Meet Hoshi
Hey everyone! This is kind of a master post on how I got interested in nihonken. If you just want to hear about Hoshi, skip to the break!
I currently live in Kofu, the capital of Yamanashi prefecture in Japan. Before coming over I really wanted to bring my 9 year old pug, Theo. The import process for animals into Japan is very stringent because they're a rabies-free country. Even so, I'm here for more than a year and wanted my dog with me. He's taken care of at home but I'm sure every pet parent can attest "mother knows best" and no one cares for your dog as much as you do.
Eventually, I decided the international flight would be too much stress for him at his age and it would be even worse on the way back when I moved home. Plus, I would have to fly him across country to the east coast and in general American airlines are nightmarish when it comes to pets. I honestly think anytime an animal survives a flight out of cabin they're playing russian roulette, but there's honestly no way to cross the Pacific otherwise - I've checked... (even freighters don't allow pets, all animal cargo transports are by plane, and as far as I know private pet friendly options extend as far as Hawaii - that's it). I figured that was the end of it, but I did get an apartment that allows dogs, which is kind of a rarity, so I couldn't stop thinking about it. America isn't hard to import animals into, especially from a rabies-free country.
I started researching Japanese dogs and found out about the four breeds other than the Akita and Shiba and was astounded that there's a breed native to where I was living, the Kai region of Japan! I figured there's got to be a lot of Kai-ken around if they're the local breed. Actually, Kai City and the Kofu Ventforet soccer team have Kai-ken as their mascots. Once I knew about them I was so excited to see them! There's a handful of them scattered around my neighborhood, I saw one at an archery range in the next town over, and after I got Hoshi most people realize he's a kai-ken (unless they think he's a shiba, but he's still a puppy so ok).
It was a nice thought but I wasn't sold on buying a dog, or even getting a puppy, much less a Kai. Kishu really appealed to me too, as I rarely see fluffy all white dogs and the name sounds really cute (kind of shallow, but hey aesthetics are a real factor). I was also browsing dog rescue groups. Most of the ones that are English-friendly are concentrated in the larger cities of Tokyo and Osaka. There's a rescue group that is responsible for rehoming animals from a pretty bad earthquake a few years ago, that's pretty much the go-to for adoption.
A lot ofshelters?/adoption groups will transport dogs from far away if you're willing to take them but there is a lot of oversight and application/placement processes are highly involved. A lot of shelters don't have web support. It's hard to find resources if you're not searching for them in Japanese. A lot of the time you have to find out about things through word of mouth, going out and meeting people and asking them how you can adopt, where, etc. Calling on the phone in Japanese and setting up appointments to see dogs. It's daunting. I only managed to find out what I could through google translate and trawling the web as much as I could.
Somehow I managed to find the city owned shelter for where I live. They actually had a leggy red Kai (like one of the shika types if you wanna go off that) that I was pretty interested in. I looked through the site as much as I could and from what I could tell you needed to call to set up an appointment to meet the dogs and then you took a dog ownership class and then you could adopt. I firmly believe these are valuable practices and they serve a purpose, but for me they were crazy hurdles. Between the language barrier and my work schedule I was considering just showing up at the shelter and seeing if they could even accommodate/understand me (maybe not the most polite method but better to ask forgiveness than permission). Maybe they would prefer only Japanese families adopt their dogs.
Which brings me to another point. When dealing with adoption most of the groups are private foster organizations or people rehoming their pets before giving them over to a shelter. They call the pets "baby" or aka-chan, because they really are family members. Sometimes they require adoptee applicants to live within a certain area nearby, to not be elderly, living alone, a couple who might expect a baby, etc. They really want to place pets in nuclear family situations, which is absolutely idyllic and in a perfect world every pet would have a wonderful home where lots of people could make sure they got the attention, stability, and care they needed. Even so, for people like me - singles - and probably the elderly too, a pet would be a cherished companion. Although I did see a number of pets that needed to be rehomed once their elderly owners passed and the dog no longer had a guardian, so every precaution has it's place.
By this time I was well aware of the nihonken forum and Shigeru's Japan Dog Export. I decided to reach out to him and see if he could work with me on getting a dog while I was still here. Honestly, it was such a relief to talk to someone with his level of expertise and English fluency. Speaking with him, reading his blog and this forum, has given me a picture of the nihonken community, but I know it's not a complete one because I haven't been actively participating.
I had actually been looking at mameshiba as well and let me tell you, those are expensive dogs. In fact all Japanese dogs are expensive, adopted ones, rehomed ones, pet store ones, breeder ones. Just because a dog is local doesn't mean it'll be cheap. I was looking around at other kennels in Yamanashi though because it was "puppy season". There was a fellow I spoke to in the next town over who had cheaper puppies, but in the end I went with the litter Shigeru found because I felt like there would be less confusion between me and the breeder if he could translate for us. Idk, I guess I was just hoping for a breeder/support network I could rely on for as long as my dog and I are here.
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Hoshi is my 4 month old kai-ken! He's bred by Inoue-san in Saitama prefecture. His kennel name is Bansho. His brother Banryuu is in the states somewhere right now too. He was born June 29th (which is just a few days after my birthday actually). He's a kuro-tora, or very dark chuo-tora, and he's a big boy for his age. I just measured him as best as I could and he's about 43 cm at the withers. I swear he was tiny for a few weeks and then all of a sudden he's a long and tall fatty.
