Questions bout Kai

oddball · April 2012

The more I read about Kai ken and the more videos and pictures I see on this forum and other sites, the more I find myself in love with em. Before I commit myself to getting a Kai I have a few questions. 1) Is there any difference between males and females as far as personality/ energy. 2) Do they get jealous easily when attention is given to others. I ask because my lab mix for lack of better words is an attention whore. 3) Last question I have at the moment would be what price range am I looking at. This will be my first time getting a dog from a breeder and I would like to know that I'm at least in the same ballpark before I start calling breeders.

Thanks everyone,
Cory

Yandharr · April 2012

I cant speak for the whole breed, hopefully others will post so you can get a good idea but here's a snapshot of mine:
Ciqala, Female 8 months Kurotora.
1. Very high drive, low spaz factor. Meaning when she goes, she GOES 1000% and all other times she's even keeled.
2. Not a mean jealous but a curious jealous.
3. NOT cool with unannounced strangers
4. Change sensitive/really likes regularity.
5.price: arm, leg, fingers, toes. But seriously, I don't want to undercut or devalue anyone practices on here but it's a pretty wide range. I'd say median price is 1200-ish. This may depend on the breeding and a bunch of other factors, so its ultimately best to trust that the breeder is not out to get you- especially if you get one from one of the NKF-ers. They're good people.

BradA1878 · April 2012

I would say the answer to question 1 and 2 is "it depends on the individual dog".

For 3, I have seen Kai as low as $500 and as high as $1500 (not counting when Okabe-san offered to sell me Kumi's sire in Japan for $10,000 LOL - he was joking, I think).

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CarabooA · April 2012

Hi oddball

)

Our Kai Kitora, is just 5 months - Kuratora as well, female

) (nice intro by the way @yandharr!) and here is what we have so far in regards to your questions!

1. Inside: really cool and laid back likes to know what room I'm in, but will play with balls, rope toys etc... gets her puppy game on, will occasionally start egging on the big dogs and then everyone has to go out to get the crazies out. It's a joy to watch, I would say for her size that she is very "play aggressive". Meaning that she is NOT AFRAID of bigger dogs, not starting any fights, ever - it's all good natured. She ninja attacks them and is always in the middle of the mix. I don't have great pics but if you look at any of Yamabushi's of the male Kai play attacking his big guard dogs, well... lol, Kitora does the same thing and at her age the size diff. is somewhat comparable to Brad and Jen's Male Kai with the CO (?) Hope I have the right abbreviation for that...lol

) I would think that with a male that once he reaches maturity (unless you have him neutered) that he would need a bigger exercise regime due to testosterone levels..???
Outside: loves, loves, loves to be outside. I posted early today about first hike off leash so more on that in that post. She has been training to the leash very nicely. At first was very high drive and still is but is not pulling on leash anymore to go go go!!!

) She wants to please and is very sensitive to corrections (meaning I don't have to hardly do a thing) in regards to the leash. Now, she knows we will/are going so is ok with getting there.

2. The best way I could describe it would be that she wants to be "in on it" if some dog love is being spread around. She however, is not rude about it. So no, not jealous in a negative meaning. Just joyful if it's happening.

3. Price range I would give same answer as Yandharr... prices vary, focus mainly on a respectable breeder though. They are on this forum!!

)

Kitora is different to Ciqala, I guess (which is where you come into more individual temperaments). To Yandharr's #3 I would have to say that if we let someone in the house, Kitora accepts them immediately and wants to know all about them. Now, if they haven't been invited in she's on the same boat with us and is more leery. I'm thinking that as she ages she may become more particular about people??
And she really doesn't mind change as much, but she's being raised with our odd schedules. I keep feeding time really regular and consistent, so I think that helps the rest of the day flow in and out as need be and she does well with that.

Oh, and the cutest thing.... Every night when husband leaves for work she has to walk him to the back door and say goodbye/goodnight... seriously, it's the only time she will go and sit by the back door, watches out the back door window until he is gone and then comes back into the main part of the house.... so sweet!!!

