All Discussions - The Nihon Ken Forum

White/Cream in the NK

TheWalrus — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:09:07 -0500

I had a question from someone about white Shiba, so talked with some NIPPO members and judges about it, and I'm adding my own thoughts as well.

Why are white coats shunned in the NK?

If you take a look at the present NIPPO standard, white is not a 'non-standard' color. You can register a white Shiba for instance. White is not however, preferred (i.e. will be severely penalized in the ring) in the Shikoku and Shiba. In Akita, Hokkaido, and Kishu, white is allowed. The NIPPO standard specifically calls for all Kai to be brindle, so white is not allowed.

Why is white not preferred? Written into the present NIPPO standard are all manner of details on conformation, among these is a clause calling for all coat coloration to have strong hues, and for judges to watch for lightening or dilution of color. Any dilution of color is seen as a weakening in the coat color genetic code, leading to loss of that color in the breed. Since NIPPO's stated goal is preservation, this is unacceptable. The standard also calls for urajiro in the NK. It is obviously not possible to judge whether a white dog has urajiro, or to judge the color hues of the genes it is carrying (other than white).

Exhibit one, the Kishu. The Kishu was not a predominantly white breed. In the early days of the breed it was predominantly 'yushoku' (having color). There is ancient art from the area depicting hunting dogs from the area as black, and looking back at some of the first NIPPO exhibitions, the numbers show roughly 70% yushoku, with only 30% of the dogs being white. Fast forward to the present day, and the breed is almost entirely white. How did this happen? Apparently there was a line with some outstanding studs who happened to be white, and they were used extensively. General preference leaned toward white these lines, and toward white Kishu in general. White x yushoku breedings result in mixed litters, but white x white breedings result in only white pups (so I've been told and the numbers seem to back that up). So here we are today, the breed has almost completely lost its variety in color.

White dogs can be bred, and litters registered. While this was done possibly more often in the past when a white dog had some outstanding and desired trait, today it is shunned and almost non-existent. As I mentioned earlier, white is severely penalized in the ring, and at best your dog will be given a 'B' grade which is to say the dog has traits which make it an inferior specimen. There have been issues in the NK with urajiro creeping up over the body, and into the facial areas, and NIPPO and its members have/are breeding away from that. This issue has been seen recently in the Shiba, along with dilution of coat hues, which has lead to careful selection away from these traits. Other issues that have been seen in the past in coat colors is spotting (i.e. pinto). This is also among the list of unacceptable coat traits, which along with all the other issues involved with preserving color has lead to careful selective breeding when it comes to color, leading NIPPO members to keep the white coloration at arm's length.

To side track just a little, black (i.e. black/tan) is allowed in the standard, and while in the medium sized NK it is rare, and dogs with this coloration are not often shown, they are often used for breeding to improve coat quality/color. The reason for them not being shown very often is that the facial markings have to be correct, and the black needs to be a solid black hue. Often facial markings (i.e. the 2 spots above the eyes that lead to black often being referred to as 'yotsume' or four-eye) are not clear (ie blurred or misshaped), and urajiro is incorrect, plus many black dogs have red tips on their guard hairs which is not preferred. It is difficult to produce a correctly colored black Shikoku.

Cadet Duck Treats

ttddinh — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:53:07 -0500

Has anyone heard anything about the Cadet Duck Treats? I know that chicken jerky treats are on recall...but I am wondering about the duck ones. Also, has anyone tried these treats? Do the dogs like them?

My german shepherd Vega

Brego_mellon_nin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:51:20 -0400

I enjoy all the Nihon Ken talk, but I thought I'd also introduce my german shepherd Vega.

She's a very sensitive dog, and does good with obedience, tracking and we are also starting defencework, which is coming along nicely. She's 3 yo and a very sweet girl.

Size comparison of the Kai Ken standards...

brada1878 — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:31:15 -0400

I aggregated this info into one email over the weekend, I thought it may be interesting to some of you...