He's a very playful puppy and he actually seems to really love meeting new people and dogs. On rare occasions he has gotten spooked and peed himself (for example my friend thought it'd be cute to toss him onto her bed, or a car turned down the street towards us while we were in the middle and he popped a squat) I guess you could say he does better when he can explore and initiate the interaction himself rather than when he's surprised (but who doesn't?). He likes kids and honestly only seems to be a mouthy brat with me and my clothes. He loves socks and slippers and swishy pants and skirts. He's incredibly quiet, never seems to bark unless he's distressed, not at the neighbors or people walking by or couriers who deliver mail. He likes to peek out the window and watch people walk around. During the day he naps a lot.
Recently I guess I've been seeing his prey drive - he caught a praying mantis the other day and loves chasing leaves. He'll also chase balls, bubbles, cattails, and swishy pieces of grass. Other than chewing and some potty accidents he's been a really great puppy. Still doesn't like sleeping in his crate or tolerate nail clippings well (need to work on that).
He's a good eater and I probably feed him some things I shouldn't, but my pug eats anything as well, so I often give him fruit; persimmons, pears, apples, banana - veggies; carrot or bok choy so far - meat cuts; pork, chicken, fish sometimes grains like rice or bread. I looked up grain free kibble brands in Japan and even though I generally don't like Iams they recommended a (sweet potato?) chicken puppy feed from them so I've been giving him that with meat cuts for his meals, but it's quite oily so I'm looking to replace it with something less like an oil crueller.
Something I absolutely knew I wanted before I got him was to train him to ride on a bike with me. I don't have a car and go everywhere by bike so I had him riding in the basket a few days after I got him. It's a bit harder to get him in now that he's getting longer and heavier (I swear his back legs are twice as long as his front, like a frog) but he's actually generally good about riding and doesn't try to jump out or move too much. He seems to enjoy looking at where we're going and will crane his head around me to see (because I mostly put him in the rear basket on the luggage rack for stability). He also tolerates the bungee net I put over him to make sure he doesn't break for it.
Speaking of jumping he's great at it. My pug didn't have a physique conducive to athletic feats - I always worried about his knee joints - but Hoshi has a really solid utilitarian physique. He thrives on any physical activity I throw at him so I'd just love more ways to keep him occupied. Today I took him out to the park and had him climb up and down the river banks. I think he'd be pretty good at climbing trees too but there aren't any good angled ones around. I really hope to take him out hiking with me soon, but the mountains, as close as they seem, are really hard to get to by bike.
As for training he's ok with sit, come, and no. Sometimes I throw Japanese at him because that's what people will speak to him out on our walks and for the most part he seems to get it (Idk, maybe I'm using the same action commands and that's what he's going off of.) Idk if dogs can be bilingual with their commands but so far it isn't hurting to try. Right now I'm working on spin, beg, down, wait, and always always on recall. He's better on spin and wait than he is on down (low success) and beg (poor balance), and his recall is generally good. It's a combo of things but I let him off leash at the park and he'll usually listen if I call him or tell him no when he tries to explore. He seriously loves chasing me so that'll usually get his attention if recall doesn't and I tend to take him out when others aren't around so, no distractions and less limitations. My pug's best trick is an army crawl so we'll see if I can't train Hoshi up to some jumps or something (double dutch? japanese dog catch?).
A breed characteristic I really love about Hoshi is how companionable he is. He always wants to be in the same room with me and cuddles right up to my leg. I'm uncertain if this'll continue but I guess it's something I like in my pets, having him also be very sociable with other people and dogs has been a real unexpected boon as well.
I don't post pics of him on social media but here are some photos starting from oldest to newest!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iVZ2izDJ5Gr2Plt82
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AIbXk1YBwhwOsOz23
went to a fire festival first day I had him
first park visit, loved the kids
riding in the basket
the beginning of his people watching hobby
https://photos.app.goo.gl/woejTMTrd64FFKOY2
brindle and size pic
so far he only whips out the devil face with me
taking an apple core
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G7jSXSSW2ufQLwNT2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dsGST9mWgMDPT1sm2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tf2uJVVPpoAitCJA3
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uEXthMJ5Mg34k7C2
hahaha what is he looking at? serious side-eye moment
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zRAPdcGMtJ9tVGLm2
rummaging in the grass in the rain nomming on cattails
got this costume for him, not sure if it's too big or too small
Inoue-san showing Asahi, Hoshi's dad, in center
I currently live in Kofu, the capital of Yamanashi prefecture in Japan. Before coming over I really wanted to bring my 9 year old pug, Theo. The import process for animals into Japan is very stringent because they're a rabies-free country. Even so, I'm here for more than a year and wanted my dog with me. He's taken care of at home but I'm sure every pet parent can attest "mother knows best" and no one cares for your dog as much as you do.
Eventually, I decided the international flight would be too much stress for him at his age and it would be even worse on the way back when I moved home. Plus, I would have to fly him across country to the east coast and in general American airlines are nightmarish when it comes to pets. I honestly think anytime an animal survives a flight out of cabin they're playing russian roulette, but there's honestly no way to cross the Pacific otherwise - I've checked... (even freighters don't allow pets, all animal cargo transports are by plane, and as far as I know private pet friendly options extend as far as Hawaii - that's it). I figured that was the end of it, but I did get an apartment that allows dogs, which is kind of a rarity, so I couldn't stop thinking about it. America isn't hard to import animals into, especially from a rabies-free country.
