The Kishu

The Kishu Ken is one of the six, native, Japanese spitz type dogs. The breed originated in the area known as Kishu (modern day Wakayama and Mie prefectures). Primarily a large game hunting dog, they have traditionally specialized in hunting wild boar and deer. While the Kishu originally included coat colors similar to the other Nihon Ken, due to genetics and breeder preference the majority of Kishu today are white.

Kishu Male 2

A shiro Kishu male

Legend has it that the Kishu are descended from wolves. The story goes that a hunter took pity on an injured wolf he found by the side of the road. All he asked for in return was for the wolf to one day give him one of its pups. The wolf kept its promise, and the pup grew to be a great boar hunter and the forefather of the Kishu. The Kishu is known as a fearless, relentless hunter, and today is still used to hunt deer and wild boar.

The Kishu has also been called the Taichi Ken and Kumano Ken, names taken from areas they originated, but the breed became known as the Kishu Ken after it was declared a Natural Monument. The Kishu has been treasured by the local hunters for hundreds of years. Local paintings from over 700 years ago depict these dogs hunting wild boar. The Kishu managed to survive the changes the country experienced during and after World War 2, protected by the area's isolated mountainous terrain, and by the hunters who prized them for their hunting prowess. The Kishu was declared a Natural Monument in 1934.

Female Kishu

A yushoku Kishu female

Originally the breed was comprised primarily of non-white dogs at a ratio of around 7:3. The trend toward white dogs started due to the popularity of the Ouchiyama line of white Kishu. This line of white hunting Kishu was so impressive that it was bred from extensively. Due to the popularity of these white Kishu, and the nature of the white gene in the breed, today there are very few non-white Kishu left.

The FCI Kishu standard describes the breed as: “A medium-sized dog, well balanced and muscles well developed. The dog has pricked ears and a curled or sickle tail. The conformation is strong, well boned and compact.” The Kishu once came in many color variations, including 'buchi' (spotted or pinto). Today however three colors are recognized: white, red, and sesame. Dogs stand at 49-55cm and bitches at 46-52cm (NIPPO, JKC). The breed has a slightly more muscled, heavy set appearance when compared to the other medium sized Japanese breeds. Like all the Nihon Ken, the Kishu has a double coat made up of coarse outer guard hairs, and thick fine under coat that is shed seasonally.

DSC_0106

A shiro Kishu male

The Kishu is a powerful, athletic, and alert animal. Like most Nihon Ken they are independent thinkers, and have a very strong desire to hunt. A Kishu should be fearless, but not aggressive. They can be territorial and may make good watch dogs, but are not by nature guard dogs or protection dogs. The Kishu as a breed tends to be slightly more approachable by strangers than the other Japanese breeds. They are a rare breed even in their native country with an estimated population of around 10,000-13,000, and yearly registrations of between 700-900. The main breed registry is run by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai.

Comments

  • Awesome write up on the Kishu. =)

    I really like the kishu and how they're still used for what they are bred for.
  • Excellent discription Shigeru. I can read it over and over and this is exactly why I fell in love with the Kishu 25 years ago!
  • Just before Thanksgiving, I took this really awesome photo of a white Akita Inu outside of Denny's. However, my phone is a prepaid Tracfone and I can't e-mail to myself. However, it reminds of a Kishu Inu.
  • edited August 2011
    Thank you for the wirte up on the Kishu. Excellent info. Is there any one here who owns one ?
  • TheWalrus and shishiinu (both on this thread) does.
  • Thank you Okiron. I realized that after I posted my comment.
    Is the breed that common out side of Japan?
    And where in NZ have did you hunt Shishiinu?
  • My distant relatives live south of Aukland and not sure of the exact area but we hunted private property that was probably a hour drive from Waitara. Kishus are really rare outside of Japan and I think I'm the only one hunting wit them outside of the US (I'm sure somewhere theres some one hunting with Kishus).
  • Very interesting shishiinu. I have watched a few videos posted and the look like a very hard dog. Do they ever stand of and bail (bay)? What is the nose like on them? Are they good finders? They certainly have amazing stopping power on the pig! My dogs are all holding dogs and I get a few big vet bills from time to time when they get cut up even though I run rip gear on them. How do you find hunting the Kishu? does it get ripped up more than other breeds due to its fearlesness? How would you rate its prey drive on a scale from 1 to 10?
    Hope you are able to under stand my terminollgy as I am sure we have different words here for the same thing in NZ
  • My dogs are silent on track, mostly hot nose but will strike a old scent, also good sight dogs, they are both bay dogs and catch dogs. Koyuki is more of a bay dog and Taro and Riki are more likely to catch (hold). Taro is from a line of Kishu (Hosoda line) that have been bred to hold but if its a large framed hog my dogs will keep its distance.

    I have friends who have cats and curs and I used to have a Black and Tan hound but Kishus, in my opinion are a dog much suited for long distance running and much more nimble in thick brushy areas. The prey drive on my dogs are about 15 on a scale from 1 to 10. lol. One thing I do have a issue is getting them to not chase trash (cattle, squirrles,etc).

    I run vests on my dogs but most of the time they are smart enough to keep out of reach of a tusker. Shigeru will probably also chime in since he also hunts with Kishus and his dog Barron is a littermate to Taro.
  • Thanx for taking the time to answer. They sound like an excellent dog for hunting boar here in NZ. I am wondering why no one ever has? My girlfriend is from Japan. We are hoping at some time to go back to Japan and get a closer look at hunting over there and maybe do an exchange for a hunt here in NZ. A lot of hunting here is done in thick bush and a smaller dog can be good . My Dogo Argentino is too big in some situations here but does well in the rain forest and native bush in the mountains where it is more open.
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