KKA:
Height roughly 40cm (15”) - 50cm (19.5”) at withers
http://www.yamabushikennel.org/standards.php

NIPPO:
Male standard height: 52cm (20”)
Female standard height: 49cm (19”) is a female.
On average, males 49cm (19”) from 55cm (21”), and female 46cm (18”) to 52cm (20”).
http://www.nihonken-hozonkai.or.jp

FCI:
Dogs 53 cm (approx. 20-21 inches)
Bitches 48 cm (approx. 18-19 inches)
http://www.yamabushikennel.org/fci/kai_standards_FCI.pdf

UKC:
Desirable height, measured at the withers, ranges from 18½ to 22 inches (47cm-55.9cm) for males, and 17½ to 20 inches (44.5cm-50.8cm) for females. Weight ranges from 25 to 55 pounds.
http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/KaiRevisedJuly12008
**The UKC standard was revised July 2008, it now allows for up to 22.5 inch!

JKC:
Desirable height for males 50cm, females 45cm. Allowance +-3cm (males 47-53cm, females 42-48cm).
http://www.jkc.or.jp/modules/worlddogs/entry.php?entryID=93&categoryID=5.

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Give Your Opinion: Is This a Fight?

brada1878 — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:44:38 -0400

Give your opinion...

I captured this on video today, what do you think? Is this a fight between Nio and Cho Cho?

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The Akita

TheWalrus — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:06:58 -0500

The Akita Inu (or Akita Ken) is the largest of the six, native, Japanese spitz type dogs, and the only breed in the 'large' category. The breed originated in the northernmost part of the island of Honshu from the hunting dogs of the matagi (subsistence hunters). The dogs of the matagi were similar in size to the other medium sized Japanese breeds, and were used to hunt big game such as deer and bear.

An aka Akita male. Photo courtesy of Rui Cavaco

During the Edo period the local ruling Satake family promoted dog fighting as a way to entertain and increase moral among their soldiers. The matagi dogs were bred toward larger stronger dogs to increase their fighting prowess. With the arrival of the Meiji period, the Tosa from Shikoku, the Karafuto and Hokkaido from Hokkaido, along with many large Western breeds were bred to the local fighting dogs. Mastiffs, German Shepherds, and Great Danes are some of the Western breeds bred from. The breed lost many of it's Spitz characteristics such as prick ears, double coats, and curled tails and became known locally as the 'Shin Akita' or New Akita.

After dog fighting was outlawed at the end of the Meiji period the breed went into decline, but as the Taisho period began there were calls from breed fanciers and academics to preserve the breed. In 1918 the Natural Monument Preservation Law went into effect, and in 1931 the breed was declared a Living Natural Monument. During the harsh economic period Japan experienced during and immediately after World War 2, owning dogs was seen as wasteful and unpatriotic. Most dogs other than German Shepherds (which were considered useful as military dogs) were rounded up and killed, and the large Akita was no exception. The dog's coats were used to provide clothing for the military, and many were eaten. It was through the noble efforts of a few that the breed did not go extinct. However, the breed's number were severely depleted, and many prime specimens of the breed were lost. It took many years and the efforts of many to bring the breed back from the brink of extinction.

During the war, some Akita were bred with German Shepherds in an effort to save them from slaughter. This and the breed's mixed heritage from it's fighting days gave the Akita of the time a distinctly different look from the other Japanese breeds. After the war, US servicemen stationed in Japan became interested in the breed, and many took dogs back with them. These Akita became the foundation of the breed in the US and overseas. In Japan however a movement to return the Akita to its 'original' state began around this time. An extensive breeding program to select for preferred type began, leading to the creation of the modern Japanese Akita. In the United States however, the larger, heavier boned Akita were preferred leading to two very different strains of this once single breed. Today in Japan the types have been split into two separate breeds, however overseas some kennel clubs still recognize them as one breed.

The Akita and Shiba are the most famous of the Japanese breeds, and much of the Akita's fame can be attributed to the story of an Akita named Hachiko who for years waited daily at Shibuya station for his dead master's return. While the breed is well known in Japan, its numbers have declined due to its large size and the housing situation in the country.

The FCI Akita standard describes the breed as: “A large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much substance; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with high nobility and dignity in modesty; constitution tough.” The breed comes in three colors, aka (red), shiro (white), and tora (brindle). Like all the Nihon Ken, the Akita has a double coat made up of protective coarse outer guard hairs, and a fine thick undercoat that is shed seasonally. All colors except white must have urajiro (light cream or white markings or shading) on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, the underside of the jaw, neck, chest, body and tail, and on the inside of the legs. Dogs range in size from 64-70 cm at the withers, and bitches from 58-64 cm (NIPPO, JKC, FCI, with the AKIHO standard being smaller by .3cm due to following old Japanese measurements).