I started researching Japanese dogs and found out about the four breeds other than the Akita and Shiba and was astounded that there's a breed native to where I was living, the Kai region of Japan! I figured there's got to be a lot of Kai-ken around if they're the local breed. Actually, Kai City and the Kofu Ventforet soccer team have Kai-ken as their mascots. Once I knew about them I was so excited to see them! There's a handful of them scattered around my neighborhood, I saw one at an archery range in the next town over, and after I got Hoshi most people realize he's a kai-ken (unless they think he's a shiba, but he's still a puppy so ok).
It was a nice thought but I wasn't sold on buying a dog, or even getting a puppy, much less a Kai. Kishu really appealed to me too, as I rarely see fluffy all white dogs and the name sounds really cute (kind of shallow, but hey aesthetics are a real factor). I was also browsing dog rescue groups. Most of the ones that are English-friendly are concentrated in the larger cities of Tokyo and Osaka. There's a rescue group that is responsible for rehoming animals from a pretty bad earthquake a few years ago, that's pretty much the go-to for adoption.
A lot of
Somehow I managed to find the city owned shelter for where I live. They actually had a leggy red Kai (like one of the shika types if you wanna go off that) that I was pretty interested in. I looked through the site as much as I could and from what I could tell you needed to call to set up an appointment to meet the dogs and then you took a dog ownership class and then you could adopt. I firmly believe these are valuable practices and they serve a purpose, but for me they were crazy hurdles. Between the language barrier and my work schedule I was considering just showing up at the shelter and seeing if they could even accommodate/understand me (maybe not the most polite method but better to ask forgiveness than permission). Maybe they would prefer only Japanese families adopt their dogs.
Which brings me to another point. When dealing with adoption most of the groups are private foster organizations or people rehoming their pets before giving them over to a shelter. They call the pets "baby" or aka-chan, because they really are family members. Sometimes they require adoptee applicants to live within a certain area nearby, to not be elderly, living alone, a couple who might expect a baby, etc. They really want to place pets in nuclear family situations, which is absolutely idyllic and in a perfect world every pet would have a wonderful home where lots of people could make sure they got the attention, stability, and care they needed. Even so, for people like me - singles - and probably the elderly too, a pet would be a cherished companion. Although I did see a number of pets that needed to be rehomed once their elderly owners passed and the dog no longer had a guardian, so every precaution has it's place.
By this time I was well aware of the nihonken forum and Shigeru's Japan Dog Export. I decided to reach out to him and see if he could work with me on getting a dog while I was still here. Honestly, it was such a relief to talk to someone with his level of expertise and English fluency. Speaking with him, reading his blog and this forum, has given me a picture of the nihonken community, but I know it's not a complete one because I haven't been actively participating.
I had actually been looking at mameshiba as well and let me tell you, those are expensive dogs. In fact all Japanese dogs are expensive, adopted ones, rehomed ones, pet store ones, breeder ones. Just because a dog is local doesn't mean it'll be cheap. I was looking around at other kennels in Yamanashi though because it was "puppy season". There was a fellow I spoke to in the next town over who had cheaper puppies, but in the end I went with the litter Shigeru found because I felt like there would be less confusion between me and the breeder if he could translate for us. Idk, I guess I was just hoping for a breeder/support network I could rely on for as long as my dog and I are here.
✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭
Hoshi is my 4 month old kai-ken! He's bred by Inoue-san in Saitama prefecture. His kennel name is Bansho. His brother Banryuu is in the states somewhere right now too. He was born June 29th (which is just a few days after my birthday actually). He's a kuro-tora, or very dark chuo-tora, and he's a big boy for his age. I just measured him as best as I could and he's about 43 cm at the withers. I swear he was tiny for a few weeks and then all of a sudden he's a long and tall fatty.
He's a very playful puppy and he actually seems to really love meeting new people and dogs. On rare occasions he has gotten spooked and peed himself (for example my friend thought it'd be cute to toss him onto her bed, or a car turned down the street towards us while we were in the middle and he popped a squat) I guess you could say he does better when he can explore and initiate the interaction himself rather than when he's surprised (but who doesn't?). He likes kids and honestly only seems to be a mouthy brat with me and my clothes. He loves socks and slippers and swishy pants and skirts. He's incredibly quiet, never seems to bark unless he's distressed, not at the neighbors or people walking by or couriers who deliver mail. He likes to peek out the window and watch people walk around. During the day he naps a lot.
Recently I guess I've been seeing his prey drive - he caught a praying mantis the other day and loves chasing leaves. He'll also chase balls, bubbles, cattails, and swishy pieces of grass. Other than chewing and some potty accidents he's been a really great puppy. Still doesn't like sleeping in his crate or tolerate nail clippings well (need to work on that).
He's a good eater and I probably feed him some things I shouldn't, but my pug eats anything as well, so I often give him fruit; persimmons, pears, apples, banana - veggies; carrot or bok choy so far - meat cuts; pork, chicken, fish sometimes grains like rice or bread. I looked up grain free kibble brands in Japan and even though I generally don't like Iams they recommended a (sweet potato?) chicken puppy feed from them so I've been giving him that with meat cuts for his meals, but it's quite oily so I'm looking to replace it with something less like an oil crueller.
Something I absolutely knew I wanted before I got him was to train him to ride on a bike with me. I don't have a car and go everywhere by bike so I had him riding in the basket a few days after I got him. It's a bit harder to get him in now that he's getting longer and heavier (I swear his back legs are twice as long as his front, like a frog) but he's actually generally good about riding and doesn't try to jump out or move too much. He seems to enjoy looking at where we're going and will crane his head around me to see (because I mostly put him in the rear basket on the luggage rack for stability). He also tolerates the bungee net I put over him to make sure he doesn't break for it.
