Properly introducing Hama Yū Gō, AKA Rika-chan.
Properly introducing Hama Yū Gō, AKA Rika-chan.
The background:
I adopted a two year old female Kai Ken a few months ago, and went on a 600+ kilometer round trip (from Fukushima to Yokohama and back) three weeks ago to go bring her home with me.
I was looking for a companion at home and in the mountains, ideally if the dog could hunt (wild boar and maybe pheasant), so I did thorough research on the Japanese breeds, because I feel strongly about the preservation of the Japanese breeds and maintaining the original purpose for which they were bred. I became attached to the Kai Ken, for so many reasons (I have a very soft spot for Shikoku Ken too, but I'll have to wait a little for one).
My searches lead me to Okabe-san's kennel, because his page had a four year old female up for adoption, and my because of my questions, he pointed me towards Kato-San, and after reading through Kato-san's blog, I arrived at this forum.
Because of my living situation and uncertain work schedule, I was looking for a Kai past the puppy stage. A dog that needed a home. Because I was in an elongated transition from a cramped Tokyo apartment to my current house, Okabe-san's Kai was already given a good home back in Yamanashi-Ken. But the man taking care of her before then, S-San, knew of another kennel that had a Kai in need of a home. He introduced me to K-San, in Yokohama. He had a 1.5 y.o. female Kai in need of a home. She's smart, beautiful, strong, but maybe too strong in personality to live in a kennel with three other Kai. The males she gets along with, the senior female of the pack, not so much.
So Rika wants to be the center of attention. Also, she doesn't want to be the second female of the pack. Frankly, judging from my time with her, she doesn't act very feminine, she's quite an Alpha. (perfect match, my wife says U^ェ^U ). People around here think she's a male, and I can understand why. She has a very aggressive stance, and is quite protective of me. So, with a couple meetings with K-San, he felt that I was a good match for his beloved Rika that I could tell he was extremely attached to.
And so, 3/8 we arrived to the kennel to pick her up. It was a long day-long drive to get back home. She got a little car sick, she was a little uncertain about the new life, even refusing to enter the kitchen for food or water for the first day, but she felt comfortable in the tatami bedroom. I might add that this young lady had not had one “mistake” in the house, despite being raised in an outdoor kennel.
Every day we take two hikes. We check boar traps, we hike trails, we look for tracks, signs, scents. We spend about 4-5 hours a day out in the hills around here. Three things for sure. One, she has an incredible hunt drive. She's constantly searching for prey. Second, movement excites her. We flush pheasant a couple times a week, and she goes crazy trying to pursue. Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time of working with her before she can be let off lead for pursuit. Third, fresh scent excites her as well. Especially cat. She loves cats, probably sautéed with a little garlic and shoyu (sorry, bad joke). If I can get her more focused on appropriate prey, I think we'll have some good times.
So I know she has potential. She has the instinct, the drive. But, what about inoshishi? That's what needs to be seen. No traps have caught anything recently, and although I've found a few tracks to follow, she hasn't seemed to show any interest or caught scent. Maybe it's because the tracks weren't that fresh, I don't know. I do know I need to get her close to one to pique her interest, evaluate her resolve against large prey.
In a very short period of time, her wonderful personality had really shone brightly. She's very playful, at times she wants interaction, but often is quite intent on being by herself next to the window to absorb a little warmth in our mid-day. She likes to play rough too. We play fight sometimes as she attacks and I parry, or I'll attack and she barks and growls, then runs back and forth through this little house, slipping on the wooden hallway. She plays rough, but she's still being gentle in her nips and grabs. (Not that gentle at times)
As far as nutrition, she grew up on Science Diet and some kind of Italian wet canned food. With all due respect to other opinions, I wouldn't, couldn't feed her that. So, we started off on Orijen, Regional Red, and it seemed to me her appetite was a little weak. I think it was due to the nutritional density of the food. I fed her the RR with some rice and niboshi (dried fish). She seemed nonchalant about it, so in the past week I started with the K9 Natural Lamb, then started mixing it up with fresh raw lamb (from New Zealand) and raw beef (from Australia). I mix the meat with cooked rice to give her some fiber and carbohydrates. She licks the bowl clean every time. Her waste is less and less odorous. She shows an increased vitality. Just one week makes a difference. I'll try the Orijen Six Fish next to see if her appetite changes. I'm jut looking for the right balance for her nutrition.
Obviously I'm quite taken with her. I feel like we've bonded quite well in a very short period of time (at times it seems like we've been together since she was a young pup), but I also understand that these things take time. I'm of the mindset that a dog is not a thing to chain outside and feed and water, but a family member. To that extent, I feel like I've adopted a daughter. A very macho daughter. You gotta love the Kai for their strength, personalities, and quirks.
Enough about the history, here is the beginning of the spam:
This is Rika at the 137th Tenrankai, placing 4th:
Hunting:
I'll post more soon.