Akita are intelligent, independent dogs, and they can make excellent companions for the individual prepared to give them the attention and exercize they require. They can be territorial, and make reasonable watch dogs, but are not by nature guard dogs or protection dogs.

They are a rare breed even in their native country with yearly registrations of between 2,000 and 2,500 (all registries). The main breed registry is run by the Akita Inu Hozonkai.

Energetic Lab

Jbm0024 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:37:23 -0500

I hope y'all enjoy this as much as I did. (Tried to embed it but I didn't work)

http://youtu.be/3GRSbr0EYYU

Shiba Acting Strange

Loni — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:44:24 -0500

My shiba, Kiyomi, started acting strange around my mother-in-law yesterday. She's seen her many times in the past and has never done this before.
She keeps staring and whining at her, anytime she moves she starts biting her pants and shoes, if my mother-in-law is standing she'll be jumping up on her trying to nip her hands. The whole time she's whining. If we pull Kiyomi away from her, she'll start screaming/crying.... Any ideas on why she would do this?

a modern day Hachiko

shibamistress — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:38:04 -0500

some of you have probably seen this, but I thought I'd post it. Looks like a contemporary Hachiko here, as this dog will not leave his person's grave:

http://the-salfordian.com/a-loyal-dog-guards-grave-of-deceased-master/

Sad. And of course I was interested in the dog's breed too...it's a mix probably, but has some NK type features!

Leash Training Help!! :/

jellyfart — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:29:42 -0500

My question is this, what do you do when your puppy growls on a leash?
Last night was the first time, and only time thus far, that he has growled, but it really surprised me.
-Firstly, he was jumping up and down, pulling on the leash, and biting the leash, which he has done before. Do you think this is him playing with the leash or him trying to get me to give in to his demands of where he wants to go? Like a dominance issue.
-Secondly, when he was doing this last night, why did he growl? Was he playing or was he angry that he wasn't getting his way? And how do I stop the jumping and the growling? Or is this just completely normal for a puppy. (Toki is 10 weeks old, becoming more and more playful everyday). Last night I thought of a scenario in my head that if he was bigger, things wouldn't go as easy as they are now with him being so little.

Normally when he jumps around at the end of the leash, I just hold the leash and turn around, ignoring him. After he barks/whimpers/jumps/pulls/bites leash/ect..., he eventually stops and *hopefully* realizes his attempts are futile. But when he growled last night while doing all this, I guess it sorta raised flags. I don't want him to think this is okay, because what if this happens when he is an 80lb full grown, growling adult...not cool. I want to correct this while he is at a manageable size before he gets big. Or is this just a puppy phase thing?

Having that said though, Toki, I think, sorta gets the concept of walking on a leash. However, when he cooperates, I wouldn't doubt that him walking next to me is actually just me taking advantage of him being a puppy and wanting to be near me, but still, I think it helps him understand what is expected of him. Though, being a 10 weeks old puppy and only having him for a week and a half, I expect distractions and no big leaps of obedience.

I guess though, I must say, I haven't done the leash training where you let them walk around the house with the leash on, but I have given him some control outside, just following him around. Half the time, when I try to take control, he obeys, and the other half of the time, he wants to do his own thing, like try to eat dirt that I forbid him to eat because we live in an apartment complex. He really does have a one tracked mind, haha. But maybe I am giving him mixed signals? Am I expecting too much of him too soon? All other areas of obedience/house training are coming along smoothly, except the leash thing, which has seemed to digress in the last few days.

Any leash training help/advice/answers to my questions are definitely more than welcome! :)
It would be helpful to know how yall leash trained your doggies as well.

Question about importing

renae — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:22:49 -0500

Do you have to be Japanese, Japanese descent or have a partner that is one of those two to be able to import a nihon ken to the US?

I lost my first dog :(

Brego_mellon_nin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:16:21 -0500

Last monday I had to say goodbye to my first dog, whom I shared with my parents.