Speaking of jumping he's great at it. My pug didn't have a physique conducive to athletic feats - I always worried about his knee joints - but Hoshi has a really solid utilitarian physique. He thrives on any physical activity I throw at him so I'd just love more ways to keep him occupied. Today I took him out to the park and had him climb up and down the river banks. I think he'd be pretty good at climbing trees too but there aren't any good angled ones around. I really hope to take him out hiking with me soon, but the mountains, as close as they seem, are really hard to get to by bike.
As for training he's ok with sit, come, and no. Sometimes I throw Japanese at him because that's what people will speak to him out on our walks and for the most part he seems to get it (Idk, maybe I'm using the same action commands and that's what he's going off of.) Idk if dogs can be bilingual with their commands but so far it isn't hurting to try. Right now I'm working on spin, beg, down, wait, and always always on recall. He's better on spin and wait than he is on down (low success) and beg (poor balance), and his recall is generally good. It's a combo of things but I let him off leash at the park and he'll usually listen if I call him or tell him no when he tries to explore. He seriously loves chasing me so that'll usually get his attention if recall doesn't and I tend to take him out when others aren't around so, no distractions and less limitations. My pug's best trick is an army crawl so we'll see if I can't train Hoshi up to some jumps or something (double dutch? japanese dog catch?).
A breed characteristic I really love about Hoshi is how companionable he is. He always wants to be in the same room with me and cuddles right up to my leg. I'm uncertain if this'll continue but I guess it's something I like in my pets, having him also be very sociable with other people and dogs has been a real unexpected boon as well.
I don't post pics of him on social media but here are some photos starting from oldest to newest!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iVZ2izDJ5Gr2Plt82
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AIbXk1YBwhwOsOz23
went to a fire festival first day I had him
first park visit, loved the kids
riding in the basket
the beginning of his people watching hobby
https://photos.app.goo.gl/woejTMTrd64FFKOY2
brindle and size pic
so far he only whips out the devil face with me
taking an apple core
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G7jSXSSW2ufQLwNT2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dsGST9mWgMDPT1sm2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tf2uJVVPpoAitCJA3
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uEXthMJ5Mg34k7C2
hahaha what is he looking at? serious side-eye moment
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zRAPdcGMtJ9tVGLm2
rummaging in the grass in the rain nomming on cattails
got this costume for him, not sure if it's too big or too small
Inoue-san showing Asahi, Hoshi's dad, in center
Comments
Also I want you to know that I read and enjoyed your WHOLE post!
I have had a 19 year career of designing animal sports logos, so I am super curious about the Kai City mascot, if you have an image or a link. I have seen the Ventforet soccer ones (I don't think they look as much like actual Kai dogs, so I am hoping Kai City has a better Kai mascot!) There's a cute Kishu police mascot in Japan, too.
I'm glad you and Hoshi are having so much fun together!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nsOpT3xnDFw6cq2X2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MrCqitvafjXpnQw43
This is also a pic of the ventforet mascots and another one for Takeda Shingen I guess. It's not a full pic but I suspect it's also a kai, since he was known as the Tiger of Kai.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KeJuXSmacixQbofB2
I think he is a yam-dog.
I didn't know about Takeda Shingen either. So much to learn!
Anyway- I don't want to detract any further from the actual STAR of this post- Hoshi!
Welcome to our NKF Kai Family!
Talking about Yamanashi is kind of fun too. I think of it kind of like the Florida of Japan, if you could replace the naval history/geography aspects with like, mountain/battle/onsen history/geography.
Good one! Hoshi actually has a few different star-themed doggy items around. I have quite a few pillows - shiba, cat, fish, tree, poofs - and he actually started playing with the star pillow early on. It was kind of like the dog version of "babies choose their starter pokemon". It still took me the longest time to decide a call name for him. I'm hella indecisive, so he actually had a few different call names before Hoshi (he still answers to the first one) but I'm very satisfied with it.
His kennel name Bansho, translates to something like sunset, or "night shining/looking". His dad's name Asahi also means sunrise, so it all kind of meshes. And because of my schedule I'm often up late and therefore he is too. Even though his night vision kind of sucks lol we still go out for walks and to the park. Plus his coat, some of his lighter fur stands out even in dim light, like stars shining in the dark sky (cheesy poetic, I know).
Thank you for the warm welcome!!
Hoshi is a very good boy to stay in the basket. I don't bike much, as I live in the mountains where bicycling is half "way too much work," and the other half terrifying descents. Neither of which I want to share with a dog. BUT- I do like to take my Kai with me everywhere they are welcome as well- on car rides, errands, to town when we go, mostly hiking in the woods, sometimes hunting and tracking. They are pretty curious and observational without raising a ruckus about things. Kai are really fine sidekicks, I find.
Hoshi looks great! Sounds like his temperament is nice too, a bit more calm than our girl, lol. Mayaa would not sit still for something like a ride in a bike basket! She's also not a huge cuddler.
You mentioned he gets spooked sometimes. Take note of what sets him off, and try to give him an easy way to escape or retreat and approach at his own pace (like you said!), and reassure him if it's safe (give food or comfort). Puppies bounce back relatively easily, but once something is deemed "too scary," Kai don't forget, and more so than the other NK, can be a flight risk. I don't mean to nag, but say this because despite our best intentions, Mayaa does have a small number of "big fears" I wish she didn't!
I hope to hear more about him as he grows up!
