i had been looking into getting a doggy for half a year and decided that i wanted an Akita, specifically a japanese akita. Not long I made this decision, I just happened to go to the dallas Japanese Fall Festival and saw Carol and Jim's brindle pup, Tora, and all the other JA and AA doggies. Little did I know I walked into a jackpot, seeing as they were the only JA breeder in Texas, the rest being in Cali (and one in arizona?). I got really lucky.
And now i have toki and he poops in Home Depots, eats my cereal behind my back, has a vendetta against golf carts... and I love him! Best decision ever to get him, he is THE perfect dog for me and I couldn't ask for more.
*as an edit, cause i thought more about my story after i posted....
I first wanted a Pomeranian. But I'm not a delicate person, so I didn't want a delicate dog. I'd be too afraid of squishing it on accident (the horror, i'd be so depressed). So I decided a big dog it was, but the boyfriend didn't want a big dog, so I compromised on a Sheltie cause they're cute and classically loyal/smart, and he was going to buy me my first dog, so I took in account his opinions since we were thinking about moving in together. (My boyfriend loves labs, golden retrievers, and weeny dogs, so you can guess how he felt at first about getting an akita, teehee). Though, a sheltie didn't seem right, too clingy, too little, too hyper. I'm not a clingy person, and i'm pretty laid back, and I'm not that outwardly of a social person.
This is about the time we decided we wanted to move in together, and my one requirement was I got to have one dog of my choice. I would pay for everything and it would be primarily my responsibility since I work from home. This gave me much leverage and I knew it, and I was feeling iffy about a sheltie. I was also looking into Samoyeds and Malamutes. (can you see a pattern? Fluffy. Pointy ears. Curled tail.)
So then, like I posted, I happened to go to the japanese fall festival, met carol and jim, and took the short trip down the road to their house to meet Tora and Linda (future parents of unborn Toki), and the rest of the doggies. I asked them, "can a sheltie and akita live together?" And they didn't seem to thrilled at this living arrangement.... And that was that. No more sheltie. And definitely Akita. Never looked back or questioned another breed. The Akita is definitely the breed for me, as I feel I am a lot like Toki: laid back, loyal but not clingy, stubborn, reserved around strangers at first, silly around people I know, smart (or I'd like to pretend I am, ha). I care about how I carry myself too, which Toki has a confident gait as well. And I don't shower people with affection, some people are okay with being mushy; not I.
And yes, the boyfriend finally came around and gave the green on getting an Akita and not a weeny doggy. He fricken loves Toki, and honestly, I see a lot of traits in Toki that I see in my boyfriend. I don't think this is entirely coincidence :P
We started out looking for a "medium" size dog with an emphasis on "great with kids". In googling and googling we found the Kai. Loved the look of them, and the more we read, watched You Tube etc.... the more we fell in love with the dog breed. Everything we found on them fit our family to a "T". Probably, the thing that I adore most about our Kai is the non aggression toward any "misunderstandings". It's a complete love for life and eternally optimistic attitude. I LOVE that!!! She reminds me of one of my daughters friends, who after a misunderstanding says to my daughter, "It's ok, I still love you and we can still have fun!"
I wanted a GSD. but I could not get a big dog due to my living situation. I Googled "spitz" and picked the weirdest name first. being a first timer, i thought that a Shiba inu was some type of Shih tzu. To my surprise they looked very cool and so it became my second best to a GSD. I saw Saru on a breeder visit, he was perfect, he had GSD-esque markings, he was calm and pensive- I thought it over and snapped him up the next day. Wasn't quite ready for the bloody murder Shiba screams and general A-hole-ness, but after it was all sorted out- he was and still is the best dog ever. Ciqala was a lot more cut and dry. I wanted another dog to keep Saru company. Couldn't handle another Shiba- Kais seemed more mellow than Shikoku, which was my original plan, before i changed my mind at the last minute (sorry Peggy for standing you up ) So I hit up Brad and before I knew it, the Warrior Princess was terrorizing her new brother 24/7- just as planned that's my NK story.
When my husband and I got married, we talked about having two dogs some day. I wanted a big dog because I grew up with one (120lb lab mix) and because small dogs' paws freak me out; I find the clicky toenails and shriveled-looking digits to be disturbing. They remind me of those disembodied rabbits feet you could buy in convenience stores back in the day, only without nice soft fur. *shudder* I don't want that cuddling or touching me!
Anyway, after four years or so we decided we were ready for a dog. One of our room mates had moved out, which was as good an excuse as any in my book. I decided I wanted a white dog. So I started researching all of the breeds I could find that were large and white - Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, White GSDs, Cream Golden Retrievers, Samoyeds, etc. I met with a Kuvasz breeder local to me, but decided I didn't like how much the dogs patrolled and protected the fence line - we have a school yard right behind us, and I could picture the dog barking nonstop at the children. I tried to contact a Great Pyrenees rescue about adoption, but the woman berated and practically hung up on me because I had a room mate - apparently, she felt that he would allow the dog to die rather than call for help if something went wrong, and that having a room mate home ALL DAY was somehow worse than leaving the dog home alone.
Before I had a chance to look into the other breeds, I saw a Shiba Inu puppy at a pet store in the mall. My family has always been drawn to foxes; Fox is my maiden name. So my mother and I noticed the little fox-like creature immediately. I played with it for a bit, but I know better than to buy from a pet store. Besides, it was a small dog, and therefor would have creepy paws when it grew out of the rounded puppy phase. Bleh! (Sorry guys, there's nothing wrong with your dogs, it really is just a weird tick of mine.) Nonetheless I went home and researched it.
That's how I found Japanese Akitas. And, joy of joy, they came in all white! I immediately forgot about the Shiba and started researching Akitas. I found that not only did I really like the breed in specific, but that in general I prefer spitz breeds over all others. I had grown up with a huge long coated Labrador, and so the Great Pyrenees had familiarity to me, but the upright ears and curly tails really called to me. I remembered how whenever we went to pet stores as a kid, it was always the Husky puppies I would be attracted most to. I think I have always preferred the northern types.
After a great deal of research and discussion with my husband and friends, I decided that the Japanese Akita was the dog for me. That's when I hit a wall; there was no way to get one in the US in 2007. There were no active breeders in the US at that time. (There had been some previously, but they had retired or their dogs had gotten old. 2007-2008 was a bad year for getting a JA domestic.) I didn't know about AKIHO, so I had nobody to contact to ask about importing. My only option was to find an all white American Akita or a tweenie.
Given a chance, I probably would have taken a tweenie. I didn't know any better then. But as it happens I found a very sweet gentleman with beautiful American Akitas out in Bakersfield, and he had a white girl from a previous litter he hadn't sold yet. I drove out to see her and fell in love. Not just with her (although she is amazing!) but with all Akitas. It was my first chance to see any Akita in person, and they were everything I had imagined and more. It was nothing like visiting the Kuvasz, who had been beautiful, but didn't call to me the way Akitas did. From then on I was hooked.
The next week I took my husband back up to the breeder to purchase the girl, whom I named Gryphon. She was from champion bloodlines and had two superbly successful brothers (who both completed their championships early and have sired many champions themselves now), but she herself had a butterfly nose and would not show well. Just the same, the breeder had another offer on her from a different kennel, who wished to add Gryphon to their lines. He kept her for us, and at the same pet price we had already discussed, despite the better offer. He joked that he didn't want to have to compete against her offspring in the ring in a few years.
Gryphon came home with us on February 23rd 2008, the day before my birthday, at 8 months old. I decided she was a birthday present to myself. She has amazed us every day since. I would feel so incredibly lucky to have such a special dog, every day wondering how I had lucked out. I loved my dog growing up, but the way I feel about Akitas is truly unique. I have never experienced anything like owning and being owned by an Akita before or since; they are in a class unto themselves. As the saying goes, "If its not an Akita, its just a dog." Gryphon in particular is special; she has an unusual desire to please, not common to either breed of Akita. My husband and I daydreamed about having pups just like her one day.
The thought of breeding Gryphon had been implanted by the man we purchased her from. He had asked whether we would consider breeding her to one of his studs one day. Overjoyed simply to be taking her home, I had agreed without thinking too much about it. But as Gryphon approached two years old, I thought about it more and more. I researched what needed to be done to breed responsibly. I had rescues my entire life and worked in a cat rescue and adoption center during highschool, so buying a purebred pup had caused me a considerable amount of angst. Now contemplating breeding Gryphon really made me feel like I was a terrible human being; breeders are evil despots if you listen to the shelter propaganda.
