@spitzfever you mentioned how kind your husband is with animals. That's always awesome but with the NK it sometimes doesn't matter. They choose to like you or not. No telling which or why. Not with all of them but some.
My Kai is a fan-freaking-tastic dog and I thought I was well prepared for her (she's a little high strung and very, very flighty--sharper than most I'm thinking from the others I've met...)I knew this going in to get her. Getting a rehomed adult is always harder. But let me tell you my wealth of dog experience was moot for the first several months and I'm generally a person who can get all dogs to respond well to me. All dogs. My dog wouldn't let me touch her for the first 2 weeks, now she sleeps on my head or curled into my back if not on it. Obviously if you get a puppy it will be way different.
Having come from a farm dog background I can honestly say these dogs are different. Meet as many as you can. Each breed has its own flavor. Good luck finding the dog for you! (Also if part of the Shikoku is their smoking hot looks kishu come in a "colored" coat that doesn't look dissimilar). Search for Nami on the forum @crispy is soon to be her new mom she might be able to tell you more about kishu as well as Gen and Brad
@cdenny We plan on meeting as many as we can If we don't end up with this breed (or any Japanese breed) then all will be well. Thank you for your insight and experience! I will message crsipy as soon as I can Thank you for the referral and sending me in the right direction! Also, I watch youtube videos of a dog named Sachi and he is a NK as well Coincidence?
I don't have Nami yet, but soon! Still in the process of getting her good to fly. @shishiinu is awesome for Kishu information, though! (Sorry to throw you under the bus! ) I became very interested in the Kishu after I was introduced to the community by meeting and researching Shikoku. I had turned away from the thought of owning a Shikoku and was on my quest for a Kishu when my Shikoku kind of... fell in my lap.
I like the Kishu because they seem to have a much more focused kind of energy and drive than the Shikoku (who are pretty frenetic in my experience). This might not be objectively true, but they appear healthier, on average, which is important to me. Their appearance impressed upon me that they were a much more rugged dog, and reading material on them confirmed they could be. The Kishu I have met was superb - he has an independent streak I admired, he is a great family dog, he's a focused "hunter" (which I like because I could apply it to other sports as long as the right motivators are present), and he's pretty playful/cuddly. Generalizing, he reminded my of a blend (temperament-wise) of my Malamute and my brother's Boardog--which is exactly what I want. Nami sounds pretty similar - spunky, fun, and full of life. I'm really excited to have her.
I love my Shikoku, don't get me wrong. I always tell people I consider him more similar to an over-emotional herding dog than any other kind of dog I've encountered and basically overreacts to EVERYTHING. He's super biddable, super sensitive, and he's excellent at reading body language. He is aggressive toward strangers, though - I could do without that, but he's getting much better in the year I've had him. He's my buddy, but even though I thought I had done SO much research and I'd met the breed, none of that actually prepared me for what it would be like to actually own a Shikoku.
Getting a dog from puppyhood makes a difference, and what you expose your dog to and how you train it helps a ton as well. That said, a Shikoku will always be a Shikoku and a terrier will always be a terrier. There are somethings you just can't change. You can make any breed 'work' in your family. It's just a matter of what makes you happy.
I love my Shikoku! She is my buddy. I feel horribly sick right now and she's right by my side. Because of all the hardship we went through together trying to get her adapted to our home we have a special relationship and I love her all the more. Does it frustrate me when all the progress we've made goes to pot when she sees a stranger? Yes. Does it make me sad? Yes, but she's my girly and I love her and help her through it.
I do love that people love my Kai and tell me how friendly (and manly ) he is and how they want to take him home. It bothers me when people ask me if my Shikoku has been abused because she hasn't. She just expresses her shyness and fears in a different way. But in the long run I don't care because they give me the love I always wanted from my dogs. They are a perfect pair for each other and I doubt I'll ever be able to get two dog who are so awesome together. And that's what matters. What you are ok or more than fine dealing with, is what matters. If your dog gets along with a Shikoku and you feel comfortable with their quirks then go for it! The rest doesn't matter. Your family's happiness does. Would I ever get another Shikoku? If they are still around in 10 years then probably. But I'll go meet the parents and make sure they are a good personality blend and most importantly that they are healthy. I'm lucky that my Shikoku has been healthy so far, but sadly some haven't been so fortunate.