@brada1878 - What in the world do you think he would have done if you had said YES?!?!?!? lolol

WrylyBrindle · April 2012

Havent had a male, so I cant answer #1. Juno (14 month female) is my most affectionate dog out of 3, and she is never 'mean' about attention sharing- she IS a love hog though and will wiggle between me and one of the others with great joy if I am loving up Sage or Reilly, but she just wants to be in on it, she doesnt drive them away or wrinkle her nose. She wants to be the center of affection.

brittk · April 2012

I dont have a male and havnen't met a male so cant answer #1 in its entirety but Kaiya is a lot like Kitora. Inside she's pretty laid back and will occasionally want to play or run, but outside, she is really in her element. She is 100% on when we are outdoors. #2) Kaiya has been an only dog in our our house (since she was 4.5 months). She has a few close friends that we can love on without her being alarmed, but she does resource guard us to unfamilar dogs from time to time, so I would say she is jealous. If we give a human friend or family member a hug, she wants in on it though

#3) same as the others. In our search, all of the breeders we spoke to were within a pretty close range.

oddball · April 2012

Thanks for all the good info. Some other questions that popped up. I plan to take the dog to work to socialize it and get em used to loud noises. How old should the pup before taking it to work and how much socialization is too much? Don't want to stress the pup too much.

kaikenone · April 2012

Each dog has its own individual personality. A lot also depends on how the dog is raised and trained and socialized also. They learn quickly and can also pick things up from other dogs.

Prices vary from breeder to breeder and the price ranges listed so far sound about right. These prices can vary also depending on the situation and there is always adoption.

Most important as everyone has said finding a breeder you trust.

kaikenone · April 2012

@oddball - I think as long as the puppy has the proper vaccinations it is never to young to start socializing....however, it is important to not go to fast when socializing the puppy, for instance, if you take him to the pet store and he decides he is nervous and doesn't want to participate you either need to wait and give him time to accept it and wait till he is ready to move to the next step or find another way around it.

For example when I first go to the pet store and a puppy is nervous instead of forcing him in the door I pick him up without making any kind of fuss and carry him in and put him in a cart and let him observe everything while I shop. If he starts looking relaxed and starts getting nosey and looks like he wants out, I park the cart in a quiet spot and put him out and sit/stand with him until he is ready to investigate, if he's not ready I put him back in the cart wthout making a fuss and we wait and try the next time.

If we go to puppy class and they are afraid/nervous we take a seat and wait, if the puppy is so nervous he is trying to hide under the chair, I do bring him out and put him on my lap (again without making a fuss) and we will sit through the whole class if need be. The next time we go they are usally ready to rock and roll.....hope that made sense...ok I will get off my soap box now... LOL

mysticrhythms · November 2012

I just found this thread and was wondering when is the best time, seasonally, to bring a puppy in? I live in New England and know what Old Man Winter can bring! Does this make any difference at all or am I generalizing too much? It seems like when they are available is the best time!

ttddinh · November 2012

I would think that best to time to bring in a pup is during the worse (not so bad that you cannot get of the house) weather. At least you could get the pup acclimated to thunder, lightning, snow, when it is still young, rather than later on in life, i.e. when they hit the age where training gets regressed. I don't know, that is just my two cents. I just feel like at a young age, pups are more malleable and can adjust to environmental changes. At least at the young age, you could work with it, if it is an issue, to overcome it.

Although, I would hate potty training in the snow or a blizzard.

tjbart17 · November 2012

I'd say any age. My dogs love snow and snow storms. Koda was born in April, so he didn't go up to our house in Tahoe until November of that year to see snow. By that time there was like 30 feet. It was a crazy winter. He did fine and loved it. Kais are snow dogs.

I actually think the summer was rough on mine, both born in April, because puppies can't regulate heat as well. Both were constantly panting all summer. I always had the AC on full blast in the car and at home. I think I froze people in my car.

shibamistress · November 2012

I personally think never want to get puppies in the winter. Going outdoors with them every few hours, and having to get up at ungodly hours with pups and take them outside is really unpleasant in the winter, esp. if there is snow, and it's harder to just grab them and take them out if you have to find boots, coats etc.

So for me, I like to get them in the spring or summer. They adjust to snow just fine, and all of my NKs love it (though Leo the Kai has not seen it yet).