The background:
I adopted a two year old female Kai Ken a few months ago, and went on a 600+ kilometer round trip (from Fukushima to Yokohama and back) three weeks ago to go bring her home with me.
I was looking for a companion at home and in the mountains, ideally if the dog could hunt (wild boar and maybe pheasant), so I did thorough research on the Japanese breeds, because I feel strongly about the preservation of the Japanese breeds and maintaining the original purpose for which they were bred. I became attached to the Kai Ken, for so many reasons (I have a very soft spot for Shikoku Ken too, but I'll have to wait a little for one).
My searches lead me to Okabe-san's kennel, because his page had a four year old female up for adoption, and my because of my questions, he pointed me towards Kato-San, and after reading through Kato-san's blog, I arrived at this forum.
Because of my living situation and uncertain work schedule, I was looking for a Kai past the puppy stage. A dog that needed a home. Because I was in an elongated transition from a cramped Tokyo apartment to my current house, Okabe-san's Kai was already given a good home back in Yamanashi-Ken. But the man taking care of her before then, S-San, knew of another kennel that had a Kai in need of a home. He introduced me to K-San, in Yokohama. He had a 1.5 y.o. female Kai in need of a home. She's smart, beautiful, strong, but maybe too strong in personality to live in a kennel with three other Kai. The males she gets along with, the senior female of the pack, not so much.
So Rika wants to be the center of attention. Also, she doesn't want to be the second female of the pack. Frankly, judging from my time with her, she doesn't act very feminine, she's quite an Alpha. (perfect match, my wife says U^ェ^U ). People around here think she's a male, and I can understand why. She has a very aggressive stance, and is quite protective of me. So, with a couple meetings with K-San, he felt that I was a good match for his beloved Rika that I could tell he was extremely attached to.
And so, 3/8 we arrived to the kennel to pick her up. It was a long day-long drive to get back home. She got a little car sick, she was a little uncertain about the new life, even refusing to enter the kitchen for food or water for the first day, but she felt comfortable in the tatami bedroom. I might add that this young lady had not had one “mistake” in the house, despite being raised in an outdoor kennel.
Every day we take two hikes. We check boar traps, we hike trails, we look for tracks, signs, scents. We spend about 4-5 hours a day out in the hills around here. Three things for sure. One, she has an incredible hunt drive. She's constantly searching for prey. Second, movement excites her. We flush pheasant a couple times a week, and she goes crazy trying to pursue. Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time of working with her before she can be let off lead for pursuit. Third, fresh scent excites her as well. Especially cat. She loves cats, probably sautéed with a little garlic and shoyu (sorry, bad joke). If I can get her more focused on appropriate prey, I think we'll have some good times.
So I know she has potential. She has the instinct, the drive. But, what about inoshishi? That's what needs to be seen. No traps have caught anything recently, and although I've found a few tracks to follow, she hasn't seemed to show any interest or caught scent. Maybe it's because the tracks weren't that fresh, I don't know. I do know I need to get her close to one to pique her interest, evaluate her resolve against large prey.
In a very short period of time, her wonderful personality had really shone brightly. She's very playful, at times she wants interaction, but often is quite intent on being by herself next to the window to absorb a little warmth in our mid-day. She likes to play rough too. We play fight sometimes as she attacks and I parry, or I'll attack and she barks and growls, then runs back and forth through this little house, slipping on the wooden hallway. She plays rough, but she's still being gentle in her nips and grabs. (Not that gentle at times)
As far as nutrition, she grew up on Science Diet and some kind of Italian wet canned food. With all due respect to other opinions, I wouldn't, couldn't feed her that. So, we started off on Orijen, Regional Red, and it seemed to me her appetite was a little weak. I think it was due to the nutritional density of the food. I fed her the RR with some rice and niboshi (dried fish). She seemed nonchalant about it, so in the past week I started with the K9 Natural Lamb, then started mixing it up with fresh raw lamb (from New Zealand) and raw beef (from Australia). I mix the meat with cooked rice to give her some fiber and carbohydrates. She licks the bowl clean every time. Her waste is less and less odorous. She shows an increased vitality. Just one week makes a difference. I'll try the Orijen Six Fish next to see if her appetite changes. I'm jut looking for the right balance for her nutrition.
Obviously I'm quite taken with her. I feel like we've bonded quite well in a very short period of time (at times it seems like we've been together since she was a young pup), but I also understand that these things take time. I'm of the mindset that a dog is not a thing to chain outside and feed and water, but a family member. To that extent, I feel like I've adopted a daughter. A very macho daughter. You gotta love the Kai for their strength, personalities, and quirks.
Enough about the history, here is the beginning of the spam:
This is Rika at the 137th Tenrankai, placing 4th:
Hunting:
I'll post more soon.