Finally, as with purchasing Gryphon, I got over my internal turmoil. We decided to do it. After her second birthday we got Gryphon's hips and elbows OFA certified. When they came back GOOD and EXCELLENT, I was ecstatic. At her next heat we contacted her breeder, who arranged everything. We took her to be bred to a grand champion pinto male that the breeder co-owned with another guy out in the Moreno Valley area. Unfortunately, the breeding didn't take. It was a very sad Christmas in 2009; the pups would have been due around the 25th had she conceived.
Over the week between Christmas and New Years, I got to thinking. I loved Gryphon but what I really wanted - and had wanted all along - was a Japanese Akita. And I wanted a puppy, because I had missed out on that part of Gryphon's life and had never had a puppy I could remember (I was very young when we got my childhood dog). I was going about it all wrong. Breeding Gryphon wouldn't bring me closer to what I actually desired most. So for New Years, I vowed that whatever it took I would get a Japanese Akita puppy in 2010.
By that time, one of the Japanese Akita breeders had moved back to California and updated his website. Through his site I learned of the existence of AKIHO and how lucky I was that the branch was only a few miles away from me. Had I been born and lived anywhere else in the country, I probably would never have had a chance to get a JA. I attended my first AKIHO show that February, became a member, and applied for a puppy from that breeder's next litter all in one day.
At the time, I didn't care what color puppy I got. I already had my "big white dog" so any color of Japanese Akita would do. What I couldn't have, however, was an unaltered male. I just wasn't willing to risk an accident with my girl. By then I had learned a lot more about both breeds and the thought of having tweenies was anathema to me. So I applied for any female or a pet quality male, as long as it wasn't a long coat or sickle tail. Unfortunately, in that litter there were only two girls (both already spoken for) and the only pet quality males were long coats.
It was back to the drawing board! After watching that litter develop, my husband decided that he preferred reds over brindles. He says that the brindle is too "camouflaged" and hard to see the face and expression. I could see his point, especially with all the dark muddy brindles we have here in the States. So we decided we would apply for a red the next time. But there was no next time; my relationship with that breeder degraded and, with no one else expecting litters that year, we decided to import.
I started hardcore researching and networking (aka stalking) through Facebook. Sometime that summer, AKIHO opened a branch in Europe. I decided to try contacting European breeders as well as Japanese ones, largely because there was less of a language barrier there. Also, the European breeders were more readily accessible through social networking sites. But nobody had a red AKIHO puppy available for me, and the European breeders only occasionally breed two AKIHO dogs together. Just as often as not, they would breed the AKIHO import to a domestic JA instead.
Sometime in June I contacted a friend of the family, who had been a Japanese foreign exchange student living with my grandmother and aunt back when I was just a tiny child. She is like a sister to my mother, aunts, and uncles. She even flew to the US with her fiance and entire family to get married in the church that all the women in my family have been wed in for three generations (myself included). So after some dead-ends getting a current address, I wrote to her and asked her to contact breeders for me. In specific I asked her to contact Mr. Shirai, because I had met dogs from his kennel in person and really liked their type and temperament, and because I knew I could trust him. The reply I got was some confusing message about asking again after September, so I assumed it was a dead end.
In July I almost bought a pup from a different breeder in Japan. But communication problems got in the way. I couldn't get a straight answer from her, and for sometimes days or even weeks I would get no reply at all. I finally concluded that she did not want to sell me the puppy, but in a Japanese fashion did not want to tell me "no" directly. (Later, she did send me an offer for a pup, but I had already accepted another. I felt terrible! I still stand by my original intent, and would like to bring a dog of her lines to the US for more diversity some day.)
During all of this, there was a lot of dashed hopes and frustration. About three months in to my search for an import (seven months since my resolution), my husband and I decided that if we were going to go through all this trouble, the dog needed to be show quality. That ruled out having a male (because Gryphon was still intact) so my search narrowed to a show quality red female. It was a short step, with the idea of breeding already implanted in our minds, to decide to found our own kennel. It just made a lot of sense; what use was all our effort, if we could not "pass it forward" to others like us in the States who wanted a Japanese Akita? What good were we serving in the breed preservation society, if we did nothing to promote and preserve the breed?
To facilitate my search, I had posted a want ad on a translators database looking for someone in Japan willing to call breeders on my behalf. I hired a very helpful gentleman who had been from California originally, but now taught English with his Japanese wife in Japan. He was instrumental in making the arrangements when the time came, and I am ever so grateful for his help.
Completely out of the blue, I received an email from our family friend in Japan on the 3rd of August 2010. After almost nine months of fruitless search, we received an offer for a beautiful red female from Shirai. Of course, I accepted immediately. And thus, on August 19th, we brought home Gojira. Our family has never been the same since.
I have imported two Japanese Akitas since then, but my first Akita and my first import will always have a very special place in my heart.
[As fate would have it, I will never breed Gryphon. She got pyometra last year and needed an emergency hysterectomy. Although we had realized once we got our imports that we'd probably never be able to have Gryphon puppies, it still took a life-threatening infection to drive the nail into the coffin of that dream...]
The Shiba matched what I was looking for in a dog, and at the time, was unknown to my former apartment complex and wasn't on a "banned" list. Not that great of a story...
I sought a 2nd dog to add more fun to my life and join Reilly and I on our adventures, and picked out another pup from a south-north rescue. Reilly was from Virginia, Sage is from Tennessee) He was one of 3 pups dumped at a shelter with their mother at age 8 weeks. She was a "Japanese Kai Dog- there are not many in the US and it is encouraged that any potential adopters educate themselves about this breed!" and the 3 pups were "Kai Dog Mixes." I liked him because he was brindle and looked very sweet, something about him drew me- not his brothers. But what the heck was a Kai dog? I read the elementary information I found on line and in the "Japanese Dogs" book by Michiko Chiba and thought that sounded fine and interesting- but later learned that not only is there much much more to Kai Ken, there was much much more to this puppy.
By the time I got him, little Sage was a little more than 4 months old. His 1st 8 weeks were with mom's owner, then he spent 30 days in a rural humane society shelter, then another month in foster care with the rescue lady's father, who loved dogs but had never fostered puppies before. I didnt realize this kind of childhood would never be able to be compensated for. Still, he was a happy pup, but after 3 months I began to see unreasonable reactions from him, discomfort with certain other dogs in his grille.
Reilly and I led a very dog social life, going every day to a field and meeting up with several friends and many dogs. When Sage began to be stressed by this schedule and this crowded a life, I didnt understand him, though he tried to tell me this wasn't working for him. He hated it, too much pressure. He would feel crowded and snarked at a dog- whose owner reacted herself with horror. Again and again he'd encounter boisterous dogs and crack under the pressure and proximity and energy, and again all the humans around - myself included- would freak. People with 'tough' dogs didnt freak, but their dogs pinned him and they coolly separated them, and one day while playing with two new dogs Sage coincidentally popped his kneecap and screamed. We had to give up our social life and I began to try to learn everything I could about behavior, reactive dogs, fearful dogs, training, and Kai dogs because it was the only breed info I had on him.
We took classes, we tried different collars/halters/harnesses, read books, attended seminars, saw specialists, took drugs. I could not understand why what was so enjoyable and easy for Reilly was such a nightmare for Sage, I felt horribly guilty for not understanding, not listening, not knowing enough, and for apparently failing at the click to calm training regimen. I didnt know what to do with him, I took such pride in providing an 'ideal' experience of exercise and socialization that did not work for this weird dog. I decided that to love him meant to "never give up!" and work at training really diligently and spare no expense for books and classes and the best trainers. It was a huge stress on my family, who enjoyed having the curtains open, and being able to watch tv without sudden outbursts of barking, and paying for special classes, veterinary behaviorists, pills, haltis, fences- not to mention all the time I needed to give him alone in training and attention- "why do we have to do all this for The Boy?" Reilly was stressed because he woudl redirect his frustration onto her. This wasnt what I wanted when I wanted two dogs. Having a reactive dog is not just a dog problem, it is a family problem, and a relationship problem.
While researching Kai, looking for any scrap of info I may have missed on the web, I found this Forum- I could join and learn from people with real Kai Ken, and what actually turned out to be more relevant than Kai info was people with other breeds who had reactive dogs. I learned from shiba people, and pit bull people, and akita people, and molosser people, and rescue people- people with lots of dogs, too. Even this was not enough to figure him out. Pit Bull Person Extraordinaire, veteran dog rescue lady and wise friend Jessica gave me the key that fit everything together- "You gotta forgive yourself." and I didnt understand it when she said it.
About a month later I was walking in the woods with Sage and Rei, and it was a beautiful sundappled leafy forest day. I said to him with a sigh that I was sorry I had a hard time listening and believing, and that I was sorry I wasn't a real trainer- just an artist- and that I was sorry it takes me so long to learn things and sorry that I wasn't this or that hero dog-person I had read or met or whatever. And I very clearly heard him tell me, though he didnt break stride or even look at me, that he wasn't perfect either and he didnt expect me to be, that he clearly forgave me and said "I am YOUR dog. Its me and you." and I felt it heavily and believed him for real. To love him meant not to Try Harder, but to Try/Work less and Feel/Flow more.
