How do strangers see your Nihon Kens?
  • Vulpesvulpes89Vulpesvulpes89
    Posts: 81
    My Akita mix is rather polarizing. Strangers often stop me on the street and ask if he is an Akita. Either they hate him immediately and tell me off for walking him in a neighborhood or they gush and tell me how beautiful he is. Even after I explain he is a mix no one ever changes their tune, he's wonderful, or they hate him.

    Do Akitas specifically and Nihon Ken in general, always get such extreme reactions, or is it just the people in my area?
    image
  • ceziegcezieg
    Posts: 1050
    Dog parks: "How did you get a fox?!" "Is that a dog?" "She's so wolfy!" combined with a lot of attention lol.

    Streets/Walks: Usually comments of "Aww she's so cute/dainty!" and little kids will always want to pet her. Ren's not all that comfortable with strangers, much less hyper kids. So that doesn't always go that well, but if they're polite and actually listen then I'll hold Ren while they can gently pet her neck.

    Actually, I haven't had any negative responses outside of one lady with an aggressive anklebiter asking me to pick up Ren so that her dog doesn't get in a fight with her... while her dog was offleash... lol
    Ren, Kai Ken (f, intact) 02-01-2012
    Kirin, Alaskan Noble Companion Dog (f, intact) 05-04-2015
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    People are curious about her, and it usually results in me trying to get them how to say 'shikoku' correctly... not 'shikuukuu'. And then I give up. That, and emphasizing it's not a shiba mix.

    I sense a little hesitation once in a while, especially after comments such as "she looks like a coyote"... but overall it's been ok. Mostly just generous compliments. There's no real baggage with the shikoku breed, though, so I don't expect any negative attitudes going her way. Mostly just lots of questions and "awwwwe she's like a long legged fox!".

    Once in a while I feel obligated to tell people she's talky when she plays. Some people aren't used to that and it freaks them out.

    I've seen people with stigma against American Akitas, but not so much the Japanese Akita. Weird!
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-03-17 05:10:27
  • Vulpesvulpes89Vulpesvulpes89
    Posts: 81
    I try not to let children pet Tin just because he is so large and tends to excite easily (we're working on that) but if they insist and seem ok around big dogs I let them ruffle him up a bit. Tin loves kids. For me the kids have never really been the problem it's the parents. I'm praying the Akita doesn't go the way of the pit bull. I'm hoping seeing Tin on a regular basis might change their minds about the purebreeds.
    image
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    Posts: 2215
    With my 3 it's usually the following from kids; "That one looks like a fox! That one looks like a wolf...no, it looks like a coyote!". *Shrug* I usually cross the street when people are incoming because 3 dogs on leash is enough to make anyone wary and I don't usually abide by making sure my dogs are on a strict "heel" so they can enjoy the sights and sounds of the outside.

    Also, any adults who engage me fall under 1 of 2 conversations

    Conversation 1:
    Them: "Are they Shibu Emus?"
    Me: "Shiba Inu? Well, that one is. These two are cousins of a Shiba."
    Them: "Oh, well they're beautiful!"
    Me: "Thank you."

    Conversation 2:
    Them: "Oh they're beautiful, what are they?"
    Me: "Thank you. These are Japanese hunting dogs/huskies."
    Option 1:
    Them: "Well they're just beautiful."

    Option 2:
    Them: "Oh, what are they called?"
    Me: "They're called Shikoku."
    Them: "they're what?"
    Me: "Shikoku. Like the Japanese island of Shikoku?
    Them: "...."
    Me: "Just do a google search for 'Japanese husky'"


    Jesse
    Jesse Pelayo

    Post edited by CrimsonO2 at 2015-03-17 11:01:56
  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    Shikoku
    - wolf
    - husky
    - elkhound
    - coyote
    - German Shepherd
    - or any of their mixes

    People try to pet TK without asking ALL the time. I have to constantly be on guard because he WILL bite them.

