I must ask...
I know how the Shikoku has a high prey drive and will go after and wild critter they see, but...
If the shikoku takes off after it, will the dog never come back?
I want a shikoku that can be off the leash when I take it to swimming holes or anywhere else outdoors. (not in places where there are cars and traffic, more like out away from all that) But i'm afraid if a critter is spotted, the shikoku will be gone for ever.
Or spend a days worth of searching and hollering. LOL
So will they take off and not listen to you and not come back?
Someone tell me :) Thanks!
P.S I plan on living in Central Texas, there are wild birds and rabbits and squirrels and Javelina's (wild boars) from what I know.
If the shikoku takes off after it, will the dog never come back?
I want a shikoku that can be off the leash when I take it to swimming holes or anywhere else outdoors. (not in places where there are cars and traffic, more like out away from all that) But i'm afraid if a critter is spotted, the shikoku will be gone for ever.
Or spend a days worth of searching and hollering. LOL
So will they take off and not listen to you and not come back?
Someone tell me :) Thanks!
P.S I plan on living in Central Texas, there are wild birds and rabbits and squirrels and Javelina's (wild boars) from what I know.
Comments
Anytime you let a dog, especially a primitive one like Shikoku, off leash you are taking a risk. You simply have to decide if it is a risk worth taking.
That being said, I do know that Peggy at O'Ikon does let her dogs off lead in the woods. She even has some you tube clips on it. And I believe that when Heidi lived out in the country with Rakka, she also let her off lead. But I personally would worry, especially in very wooded areas. I might be more tempted in open flatland where you could see the dog.
That being said, Kuma has gotten loose a few times on our farm and he has come back when called, though usually not immediately (one time 5 minutes, the other time about 20 minutes of following him around as he hunted ground hogs/their holes).
Texas is pretty flat, with some hills, and some trees, but nothing like mountain terrains and thick woodlands and such.
So I imagine they'll be safe :) as long as they are wearing colorful collars or such so no one mistakes them for coyotes. Theres a lot of them in Texas too.
Ever since then he has refused to poo in his 3+ acre yard and has to be walked every morning and night to potty. He would rather hold it for 24+ hr then go in his yard.
Also he has escaped to the neighbors property that has 3 horses. He completely ignored me and started running after/barking at the horses. Then he found some horse poo and started running with it in his mouth. ICK! Then he was off sniffing all the wild plants. All the while I am pleading. Eventually I had to call the neighbor to help me catch him.
Bottomline if Inu is off leash outside the yard there are 300 more interesting things than I or his favorite treat.
If you must put'em off leash then invest in GPS tracking collar. But even then someone could steal him/her- that is my biggest worry/concern.
and yeah, thieves these days. Look! A beautiful dog! I could make some money off of this! *steals*
Plus its so bad because they are so friendly to people, anyone could take them...
I really want a shikoku, but I want dogs that will go places with me without needing to be on a leash...damn
Plus even with a collar, someone would mistake them for a coyote and shoot em. Good ol Texas...
ETA - Ending with a dead Shikoku is a very real possibility for seasoned hunters too, hunters who have invested 1000s of training hours in their dog. In that case its a matter of risk-return trade-off.
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Sachi is a expert digger (:-(. And has dug out of the yard at least 3-4 times. Luckily, unlike her brother, she doesn't really wander off at all and comes when I call her. She doesn't show much interest in my horses either, but then she has seen them since she was 8 weeks old (she was born Jan 2010). So far I have been lucky and she seems to come right when I call her. But once her hunting drive kicks in, I really will not be certain....
My Kuma (who is almost 3 years old now) was super outside the fence till about 8 months of age, then the hunting drive kicked in. (I already mentioned my story about him above in the previous post).
And I definitely DO worry about someone shooting them (they do look a lot like a coyote) or taking them. Or a car hitting them...and just think of how much time and lots of $$$ you have invested into owning this RARE breed. It just isn't worth it to be off lead...IMHO.
Say if you got 10+ shikoku's, hows leash walking gonna work?
In Texas they have really nice leash-free dog parks, I doubt any wild critters are gonna be running around there except for squirrels lol
And uh oh, I didn't think about digging. Aren't there ways to block that? I imagine there would, only it probably costs a lot of $$$ for a under fence barrier, if they have any. :b
If I had a Shikoku, I wouldn't do it--I'd also be scared someone would think it was a coyote!
I think not having dogs offleash is part of the trade off in having many of the NKs.....If have a dog that is reliable off leash is important, than probably an NK is not the best choice. There are plenty of dogs that are good at that....
As for walking them, I have to walk my dogs separately anyway, so I suspect a person with a lot of dogs simply doesn't take them all out at the same time.
Hunting dogs will do what hunting dogs do. Shikoku with no prey drive are a rarity, but I have a friend (who wanted to hunt with his dogs *ironic*) who owns 2. They won't chase anything at all.
If you take your pup off leash with you on hikes from when it's young, playing hide and seek and things like that will usually be enough to teach it to stay close (use treats too). If it has hunting drive however (and each dog has different amounts), as the dog gets older and gains more confidence it will be harder to call your dog off game. It will range farther, chase longer, and attempt to complete the hunt cycle (catch). Pretty much any dog that has been out walking in the wild with its owner from a young age will eventually come back, or at least try to. The problem is that some dogs haven't learned how to back track, are more persistent and will chase game too far to where they can't follow scent trails back to you. Some dogs just get lost.