@Hinata23 and @Crispy I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying your input! My husband and I are constantly reading and re-reading your advice and experiences. I think we will have a better idea of whether or not we can handle the breed when we meet them. I would love for it to work out but if not then I can at least say I got to meet them! If I can get a hold of Gen and Brad then that would be wonderful! They are located in Colorado right? My husband and I wouldn't mind driving through to talk to them and soak up their wisdom! I am meeting up with Airreyalis this summer in southern CA to meet the breed and see how my lappie likes them. I won't be ready for a dog until the beginning of 2015, so I have time I just want to know early on if any of the Japanese breeds will work for us because if not then we need to put our focus somewhere else
@Spitzfever - Yep, we're in CO up in the mountains. You're always welcome to visit, we have most of the Japanese breeds so you can compare them. We also have Laika.
Gen ( @shishiinu ) is in Southern Cali. He has Kishu.
Also, there is an expo in SoCal every year in early summer. You can meet most of the breed there too.
@brada1878 I am so sorry that I didn't realize I was talking to you! Do you have a facebook or should I message you on here about possible dates? I would really love a chance to compare the breeds in person and getting the chance to talk to you in person would be wonderful! I wouldn't be able to visit for a while (we are talking 7 months or more) so I could always contact you closer to then How much is the expo and where could I find information on it?
you should def come down for the expo…you will get to meet plenty of shikoku (at least mine will be)!! I THINK some kai may be there too @mdokic@tjbart17@creativejen….but I am not sure what their schedules are (in they will make it).
I had a laika and Kaiju (shikoku) and Bea (shiba) didn't get along with her. Well, kaiju liked her after she hit puberty. Also, our home was not suitable for her…even though she was walked for 2 hours everyday, she was still crazy (had lots of energy to burn).
@Hinata23 thank you so much! @brada1878 I add you now! Looking forward to talking to you @ttddinh would it be okay to bring my lappie? What are the dates for the expo and where will it be located? Any entry fees?
The expo usually does not permit dogs from the public to enter. Two years ago, they tried allowing the public to enter with dogs on the slowest day, Friday, but thankfully they axed it the following year. What you could do is arrange to have a dog meet up outside the grounds though?
The expo is called America's Family Pet Expo and is located at the Orange County Fair grounds in SoCal.
@ttdinh I'm planning on being at the expo again and bringing Kona and Kimber if there's room for them ! Kimber would eat the whole experience up lol. We can have her play with some of the Shikoku this year since Kona's become kind of crumudgety and I don't think would want that kind of play anymore :P
Hahaha!! Kona and Loa got along perfectly at Brad and Jen's, but that's just because they both had an understanding that they just wanted to chill, no crazy play
Yeah, Kurenai's passing the torch this expo for sure. It'll be Kurama that'll be the puppy playmate. I think she's gotten more than her fair share of puppyhood...
I hope we can work it out so we can get the Shiba/Akita/Kochi-ken setup like some of us were talking about...
My husband is just starting to hunt but really loves it! My father in law takes his two dogs out hunting and is always telling my husband that he needs a hunting dog in order to see how fun it can really be! Father in law thinks watching dogs hunt is inspiring because they are so cunning and agile I have never heard of a Laika! Is that another spitz breed? Do you have any links to breeders?
Probably not a permanent solution, but I know Kit at Calaban's husband was using her young male as a hunting dog a few years ago after the dog was eliminated from her breeding program. They may be herding dogs rather than hunting dogs, but many Lapphunds do have fairly strong hunting instincts and can certainly be taught. So if your husband wants to dabble in hunting with dogs even before you get your NK or look into a laika or similar, he may want to try seeing what your Lappy can do.
I know Kit's husband was using Chill on birds, and was hunting alongside a guy with a German Shorthaired Pointer. Again, Chill was never a "real sporting dog," perhaps, but he was certainly proficient enough for recreational hunting and apparently learned quite quickly. With your Lappy still being a pup, you could probably introduce her to some of the concepts of being a hunting dog now and he may be able to hunt with her a little while you wait
I think he taught Chill to behave a bit more like a Western sporting breed. From my experiences with my Lapphund, I think most naturally hunt a bit more like a very toned-down laika-type dog (tree things and bark at them, etc). Which makes sense, given they are pretty much a sort of too-far-west herding laika in many ways and originally were more general-purpose dogs rather than strictly herding dogs. Which means that if you ever try herding with your Lappy, you may find that some of the Border Collie people will frown on her herding style.
@spitzfever Yes! Let's do it! I can't socialize Nyx enough. She's only had 1 puppy class so far (and was pretty shy) so I'm not sure what her play-style is like but we have a puppy social, a 2nd puppy class, and a play date with an Akita (fingers-crossed) over the next few days so I'm sure I'll have a much better sense of her dog-to-dog personality soon. Can't wait to meet your lappie!