She was 11 years old, so I guess it really wasn't a big surprise, but the way it ended made if feel so much more awful!

Tulle was a mix breed, very similar to a britany spaniel, and we got her on april 15th 2002. She was supposed to be PTS because her former owners didn't want her. She had lived her first 1½ years shut inside the pig barn. She had never been in a house when we got her, and we are pretty sure she had been beaten too. She never got fully over her past. My parents are not exactly dog trainers, but Tulle had a great life and never needed anything.

The last couple of years she started to get old. She would not be as active and she would sometimes be a bit stiff in the wintermonths. We had actually talked about getting some glucosamine for her, to see if that would help her. She also appeared to loose her hearing, since she stopped barking at cars arriving, something she's always done fervently!
But no major issues really, though we knew it would not be too long before we had to say goodbye.

Last sunday evening Tulle was fine, but monday morning she was laying on the floor, and suddenly I became aware of the fact that she was clawing to get up. The floor is a bit slippery, so initially I thought she just had to have a bit of help, but when I reached her, it was much more severe. She could not use her backlegs properly. It was like she has lost the connection to them. I supported her, and she got up, but kept leaning to the side. She tried to walk forward, but only took a few steps and then toppled over onto her side. Her head was sort of turned a little up and to one side, and her neck was kinda rigid. She again started pawing on the floor trying to get up. I held her down and shouted at my mother to call my father and tell him to get a hold of the vet immediately! Then Tulle insisted on getting up and scurried towards the door. My mother ran along and helped her down the stairs to the yard. I was behind them and I would've told my mother not to let go, but she did. Tulle staggered out on the grass and peed, after which she vomited and toppled over again! I ran to her and tried to comfort her, gently holding her down, when she clawed, trying to get up again. Meanwhile my father had called the vet and she dropped all she had and came racing. My father came home, I was still holding Tulle and talking to her calmly. I was crying already at that point, I knew where this was heading. My father loved that dog so much and when he came home (he was in the far end of our plantation) he totally broke down, seeing her like that. I've only ever seen my father cry once more in my entire life, and that was when I returned Eo to Poland (my old akita for those of you who don't know).

Shortly after the vet arrived, and Tulle was given peace. I truly hope there is a dog heaven, for she deserves to have a happy afterlife with no pain and no worries.

She was a real special dog, with many quirks and strange habits, and that makes her even more unique in my heart. I will love her forever!

A few pics:

With my father:

11 years old:

Rakka and Sosuke met some coyotes

hondru — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:53:46 -0500

I took the pups down to the dog run in the coulees this afternoon. I make a point of only taking them in broad daylight... usually. I keep forgetting that the sun sets at 5:00 now. I got down there at 4:30 and it got dark really quickly after that.

It's a really cold day, which usually means no one's down there, and today was no exception. The parking lot was empty and I didn't see anyone. Imagine my surprise when halfway through our walk, two dogs came up and greeted Rakka and Sosuke. And imagine my surprise when I realized that they were coyotes! Rakka walked up to them calmly, and they sniffed at each other a bit. Sosuke's hackles went up and he hung back, huffing a bit and looked at them suspiciously. Then I decided we'd better head back. Rakka and Sosuke came right back to me when I called. The coyotes hung around a bit and then went on their way.

It didn't last too long, but man that was weird. It wasn't much different than meeting another dog out in the coulees. They were about the same size as Rakka (35 lb).

Oh, and I did take pictures, but it was dark, so all you can see is the grass right in front of me lit up by the flash, and then blackness.

Kai's height

MirkaM — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 08:31:42 -0500

What is your Kais height at withers? I just measured Nuuk today and he seems to be 46cm heigh. I'm a little worried because we are going to dog show in two weeks and Nuuk sure isn't going to fit to the FCI standard. Well, I just have to keep my fingers crossed that the Japanese judge is also familiar with KKA standard and don't measure Ife nor Nuuk. But the Finnish judge... Well, I just have to hope the best.

Koyuki (aka #2, aka Yuki) up date.

shishiinu — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:32:36 -0500

Well not a real update since I cant get crap to wor for me to post photos.