Dogs are so smart! I've trained my past dog in English, Chinese (for my parents) and hand signals.
Winter is just about here and Hoshi looks more wolf-like than ever. His coat was shedding for a bit in September but quickly stopped and started to grow in thicker for the cold. I'm so amazed at how cold his paws can get! I want to get paw balm for him but I don't think they sell it at the local store. Sometimes it looks like his neck is the biggest part of him.
Recently he's also been quite itchy. He loves rolling in grass so I got him a different bug/spot treatment but...it didn't seem to work. I'm thinking maybe it's the cold drying out his skin because he has a bit of dander too. I think a vet visit is in order, or maybe a bath?
I'm lucky there's a vet not too far away that speaks pretty good English. They did ask that I don't just drop in and instead make an appointment on their facebook.
Hoshi still is growing in his adult teeth. All his little biters in the front are grown in but his canines are still baby sized. It's quite funny.
I got him a suede bone-shaped toy with a rope handle and the first thing he did was chew the corner so the rope is only attached on one side and he pulled out all this weird straw stuffing that was inside the bone. I was wondering if there's such a thing as catnip for dogs because I might have found it.
He's also got two squeaky toys - a soccer ball patterned bone and a tiny hedgehog - and he prefers the hedgehog, which has a quieter gentler squeak. He has a slightly larger hedgehog that makes a plastic crinkling noise and he loves cat toys.
I've switched up his diet a little with two other types. One is Hill's puppy formula, which is so oily it's almost like a mix between a wet and dry food. I think it'd be good to give puppy's just getting off wet and even though it says it's good for puppies up to a year, I don't think it's good for Hoshi. He seems to like it though.
I've also given him Purina One for dogs under a year of age. The pieces look like literal oil crullers but they are the least oily dog food I've seen yet. They puff up with water and seem to have chicken pieces so it's my fave so far. I'd like to find something similar to what I feed my dog in the states, something less oily but dense, but I think I'll have to keep trying dog foods. Hoshi also gets fish with his meals
In other news, I've lost so many tissue packs to this dog I'm thinking of buying a tissue case to protect them. Idk, it might be me, my other dog likes tissues too.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ICb4rmY8kaHTdIKa2 Vet visit
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HaVnGUCkUN8ST24O2 Vet visit
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5VmlKiowwSaaijDy2 puppy teeth
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fxlpz2TIAEoztjpp2 nose below toes
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QpbvtMGPuZeItqeh1 healthy fur?
Hoshi's pretty much fully grown. He weighs in at about 17 kg/37 lbs at the vet. He stayed at Inoue-san's kennel over the winter holidays when I went home to visit my family and he said that Hoshi was FAT lol, about the heaviest he should be. Compared to the other dogs at Inoue-san's kennel he's a large framed Kai, as large as his dad at least, and his waist wasn't as cinched in as the other dogs.
I was told he needs to exercise more if he wants to show at the KKA show - which happens 2 times a year, I believe. I was also told something about meat, I think either that Hoshi needs to eat more of it or build more of it, either way I'm working on both. I'm trying to feed him more raw meat sources and step away from the kibble, so no more puppy food! He was way too big for it, even if he was technically young enough to keep eating it.
And I've been running him about 3 km by the river while I ride my bicycle. It's not as much work as Shigeru-san gets out of his Kishu/Shikoku (3 km up the mountain and 3 km down?) but I'm trying to figure out the best route/method to exercise him. I almost regret getting a car instead of scooter because then I could have really ran him down some of the nearby mountains.
The car is really good for long distance travel though, mainly driving Hoshi around. The other weekend I drove around the Fuji Five Lakes area with Hoshi to see some of the snow festival activities. Hoshi loves the snow and he's by far the best driving companion I could ask for. He likes to sit up in the front seat and watch where we're going. I crack the windows a little so he can smell what we're passing, which he does, but he doesn't try to stick his nose out.
He's also so so floofy now. When I picked him up from Inoue-san's he was staying in an outdoor kennel and the vertical loft of his coat was super impressive (even if he was smelly). It's a little more smoothed down now that he's clean but he has this cute foxy ruff around his face. His little cheek marking is still hanging out, which I appreciate. I'm sure his coat isn't getting anymore brindle either but sometimes I'm still surprised by how much he has.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/u4k1Ph904C7CHkwm1
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1nBDvxqZ7vIYzDhp1 His teeth growing in, baby canines
https://photos.app.goo.gl/tzzKUISC17IWz3YQ2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WuEH2XJRE6ydG1AI3 Dropping him off for the holidays...that look he gave when I called him
https://photos.app.goo.gl/V3JcZu9e5nTlh5LF3 when i brought him to a little dinner party
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ucOhoFvDoBnYS9n22 First snow! Just a sprinkling
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KatTB06toHDwAtvw2 Bald spot on his paw...I wonder if this happened when I left him at the vet for the weekend
Saiko village Ice Tree Festival:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TYK95qlBtbkCO1tq2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fWzGMwhmcdOnYhE82
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EIZJu1EFUCkyBcNb2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pamuAuV9pqrWDYrN2 Frozen edge of Lake Yamanakako
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SoYtT3TwqYno15cc2 This is the money shot, prancing around at Yamanakako with Fuji in the background
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5CMNudQdLHTvW0mN2 Able to get pretty far out on the frozen lake, Fuji right in front of us
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PeYCYxy3nB4bpybi1 Snow dog
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pS47gkknyhfakcQw2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ugvUF7WZRPW6FpjC2 BONUS video of adorable Kai puppies at Inoue-san's kennel
I do have to agree, Hoshi doesn't like road grates or drainage holes, which are quite common in our neighborhood. When he had tiny paws his leg fell through one so now he'll always avoid them. He's just recently realised he's large enough to jump over them now lol
Recently we had snow, which was very odd because quite a few people have already changed to their summer tires. The sakura will also be in peak bloom around this weekend I think. Hoshi's about the same size as 2 months ago, it's so weird to me that he's only turning 9 months old in two days.