I accepted that he didnt need to go out and meet new dogs. He had a few close dog friends, but we moved away from all of the dogs he could play with when my husband got a new job. I built him a big safe fenced yard to play in with Reilly and I. I realized he LOVEd dog play, and he did have great dog-manners and cues. He just needed very few, very high quality relationships. I left him home from many hikes, because he would get scared and balk- he loved ball inthe yard but hated the exposure of hiking. So Rei would get exercised out with me and being older and rather dignified, didnt always want to play with Sage that badly. A dog family was what we needed. I thought about what my third dog should be like, what would optimize the odds for successful integration with Sage. Of his old dog friends, his favorites were females, with confidence and vivacity, who liked to chase and were rugged and didnt get bent out of shape easily. IF he is part- Kai, a full Kai might 'get' him most easily. While Sage is extremely sensitive, his friends needed to be forgiving, subtle, and happy. While I had once leaned a little toward shikoku- having enjoyed playing with Jess' Miko (I really like Miko!..but Sage would not.)- I saw this was NOT the right breed for my pack, and very wrong for Sage. I loved the Kai more, and asked Brad about a Kai puppy.
Kai Ken are sensitive, and do best with ample yet measured socialization. They tend to be dog-savvy, subtle and rugged. They are the best friend of an outdoorswoman and they are brindle. He knew the right mother for my pup ("You need a Haru pup!"), and understood what I was going thru with Sage. I let him and Jen choose. This puppy would be raised in a loving home, with lots of dogs of a range of personalities, with lots of handling and enrichment, and with plenty of warmth and nutrition and cleanliness. Sage didnt spend his first 4 months this way- the new pup would come to me with an ideal upbringing, carefully chosen, and I would come to her a much more understanding, wise and knowledgeable dog owner. Last April Fool's Day I busted my daughter out of school early and we drove all the way to the airport in Boston to pick up puppy Juno, and she has exceeded my expectations in every way.
She is affectionate and loving, she has bonded very closely to me and is always near me- in the house, in my studio, on the trail in the woods and off trail in the woods looking for cool things. She listens to Sage and gives him space, and invites him to play, and responds happliy to his play bows. She can go "Full Boar!" (sic) at him and they both love it. Sage has calmed down because he knows that she sees his cues and wont push him and he can speak with subtlety and need not snark or yell to be understood by his new friend. They have a delightful relationship on both ends. Juno is Reilly's protege, and it is fun to watch them hunting together and being a part of that wholeness we three become when were off in the forest together. We come home and Sage is there to greet us, and to play tug and chase with Juno. She comes to work with me and greets all the burly ski resort equipment operators and the ladies in the offices and everyone's dogs. She has charmed my husband, who went from being a no-dogs-in-the-bedroom guy when we got Reilly to a "I bought a special orvis dog bedspread so Juno can sleep with us" guy.
As Reilly has gotten older and developed some cancers, I see that my time with The Chief (if you have watched Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? on pbs long ago you can envision Reilly as The Chief) as my hiking sidekick is actually limited. It may be a few years yet, but she will slow down and not want to go out so long, or so fast. I am comforted knowing that I have Juno too, now and I wont push Reilly as I once pushed Sage to do more than she wants to. She can be home with Sage more when that time comes. Juno is learning from Reilly and even surpasses Rei in certain areas (such as agility among trees and stream crossings, plus as a small dog, I could carry her out of the woods if I had to, which would be difficult with big ol' Reilly)- she will continue the path Rei began. I love my Kai Ken and my next dog will also be a Kai. Again, I'll let Brad & Jen choose, although I think now that Sage has the benefit of his girl relationships, I sense that the right Kai might be male- the right pup for me, for Rei, for Juno, and for Sage. I hope that he will come along while Rei is still the cultural carrier in our pack, but the way forward that works for us is to let things go and see what happens naturally. Not to push too hard against the grain. A lesson from a Sage.
Here's my (also long) story: I grew up with big dogs--husky mixes, GSDs, etc. When I was a teenager, we had the smartest dog ever, who was husky/Norwegian elkhound mix, and I loved her. When first had her as a pup, though, someone asked if she was an Akita mix, as she had the curly tail and a mask. That's when I first heard of Akitas.
When I was in graduate school in Phoenix, and got my first dog, I ended up getting an Akita. We loved what we'd heard of them (which was pretty much straight breed hype) and since we knew absolutely nothing about where to get dogs, we bought her out of the paper from a BYB who offered to trade her for a gun. We paid cash instead. She looked like a JA--smaller, more fine boned and with the more foxy face--and I had a couple of people who knew Akitas ask me if she was one, but I think she was just a not quite to standard AA. This was in the late 80s/early 90s. She was a mess: not socialized (and we didn't know we should, so we didn't), reactive with dogs, and super aggressive with people (fear based, but she also was super protective of me). In fact, she bit several people. At the time, I thought that was ok--by then, I'd gotten a divorce and was living alone back in Alaska in a tiny little cabin with no running water in the woods, and I liked having a protective dog. I ski-jored with her, and she pulled a sled for me to haul in water and groceries. I loved her like crazy, but she was unpredicatable and volatile, and probably kind of dangerous. She developed liver cancer, and I had to put her down at age 5.
Later, when I learned more about dogs, I realized what a liability she had been, and decided I was done with "protective" dogs. I wanted easy dogs, and decided to get a lab. Luckily for me, the shelter I got my next dog at didn't have any labs, but they did have a little lab/chow cross that we took home instead (she looked much like a Kai and was that size). Other than her oily black coat, she had no lab characteristics at all, but was grumpy, prey driven, and lazy. It was about this time that I realized I was ok with that in a dog! But before I'd made my decision entirely, we were offered a GSD pup who had been abandoned at the vet as his bills for treating parvo racked up, and we took him. Then I suddenly had a dog to work with and train, and we did a lot of obedience work, and agility (and I wish I'd known then about positive training, but I didn't).
Several years later, another break up, and I moved to NM with the GSD and my ex kept the lab/chow mix. I decided to get another dog, but at that time realized GSDs were not the dog for me--they just were too needy. I thought about an Akita then, but didn't want two large dogs. Then I remembered the Shiba Inu I'd seen all over Japan. They seemed calm (apparently I had not yet seen a puppy!) and they were a good size. I started doing research, and decided I'd get what I loved in Akitas in a small package, so I started looking for breeders. I happened to contact a breeder in Colorado who had just confirmed a pregnancy, and the next thing I knew, I had a Shiba. And Toby, who is by far my most difficult dog, is still my "heart" dog. I love him like crazy for all his reactivity.
I thought I'd always have Shibas after that. I thought they were MY breed. But when I decided to get another, and I ended up with a puppy mill dog (because I didn't know better at that time), and I ran into all the problems many of you already know with my crazy girl Jezebel, I realized that Shibas are just too difficult for me. It's true I have one who is not at all a good representative of the breed, and one who is but is difficult--and I know there are plenty of other Shibas who are not as difficult as mine. But I just thought you know, this is just too much work and too much heartbreak, and I don't think I can do this anymore.
And once my GSD passed (11 of cancer) we wanted a big dog to help guard the Shibas! We thought about JAs, but it looked like it would be a longer wait for one, and my husband preferred AAs anyway, so we ended up with Oskar, who is now 2. He's WONDERFUL, and I have to say I really love the AA temperament--he's a particularly soft dog, but he's biddable (well, for an NK) and sweet tempered, but still willing to be protective and doesn't back down. And he's not needy like the GSDs.
And we've thought of adding another Akita, but they are so big, and that, to me, is the downside: we just can't manage several really large dogs (Oskar is 120 pounds). And it seems even the pretty good AAs don't handle pack life as well as some other breeds. So it's unlikely we'll have another Akita while Oskar is with us.
A Kai? Well, that's another story. In some ways I think I'm still looking for my perfect NK. In the meantime, I love all the ones I've met, and if I can't identify my perfect NK breed, I can say I love the NK in general!
My brother and his ex-wife bred and showed Shibas in Northern CA. My brother has a small pack of black and tan Shibas, including Hi-Jinx's Black Jack, who are lively, fun, and endearing. When I encountered Sukoshi (not from my brother's crew) after a several month search for a new dog, I knew that she was the one. (Oddly enough, I had been looking at Border Collies after having to put down my beloved Frisky (a BC)). Sukoshi started me down a whole new path in my life (Shiba Meetup, occasional support to Shiba rescue, a book of short stories about Shibas, and these forums). She helped me rescue and adopt Hoshi, who was originally bred by my brother and his ex. When his owner died, Hoshi came to live with me as a "foster" and wound up as a permanent member of the family. I recently had to put him down due to kidney failure at age 14 (almost 15). At some point Sukoshi and I may have another Shiba friend (or I might add a medium sized NK--who knows?) I suspect Sukoshi will let me know when the time is right.
