Tokyo NIPPO show photos
A beautiful sunny day in Tokyo. It was nice to see Shigeru again and of course lots of dogs.
6 month old Hokkaido female
6 month old black Shikoku
Shiba Standoff
Kai pups
6 month old Hokkaido female
6 month old black Shikoku
Shiba Standoff
Kai pups
Comments
Looks like 2 out of the 3 shikoku were more of the "boar" type. I know the "deer" type had become more popular recently. Do you think there's a push back in the other direction? Or just a small sample size?
"Boar" and "Deer" type? Is that more for strike dogs vs baying? or just their body structure for the type of chase each would give?
UPDATE: Nevermind, found the answer in a search on one of Brad's posts.
Jesse
Not to be too anthropomorphic, but it's like... "Ah! I don't know what to do with this hand. I'm uncomfortable with it. I will hold it (in my mouth) to control the situation."
Akita do a LOT of this hand mouthing activity. Also, I have seen a lot of Kai who "hug". Both breeds are generally on the less-social side of the spectrum (introverts). Kishin does the leg hug thing too (and Kishu are known for being not super friendly with strangers - generally speaking).
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If you have a pup that shows these behaviors, it doesn't mean they are doomed or something. It just means you need to work harder with them.
These are the small things breeders (or puppy buyers) can look for in a litter, and use that info to construct a socialization plan for that pup.
In other words, the pup is not a "cull", it just needs more work.
Same applies to adult dogs - but it's obviously more concerning in an older dog than a puppy.
I love the 1st shikokus head! It's so big! He's a cutie! His had reminds me of shoushuu's (@shikokuspirit)
In the photo however, I see a dog with friendly and inviting body language. Your assessment of the same photo surprises me a lot since I'm not seeing it from that perspective. I have a gleefully social Shiba bitch (the one who does all the sports and nursing home visits), who isn't afraid of anything, who will hold hands in her mouth with people she is particularly excited to meet.
I see it as a greeting ritual (that is admittedly rude and pushy, and perhaps that is what I want to see so ignore that it in fact could be a warning sign), and she is not the only Shiba who I've seen do this. She gets frustrated when the person isn't acknowledging her fast enough, so she grabs a hand for attention as well. I will admit she is a pushy bitch.
So I don't see this as a red flag pointing to an uncomfortable or nervous dog in this example, and correct it how I would with any puppy that is mouthy. I didn't with her since she translated that very easily to tugging, which was a behavior I wanted for training, and she has very strong tug drive and bite. Perhaps she would do well in PPD training as well, all 18 lbs of her
PS: In dog behavior, the behavior of hold things in their mouth is widely accepted as a "calming method" in dogs.
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Take a retrieving breed for example. Like a Lab, cause I have some experience there. From the time they are able to walk, they constantly carry objects around in their mouths. I'm sure it is self-reinforcing behavior as their genetics program them to enjoy that. A Lab puppy is probably the mouthiest thing on the planet. I've taken to greeting Diesel with a toy in my hand so he'll grab and hold that rather than mouth me. It gets old. lol.
That being said, it's clear that having something in his mouth has definitely evolved to be a calming thing for Diesel. When he is way too excited to greet, if I give him something to hold he will try to sit still (which he fails at miserably, he looks like he's having a seizure from shaking with excitement).
Kona does it at feeding time too. All the dogs are going nuts, Kona is not comfortable with it, so he runs over and finds a stick, toy, ball - anything - to carry in his mouth to the barn then he drops it when he gets there.
This is one (of MANY) of the reasons PP Sports trainers use tugs for training. When the dog preforms the task they get rewarded by running and catching the toy, but then they are allowed to carry the toy for a bit as it helps them calm down.
Actually, carrying objects is a key part of the Schutzhund training for this reason. It requires the dog to concentrate under pressure which helps calm them (and that helps to focus).
The issue with the object being a hand or a different body part is that it shows the dog is seeking to calm themselves during social interaction. It also shows that the dog doesn't see a difference between a human's hand and some other object they can carry. It takes some lack of civility (some civil aggression?) for a dog to place human body part in their mouth in a calming attempt.
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