She is probably the hardest pup I have had to work on. She is a firecracker and just want to do her own thing. She just got her shots and after a fecal test we found out she has some round worms so she's gonna be staying away from the other dogs for a few weeks. Oh and did I mention she has a attitude of a dog 5 times her size? She is one fierce mofo for sure. I just got her to calm down and learn basic stuff like sit, down, come, and working on stay.

She is right a about 11 lbs and a stalky little girl. She is just rutheless on the wild boar skin but is very loving and just want to play....all the f'n time. One of my friends found a live wild hog piglet so I may take her over for a little test. Other then that she is doing great and I am confident that she will be a great hunting dog. Just a little bit longer on the spam.

Brag- Maluko Qualifying 1st leg for Rally Novice with a 2nd placement

sandrat888 — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:57:19 -0500

Maluko qualified for her first Rally Novice leg today with a score of 95 points (100 points is the maximum you can get and you need 3 qualifying legs under at least 2 different judges to get a Rally Novice title) and second placement in her class (Rally Novice A and the 1st placement got 96 points).

Growing up, I never had a dog in my life, so she is my first dog ever and of course, my first Shiba.

She did really well and paid attention to me through out the course. She just couldn't resist the urge to scratch at the last station and I had to ask the judge for a redo, costing us 3 points. I can't be prouder of her as this is something that I never expected we would do when I got her 15 months ago. And we only started learning Rally signs about 4 months ago.

We are getting our ribbons for 2nd placement (red ribbon) and qualifying (green ribbon)

Celebration at home with a frozen Kong.

What I like a lot about Rally is that it is supposed to be fun and handlers are encouraged to talk to their dog unlike in traditional competition obedience, you can only use either verbal or hand signals and commands can not be repeated.

And what matters most to me is that Maluko enjoys Rally and the chance to work together as a team on the course. I hope we will do well tomorrow too, but as long as we are having fun, the rest isn't really that important.

Kaeda Year Two Photos 11-20-2011

*JackBurton* — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:24:31 -0500

K - Turned two on November 19th. Figured it was a good time to start a new post.

X-Mas/Festivus Update:

DIY - Quick temporary tags

hondru — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:39:03 -0500

Here's a tip for if you're travelling with your pet. Make these tags and put all of the contact information for the places you'll be staying and the dates you'll be there. Make as many as you want and switch them out when they're no longer needed. Even if you don't bring your pet, you can put on tags for wherever they are being boarded and to where you're at so that you will definitely get called if they are found. You can easily change the information and you don't have to wait for them to come in the mail.

You need the following items:

-Plastic/rubber key bands
-instant laminating sheets (or just tape, although that's not as sturdy)
-a split ring
-scissors
-paper

I'm sure you see where I'm going with this. Print off your info or write the info on a piece of paper. Cut the paper out, them laminate it, leaving ample empty space around the paper so that it will be more water resistant. Then laminate it, and cut the laminated part to be the same size and shape as the key band. Cut or punch a hole to fit the split ring through. Put it in the key band as if it were a key, put on the split ring, and there you go. Attach it to the collar and you're set.

Paracord Collars - slip off tag collar added to OP

hondru — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:00:48 -0500

So, here are the paracord collars I made. One for each dog, plus a cat collar. The dog collars have their boomerang collar tags built in and whistle buckles, and the cat collar has a break-away buckle. The O-rings on the dog collars are salvaged from other collars and harnesses that got chewed up. Sosuke's collar used the "cobra stitch", Hester's was the "see-saw knot", and Rakka's was woven. The paracord has a reflective strip in it.

Close-up showing the three different styles:

Modeled:

I was thinking, "I bet Juno would look good in the purple one..." So here's Sosuke 'in drag' proving me right! Yeah, the wall behind was painted by the kids, but it looks nice with the purple.

Reflective!

Here's a very simply, thin tag collar. It's tied in such a way that it will pull loose if the dog is stuck on something, although it requires quite a bit of pressure to loosen it, so you could use it to grab onto them. This would be good for owners of show dogs whose fur they don't want flattened by a regular collar, or for owners who worry about dogs getting their collars caught on a crate or a fence. Also good for a litter of puppies.