@shibamistress a JA is half the size of an AA... and there's more litters/availability these days. Just sayin'.
I would really like a Kai, Shikoku, or Cardigan Welsh Corgi (I know - not a spitz!) some day. I might even get over my irrational dislike of small dog feet. But when I think about if/when I would have room for another dog, it occurs to me that I would be giving up a "slot" I could fill with another Akita. I don't think I can do that. And if I did, I might always think "Yeah, I like Spot, but I could have had a JA instead..." I did that to Gryphon enough. A dog doesn't deserve that.
My love affair with spitz breeds started when I was a kid and read Snow Dog, of all the dumb things. I thought the protagonist dog sounded really pretty and I liked how cunning he was. Since he was supposed to be part husky, I found a picture and despite the fact that the protagonist dog was a wolf-hybrid, I looked at that husky and thought that it looked like enough of a wolf to me. I begged my parents for a husky but my dad never wanted a dog so we never got one. Good thing too, because while a husky would have loved chasing squirrels around our acre yeard, my parents divorced and we lost the house. My mom had to lie and say two of our cats were the same cat in order to find a place we could rent so it would have been near impossible to find a place that would let us keep a dog, especially a husky. Then in high school there was my ex-boyfriend's dog Chewie. I loved that dog. She was just the best and I was really sad when she died. Moreover, she instilled more in me that spitz dogs were better than other dogs because at the same time there was my husband's golden retriever, who was sweet but got so excited to see you try and pet her that she whined incessantly and I couldn't stand that. Chewie was always happy to see me but was fine letting me be, which was great. So, with that as my dog experience I wanted a husky when we thought about getting a dog. Problem was that we were going to be in apartments where there were breed bans and huskies are a bit high energy so we started considering other breeds. We thought about Kais and Shibas at that point as other nice sounding spitzes that weren't too huge. Well, then we checked on the weight limit on our apartment and our plans to rescue either a Shiba, a small adult female husky (that would be under at least some smaller weight limits) or a spitz-mix turned into getting a Shiba, either puppy or adult. So, at that point we got ourselves a little black and tan---partially because that coloration reminded me of a husky, lol. He's the perfect dog for us. He's lower energy than a husky (probably medium to low energy for a Shiba, I'd say) but he's super friendly, which I had preferred about the husky temperament as opposed to Shiba.
I love how many of these accounts are also personal life stories rolled into a combined narrative, indicative of how much everyone here treasures their dogs and makes them so central to who we are.
I don't have such a long story. One of my favorite store dogs at a Taiwanese toy store was Cho-Cho (literally "Ball Ball"), a Shiba Inu. He was practically blinded by cataracts and had way too much fur than was fair for a dog living in a subtropical climate, but he was the sweetest, cutest dog I knew. I fell in love with the breed through Cho-Cho, when I was naive enough to be seduced by one misrepresentative Shiba. The breed is very common in Taiwan, as are many things from Japan, so it wasn't hard to find a Shiba pup when my boyfriend and I decided that was what we deserved for our fourth anniversary. Much like our relationship, we dove headlong into first dog ownership with little preparation and few expectations except to commit to a long run.
That was exactly seven years ago this week. Amazingly, we're all still here. With an additional curly tail added in 2010. And hopefully many more to come in the future.
I started first by looking at huskies and malamutes..this was back in 2009 and a colleague in work has 2 beautiful huskies. Then after doing a bit of research on this breed i realized it didnt really suit me and my colleague asked whether i would look into getting an Akita instead. At this stage i hadnt a clue or notion of what an Akita was, so i began researching this breed and meeting some breeders at dog shows in Ireland. In 2010 was when i came up close and personal to a Japanese Akita...and i guess it was the starting point when i said no matter what, im gonna get one of these one days. There were many AA in Ireland but the JA was much rarer and in my opinion a little bit more special. So an agreement was made with 2 breeders to have a pick of the litter from there next mating. My girlfriend and I wanted a red/white akita because she loved Hachiko...but 1 of the breeders have an akita which was a red brindle and each time i met him i seen him a little more special that the other coats. In August 2010, 1 of the breeders said he would have puppies available for me to collect in mid September! At this stage I was at a friends wedding in Croatia , basking in the sun and waiting anxiously to get home asap so i can pick up my pup (havent looked forward to leaving a holiday so much in my life). But when i got home something unfortunate happened...the mother had a miscarriage and all the puppies died. This was very sad indeed as I had everything all bought for the puppy to transition him to his new home..but i was more sad for the breeder and the mother of the pups as it was very traumatising for her.
Then it was back on the waiting list and I ended up meeting a few more breeders and maintaining contact with them all throughtout the year. 2011 went by and still no pup...but somethings i guess the best comes to those who wait. I came upon an ad for an Akita for sale in November but it was a female and no price was listed. I immediately contacted the breeder to see f I can go see the litter. Things didnt go too well as the breeder said he would not be available to show me the pup if i wasnt definately buying it (whats a point in buying something if you dont know it will suit??) So without naming names I contacted the JA association of Ireland to get a check on this breeder and instincts were correct as he was not a reputable breeder. At this stage i thought, gosh maybe im not suppose to get this dog after all...so many let downs and so little hope left. Given that Ireland is a small enough country..finding a reputable JA breeder is really hard!
Xmas went by..so did New Years and then at the end of February 2012 the second breeder that I was in contact with emailed me out of the blue and said a friend of his who runs a kennel in Wales, UK has litters available...and best of all there was a choice!! I got the photos and start discussing arrangements and price. There were 4/5 reds and 3 brindles. But a few days later the breeder emailed me again and said theres another litter available. The father was a full white (Hattori Hanzo of Nekon Ken..a french import) and mother was a blue brindle (Libertia Celtic Connection of Tycon)...Only 2 pups were available from this mating. 1 of the pups went to a family as a pet. The other pup was intended to go to Canada to take part of shows. A change of plan occured with the Canadian buyers and they backed out of the sale due to family problems. So now the pup is with me....
K'Umon has been part of my family now since mid March...and i am most grateful to have him as part of my life. Silly, stubborn, curious and suspicious. It reminds me how much i am like him or vice versa. The wait for 2 years was definitely worth it...Even if I havent had a proper night sleep to date. The plan for the future is to socialize him well, and participate in shows and see how he gets on. His father and grandfather were show winners in France and Jpn..hopefully he will do his line proud too coz I really want to show how special and wonderful this breed is.
We wanted a Doberman but found an AA available. I always loved them at dog shows and their history in Japan. At the time, I did not know the difference between an AA and JA. Upon research on the breed, we contacted a breeder in CO about a Shiba Inu to match our Akita but the breeder got to an accident and was unable to breed her dogs. Ninja (Akita) protected us when we got home from school and is the best babysitter ever.
Eight years later, my parents wouldn't let me take my Akita to college so I rescued an apartment sized Shiba Inu.
Currently, I'm looking to add a Shikoku to my family... and here I am. xD
@Poeticdragon--that's true about the size of the JAs! I have thought about it, but now we're getting a Kai, so we will have no more space for another dog for many many years. But I'm still not ruling it out sometime in the future!
Well, for me it all started at during my undergrad years at Davis. My family never had a dog and I always wanted one. When I was researching for one, I fell in love with the Spitz breed and ended up with a mini American Eskimo. The cutest thing ever! He went everywhere with me, I socialized him and everything and he was sooo biddable. Later, due to some circumstances, I had to leave him with my parents but he was absolutely loved by my dad! When i finally purchased my home, I was bringing him down, but he had kidney failure (he was really sick on the drive down and that was a really horrible experience) and so I had to put him to sleep. After awhile, I really wanted another dog so I researched and I loved the spitz breed but did not want another Eskie (because of the hair) but I found a Shiba. I knew I didn't want a puppy so I contacted rescues and breeders (for older dogs). Lo and behold, I got Bea, a quite older shiba. The thing is, she sure doesn't act old! She had been a kennel dog all her life and for her, this was an awesome taste of freedom! For example, the a few days after getting her, she and I was playing in the backyard, and the hub and his dad was fixing the gate and a stray cat came through our backyard. She bolted past me and the hub to get the cat. Boy was I scared! That was the start of her bolting wild ways! I never had to deal with that with my Eskie...he had great recall.