People always seem surprised when I tell them too. The other day I ran him out to a wholesale market that's open to the public twice a year and quite a lot of people recognised him as a Kai. He kissed a lot of people, children timidly pet him, and even a couple of old ladies said he was a bit big for a kai. I swear there's a super fluffy Kai in my neighborhood though. Hoshi's coat isn't so poofy and fluffy, I wonder if that's something that will fill out as he ages?
I think he looks a bit thinner than when he stayed with Inoue-san over the holidays. I bought a food scale and I've been measuring out a mostly raw diet of about 300-340 grams a day to keep him around 17 kg or see if he can slim down. I think though, for his frame size, he isn't happy any lighter than 17 kg. I haven't weighed him since the vet visit in January though, so I'm mostly eyeballing him, judging his energy/activity, and weighing out his food.
I'm glad this week I have a more relaxed schedule with the new school year coming. Idk what to do with the extra time so I'm taking Hoshi on more runs through the city. He's gotten very good at riding alongside the bicycle. Actually the other day I was pleased to see a Japanese man running his HUGE Tosa(?) next to him on his bike.
I think Hoshi's back has tightened up a good bit, it's not as puppy loose as it was before, but I just felt his hips and there's not really any meat on him. I've been thinking more and more about if he can show or not. I'd like to do it just to see how he compares, especially while he still qualifies for "puppy class" if that's a thing in Japanese shows. I can't imagine there are a ton of well muscled dogs his age so I don't see that as an issue so long as he bulks up as an adult (I could be very very wrong though) but I'm worried his coat quality isn't very good.
He hasn't had any intense spring shedding yet, but he's always itchy. It's been an ongoing issue since his coat started changing, but nothing really drastic has happened, he's just itchy. He gets little strands of fur wedged in his gum line from biting himself. It hasn't done anything to his skin, from what I can tell but I've noticed recently the second patch of hair on his leg he's bitten the hair short on. It took forever for the first patch to grow in. He also has dander, maybe it's just more noticeable because of his dark fur though. His chin gets very itchy, his face, everywhere. I'm used to wiping off faces after eating from doing it for my pug, but Hoshi really loves a good all over scratch - even around his eyes.
I don't think it's bugs, baths don't seem to have any effect on his itchiness, I can't imagine it's his diet unless he's allergic to pork and chicken (these are his staples, but I'm always changing it up). I've been thinking I should take him to the vet, but I'm not sure how to explain it to them.
Hoshi's one of the best temperament dogs I've ever met. He's super friendly, loves women and children and most guys. Still wants to greet and play with every dog he spies. He seems to have outgrown his bitey phase too. The other day an obaa-chan kept putting her finger in his mouth while he was smiling and there was no problem. He'll also kiss baby hands super gently. The only time I see that same bratty devil face he had at 2-4 months is when I blow in his ears to annoy him. He's still cuddly though, right now he's curled up next to me while I type.
I finally decided to make a dedicated Instagram for Hoshi here: https://www.instagram.com/kaiken.no.hoshi/
I plan to put up his recent stuff and slowly share the earlier months, hopefully in order. I know I follow some of you guys on my personal insta so feel free to switch over if you followed back!
Some pics!
Please ignore the bottle-barrier, it was a failed craft project I've yet to recycle and currently soothes my paranoia of Hoshi being prime marking age. Instead, look at that perfect "sit pretty/beg" position!! https://photos.app.goo.gl/85AEejr7i6ErGBek2
Recently shared my dog-love with all my students and their parents: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBVASIyKBKMmDU7K2
If a dog is lighter than 90 lbs he's meant to be held: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nggnbqK9X39vQeMu1
Begging for cavities, but really he just wants anything I eat: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AZagDaQY6GTYl4wx2
Does this look like stacking??? https://photos.app.goo.gl/yLWWwQquhQUOXn4c2
Good shot of his brindle, pointed sickle tail, and coat texture. The glossy top-coat fur kind of ends at his ruff, the rest is tissuey puppy undercoat fur for the most part, except his tail...Maybe he's not eating properly so his coat isn't growing in right? https://photos.app.goo.gl/rg4UsIYhkE5r8g073
Good to hear an update on Hoshi
Some possibilities for Hoshi’s itchiness...
1. Dry skin. Add a good Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplement (Krill Oil is great if you can find it there), bathe him rarely, use a mild organic shampoo when you do, and rinse really well. You can give him a coconut oil skin treatment if you want
2. An underlying medical condition, ie. hypothyroidism, skin infection (bacterial, fungal, or parasitic - mites or allergy to flea saliva)
3. An environmental or food allergy. Some dogs have trouble with chicken. You can try an elimination diet. If this is an allergy I would expect Hoshi to have other symptoms though, like stinky ears with a brown residue inside, maybe stinky feet, red inflamed looking skin (look at his underbelly). Use non-toxic detergent to wash his bedding (no perfumes, dyes, etc) and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Use non-toxic cleaners on the floors, esp where he lays the most, and rinse it really good. I use 50% water/vinegar to clean most surfaces the dogs have access to. Kinda smells but you get used to it. One other thing to consider, does he lay in grass that has had chemicals like weed killers applied to it?