Tagg The Pet Tracker (GPS tracker)

sandrat888 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:35:43 -0500

I have had this product for almost a month now, but never had time to write up a review myself. However, I found a 3rd party review online today and thought I would pass it on here.
http://pawcurious.com/2011/11/product-review-tagg-the-pet-tracker/

I will be able to answer questions of the product based on my experience so far. If you are interested in getting one of this GPS tracker for your beloved pet and have questions that are not covered by either the review or the company's website http://www.pettracker.com/ . Feel free to ask here. I will do my best to share what I know.

I only have one pet tracker on Koji now as it is an experiment purchase. When the product was first launched, they only have the bundle package (docking station + the tracker) ready for shipping and the standalone tracker (for multi-pet household) was on back order. I have not got one yet for Maluko and was constantly teased by people that I love Koji more to put the tracker on him. I always laughed and said I love them both, but Koji is more likely to get lost. I may get an additional tracker for Maluko, but for now, only the boy gets the GPS treatment.

"Beware of Dog" "No Trespassing" and liability

the_november_rain — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:17:22 -0500

Hey Guys!

I was wondering if any of you have a "Beware of Dog" and/or '"No Trespassing" signs on your property. And are you worried about liability if your dogs were to bite a strange who manages to get on your property.

Anyone get the Dog World July issue on Shikoku? (corrected the month issue)

CrimsonO2 — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:27:42 -0400

If you got it is it worth subscribing to read the article? The editors came to the Pet Expo and met Corina's pack and Kurenai and they wailed that they had *just* sent the article to the printers.

Jesse

Kai Ken in NH?

Nozomifarm — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:37:56 -0500

So, earlier today I was at an agility trial and was chatting with friends about my new puppy, and one of them (who happens to work at my vet) got very excited when she heard I was getting a Kai and asked me if I knew the local person who has one? Apparently there is someone who owns a Kai who lives near me, and happens to be boarding their dog at my vet this very weekend! The owner had told the staff at the vet that hers was the only Kai Ken in the State of NH (which is probably true for the next 48 hours). I know my vet won't give me the other client's name or contact info, but I stopped by the vet's office on my way home in the hopes that I could leave the Kai owner a note introducing myself, but they'd already closed.

Does anyone know who this person or this dog is?!? I would love to get in touch with a truly local Kai Ken owner! Until I heard of this dog, I had assumed that Chrystal's Juno was the closest Kai to me (they're about 2.5 hours away).

Please help by voting for Ghost!

jikjak — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:42:42 -0400

i believe you can vote once a day, Fido will also donate $1 to Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides for each vote received.
thanks!

http://www.fidocastingcall.ca/dogs/18319

Your Akita experience?

PurpleFalcon — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:35:03 -0400

So I’ve been sifting through the forum for a while and reading everything I could find about Akita and I still feel like there are so many questions running through my head and I don’t always find an answer or I want to know more. So, I thought I’d post my own Q & A with questions I had and hopefully some of you Akita owners(current or past, American or Japanese) could answer. I know some of this stuff has come up on the forum in the past but, I’m hoping more people will answer so I can kind of see many people’s experiences with their dogs. I also want to know how the answers change from American to Japanese Akita, or if they stay the same. I’m sure that most of the answers will also depend on the individual dog. So please answer whatever questions you want and let me know if your dog is an AA or a JA. I’m just trying to learn as much about the Akita as possible so I can make an informed decision if it’s really the breed that’s appropriate for my lifestyle.

Hopefully this will help other people too since these are probably questions most people will eventually want the answer to. Most of the questions are aimed at "you" and "your Akita", I want your personal experience as much as possible as well as general breed info. Please specify if your Akita is an AA or a JA.

Question time!

1. What is the difference in temperament and behavior for the American vs. Japanese Akita, is there one?

2. Who does your Akita bond most with? Is it the entire family, a couple individuals or just one person?

3. Does your Akita love to meet new people or are they somewhat wary of strangers?  Do you notice any difference between meeting strangers on the street or strangers in your home?

4. What kind of activity level does your Akita have? Does it prefer to sleep all day or are they excited to go for exercise? How about their endurance, how long can they exercise?