Then, we went to a shiba meetup and I met Kurenai (@crimson02). I fell in love and jesse told me about this forum. I have been addicted every since. Then, I got Kaiju (thanks Brad) and he has been glued to me every since (or perhaps it's the other way around) Oh, we got a western siberian laika at the same time as well (as when we got kaiju), who was supposed to be more the hub's dog but since he had to put in long hours at work, I have been taking care of her more. She cracks me up with her antics and has quite a hunting drive. Unlike Kaiju and Bea who took to the household right away, it's taken several months, but she is finally getting use to us.
As my love for NK grows (mainly Shikoku), I am sure I will add to the pack in a couple of years!
Looks like we're getting a boy. I'm still feeling shy about it (most of my friends think we're just crazy, but I guess I wouldn't get that quite so much here), and it's a pretty new decision but we're excited! Now I just have to convince my husband that the name he is fixated on will not be the name. Karl. Karl the Kai. I just don't think so!
I got into Shibas in 2007 and joined the forums soon after. I really love the breed. Later on I decided I wanted to learn how to show, so I found a great mentor/breeder, and got my first show dog. As time went by I got more interested in competition and training. My mentor started sending me some young adult Shibas every so often to practice training with and to give them a break from their pack. I am very proud how those young dogs have grown up and several of them have recently become champions and made a huge impression in the breed with recent wins at the National.
It gave me great practice for my third Shiba, a bitch that is now my foundation girl whom we will be breeding soon, but that keeps getting delayed since she is doing so well in performance sports. I moved to the country right before buying her, and I bought a CO puppy around the same time since there was coyotes and eagles in the area. I wanted Hokkaido and Shikoku to add as another NK breed, but opted for the pack savvy Kai instead, who has been a great fit. I anticipate another Kai down the road (puppies!), but am satisfied with day caring some friends Shibas (for now).
Lindsay, if you ever get breeding Hokkas, a whole lot of us are in trouble.
Kaoru! That's not a bad idea! Does it mean something or is the Japanese-ification of Karl? I love the name Juno by the way! I like mythical/literary names. But so far Tanka or Renga or Orion or Caliban have met with serious distaste by my husband. I guess I'm lucky he's decided he doesn't need another pet name Wolfgang. (He had a calf named wolfgang as a child who met a bad end. Probably you can guess what that end was!)
Wait wait wait! Heidi's getting a Kai? And I'm the last to know! I'm too nosey to be the last person to know!!!!! Congratulations Heidi! @shibamistress I think you will fall in love with the breed.
To everyone else, what wonderful stories! I really like this thread.
Oh dear, I hope the calf's end doesn't have anything to do with his name...
Anyway, Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation of the name here. I thought this was interesting: "As a distinctly asexual name, its usage in popular culture has risen in recent years to give the named character an air of androgyny. Such characters commonly have overt androgynous qualities as well." So maybe you'll have to see if the name ultimately fits. Wikipedia gives three acceptable kanji, 薫/郁/芳, but I'd go with the character 薫 "fragrance" because the middle character is so plain to me, and the last character is rather feminine at least on the Chinese side of things. 薫 can also mean smoke, or to steep in smoke, which would be fitting for a dark-furred Kai.
My Kai and my half-Kai DO smell really nice, so being fragrant is relevant. Plus, if you end up doing nosework or tracking with your Kai-guy, a scent-name could be really cool. Lots of names are androgynous, like "Chris." Kaoru is fun to say and sounds enough like Karl to maybe get approval by your husband?
Oh, that's cool. I have an obsession with perfume, and the smoke part reminds me of incense! It will have to go on the list. It might be easier to convince my husband of that! (mostly, though, he just calls the dogs whatever. He calls Bel "yasmine" and she responds to it quite well, though I'd prefer not to confuse a puppy!)
I believe Wolfgang just ended up being dinner for the family.
Eh crap Lisa sorry. My brain was preoccupied as I was writing that. I had just heard about a terrible car accident. I was reading the thread trying to get it out of my mind.
Congrats Lisa! I like Karl, name the puppy Karl. Doooo it... Juno is cool too. Though, I don't even know what Juno means, since I confuse it with my dog Juneau's spelling, which is a place in Alaska, so every time I see Juno I think people are spelling it wrong. But with Conker that is even more confusing. Since most people don't see his name spelled out, they think it's Conquer, which it could be, since he tries to conquer everything. Or Connor, or Concorde (the jetplane) and almost nobody understands when I explain to them that no, he's not named after a nut, either, but he surely is one at times.
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And now i have toki and he poops in Home Depots, eats my cereal behind my back, has a vendetta against golf carts... and I love him! Best decision ever to get him, he is THE perfect dog for me and I couldn't ask for more.
*as an edit, cause i thought more about my story after i posted....
I first wanted a Pomeranian. But I'm not a delicate person, so I didn't want a delicate dog. I'd be too afraid of squishing it on accident (the horror, i'd be so depressed). So I decided a big dog it was, but the boyfriend didn't want a big dog, so I compromised on a Sheltie cause they're cute and classically loyal/smart, and he was going to buy me my first dog, so I took in account his opinions since we were thinking about moving in together. (My boyfriend loves labs, golden retrievers, and weeny dogs, so you can guess how he felt at first about getting an akita, teehee). Though, a sheltie didn't seem right, too clingy, too little, too hyper. I'm not a clingy person, and i'm pretty laid back, and I'm not that outwardly of a social person.
This is about the time we decided we wanted to move in together, and my one requirement was I got to have one dog of my choice. I would pay for everything and it would be primarily my responsibility since I work from home. This gave me much leverage and I knew it, and I was feeling iffy about a sheltie. I was also looking into Samoyeds and Malamutes. (can you see a pattern? Fluffy. Pointy ears. Curled tail.)
So then, like I posted, I happened to go to the japanese fall festival, met carol and jim, and took the short trip down the road to their house to meet Tora and Linda (future parents of unborn Toki), and the rest of the doggies. I asked them, "can a sheltie and akita live together?" And they didn't seem to thrilled at this living arrangement.... And that was that. No more sheltie. And definitely Akita. Never looked back or questioned another breed. The Akita is definitely the breed for me, as I feel I am a lot like Toki: laid back, loyal but not clingy, stubborn, reserved around strangers at first, silly around people I know, smart (or I'd like to pretend I am, ha). I care about how I carry myself too, which Toki has a confident gait as well. And I don't shower people with affection, some people are okay with being mushy; not I.
And yes, the boyfriend finally came around and gave the green on getting an Akita and not a weeny doggy. He fricken loves Toki, and honestly, I see a lot of traits in Toki that I see in my boyfriend. I don't think this is entirely coincidence :P
Anyway, after four years or so we decided we were ready for a dog. One of our room mates had moved out, which was as good an excuse as any in my book. I decided I wanted a white dog. So I started researching all of the breeds I could find that were large and white - Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, White GSDs, Cream Golden Retrievers, Samoyeds, etc. I met with a Kuvasz breeder local to me, but decided I didn't like how much the dogs patrolled and protected the fence line - we have a school yard right behind us, and I could picture the dog barking nonstop at the children. I tried to contact a Great Pyrenees rescue about adoption, but the woman berated and practically hung up on me because I had a room mate - apparently, she felt that he would allow the dog to die rather than call for help if something went wrong, and that having a room mate home ALL DAY was somehow worse than leaving the dog home alone.
Before I had a chance to look into the other breeds, I saw a Shiba Inu puppy at a pet store in the mall. My family has always been drawn to foxes; Fox is my maiden name. So my mother and I noticed the little fox-like creature immediately. I played with it for a bit, but I know better than to buy from a pet store. Besides, it was a small dog, and therefor would have creepy paws when it grew out of the rounded puppy phase. Bleh! (Sorry guys, there's nothing wrong with your dogs, it really is just a weird tick of mine.) Nonetheless I went home and researched it.
That's how I found Japanese Akitas. And, joy of joy, they came in all white! I immediately forgot about the Shiba and started researching Akitas. I found that not only did I really like the breed in specific, but that in general I prefer spitz breeds over all others. I had grown up with a huge long coated Labrador, and so the Great Pyrenees had familiarity to me, but the upright ears and curly tails really called to me. I remembered how whenever we went to pet stores as a kid, it was always the Husky puppies I would be attracted most to. I think I have always preferred the northern types.
After a great deal of research and discussion with my husband and friends, I decided that the Japanese Akita was the dog for me. That's when I hit a wall; there was no way to get one in the US in 2007. There were no active breeders in the US at that time. (There had been some previously, but they had retired or their dogs had gotten old. 2007-2008 was a bad year for getting a JA domestic.) I didn't know about AKIHO, so I had nobody to contact to ask about importing. My only option was to find an all white American Akita or a tweenie.