Hope this helps!
Becky
Autumn is in full swing in Yamanashi Japan with evenings dipping down to 50 degrees F most nights. Hoshi is very comfortable with this temperature change. I think a big part of his itchiness in the spring was him shedding both his puppy coat and winter coat, also, I was under the impression the coat would shed on its own, but I had to actually comb it out, which Hoshi, but not my floors, really enjoyed. He still loves a good fine tooth combing, but his winter coat is already growing in and his dander is much less. He still itches his chest a little but not as badly as before (I put doggy clothes on him to stop his nails from scratching his skin too badly).
Hoshi's been so many places in Japan in the past 6 months! In April we went to see cherry blossoms, including one of the three oldest cherry trees in Japan, luckily located in Yamanashi. In May it was Golden Week so we did a week-long car camping roadtrip to see a bunch of flower parks and try local foods in Nagano, Tochigi, and Ibaraki. I found a new vet to take him to and board him at. We stayed close to home in June and July because I was busy, but I did take him out to Saitama and we went peach picking. We went to see fireflies and to a bunch of summer festivals, unfortunately Hoshi doesn't have much of a tolerance for fireworks or taiko drum performances, I'm hoping it'll get a bit better in the future because I don't want him to be so startled. For Obon in August we took another (slightly more miserable because of the summer heat) road trip, but to Kansai - Osaka, Kyoto, Nara - we stopped at Lake Biwa in Shiga, Nagoya city, and Shizuoka.
September was quiet and when Hoshi had a BIG shed. He'd been getting fat a bit because I couldn't run him on a bike because I lost one bike's key and lent the other to a new teacher who started at my company. Recently, both bikes are in working order but I've been very lazy about exercising myself and my dog so Hoshi's become skinny-fat while I'm just fatter lol He looks at me every time I move hoping we'll go out or do something fun -_-;
This past weekend was the bi-annual Kai Ken Dog Show in Nirasaki and I took him. by and large he was among if not the biggest dog there, which is a bit worrying to me as far as breed standard goes. We met this minuscule female kai half his size and like 6 months older than him, with a very meek personality. Some of the smaller dogs (all the dogs) were a bit reactive towards Hoshi because of his size and stupid puppy behavior of trying to jump on them as greeting. I don't see nearly enough dogs around so I'm really glad Hoshi isn't reactive or unfriendly, I just wish he wouldn't get so excited since it startles the dogs and their owners. I wonder if Akita owners ever experience unfriendliness from dogs smaller than them?
At the dog show I arranged for my breeder to watch my dog over the holidays and he said he'd like to stud him before I took him back to the states. I don't really see a reason to refuse and I kind of suspected this might happen when I first got him as a puppy and my breeder is really nice, but this is the first stud dog I've had and a part of me is wary about the whole process. Every time I've gone to the Kai show I've felt like I wanted to get one or two more dogs lol but it'd be so expensive to take them back to the states with me and for the cost of a puppy I could go on vacation in Bali. Also I wonder if the US really needs more studs or more bitches?
Hoshi's got a new Instagram! "Kaikenhoshi" I lost the old one because the account was linked to my old phone number from the US phone I had which black screened on me and I had to get a new phone and couldn't ... y'know.
In other news I finally figured out the way to post photos here, I don't think these are on my Insta either so enjoy!
this is my friend walking Hoshi when we went to see the jindaizakura (really old sakura tree)
Here's the jindaizakura, it's held up by support stilts but it had soooo many beautiful blossoms like honeycomb
Chureito Pagoda, the only decent pic I got of Hoshi with Fuji in the background, this is a famous photo spot in Japan
Enjoying cherry blossoms at the local Castle Park in my town
dressed in his matsuri hanten (traditional festival outfit) posing in front of the moat around the castle park in my town. This was at the Shingen Festival in April
Taking in the early morning in the Takabocchi Highlands overlooking Lake Suwa in Nagano
Hoshi's derpy running face from Matsumoto Castle makes me smile every time
Finally found a good tree for Hoshi to try climbing, he went up but it wasn't his favorite thing to do
The nemophilia bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki
Hoshi's first beach visit in rocky Ibaraki!
He went bonkers rolling on this disgusting piece of styrofoam which had been rolling around in the ocean presumably and looked like a rock, so I poked it and it was squishy blek!
We visited a huge poppy field in June
People love him and he loves people but I don't often get pics of him with others. This was the drink vendor at the poppy field
The peach lady was kind enough to hold his leash while I got the money to pay for peach picking. She actually had a kai before!
For some reason I thought I would pretend to be a tori gate at Fushimi Inari
This is like the only pic I have of him at Nara Park, also on his insta, because I underestimated how interested he would be in the deer and how big the park is
Exploring Shigi-san's Tiger Temple
Visited a field of red soba in Nagano at the end of September
Hoshi's halloween costume!
Getting loved on at a company party
I let one of my students walk Hoshi. This is on the property where we had the company party. Last year there were fish in that pond but I didn't see any this year
Here's a pic or two from the kai dog show
And that pretty much catches up Hoshi's pics. As for his behavior, he's pretty solid on his down (but sometimes can be stubborn or distracted), he knows three different commands for sit and two different ones for Paw which has helped with his nail trimming thank goodness. He's mastered the sit pretty/beg balancing act, and is pretty strong with spin. I'm trying to keep him from favoring one direction with that command. Crawl and roll over have been flops so far and he's increasingly confused by my attempts to teach him bark, at any time doing a combo of whining, huffing, giving paw and sitting pretty. He also does this head shake trick but the command is "cheek" because I was trying to teach Speak (which is now Bark). I'm also working on a High 5 command but his little paws are always flexed when he does it so it's uncomfortable.
