Preservation Breeding Statistics
I think I saw not to long ago some information on the number of registered different nihonken within Japan, but I can't seem to find it. I was thinking about it because my sister recently said I was irresponsible for keeping my Kai intact since there are "enough" in Japan and shelter dogs languish in the States. She suggested I take him to a local snip van and I was immediately covered in bristles. I argued that anyone interested in a Kai wouldn't consider a shelter dog, so it's not like kai puppies exactly divert interest from them. She said anyone interested in Kai wouldn't be looking for them in the States, to which I replied they would look for them online, as I did, even when I lived in Japan! Of course I don't think it's unreasonable to spay/neuter, pretty much every dog our family has owned has been fixed, but my Kai is a different story, at least, I think he is. At this point I'm a little afraid of how he'd behave if he ever got fixed, since we always got our dogs fixed as puppies I never noticed a change in their demeanor. Mostly, I'm annoyed and troubled by my family's views because I do live with them currently. If my sister ever took my dog to get neutered without my consent I can't think of any reason the establishment wouldn't go through with it, you're not exactly required to show ownership. Beyond that snip vans sometimes aren't the best place to get it done. We took my other dog to the SPCA to get fixed and I imagine they held him down because he never wanted to lay on his back or side after that. I just wanted the statistics to help defend my decision to keep my Kai available for preservation breeding in the US gene pool.
Comments
Yes, Hoshi could be a very valuable asset here. If it would help your family, you could educate them about responsible breeding and proper health testing. Also, since he's old enough, you can start on the health tests to prove his value (and of course, neutering is an option if the tests determine he's a poor candidate).
Are you interested in getting involved in the dog world beyond companionship? You could work towards titling him in sports, canine good citizen, and even conformation. There are lots of options out there. All of these make him more valuable to breeders who might consider using him. It might help your family also see him as more than just a pet.
First step for any of that would be to translate his KKA pedigree and get him registered with AKC. If you need help the process, PM me.
Here's a post from Shigeru last year on numbers
https://nihonken.blogspot.com/2018/02/houston-we-have-problem.html
2. The Kai is a rare breed everywhere. That includes here in Japan. For the breeding population in the US, to have access to one more healthy stud male can have a huge positive impact. There are a ridiculously low number of viable Kai studs in North America and Europe right now (probably somewhere in the vicinity of 10-20 that I know of).
3. The argument of 'adopt don't shop' has been thoroughly debunked. At its simplest, wherever you get your dog from, that is the system of production that you are supporting. Good breeders trying to breed better and healthier dogs should be supported. Isn't that what we want? Better and healthier dogs with fairly predictable type and temperament?