shikoku importing!
alright, so i see that most shikoku owners got their dog by having it imported from Japan. I am wondering...how in the heck do you find any breeders?? i sure can't find any shikoku breeder websites...that are located in Japan. so how do you all do it? how do you get your Shikoku's? do you fly to Japan and ask around? do you bring someone with you on the trip who can speak Japanese?
i would figure that you would definatley want to fly there to see the dogs/pups in person, to know if theyre healthy and the quality you want...and to save yourself from a disaster.. SCAMS!
anyway, so how did you have your shikoku(s) imported?
**PLUS**
and also...look at the pup on the left of the photo (if its showing up). are shikoku's show potential if they have white markings on different areas than there usually is? this little one has it around his nose.
i would figure that you would definatley want to fly there to see the dogs/pups in person, to know if theyre healthy and the quality you want...and to save yourself from a disaster.. SCAMS!
anyway, so how did you have your shikoku(s) imported?
**PLUS**
and also...look at the pup on the left of the photo (if its showing up). are shikoku's show potential if they have white markings on different areas than there usually is? this little one has it around his nose.
Comments
That being said, there are two breeders in North America and most of the Shikoku on the forum came from them. Akashima is in BC, Canada and O'Ikon is in Ohio.
There are two great kennels in NA. If you decide to import yourself, you will need to speak at least some Japanese, or have someone translate. Just flying over and asking around will most likely not work. Calling the Nippo office in advance is your best bet. They can refer you to breeders with good show quality dogs.
As for your question about the white, white markings like those on the pup on the left are penalized in the show ring. That being said many times slight amounts of white on the muzzle with go away with age. The amount on that pup looks like it's there to stay however. White in other places it should not be, ie too high on legs, on certain areas of the body/face/tail, is also penalized.
A big one in the Netherlands (they have mostly dogs imported from Japan, I think), one with a pair in France and "my" breeder in Poland, breeding with offspring from the NA Akashima-kennel. Izyda (the polish breeder) is waiting for one of her girls getting in heat, so she will have a litter in a few months and takes reservations now.
look here: www.shikoku.pl
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Yes, she has Aiko and kept Ayame from Aiko's first litter, so she has two bitches now...
I met her and Ayame on the dog-show in Berlin a few weeks ago (the photo in Ayame's success-list was taken by me), because I wanted to see a Shikoku in reality before getting a pup and I sooooo fell in love with Ayame, that all my doubts fell apart. I LOVE her look and her character. It's exactly that mix of highly energetic and calmly concentration I dreamed of! And Izyda is so sweet and loveley... We were having a great time, chatting about dogs and life itself all the time (six or seven hours, I think) and laughing a lot. And I was so afraid of meeting her beforehand...
Why doesn't Fuji live with you anymore?
Shikokus have been alluring me for quite some time.
I think I'll just read awhile, before entering conversation