Shikoku Registry?
Is there a Shikoku Registry in the United States? Is there anyone keeping track of bloodlines, accomplishments, etc. of this breed here? Is anyone thinking about starting a national club to pursue AKC recognition?
I'm on a puppy waiting list for a Kishu, and was just wondering why the Shikoku had never made it to FSS status with the AKC, when the Kishu had done so with very few dogs actually in the U.S.
I'm on a puppy waiting list for a Kishu, and was just wondering why the Shikoku had never made it to FSS status with the AKC, when the Kishu had done so with very few dogs actually in the U.S.
Comments
There is a Shikoku club in the works, headed by Peggy Graham - my app will be owned by the Shikoku club.
Then there are some of us that are not in a rush to have the Shikoku be AKC anything.
PS: While there are more Shikoku in the US then Kishu, there have been more Kishu litters in the US than Shikoku litters (in the US). Most of the Shikoku in the US are imports from CAN or JPN.
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In order to be accepted into AKC as a breed club, we must have an existing breed club with the history of attending/putting on events. So far we've done the Pet Expo in California and Philadelphia. We also need to maintain our own studbooks for registy.
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Related Past Discussions:
- Japanese Shikoku Ken Club & Registry
- AKC Recognition
- Shikoku Club Biz
- Foundation Stock Service (FSS)
Yes, you need a fairly strong breed club of some kind. So far, all I've found is the NSCA, the National Shikoku Club of America est. 2005 by Peggy Graham. Most of the pages are all under construction, though.
FWIW, the Swedish Vallhund fraternity were in the same shoes as you all when I bought my Finn. There was tons of talk about not wanting to go AKC, much wringing of hands and anxiety about how the breed would be ruined. Now that they have full recognition, things have calmed down, and we discovered that the same ethical codes and breeding practices that the club had before, prevailed after AKC recognition. The breed has been shown, has gone to Westminister and Eukanuba, has attracted a lot of interest; most people still don't know what he is when I bring him to shows, but they're learning (and they've been recognized for a good couple of years now).
My own selfish reason for the breed becoming at least FSS-established is purely to have a place to compete with them at AKC shows in the companion events. It may take decades for them ever to reach Miscellaneous status, and that's fine with me. I just want to be able to do AKC agility, obedience, rally and tracking. Yes, we can and will do NADAC agility, and yes we could do UKC but UKC shows are not handy for me to get to. If the Shikoku were ever to gain FSS status, I would seriously consider that for my next dog; in fact, a strong reason why I chose the Kishu was because he already has that status.
"Once we've got enough membership, enough people interesting in "showcasing/performing" their dogs & we're going strong, we'll throw AKC back on the table."
Kind of ironic, no? to suggest that we "perform" with our dogs and THEN consider the AKC issue, where I'm saying I can't do many performance events without it....
The best of all possible worlds, no?
I personally like that it is difficult to get a Shikoku. I like that the few breeders out there have waiting lists and can be very picky about who they place puppies with.
There are hundreds of other dog breeds that are already ruined by the AKC. If AKC competition is really your prime motivation for selecting a breed, why not go with one of them?
If the goal is to keep numbers low, and no one is in any danger of breeding themselves into a corner with insufficient fresh stock to keep the gene pool alive and healthy, then there isn't much reason to go the AKC route. If it remains easy to import from Japan or other countries and the few existing breeders have the willingness and funds to do so, there won't be a problem, but I know in Vallhunds individual breeders have imported a few studs, bred them to every bitch in their kennel, and now where do they go? Greater numbers provide a greater diversity in the gene pool from which to choose.
I could choose any number of breeds to do AKC competition with. I would like to see what I can do with THIS breed, because I think it's a handsome, beautiful animal that I'd enjoy looking at the same way everyone else who wants one. Plus I get a companion for 13-14 years who I can work with and play with and get inside its head to train.
I'll respond real quick to say you are right, it isn't the AKC that ruins breeds. It is bad breeders. But bad breeding practices seem to correlate highly with AKC recognition.
Also, the goals of Shikoku enthusiasts (as I understand them) is not necessarily to keep the number low, but to grow them responsibly and without influence from external factors. By influence from external factors, I mean any arbitrary guidelines set by governing bodies like the AKC that aren't sensitive to the special needs of limited populations like the Shikoku. Further, it my sincere hope that breeders work solely toward creating a vibrant and healthy gene pool while remaining true to intended purpose of the Shikoku (hunting). No more, not less. Breeding simply to meet demand is not a responsible practice for any breed, but especially not for the nihon ken with their unique temperaments and the requirements they put on their owners. If it were up to me, the Shikoku would never be shown in traditional confirmation shows. They would be evaluated solely on prey drive and other hunting instincts with only a minor nod to form. As Corina likes to point out, form and function are tightly intertwined.
They may be obsessive complusive in behavior with insisting on carrying something in their mouth, but yes...they do have an "off" switch.
They prefer to be housepets and apart of the family. Malinois become neurotic when left predominantly in kennels, this provokes boredom and bad habits. There are many pedigree lines with their own personal traits attached, but generally it's just a "management issue".
I think this can be applied to any breed of dog that isn't stimulated enough to keep them from chewing on the couch/rug/wall.
I couldn't venture to say how many GOOD American breeders were appalled at that Crufts documentary -- but I'm sure there was a high percentage. I think the United Kingdom is in even worse shape than America in that it is a much smaller country and with the rabies quarantine, importing dogs and thus new blood was much more difficult, although that is changing (I think) and of course we now have frozen or chilled semen. I had a Ridgeback once and I have a vague recollection that the entire discussion about "culling" ridgeless puppies finally evolved to "culling out of the gene pool," i.e., selling them as neutered/spayed pets because of course they were perfectly happy healthy dogs.
After I saw the Crufts documentary, I went looking at various American websites of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels out of curiosity, and most had links to the long list of health problems in this breed including the syringa/skull problem and at least paid lip service to those people doing research on their heart problems and the researchers in England working on syringiamyelia (sp?). The breed is indeed a travesty, but they would be in so much better shape if a breeding pair were aged 5 or so before they produced pups. Many of their health problems would show up by then, and hopefully the most scrupulous breeders would not breed the defective ones. There ARE Cavaliers who have been MRI'd clear, and I think there ARE some (maybe a very few) that don't have heart murmurs.
In fact, waiting until age 4 or 5 or so to breed is a good idea for any breed. By then you know what your dog's temperament is like, whether any allergies are showing up, whether the dog is trainable and biddable and structurally sound (xrays and cerfs have been taken and done by then). My Vallhund and his mate were both 5 years old for their first and only breeding, and she produced a large litter (large for Vallhunds) of six healthy babies, with absolutely no trouble. It can be done. What do you know about a 2 year old dog, not even fully mature yet? Most club Codes of Ethics suggest a dog not be bred before age 2, but I think waiting longer is a better idea.