Comments
My Kai is a fan-freaking-tastic dog and I thought I was well prepared for her (she's a little high strung and very, very flighty--sharper than most I'm thinking from the others I've met...)I knew this going in to get her. Getting a rehomed adult is always harder. But let me tell you my wealth of dog experience was moot for the first several months and I'm generally a person who can get all dogs to respond well to me. All dogs. My dog wouldn't let me touch her for the first 2 weeks, now she sleeps on my head or curled into my back if not on it. Obviously if you get a puppy it will be way different.
Having come from a farm dog background I can honestly say these dogs are different. Meet as many as you can. Each breed has its own flavor. Good luck finding the dog for you! (Also if part of the Shikoku is their smoking hot looks kishu come in a "colored" coat that doesn't look dissimilar). Search for Nami on the forum @crispy is soon to be her new mom she might be able to tell you more about kishu as well as Gen and Brad
Also, I watch youtube videos of a dog named Sachi and he is a NK as well
I like the Kishu because they seem to have a much more focused kind of energy and drive than the Shikoku (who are pretty frenetic in my experience). This might not be objectively true, but they appear healthier, on average, which is important to me. Their appearance impressed upon me that they were a much more rugged dog, and reading material on them confirmed they could be. The Kishu I have met was superb - he has an independent streak I admired, he is a great family dog, he's a focused "hunter" (which I like because I could apply it to other sports as long as the right motivators are present), and he's pretty playful/cuddly. Generalizing, he reminded my of a blend (temperament-wise) of my Malamute and my brother's Boardog--which is exactly what I want. Nami sounds pretty similar - spunky, fun, and full of life. I'm really excited to have her.
I love my Shikoku, don't get me wrong. I always tell people I consider him more similar to an over-emotional herding dog than any other kind of dog I've encountered and basically overreacts to EVERYTHING. He's super biddable, super sensitive, and he's excellent at reading body language. He is aggressive toward strangers, though - I could do without that, but he's getting much better in the year I've had him. He's my buddy, but even though I thought I had done SO much research and I'd met the breed, none of that actually prepared me for what it would be like to actually own a Shikoku.
Here's Nami, since she was brought up!
And TK, my Shikoku
There is also a thread in the Kishu section of the forum for "yushoku" Kishu.
http://www.nihonken.org/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/5428/yushoku-kishu-another-pic-added-411
I love my Shikoku! She is my buddy. I feel horribly sick right now and she's right by my side. Because of all the hardship we went through together trying to get her adapted to our home we have a special relationship and I love her all the more. Does it frustrate me when all the progress we've made goes to pot when she sees a stranger? Yes. Does it make me sad? Yes, but she's my girly and I love her and help her through it.
I do love that people love my Kai and tell me how friendly (and manly
Glad our info has been helpful!
Gen ( @shishiinu ) is in Southern Cali. He has Kishu.
Also, there is an expo in SoCal every year in early summer. You can meet most of the breed there too.
How much is the expo and where could I find information on it?
Here's the kennel's website: http://www.yamabushikennel.org/index.php
I had a laika and Kaiju (shikoku) and Bea (shiba) didn't get along with her. Well, kaiju liked her after she hit puberty. Also, our home was not suitable for her…even though she was walked for 2 hours everyday, she was still crazy (had lots of energy to burn).
@brada1878 I add you now! Looking forward to talking to you
@ttddinh would it be okay to bring my lappie? What are the dates for the expo and where will it be located? Any entry fees?
The expo is called America's Family Pet Expo and is located at the Orange County Fair grounds in SoCal.
http://petexpooc.org/
I hope we can work it out so we can get the Shiba/Akita/Kochi-ken setup like some of us were talking about...
Jesse
I know Kit's husband was using Chill on birds, and was hunting alongside a guy with a German Shorthaired Pointer. Again, Chill was never a "real sporting dog," perhaps, but he was certainly proficient enough for recreational hunting and apparently learned quite quickly. With your Lappy still being a pup, you could probably introduce her to some of the concepts of being a hunting dog now and he may be able to hunt with her a little while you wait
I think he taught Chill to behave a bit more like a Western sporting breed. From my experiences with my Lapphund, I think most naturally hunt a bit more like a very toned-down laika-type dog (tree things and bark at them, etc). Which makes sense, given they are pretty much a sort of too-far-west herding laika in many ways and originally were more general-purpose dogs rather than strictly herding dogs. Which means that if you ever try herding with your Lappy, you may find that some of the Border Collie people will frown on her herding style.
You're close to me! I'm in San Jose. Maybe you guys should arrange a NK meet up
@Oakland I am so excited, can't wait until both of our pups are ready to meet!