What's a kai ken?
So as I said in the breed ban thread I'm moving into a new place in a couple months and hopefully we're going to be there a while. Can you believe that this will be our 7th move in 3-4 years?!?! Kinda tired of moving lol.
Anyways, we are more than likely (if breeder is fine with our apt living) to have our kai in this residence. I spoke with a leasing consultant over the phone and since no one there has ever heard of the breed, they have a hard time giving me a definite yes or no. Giving the overly broad comparison of "it's like a shiba inu but bigger" didn't work either since they had no idea what a shiba was lol. They were asking me to name breeds that are comparable and I couldn't think of anything. Besides printing a Wikipedia page out, how would you go about explaining what a kai is?
Anyways, we are more than likely (if breeder is fine with our apt living) to have our kai in this residence. I spoke with a leasing consultant over the phone and since no one there has ever heard of the breed, they have a hard time giving me a definite yes or no. Giving the overly broad comparison of "it's like a shiba inu but bigger" didn't work either since they had no idea what a shiba was lol. They were asking me to name breeds that are comparable and I couldn't think of anything. Besides printing a Wikipedia page out, how would you go about explaining what a kai is?
Comments
This reminds me when I was taking insurance for Ife. I got several phone calls from our insurance company that there isn't breed named Kai in the world. Yeah right
^ban list. That's the thing, most common spitz are banned haha.
I like to give a breed description. One that mentions that they are aloof with strangers and don't bark. :-)
Oh and I live in a condo. Koda does extremely well. We do exercise 2 hours a day though.
Definitely make sure they know Kais are not Akitas. AAA gave me a bit of a problem about that.
Here's Sarahsdogs.com's personality description. Just maybe take out the guard dog stuff. ;-)
Personality
Kai Kens make wonderful house pets and companions as they form a strong bond with the human family. These dogs are very loyal to their masters. They love unconditionally and would need to be loved in return. Kai Kens would demand constant attention and would love to be included in the activities of the family. These dogs are known to be gentle with children. Puppies would love nothing more than to be cuddled and carried by kids. However, it would not be wise to leave very little kids alone with any breed of dog. Also, kids must be cautioned not to tease the dog. A dog no matter how good tempered may get irritated and could hurt the kids. Kai Kens make good family pets because they can tolerate smaller pets. As Kai Kens are highly intelligent breed it would be quite amusing to see the dog play mind games such as the "Stare" with other smaller pets of the family.
Present day Kai Kens have developed into excellent guard dogs. As mentioned before these dogs are intelligent. Housebreaking them would be easy. Some Kai Ken owners have attested to the fact that these dogs can be easily trained as guard dogs. A trained Kai Ken would be able to discern a family member from an intruder. Kai Kens are affectionate with the family but they are reserve with strangers. These dogs are not barkers and would only bark to warn the owners of intruders or of unusual circumstances. It would not be uncommon to see a Kai Ken perched on a table always watchful and alert guarding the family.
Due to the dog's nature and origin, obedience training and socialization is necessary. Socialization must be started while the dog is still young. By taking the puppy to public places, it would be exposed to other people, other animal as well as to varied situations. This will prevent the puppy from developing into a shy and fearful dog. Fearful puppies often develop into biting dogs.
These dogs are fairly inactive indoors and as such they would do well in an apartment as long as enough exercise is provided. Owners may take the dog on long walks in the park but these dogs must be kept leashed at all times. Being hunting dog, their prey drive would manifest once they see smaller animals. Given the chance the dog would swim, climb fences and trees to pursue their prey. Well trained Kai Kens may be unleashed in a fenced yard and if the owner is sure that the dog would respond to his commands.
Brad - Haha omg I can't believe the dutchies slipped my mind.
Heidi, that was a good answer!
I wouldn't look at a Kai and say "spitz" breed, so I think you can avoid that problem (or rather, I would, but since many people equate spitz with a curled tail, I doubt they'll think of it).
How about saying a Kai is similar to a cattle dog? They don't appear to be banned, and they are kind of similiarly sized, right? I can't remember what an ACD's personality is like, though.
Tara - I really need to make a drive over there and meet you guys. 2 hour drive isn't bad. Car went kaput thanks to our SoCal trip but once it's fixed I might start bugging you for a meetup.
Jesse
I don't know if anything from the NAKA site would help or not...
http://www.kai-ken.org
http://www.kai-ken.org/archive/excellence.htm
http://www.kai-ken.org/archive/bloodlines_0307.htm
There are a few SAR dogs in Japan which could be mentioned and there are some here also I beleive... and quite a few Therapy dogs. Definitely meeting Koda may be helpful,especially with his service vest : )
I like the word "reserved" better than "aloof"
I think I'll print some webpages out and offer them to meet Koda.
I'm currently looking at Stoneridge, its near Heather Farm Park.