    With the Kishu...
    - wolf
    - husky
    - coyote
    - German Shepherd
    - "what breed is that?"

    People tend to not stop me about the Kishu as much. I think they assume they are mixed breeds because they aren't as obviously refined as the Shikoku.

    We get Akita and Shiba Inu for both breeds, too.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
    Post edited by Crispy at 2015-03-17 11:33:56
  • poineapoinea
    Posts: 45
    I get a mix result for Ty (kai ken).
    Although, I love it when people are very determined and say that he 'is a mix'. Even after going through the spiel of Japanese etc.

    So common ones are - Shepard, Akita
    and then my favorite - "Is that a Hyena!?" "He isn't? He sure looks like one" "Oh, well that's cool"

    Although, I do get the occasional "He is GORGEOUS"
    I even have a neighbor who will stare at him (and my shiba) when they are on the balcony, because she cannot get over who amazing they look. Yea, she's creepy.

    Asako - 5yr/f/Shiba | Ty - 4yr/m/Kai
    Instagram: poinea
    -------------------
    image
  • sukiandlunasukiandluna
    Posts: 58
    My Kais are simply "Black Shibas" usually accompanied by the "I didn't realize Shibas came in black!" comment. :)
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    These comments are hilarious. A few weeks ago I'd wanted to make a thread asking "how do you deal with explaining what breed your dog is?" but thought it'd be weird. Apparently not rofl

    If I'm getting the sense that explaining what she is would be difficult, I resort to saying she's a "Japanese Wolfdog' and leave it at that. That way they can at least google it if they want, and shikoku will come up on wikipedia xD
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-03-17 19:19:40
  • TheYetiTheYeti
    Posts: 166
    Yeah I've used the term 'Japanese wolf dog' more than once. When I respond with 'shikoku' that usually gets a 'huh?! What's that?'.

    'A bigger breed than a Shiba but smaller than an Akita' just seems kind of clumsy. Everyone thinks he is an awesome looking dog though. I've only been asked if he was a coyote once.

    We have an ID card for Rollo for when we travel but the vet tech put on the card that he was a Shiba inu. We actually argued with her and had her do a google search for her to actually believe that a shikoku is an actual breed!
    To err is human, to arrr is to pirate.
  • akitariseakitarise
    Posts: 180
    Always get the comment " your huskies are so beautiful"
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    Posts: 2215
    Always get the comment " your huskies are so beautiful"

    to which I think it's not worth it to correct and just kindly reply..."Thank you!"
    Jesse Pelayo

    Post edited by CrimsonO2 at 2015-03-17 23:48:45
  • zandramezandrame
    Posts: 529
    Kouda (Shiba) gets called a fox and husky all the time. Followed up with "how big will she get?" - always female, lol.

    But on our Sunday evening walk we passed a gentleman who paused and exclaimed like a statement, not a question, "Oh, a fox terrier!" He seemed very proud of himself, but we had to tell him the truth. ;)
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    Posts: 2215
    Fox Terrier?? That's not even close!

    image
    Jesse Pelayo

    Post edited by CrimsonO2 at 2015-03-18 00:02:15
  • roninshibaroninshiba
    Posts: 63
    There are quite a few Shiba Inu in the SF bay area, so a lot of people ask if Kuma is a Shiba, which he is. Then they ask if Kiyomi is as well, and I usually tell them she's a Shikoku. The usual reaction is "oh, okay" and that's where it ends. Only one person asked how to spell Shikoku so that he could google it...

    With, Kuma and Kiyomi on leash most people tend to steer clear. I think Kiyomi looks a bit intimidating to most folks.
  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    I personally dislike including "wolfdog" or "husky" in my breed explanations because I don't think they are accurate to the temperament of the Shikoku I have met. They act more like a terrier and a herding dog love baby, to me, so I usually just tell people the breed name if they seem genuinely interested or say "Japanese boar-hunting dog", lol.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • WrylyBrindleWrylyBrindle
    Posts: 3289
    I don't even say "boar" because I appear to lose all credibility when i do and conversation stops. Nobody believes these little dogs hunt boar (they only seem able to envision catch dogs), so I say "one of the hunting spitz-types" or "Japanese hunting dog."