5. Is it true Akita can’t be trusted off leash? – I saw this in a lot of places, I’m assuming it has to do with their high prey drive, liability issues, other dangers and maybe they’re not known for recall? What’s been your experience? (Also, obviously I don’t mean off leash just anywhere. I mean somewhere remote where you won’t be around a lot of people or more then 1 or 2 other dogs.)

6. Dog sports? I'm really interesting in doing some sort of dog sport in the future. I've seen some people do agility with their Akita(someone on this forum and then of course youtube) and it looks like fun. Does anyone else do a dog sport with their Akita?

7. How trainable was/is your Akita? I know they're not as easy to train as a German Shepherd and they're a little easier to train than some of the Ninon ken but....that doesn't really help me a terrible amount since I've owned neither. I mean I kind of get the idea but...why don't you explain how long it took you to learn basic commands and what were your training challenges? How good was your dogs attention span?

8. How good is your dogs recall and how hard did you work with them on it?

9. Can you describe your dogs "independence." I'm assuming this means they don't have to be by your side constantly but, does that mean they just chill on their own all the time? Watch you do stuff Able to entertain themselves when you're busy and can't play?(I don't mean all day, I just mean like you're cleaning the house and the dog wants to play.)

10. Other? Is there anything important about the breed, or special about your dog you want to share? Any insight on what about your lifestyle has made your Akita ownership successful?

If you can answer any of those it'd be really helpful :D

Wow I didn't mean for this to turn into a novel....oops.

Puppy cuteness

JennAB — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:24:06 -0400

Just thought I'd share ... posted our first Video on Youtube (finally). Here are our pups at 6.5weeks old! Enjoy.

Be careful what you wish for!

BradnJess — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:18:32 -0400

Not three weeks ago, we started buying the staples (lead, chew toys, bed) for the shikoku pup from Katja that we hoped to receive this coming spring. Not a week ago, we lamented the fact that if we got a pup this spring, Yamato would not be the sire.
The very next day, we got an e-mail from Katja.
Due to the size of the litter, and maybe more importantly, the fact that it was five male red sesame pups, we got the option of taking the last pup.
So, we hummed and hawwed about sticking to the plan or taking the wonderful opportunity that now seems fated. Be careful what you wish for! It caught us off guard, but it couldn't be more perfect. So, needless to say, we're getting a Yamato and Kimi pup this September!! :D
We have no idea how we got so lucky, and we're in a controlled-frenzy topping off the list to be prepared for our new pup. It's a good thing we started buying early. :) Got the vet and puppy classes already lined up, and 'good' list of puppy essentials (kongs etc) to get and puppy training protocals ready. It's amazing how a looming deadline gets your ass in gear.

We know it's all been said and asked before, but if anyone has any advice to offer, or a link to post which would be helpful, we would be very appreciative. We've scoured this forum for a while, but we know there's a lot of hidden gems we may not have come across.

We were just bursting to share this wonderful news and look forward to sharing our experiences on this forum.

Do you think dogs understand the concept of quantity?

brada1878 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:39:27 -0500

This is something I've been thinking about a lot, for awhile now, and I'm really torn on it. Do dogs understand the correlation between quantity and result (for lack of a better term)?

Like, do dogs understand more food is better than less food? Or that larger treats mean more tasty goodness? Or that a bigger bone is better than a smaller bone?

Or even the flip - more pain is worse than less pain?

If you set up an experiment where you placed 2 bowls in a room with the same food in them, the only difference is that one bowl had more food in it. Then you let a dog come in and eat the food for 45 seconds before the bowls were taken away. If you did that 5 times for each dog, in a group of say 100 dogs, do you think the result would be that the dogs started going for the bowl with more food more often once they learned that they only had 45 seconds to eat... or would it just be random?

I know in training there is the concept of a "jackpot", where you give a dog more treats for performing an action really well... but I dunno if it's ever been proven that a dog really understand that the "jackpot" is better because there is more of the treat.

Thoughts?

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Dog Walking Belts...

brada1878 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:44:09 -0500

We've discussed these a bit in the past, but I just stumbled across this one and thought it was a nice idea. You can use it with any leash, it seems...

http://www.windchill.com.au/walking_belt.htm

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Our Kishu-Yuki Okami

awolfamongsheep — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:15:32 -0500

Here are some recent pics of our Kishu Ken-" Yuki Okami" About 4 months here.