Given a chance, I probably would have taken a tweenie. I didn't know any better then. But as it happens I found a very sweet gentleman with beautiful American Akitas out in Bakersfield, and he had a white girl from a previous litter he hadn't sold yet. I drove out to see her and fell in love. Not just with her (although she is amazing!) but with all Akitas. It was my first chance to see any Akita in person, and they were everything I had imagined and more. It was nothing like visiting the Kuvasz, who had been beautiful, but didn't call to me the way Akitas did. From then on I was hooked.
The next week I took my husband back up to the breeder to purchase the girl, whom I named Gryphon. She was from champion bloodlines and had two superbly successful brothers (who both completed their championships early and have sired many champions themselves now), but she herself had a butterfly nose and would not show well. Just the same, the breeder had another offer on her from a different kennel, who wished to add Gryphon to their lines. He kept her for us, and at the same pet price we had already discussed, despite the better offer. He joked that he didn't want to have to compete against her offspring in the ring in a few years.
Gryphon came home with us on February 23rd 2008, the day before my birthday, at 8 months old. I decided she was a birthday present to myself. She has amazed us every day since. I would feel so incredibly lucky to have such a special dog, every day wondering how I had lucked out. I loved my dog growing up, but the way I feel about Akitas is truly unique. I have never experienced anything like owning and being owned by an Akita before or since; they are in a class unto themselves. As the saying goes, "If its not an Akita, its just a dog." Gryphon in particular is special; she has an unusual desire to please, not common to either breed of Akita. My husband and I daydreamed about having pups just like her one day.
The thought of breeding Gryphon had been implanted by the man we purchased her from. He had asked whether we would consider breeding her to one of his studs one day. Overjoyed simply to be taking her home, I had agreed without thinking too much about it. But as Gryphon approached two years old, I thought about it more and more. I researched what needed to be done to breed responsibly. I had rescues my entire life and worked in a cat rescue and adoption center during highschool, so buying a purebred pup had caused me a considerable amount of angst. Now contemplating breeding Gryphon really made me feel like I was a terrible human being; breeders are evil despots if you listen to the shelter propaganda.
Finally, as with purchasing Gryphon, I got over my internal turmoil. We decided to do it. After her second birthday we got Gryphon's hips and elbows OFA certified. When they came back GOOD and EXCELLENT, I was ecstatic. At her next heat we contacted her breeder, who arranged everything. We took her to be bred to a grand champion pinto male that the breeder co-owned with another guy out in the Moreno Valley area. Unfortunately, the breeding didn't take. It was a very sad Christmas in 2009; the pups would have been due around the 25th had she conceived.
Over the week between Christmas and New Years, I got to thinking. I loved Gryphon but what I really wanted - and had wanted all along - was a Japanese Akita. And I wanted a puppy, because I had missed out on that part of Gryphon's life and had never had a puppy I could remember (I was very young when we got my childhood dog). I was going about it all wrong. Breeding Gryphon wouldn't bring me closer to what I actually desired most. So for New Years, I vowed that whatever it took I would get a Japanese Akita puppy in 2010.
By that time, one of the Japanese Akita breeders had moved back to California and updated his website. Through his site I learned of the existence of AKIHO and how lucky I was that the branch was only a few miles away from me. Had I been born and lived anywhere else in the country, I probably would never have had a chance to get a JA. I attended my first AKIHO show that February, became a member, and applied for a puppy from that breeder's next litter all in one day.
At the time, I didn't care what color puppy I got. I already had my "big white dog" so any color of Japanese Akita would do. What I couldn't have, however, was an unaltered male. I just wasn't willing to risk an accident with my girl. By then I had learned a lot more about both breeds and the thought of having tweenies was anathema to me. So I applied for any female or a pet quality male, as long as it wasn't a long coat or sickle tail. Unfortunately, in that litter there were only two girls (both already spoken for) and the only pet quality males were long coats.
It was back to the drawing board! After watching that litter develop, my husband decided that he preferred reds over brindles. He says that the brindle is too "camouflaged" and hard to see the face and expression. I could see his point, especially with all the dark muddy brindles we have here in the States. So we decided we would apply for a red the next time. But there was no next time; my relationship with that breeder degraded and, with no one else expecting litters that year, we decided to import.
I started hardcore researching and networking (aka stalking) through Facebook. Sometime that summer, AKIHO opened a branch in Europe. I decided to try contacting European breeders as well as Japanese ones, largely because there was less of a language barrier there. Also, the European breeders were more readily accessible through social networking sites. But nobody had a red AKIHO puppy available for me, and the European breeders only occasionally breed two AKIHO dogs together. Just as often as not, they would breed the AKIHO import to a domestic JA instead.
Sometime in June I contacted a friend of the family, who had been a Japanese foreign exchange student living with my grandmother and aunt back when I was just a tiny child. She is like a sister to my mother, aunts, and uncles. She even flew to the US with her fiance and entire family to get married in the church that all the women in my family have been wed in for three generations (myself included). So after some dead-ends getting a current address, I wrote to her and asked her to contact breeders for me. In specific I asked her to contact Mr. Shirai, because I had met dogs from his kennel in person and really liked their type and temperament, and because I knew I could trust him. The reply I got was some confusing message about asking again after September, so I assumed it was a dead end.
In July I almost bought a pup from a different breeder in Japan. But communication problems got in the way. I couldn't get a straight answer from her, and for sometimes days or even weeks I would get no reply at all. I finally concluded that she did not want to sell me the puppy, but in a Japanese fashion did not want to tell me "no" directly. (Later, she did send me an offer for a pup, but I had already accepted another. I felt terrible! I still stand by my original intent, and would like to bring a dog of her lines to the US for more diversity some day.)
During all of this, there was a lot of dashed hopes and frustration. About three months in to my search for an import (seven months since my resolution), my husband and I decided that if we were going to go through all this trouble, the dog needed to be show quality. That ruled out having a male (because Gryphon was still intact) so my search narrowed to a show quality red female. It was a short step, with the idea of breeding already implanted in our minds, to decide to found our own kennel. It just made a lot of sense; what use was all our effort, if we could not "pass it forward" to others like us in the States who wanted a Japanese Akita? What good were we serving in the breed preservation society, if we did nothing to promote and preserve the breed?
To facilitate my search, I had posted a want ad on a translators database looking for someone in Japan willing to call breeders on my behalf. I hired a very helpful gentleman who had been from California originally, but now taught English with his Japanese wife in Japan. He was instrumental in making the arrangements when the time came, and I am ever so grateful for his help.
Completely out of the blue, I received an email from our family friend in Japan on the 3rd of August 2010. After almost nine months of fruitless search, we received an offer for a beautiful red female from Shirai. Of course, I accepted immediately. And thus, on August 19th, we brought home Gojira. Our family has never been the same since.
I have imported two Japanese Akitas since then, but my first Akita and my first import will always have a very special place in my heart.
[As fate would have it, I will never breed Gryphon. She got pyometra last year and needed an emergency hysterectomy. Although we had realized once we got our imports that we'd probably never be able to have Gryphon puppies, it still took a life-threatening infection to drive the nail into the coffin of that dream...]
Not that great of a story...
By the time I got him, little Sage was a little more than 4 months old. His 1st 8 weeks were with mom's owner, then he spent 30 days in a rural humane society shelter, then another month in foster care with the rescue lady's father, who loved dogs but had never fostered puppies before. I didnt realize this kind of childhood would never be able to be compensated for. Still, he was a happy pup, but after 3 months I began to see unreasonable reactions from him, discomfort with certain other dogs in his grille.
Reilly and I led a very dog social life, going every day to a field and meeting up with several friends and many dogs. When Sage began to be stressed by this schedule and this crowded a life, I didnt understand him, though he tried to tell me this wasn't working for him. He hated it, too much pressure. He would feel crowded and snarked at a dog- whose owner reacted herself with horror. Again and again he'd encounter boisterous dogs and crack under the pressure and proximity and energy, and again all the humans around - myself included- would freak. People with 'tough' dogs didnt freak, but their dogs pinned him and they coolly separated them, and one day while playing with two new dogs Sage coincidentally popped his kneecap and screamed. We had to give up our social life and I began to try to learn everything I could about behavior, reactive dogs, fearful dogs, training, and Kai dogs because it was the only breed info I had on him.
We took classes, we tried different collars/halters/harnesses, read books, attended seminars, saw specialists, took drugs. I could not understand why what was so enjoyable and easy for Reilly was such a nightmare for Sage, I felt horribly guilty for not understanding, not listening, not knowing enough, and for apparently failing at the click to calm training regimen. I didnt know what to do with him, I took such pride in providing an 'ideal' experience of exercise and socialization that did not work for this weird dog. I decided that to love him meant to "never give up!" and work at training really diligently and spare no expense for books and classes and the best trainers. It was a huge stress on my family, who enjoyed having the curtains open, and being able to watch tv without sudden outbursts of barking, and paying for special classes, veterinary behaviorists, pills, haltis, fences- not to mention all the time I needed to give him alone in training and attention- "why do we have to do all this for The Boy?" Reilly was stressed because he woudl redirect his frustration onto her. This wasnt what I wanted when I wanted two dogs. Having a reactive dog is not just a dog problem, it is a family problem, and a relationship problem.