Heidi · November 2012

I have heard that potty training is easier in the winter because the puppies just want to pee and get back in the house, whereas in warm weather, they will stay out and play. Really, the weather has never made much difference to any of my dogs. We get all extremes up here and my dogs don't care.

Just my $0.02 about waiting until after vaccines to socialize - I personally would just socialize right from the beginning. Statistically speaking, dogs are actually more likely to die from under-socialization than from disease.

Calia · November 2012

I personally prefer getting a pup during the Spring/Summer, mainly because it's harder to get the pup out there and socialized when the roads are covered in ice. Most of the events by me that allow dogs are during the warmer months and take place outside, plus more people are out and about in general when the weather is nice.

Another thing to consider is the winter holiday seasons, which depending how everything is handled could either be really good for the pup or really bad. These holidays that gather family together can be a great way to get the puppy used to meeting new people and situations, so long as the pup is also given rest breaks from the excitement. But sometimes you just don't want to have to juggle taking care of a puppy and doing your own socializing with the family, or the family hosting the gathering doesn't want you to bring the puppy. That pup could spend those holidays left home alone or crated the whole day (or weekend), which is just not fair for the pup.

Heidi · November 2012

I agree about the holidays. We got Tojo in December, and he got LOTS of socialization from all the family gatherings. The key thing is, though, we weren't planning or hosting any of these gatherings or it may have been a different story. We would just show up, pass our puppy around, then put him for a nap while we ate or whatever, and at the end of it, we went back to our quiet home. If you're the one in the family who hosts and plans everything, then having a new puppy might be too much. And yeah, if you're not allowed to bring the puppy, then that doesn't help at all. When we had Tojo, we just declined to attend events where dogs weren't welcome. There was one gathering that would have gone all day and it was in a rented space where dogs weren't allowed, so I just didn't go.

tjbart17 · November 2012

Oh yeah. My advice comes from someone who lives in California. lol. Don't take my advice. he he

PoetikDragon · November 2012

Weather? What's weather? LOL California!

Heidi · November 2012

Yes, well, I do suppose it depends on where you live, lol. Also, how you feel about weather. I'm not put off by anything, really. I'll go outside no matter the weather and my dogs will, too.

tjbart17 · November 2012

I've never had problems with the dogs peeing in the snow. But yes the boots and clothing you have to put on is a lot when a puppy is doing the pee pee dance.

Heidi · November 2012

Or you could be like me and just go out in the snow in your barefeet, lol. I've been told that this is insane, though.

sjp051993 · November 2012

I have never had an issue with puppies during the winter months. It did make house breaking quicker because the pup would potty quicker when it was cold outside.

tjbart17 · November 2012

@hondru No thanks. California toes here. I'd get frost bite. lol

MirkaM · November 2012

Nuuk came to me in midwinter from warm Japan (when Nuuk left Japan there was about +20°C). The temperature was nearly -35 °C (-31 °F) the day Nuuk arrived but he was unfazed by the cold weather and snow. We have got puppies in Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer and I haven't noticed any differences in potty training.

rafatturi · November 2012

My Kai Akuma is chill in the house but has a high prey drive. As in if he sees as squirrel or mythical deer he will go 100% after it and all bets are off for recall when he is in kill mode lol.

CarabooA · November 2012

We brought Mirra home in the winter and being the type of dog she is (she's very in tune with her Siberian side)- we had no problems going in and out for potty - she LOVED going out in the snow and gets crazy every year at the first snow fall, but we are Colorado people so we are more acclimated to weather changing etc.... we like being out in the snow and stuff... Mud is the only thing I have a hard time dealing with, but I think we have most of that problem situated around the house/dog area.

shibamistress · November 2012

I don't think the dogs have any problems dealing with winter weather, it's just I DO! I do not want to be taking a puppy out in the winter! the adult dogs just go out on their own, but if I have to stand out there with them (with a puppy) esp. for those early morning potty breaks--uh, no. The dog will be fine regardless of the season though!

mysticrhythms · November 2012

Wow, all this info is great! We just found out today that Brad and Jen approved our application for a puppy and they are ready to send them out in a couple of weeks, so I guess now is the best time! A bird in hand...Thank you all so much for the honest and friendly advice. I love the comment about walking in snow with bare toes! Whew, we just had our first snow storm yesterday, so we're ready for whatever comes our way.