a kai mix. Mixes can as easily result from thoughtlessly bred beings as from refinely bred creatures.

shibamistress

I like the idea of him being an honorary Kai, regardless!

kaikenone

With out a positive id on his parents or some DNA testing, I am not sure how anyone can say without a doubt he is pure Kai... he does resemble a Kai and my first thought was possibly a kai mix. There are some over the counter DNA test kits but Kai is not in the data base yet. And I don't beleive DNA would tell 100% unless you could match it up to the potential parents...

I think it would be cool if he were a Kai, but I have to agree with what jan3t said. Staring in a movie has ruined more than one breed: fad dog of the moment. Breeders start getting calls and money begins to flow and bad decisions [for the dogs anyway] are made. "

It may not be a good thing if he is a kai... advertising out side of the NK community that First Dog is a pure Kai could generate more interest in the Kai breed, but sadly it would not be for the right reasons and could cause major problems for the breed. Popularity because of a movie will not help preserve and protect this breed.

However I agree with shibamistress and I also like the idea of him being our honorary Kai....

kaikenone

just one thought about the breeds that do or don't come in brindle... could it be possible that even if the breed standard states a breed only comes in certain colors that occasionally a brindle could occur? for example the yellow or white Kai or the pinto Shiba.

tjbart17

@kaikenone Don't forget all black Kais. We've had a few of those in the US.

BradA1878

It's getting some press...

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/movies/articles/2011/06/29/20110629first-dog-movie-review-goodykoontz.html

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tjbart17

I didn't realize that they actually call this dog a Kai in the movie. I'm surprised my niece hasn't found this out. She's obsessed with her Kais and wants to have 12 when she grows up. :-)

kaikenone

I wasn't aware of it either..until recently last month or so, they thought it was a Queensland Heeler I thought... and so it starts...

kaikenone

@tjbart17- you know I have never seen a totally black one, every black one i have seen has some kind of brindle even if it is teeny tiny somewhere..some times I can't find it unless in bright light or sun light...

kaikenone

actually he kind of reminds me of Mavis, she had really short legs and a round body... sooo fat...

ayk

Mavis is Maverik's sister, right?

Heidi

I need to show this movie to my kids.

kaikenone

@ayk... yes