The best thing you can do if your dog does take off in the wild is just stay where you are and wait. It make take a few minutes, or a few hours, but usually the dog will come back. If you have to leave the spot, move slowly back along the trail you came in on trying to leave as much scent as possible for your dog to follow.
If you're looking for a dog that will be okay off leash and will not take off after animals, NK are not your best bet. You can train some to stop on command. I worked on it with my Kai since she was a pup, and I used to be able to call her off game till a couple months ago. I think it may have to do with her confidence and prey drive increasing.
As for what people with 10+ dogs do over here, well they walk them separately. A lot of people exercise their dogs on bicycles, 1-3 dogs at a time. I usually walk my dogs separately as I have more control over them that way. Walking 3 hunting dogs in a residential area with lots of stray cats is absolutely annoying.
:-)
LOL--Shigeru, that is funny that your friends dogs don't hunt when he is a hunter. If he wasn't a hunter, they probably would chase after everything!
Whether if it's jumping out of the bed of a truck, or out the window of a car.
Saya will whine and looks focused when she sees cows, rabbits, squirrels, deer, crows, and vultures when we drive by them.
I've had window down once we drove by a herd of cows and luckily I had a good hold of her she was excited seeing those big things.
NK is a handful...I see they have to be 100% secured at ALL TIMES...must be on a leash, remain inside the vehicle (with no open windows), fully fenced yards with barriers at the bottom to keep them from digging out...
I want dogs that don't have to be on a leash during a hike or a trip to the park, and can stay in the bed of a truck, and not dig under the fence, and not run off when they see a critter...
I really wanted a shikoku or a few, they are so beautiful and sweet, but I couldn't risk losing any dogs...
So I guess the Shikoku is definatley not the right breed for me http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a469/kyralyn/26_crying.gif
But as Dave said, its great that you understand whats involved in owning a NK and making wise decisions on whether a Shikoku will work for you or not. Its definately important that people really understand what they are going to get into cause once you get a dog, you are responsible for it till the end.
I just couldn't deal with the stress of losing my dogs, I probably wouldn't ever forgive myself if my dogs were lost, injured, or killed. So I won't take any chances, and leave the Shikoku breed for all you others who can handle them, and be happy for you guys. :D
Hands down the easiest dogs I have ever had would be pit bulls, second would be GSD, then probably Rotties.
I had an Elkhound when I was a kid who had such a high prey drive she'd jump out of a window of a moving vehicle if she saw an animal....once she almost went out the window after a moose....She was the smartest dog I've ever had (taught herself how to climb a ladder, etc) bar none, but also very difficult to get to do anything she didn't want to do.....Perhaps it was that dog that started me on my love of difficult dogs!
The easiest dogs I've worked with have been GSD's, but I haven't ever worked with a Pit, who I know are wonderfully smart and biddable. So far, my AA is great (of course he's just a baby)--he learns fast and wants to please and wants to be with me and it's such a shock after having Shibas.....*lol*
I'll just have to learn about every dog I take interest in, and know the pros and cons so I don't make the mistake of getting the wrong dog for me.
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And we own a GSD, and he is pretty easy to handle, except he can be annoying, he gets in the way a lot and paces all the time (his claws click-click-click on the wooden floor!). He groans A LOT. It's cute.
And he loves to be spanked, instead of scratched. He's weird...
And he has an obsession for lazer lights and flashlights, any light or reflection...we hang up a mirror outside on a sunny day, and he'll chase after the reflected light all day long.
He makes it hard to go 4-wheeling at night...seeing the headlights in the dark, he just won't get out of the way! LOL
And he loves to roll my step dad out of bed in the morning. He'll literally push him off the bed. When he wants everybody to be up, he'll get you up!
Heres a pic of Buddy the GSD, with my step dad. (he's not as cranky as he looks)
First off, you want to build a very strong relationship with your dog.
Secondly, you want to train your dog.
Thirdly, should you want to take your dog somewhere off-lead. I think it best to familarize your dog with the area (And yourself too, if you're not already!). Start off with a 6 foot lead and then after a few times switch out to a long line (10 meters or so). Make sure your dog knows his or her way back home.
ONLY allow your dog off-lead in very secure areas (preferably large & fenced-in)...see where your dog is at in his or her training.
I don't worry about loosing my dogs (I have Malinois & Shikoku)...what I DO worry about is them getting into some kind of trouble, especially trouble that may result in injuries. My Malinois & male Shikoku aren't so bad...they'll come back when called...however, my female Shikoku is kind of a "space cadet"...so her recall isn't all that reliable, she comes back when she feels like it or when I have something she wants, LOL.
So...while I wouldn't reccommend the Shikoku as an off-lead dog it CAN be done. You have to be commited, consistent and have tons of patience though =]. They are best in environments with not too much distractions.
I'd NEVER allow my dogs off-leash in an unfamilar and unsecure environment. It's best and safer when the dogs are well acquainted with their environment or are contained in a secure environment. If you can have both familarity and security...the better for you...the better for your dog(s).
i know that akitas have webbed toes and are quite adept at swimming, ho do shikokus fare in the water?
Shikoku have webbed feet as well, Kishu and Hokka too, I believe... it's a snow thing not necessarily a water thing.
my previous akita loved to swim though.
i guess if i put the time into it i could train the shika to be a bird dog?