He's eating just the purina one right now, no extra meat cuts and weekly treats of pig ears/skin. He likes to pull the stuffing out of every toy and put his teeth on pretty much everything. He can fetch and he knows "move" and "good boy" (I think)
Last time we went to the vet Hoshi was just about 18 kg/40 lbs.
Hoshi's mannerisms and spunk are similar to his sister's, including destroying toys.
The pics from the Kai show aren't showing up.
I'm not sure if Raijuu is Banryuu.. I'll send you his instagram account!
The US needs good breeding prospects of both genders. Obviously Mayaa and Hoshi are too closely related, but the other half of Hoshi's gene pool is beneficial (Mayaa has a maternal uncle who is a popular sire here). Yes, just the last set - probably permissions. Try loading them in incognito mode to check.
Everyone was intimidated by his looks at first (as a primal dog) his pointy ears and Wolfy smile, his dark fur, but it's been funny to watch them come around. They're impressed by his playfulness, how clever and trained he is, my brother keeps saying he's fluffy and stands still when you pet him, unlike our other wriggly dogs. My mother says he's too skinny and I had to tell her in no uncertain terms is she to give him treats or feed him without me knowing, honestly, she made the other dogs obese and I put them on diets straight away! I occasionally find she's taken my Hoshi for a walk ACD she's even ordered a head lead so she can walk him with less pulling. For some reason Joshua is crazy for all the wildlife in my neighborhood! You would think he's never seen a bird before! I always took him out places, even to mountaintops but for some reason he goes apecrazy when he sees all the birds, squirrels, cats, and dogs going about their business in my neighborhood. I never realised before how many creatures are living outside around my house!
I used to walk him quite far around my neighborhood in Japan, but things are a bit more spread out here. Actually, hoshi won't do anything other than pee no matter how much I seem to walk him. He only ever does number 2 if he's let out into the yard or if he's running next to me on a bike ride.
He LOVES having a yard too! It's so much room for him to play chase with the other doggies, actually they were being a little too enthusiastic and tearing up the dirt doing circuits, so now they get individual time outside. Hoshi just does his business and nicely comes back when called. He took basically no time to adjust to having a second floor too (coming from apartment life) and he follows me up and down the stairs whenever I move. Actually it's been harder for me to adjust to not easily having him within view at home. Why would he even need to go upstairs without me??? My family members (and myself) were paranoid about him or the other dogs marking, though he never had the habit before, because Hoshi's intact, so I tied a leash to the sofa to keep him from wandering. It also rules him out whenever there's doggy mischief elsewhere, but mostly he roams freely or stays with me.
He loves going for runs on my bike. As soon as we head off he's pulling me down the street and every animal he sees gives him a burst of energy. I usually keep him out until he's completely pooped out, we've even managed to run down to the neighborhood dog park. Luckily they allow intact (nonviolent) dogs. I admit I haven't taken him very much. He's always whined to.meet other dogs but hadnt had much experience playing with them so I was nervous. The first trip there we met a cute puppy and he was terrible about chasing her, but he didn't seem too out of control. The second time we went there was another young dog but he didn't have an interest in him, he just wandered around the perimeter. He also doesn't have.much of an interest in fetching at the park, though he'll do it at home. His favorite toy is an elastic cat wand with a fuzzy toy at the end. I was surprised to find our 5 yo hound has similar tastes in toys! They'll both chase the wand around the living room. An older male dog came to the park and was reactive towards Hoshi but luckily my dog didn't escalate or react poorly. I could barely get him to play chase. I think running to the park drained his energy. My city has put new bike lanes in all the way downtown so I'm hoping to take him on a long ride one of these days. As long as my mom doesn't sneak him food he should stay lean and get stronger!
Oh, the only other things that are happening is delayed seasonal shed and his tooth. Idk why but I guess his coat got thicker at some point, right now his back legs are very dense and shedding quite a bit. At some point around Wednesday last week Hoshi fractured his lower canine. I don't see pulp but I've got a vet appointment coming up, so that's one more thing for dog/pack issues (one of my other dogs needs eye meds and antibiotics, the other one has been retching and needs to switch meds). I used to get cheap cleaning and extractions done in a different city, but as far as I can tell from research there's not much to do about a fracture/crown shear…if it's gone to the pulp considering his age he might need a root canal. I've been worried about what this could mean for breed visibility with the AKC and future breeding. Btw, if anyone's open to having a kai litter we're here! I took him to the vet and she said he's in good health and got him his rabies vaccine. I definitely want to get him into events at my local AKC clubs, maybe starting in rally and see how it goes from there. He's so smart, he finally learned a proper bark on command (when it's mealtime) Sorry for gushing about him so much.
* "relatively" - AKC has certain formatting and detail level that they require, so some adaptation is necessary.
Welcome to the US, Hoshi!
Also, if you use FB, we have not only a Kai Ken Owners and Enthusiasts group but also an East Coast NK Meetup group- I know Virigina has some active NK folks there, and they are very welcoming!
Where in Virginia are you located? I am just outside of DC, but travel back to the western and southern parts of the state on a regular basis.