While researching Kai, looking for any scrap of info I may have missed on the web, I found this Forum- I could join and learn from people with real Kai Ken, and what actually turned out to be more relevant than Kai info was people with other breeds who had reactive dogs. I learned from shiba people, and pit bull people, and akita people, and molosser people, and rescue people- people with lots of dogs, too. Even this was not enough to figure him out. Pit Bull Person Extraordinaire, veteran dog rescue lady and wise friend Jessica gave me the key that fit everything together- "You gotta forgive yourself." and I didnt understand it when she said it.
About a month later I was walking in the woods with Sage and Rei, and it was a beautiful sundappled leafy forest day. I said to him with a sigh that I was sorry I had a hard time listening and believing, and that I was sorry I wasn't a real trainer- just an artist- and that I was sorry it takes me so long to learn things and sorry that I wasn't this or that hero dog-person I had read or met or whatever. And I very clearly heard him tell me, though he didnt break stride or even look at me, that he wasn't perfect either and he didnt expect me to be, that he clearly forgave me and said "I am YOUR dog. Its me and you." and I felt it heavily and believed him for real. To love him meant not to Try Harder, but to Try/Work less and Feel/Flow more.
I accepted that he didnt need to go out and meet new dogs. He had a few close dog friends, but we moved away from all of the dogs he could play with when my husband got a new job. I built him a big safe fenced yard to play in with Reilly and I. I realized he LOVEd dog play, and he did have great dog-manners and cues. He just needed very few, very high quality relationships. I left him home from many hikes, because he would get scared and balk- he loved ball inthe yard but hated the exposure of hiking. So Rei would get exercised out with me and being older and rather dignified, didnt always want to play with Sage that badly. A dog family was what we needed. I thought about what my third dog should be like, what would optimize the odds for successful integration with Sage. Of his old dog friends, his favorites were females, with confidence and vivacity, who liked to chase and were rugged and didnt get bent out of shape easily. IF he is part- Kai, a full Kai might 'get' him most easily. While Sage is extremely sensitive, his friends needed to be forgiving, subtle, and happy. While I had once leaned a little toward shikoku- having enjoyed playing with Jess' Miko (I really like Miko!..but Sage would not.)- I saw this was NOT the right breed for my pack, and very wrong for Sage. I loved the Kai more, and asked Brad about a Kai puppy.
Kai Ken are sensitive, and do best with ample yet measured socialization. They tend to be dog-savvy, subtle and rugged. They are the best friend of an outdoorswoman
She is affectionate and loving, she has bonded very closely to me and is always near me- in the house, in my studio, on the trail in the woods and off trail in the woods looking for cool things. She listens to Sage and gives him space, and invites him to play, and responds happliy to his play bows. She can go "Full Boar!" (sic) at him and they both love it. Sage has calmed down because he knows that she sees his cues and wont push him and he can speak with subtlety and need not snark or yell to be understood by his new friend. They have a delightful relationship on both ends. Juno is Reilly's protege, and it is fun to watch them hunting together and being a part of that wholeness we three become when were off in the forest together. We come home and Sage is there to greet us, and to play tug and chase with Juno. She comes to work with me and greets all the burly ski resort equipment operators and the ladies in the offices and everyone's dogs. She has charmed my husband, who went from being a no-dogs-in-the-bedroom guy when we got Reilly to a "I bought a special orvis dog bedspread so Juno can sleep with us" guy.
As Reilly has gotten older and developed some cancers, I see that my time with The Chief (if you have watched Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? on pbs long ago you can envision Reilly as The Chief) as my hiking sidekick is actually limited. It may be a few years yet, but she will slow down and not want to go out so long, or so fast. I am comforted knowing that I have Juno too, now and I wont push Reilly as I once pushed Sage to do more than she wants to. She can be home with Sage more when that time comes. Juno is learning from Reilly and even surpasses Rei in certain areas (such as agility among trees and stream crossings, plus as a small dog, I could carry her out of the woods if I had to, which would be difficult with big ol' Reilly)- she will continue the path Rei began. I love my Kai Ken and my next dog will also be a Kai. Again, I'll let Brad & Jen choose, although I think now that Sage has the benefit of his girl relationships, I sense that the right Kai might be male- the right pup for me, for Rei, for Juno, and for Sage. I hope that he will come along while Rei is still the cultural carrier in our pack, but the way forward that works for us is to let things go and see what happens naturally. Not to push too hard against the grain. A lesson from a Sage.
Here's my (also long) story: I grew up with big dogs--husky mixes, GSDs, etc. When I was a teenager, we had the smartest dog ever, who was husky/Norwegian elkhound mix, and I loved her. When first had her as a pup, though, someone asked if she was an Akita mix, as she had the curly tail and a mask. That's when I first heard of Akitas.
When I was in graduate school in Phoenix, and got my first dog, I ended up getting an Akita. We loved what we'd heard of them (which was pretty much straight breed hype) and since we knew absolutely nothing about where to get dogs, we bought her out of the paper from a BYB who offered to trade her for a gun. We paid cash instead. She looked like a JA--smaller, more fine boned and with the more foxy face--and I had a couple of people who knew Akitas ask me if she was one, but I think she was just a not quite to standard AA. This was in the late 80s/early 90s. She was a mess: not socialized (and we didn't know we should, so we didn't), reactive with dogs, and super aggressive with people (fear based, but she also was super protective of me). In fact, she bit several people. At the time, I thought that was ok--by then, I'd gotten a divorce and was living alone back in Alaska in a tiny little cabin with no running water in the woods, and I liked having a protective dog. I ski-jored with her, and she pulled a sled for me to haul in water and groceries. I loved her like crazy, but she was unpredicatable and volatile, and probably kind of dangerous. She developed liver cancer, and I had to put her down at age 5.
Later, when I learned more about dogs, I realized what a liability she had been, and decided I was done with "protective" dogs. I wanted easy dogs, and decided to get a lab. Luckily for me, the shelter I got my next dog at didn't have any labs, but they did have a little lab/chow cross that we took home instead (she looked much like a Kai and was that size). Other than her oily black coat, she had no lab characteristics at all, but was grumpy, prey driven, and lazy. It was about this time that I realized I was ok with that in a dog! But before I'd made my decision entirely, we were offered a GSD pup who had been abandoned at the vet as his bills for treating parvo racked up, and we took him. Then I suddenly had a dog to work with and train, and we did a lot of obedience work, and agility (and I wish I'd known then about positive training, but I didn't).
Several years later, another break up, and I moved to NM with the GSD and my ex kept the lab/chow mix. I decided to get another dog, but at that time realized GSDs were not the dog for me--they just were too needy. I thought about an Akita then, but didn't want two large dogs. Then I remembered the Shiba Inu I'd seen all over Japan. They seemed calm (apparently I had not yet seen a puppy!) and they were a good size. I started doing research, and decided I'd get what I loved in Akitas in a small package, so I started looking for breeders. I happened to contact a breeder in Colorado who had just confirmed a pregnancy, and the next thing I knew, I had a Shiba. And Toby, who is by far my most difficult dog, is still my "heart" dog. I love him like crazy for all his reactivity.
I thought I'd always have Shibas after that. I thought they were MY breed. But when I decided to get another, and I ended up with a puppy mill dog (because I didn't know better at that time), and I ran into all the problems many of you already know with my crazy girl Jezebel, I realized that Shibas are just too difficult for me. It's true I have one who is not at all a good representative of the breed, and one who is but is difficult--and I know there are plenty of other Shibas who are not as difficult as mine. But I just thought you know, this is just too much work and too much heartbreak, and I don't think I can do this anymore.
And once my GSD passed (11 of cancer) we wanted a big dog to help guard the Shibas! We thought about JAs, but it looked like it would be a longer wait for one, and my husband preferred AAs anyway, so we ended up with Oskar, who is now 2. He's WONDERFUL, and I have to say I really love the AA temperament--he's a particularly soft dog, but he's biddable (well, for an NK) and sweet tempered, but still willing to be protective and doesn't back down. And he's not needy like the GSDs.
And we've thought of adding another Akita, but they are so big, and that, to me, is the downside: we just can't manage several really large dogs (Oskar is 120 pounds). And it seems even the pretty good AAs don't handle pack life as well as some other breeds. So it's unlikely we'll have another Akita while Oskar is with us.