Comments
Thank you for posting that wonderful story about how you found her. Sounds like you guys were meant to be. She is a stunner, and what a macho girlie stance! She'll be hunting boar in no time!
@Hinata23 thank you!
@NavyDog I think so too. My wife has said the same.
@Valkryii thank you, it was a bit long winded of an intro perhaps...
@MapleTwinkie as a Kai, she does seem to have a strong flight as opposed to fight instinct, though I have seen her totally indifferent when larger dogs were being aggressive. I think if I can get her "in tune" with the scent, and get her excited about the target prey, the the game is afoot.
@Losech thank you!
@Eiden thank you, I think so too.
During our walks...
Apparently this is where she thinks she should stand as a battle station if she hears noises outside:
There's something special about taking a dog out of a kennel life and bringing them into your home, isn't there?
She's a very healthy, high quality dog, she's shown and placed at last year's Spring KKA Tenrankai, but she is absolutely thriving in this country environment as opposed to an asphalt and concrete kennel.
In just this one month she has flourished. It's astonishing to see the transformation. This breed most definitely belongs in a rugged environment. Their breeding almost demands it.
We've bonded well, and life is good for both of us.
The area where you walk with her seems so good !
I'm looking at these photos from a few months ago and realizing how much muscle she's built. Her chest has expanded, and her legs have toned. These dogs truly thrive in this mountainous terrain. I'm very fortunate that my work requires this level of outdoor time.
She's still eating the Orijen Six Fish (I like that it has Glucosamine for her joints), but she got bored with the lamb (actually, me too), so she's only been eating raw beef for dinner for a while now (me too, but mine has been put on the fire a little (^_^).
@TheSquatchQueen @Eiden yes, this area is an ideal for both dog and her human companion (^_^). Even though it's gotten much warmer, we still spend hours out in the hills every day, doing about 10km or so overall.
One thing I've observed, and I ask anyone else with a Kai to offer their perspectives, is that this normally cool and reserved, even nonchalant and generally friendly to strangers Rika becomes an aggressive and almost enraged and violent dog when another dog, or even sometimes even a person, enters our "personal zone". In walks when other dogs pass she ignores them, even if they bark or act aggressive, but if they pass our (open) window or get close to the house, she's like an entirely different dog. I put up additional wire fence barriers in front of my sliding doors/screens, and it I hadn't, she would have easily punched through the screens to get out at her target. Does anyone else have this experience with a Kai or other Nihon Ken?
Otherwise, her hunt drive is developing at a great pace. We've tracked ~60kg wild boar, and she's wanted so badly to pursue, but I don't trust her off her lead yet. She may never return. Otherwise, we've flushed pheasant, she's hunted and killed snakes, a mole, and if I throw soft bamboo up the hill, she chases it and rips it apart (gotta love a 5m lead). I joke that she's half mountain goat and half panda... but 100% KAI.
As for reaction to other dogs/people etc, again he is only 8 months old so some of this may still be developing. Although we aren't in a rugged area like you are, he is still quite a happy boy (he gets plenty of outdoor time with any one of our family often during the day.) He is very happy-go-lucky on a lead. If he sees a rabbit/goose/deer his prey drive kicks in and he pulls on the lead. He is responding quite well to 'leave it' when we don't want him to take off. Not well enough I'd let him off his lead though.
As far as people, I've noticed almost EVERYONE wants to pat him on the head. As friendly as he is he really doesn't care for that and backs away. He much prefers the open palm approach. If there are kids though all bets are off. He LOVES kids. We are still working on his self control there.
In our home, he has a bird's eye view across the complex and will occasionally lock onto something across the clearing and let out a solitary 'woof' or growl while focused intently. He will occasionally let out a solitary 'woof' for someone in the hallway making noise too, but almost never more than one bark. Up until this point he has never shown any aggression whether to people, food, our cats or anything else. In fact with our cats, he brings them toys trying to get them to play with him. They aren't having any of that though.
He is pretty young still so I keep a close eye on his behavior and any changes I start to notice. We try to keep him very socialized with other dogs and people where we can.
To update:
Rika is my perfect mountain companion. She's easily trusted off leash when we're in the trails (I won't take any chances when we're walking back home along the side of the roads). I release her and we track whatever scent she finds or whatever trails I find.
In the time we've been away from this forum, she's chased rabbit, pheasant, snakes, moles, raccoon dogs (tanuki), and we've chased a few wild boar as well. Unfortunately, I can't seem to break her of her cat fetish (Think Bruce, from "Finding Nemo", I keep telling her that cats are FRIENDS, not FOOD (^_^).
She's still a raw meat and rice kinda girl (but she loves apples, banana, cucumber). However, I've been schooled by my seniors that she's overweight for October's Tenrankai, so it's diet time. I guess I've spoiled her too much with snacks. (~_~) Time to lose a couple kilograms.
I'm happy to see that this forum is still going strongly.