Kishu or Kai?
Hey peoples, My wife and I really like the Kishu and the Kai and are trying to decide which one we should get first because we would like one of each. We wouldnt mind getting a retired breeding dog of either breed but we would like to raise at least one puppy. Thoughts?
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My female kishu Yuki can get along with anyone but my male kishus Taro and Riki are not the dog to go up to strangers and wag their tails. It takes a little warming up to for them to get along with strangers.
@rafatturi - So, Ryan, you want both now, huh? That's great! Just watch out, you might end up like me! LOL
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And, yes, Brad is right. You might end up like him. We all might. It's a fate we all pray we avoid. ;o)
People think their shiba puppies are crazy, they should be glad that their shiba puppy is only a fourth of what a kishu pup is lol.
I love my sister's dog, but I am glad that I can return her when I'm done playing with her. :P
As for tolerance though, Kyuubi (kai) isn't very tolerant of puppies in small group settings, he ignores them when he goes to the dog park and people bring their pups there. But in small settings he wants to eat them. I'm positive this is from a bad experience he had with a family friend's sharpei puppy. Mika (shiba) however, is very tolerant of puppies. It really depends on the dog and if you get an adult kai or kishu just make sure if they are tolerant of pups or not
Plus you can always ask for help here on integrating dogs :P
I want a Kishu someday, but I need a big house, with a huge yard, and a way to tire one out. I'm thinking our 2-3 hour walks might be enough for a Kishu? Lol. Either way though, both dog breeds are awesome! They are just different in some ways.
I was talking to Jen the other night about Kai vs Kishu. To me it seems like a Kishu has a lot of reactivity (like a Shikoku), but also has the social aptitude of a Kai. Kishin is GREAT with our dog, but if they ever tip into a disagreement Kishin ignites into a reactive Tasmanian devil dog - he's super tough. In my experience, Kai tend to try and avoid conflict with other dog and don't "tip" until they are pushed passed some anger threshold. With Kishin, that threshold seems to be closer to the surface than with our Kai - but his good social skills makes it so he can avoid most conflicts.
Kishin is a lot "harder" than our Kai too. He doesn't listen nearly as well (or at all sometimes), but that is improving with age. I guess Kishin is a bit hard-headed.
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I can't say for sure on way they do it since I never seen it my self. I'm sure a Tosa owner can fill you in on it. Is it more like they're mock fighting? Not really fighting, but play fighting? Not intending to kill? I dunno.. Saya plays in a way even usual dog owners ask is she fighting?
I seen American dog fights via video from animal cops show and it's disgusting.
Anyways back on topic. Lots good advise on things good luck.
@shishiinu Nicely said. But I guess Rafatturi has the same opinion as so many others who see the Tosa story for the first time.
@Saya Tosa's do fight. But most of the time they go for the neck. Another type of fighting dog will bite his opponent on every place he can puts his teeth in. But there are over 250 rules in the Tosa breed in a match. A well trained and socialised Tosa is really an awesome dog. But if he is challenged, he won't hold back. But that goes for more breeds.
That said, from what I've heard of and seen of Kai on the forum, I can see how you might want to start with a Kai (which seem like go-get-em but pretty socially aware and typically well-balanced dogs - I'm sure socialization and owner awareness has a large hand in that, tho) and then add a Kishu as a pup. Kai also seem to be more available as puppies or adults than the Kishu in North America, so it might be easier to go Kai first and add the Kishu later as well.