A Kai? Well, that's another story. In some ways I think I'm still looking for my perfect NK. In the meantime, I love all the ones I've met, and if I can't identify my perfect NK breed, I can say I love the NK in general!
I would really like a Kai, Shikoku, or Cardigan Welsh Corgi (I know - not a spitz!) some day. I might even get over my irrational dislike of small dog feet. But when I think about if/when I would have room for another dog, it occurs to me that I would be giving up a "slot" I could fill with another Akita. I don't think I can do that. And if I did, I might always think "Yeah, I like Spot, but I could have had a JA instead..." I did that to Gryphon enough. A dog doesn't deserve that.
I don't have such a long story. One of my favorite store dogs at a Taiwanese toy store was Cho-Cho (literally "Ball Ball"), a Shiba Inu. He was practically blinded by cataracts and had way too much fur than was fair for a dog living in a subtropical climate, but he was the sweetest, cutest dog I knew. I fell in love with the breed through Cho-Cho, when I was naive enough to be seduced by one misrepresentative Shiba. The breed is very common in Taiwan, as are many things from Japan, so it wasn't hard to find a Shiba pup when my boyfriend and I decided that was what we deserved for our fourth anniversary. Much like our relationship, we dove headlong into first dog ownership with little preparation and few expectations except to commit to a long run.
That was exactly seven years ago this week. Amazingly, we're all still here. With an additional curly tail added in 2010. And hopefully many more to come in the future.
So an agreement was made with 2 breeders to have a pick of the litter from there next mating. My girlfriend and I wanted a red/white akita because she loved Hachiko...but 1 of the breeders have an akita which was a red brindle and each time i met him i seen him a little more special that the other coats.
In August 2010, 1 of the breeders said he would have puppies available for me to collect in mid September! At this stage I was at a friends wedding in Croatia , basking in the sun and waiting anxiously to get home asap so i can pick up my pup (havent looked forward to leaving a holiday so much in my life). But when i got home something unfortunate happened...the mother had a miscarriage and all the puppies died. This was very sad indeed as I had everything all bought for the puppy to transition him to his new home..but i was more sad for the breeder and the mother of the pups as it was very traumatising for her.
Then it was back on the waiting list and I ended up meeting a few more breeders and maintaining contact with them all throughtout the year. 2011 went by and still no pup...but somethings i guess the best comes to those who wait. I came upon an ad for an Akita for sale in November but it was a female and no price was listed. I immediately contacted the breeder to see f I can go see the litter. Things didnt go too well as the breeder said he would not be available to show me the pup if i wasnt definately buying it (whats a point in buying something if you dont know it will suit??) So without naming names I contacted the JA association of Ireland to get a check on this breeder and instincts were correct as he was not a reputable breeder. At this stage i thought, gosh maybe im not suppose to get this dog after all...so many let downs and so little hope left. Given that Ireland is a small enough country..finding a reputable JA breeder is really hard!
Xmas went by..so did New Years and then at the end of February 2012 the second breeder that I was in contact with emailed me out of the blue and said a friend of his who runs a kennel in Wales, UK has litters available...and best of all there was a choice!! I got the photos and start discussing arrangements and price. There were 4/5 reds and 3 brindles. But a few days later the breeder emailed me again and said theres another litter available. The father was a full white (Hattori Hanzo of Nekon Ken..a french import) and mother was a blue brindle (Libertia Celtic Connection of Tycon)...Only 2 pups were available from this mating. 1 of the pups went to a family as a pet. The other pup was intended to go to Canada to take part of shows. A change of plan occured with the Canadian buyers and they backed out of the sale due to family problems. So now the pup is with me....
K'Umon has been part of my family now since mid March...and i am most grateful to have him as part of my life. Silly, stubborn, curious and suspicious. It reminds me how much i am like him or vice versa. The wait for 2 years was definitely worth it...Even if I havent had a proper night sleep to date. The plan for the future is to socialize him well, and participate in shows and see how he gets on. His father and grandfather were show winners in France and Jpn..hopefully he will do his line proud too coz I really want to show how special and wonderful this breed is.
We wanted a Doberman but found an AA available. I always loved them at dog shows and their history in Japan. At the time, I did not know the difference between an AA and JA. Upon research on the breed, we contacted a breeder in CO about a Shiba Inu to match our Akita but the breeder got to an accident and was unable to breed her dogs. Ninja (Akita) protected us when we got home from school and is the best babysitter ever.
Eight years later, my parents wouldn't let me take my Akita to college so I rescued an apartment sized Shiba Inu.
Currently, I'm looking to add a Shikoku to my family... and here I am. xD
Lii-sa's gett-ing a Kaaaa-iii!
@shibamistress--CONGRATS On your KAIIII!!! Are you getting a boy or girl???
Well, for me it all started at during my undergrad years at Davis. My family never had a dog and I always wanted one. When I was researching for one, I fell in love with the Spitz breed and ended up with a mini American Eskimo. The cutest thing ever! He went everywhere with me, I socialized him and everything and he was sooo biddable. Later, due to some circumstances, I had to leave him with my parents but he was absolutely loved by my dad! When i finally purchased my home, I was bringing him down, but he had kidney failure (he was really sick on the drive down and that was a really horrible experience) and so I had to put him to sleep. After awhile, I really wanted another dog so I researched and I loved the spitz breed but did not want another Eskie (because of the hair) but I found a Shiba. I knew I didn't want a puppy so I contacted rescues and breeders (for older dogs). Lo and behold, I got Bea, a quite older shiba. The thing is, she sure doesn't act old! She had been a kennel dog all her life and for her, this was an awesome taste of freedom! For example, the a few days after getting her, she and I was playing in the backyard, and the hub and his dad was fixing the gate and a stray cat came through our backyard. She bolted past me and the hub to get the cat. Boy was I scared! That was the start of her bolting wild ways! I never had to deal with that with my Eskie...he had great recall.
Then, we went to a shiba meetup and I met Kurenai (@crimson02). I fell in love and jesse told me about this forum. I have been addicted every since. Then, I got Kaiju (thanks Brad) and he has been glued to me every since (or perhaps it's the other way around)
As my love for NK grows (mainly Shikoku), I am sure I will add to the pack in a couple of years!
And congrats.
I got into Shibas in 2007 and joined the forums soon after. I really love the breed. Later on I decided I wanted to learn how to show, so I found a great mentor/breeder, and got my first show dog. As time went by I got more interested in competition and training. My mentor started sending me some young adult Shibas every so often to practice training with and to give them a break from their pack. I am very proud how those young dogs have grown up and several of them have recently become champions and made a huge impression in the breed with recent wins at the National.
It gave me great practice for my third Shiba, a bitch that is now my foundation girl whom we will be breeding soon, but that keeps getting delayed since she is doing so well in performance sports. I moved to the country right before buying her, and I bought a CO puppy around the same time since there was coyotes and eagles in the area. I wanted Hokkaido and Shikoku to add as another NK breed, but opted for the pack savvy Kai instead, who has been a great fit. I anticipate another Kai down the road (puppies!), but am satisfied with day caring some friends Shibas (for now).
Kaoru! That's not a bad idea! Does it mean something or is the Japanese-ification of Karl? I love the name Juno by the way! I like mythical/literary names. But so far Tanka or Renga or Orion or Caliban have met with serious distaste by my husband. I guess I'm lucky he's decided he doesn't need another pet name Wolfgang. (He had a calf named wolfgang as a child who met a bad end. Probably you can guess what that end was!)
To everyone else, what wonderful stories! I really like this thread.
Anyway, Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation of the name here. I thought this was interesting: "As a distinctly asexual name, its usage in popular culture has risen in recent years to give the named character an air of androgyny. Such characters commonly have overt androgynous qualities as well." So maybe you'll have to see if the name ultimately fits. Wikipedia gives three acceptable kanji, 薫/郁/芳, but I'd go with the character 薫 "fragrance" because the middle character is so plain to me, and the last character is rather feminine at least on the Chinese side of things. 薫 can also mean smoke, or to steep in smoke, which would be fitting for a dark-furred Kai.
// okay, sorry to derail.
I believe Wolfgang just ended up being dinner for the family.
Congrats Lisa!
I like Karl, name the puppy Karl. Doooo it...
Juno is cool too. Though, I don't even know what Juno means, since I confuse it with my dog Juneau's spelling, which is a place in Alaska, so every time I see Juno I think people are spelling it wrong.
But with Conker that is even more confusing. Since most people don't see his name spelled out, they think it's Conquer, which it could be, since he tries to conquer everything. Or Connor, or Concorde (the jetplane) and almost nobody understands when I explain to them that no, he's not named after a nut, either, but he surely is one at times.