    THEN we get down to "looks like a fox" or "pretty sure that's a coy dog."
    but only if it's Juno.

    Matsu is easily accepted as a "dog" and most people ID him as a young akita or akita mix. Nobody ever says he looks like a fox or a coyote.
  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    I never used to add "boar" in there, @wrylybrindle, but I remember when I was talking to Jessica about the Shikoku - when I went to meet her dogs - was when I started including the "boar" part. She brought up some points that made sense to me: when you say hunting dogs, people think retrievers and spaniels. When you tell them what they hunt, it paints a much different picture of the dogs because they ARE so small.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • CaliaCalia
    Posts: 3977
    Usually when I'm out in public, the hubby and I will have all of the dogs (1 light grey male husky, 1 mostly white male husky, 1 b/t male shiba, 1 b/t female shikoku). Most often people seem to think that the NK are the puppies of the huskies, and are really surprised when they find out that the shiba is the oldest of the bunch. When people ask about my Shikoku's breed, the conversation went as follows:

    person: What breed is that
    me: Shikoku
    person: Shibu-what?
    me: It's a Japanese hunting dog, related to the Akita.
    person: Oh, it's an Akita. How Kawaii!! (*yes, after that they sometimes pretend to be Japanese*)

    If I feel that the person make get dollars signs in their eyes, I just go straight to saying she's a Japanese hunting dog or miniature AKita, and often they just assume she's a pretty mutt.
    image
    Post edited by Calia at 2015-03-18 13:23:25
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    It's just easier for the asker if I reply with 'Japanese Wolfdog' and like I say, they can research it closer if they want to because it's a hell of a lot easier for english speakers to remember than the alternatives. Haha. Though if they tarry a while, I'll go in to the proper breed name and expound on their histories a bit. It's just a mouthful to go in to if you do it for every person!

    Then again I'm the sort who gets irked at the mispronunciation of 'sake'. So 'shikuukuu' about does me in ... and correcting people more than once just makes me feel rude xD
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-03-19 00:53:56
  • esquimeauxesquimeaux
    Posts: 13
    These are hilarious. Our shiba always gets confused and interested comments because I guess Black and Tan shibas are not as well recognized in our area. Happily, mika loves kids and attention from them, so she's happy to oblige as the smallest of our dogs when kids want to pet her. My moms red stocky shiba definitely gets the "You have a pet fox?!" reaction a lot. But the best was when we had our rhodesian ridgeback out at the dog beach and a guy remarked to his lady friend, "that's one of those lion killing dogs, the Ethiopian Pinback."
  • OaklandOakland
    Posts: 21
    Then again I'm the sort who gets irked at the mispronunciation of 'sake'. So 'shikuukuu' about does me in ... and correcting people more than once just makes me feel rude xD

    If one more person asks me if Nyx is a "shibu" and/or repeats "shikoku" as "shikoko," I'm going to swat them on the nose. Is this wrong? Are we bad ambassadors of the breed/NKs? It drives me up the wall. The worst is when people whisper "shibu" in passing and don't give me a chance to correct their egregious mistake.

    You want Shibu? I'll give you Shibu (thanks, Google):
    image

    People always ask if she's a fox, wolf, or coyote. I've learned the word for "wolf" in Spanish because of her. The most common assumption is that she's a husky mix and although we don't get it nearly as much as when she was a puppy, basenji was commonly thrown in there. Also,most folks assume she is going to be super friendly, maybe because she's got such a cute face, but she mostly ignores them. Some people are pretty relentless with trying to get her attention so we have to body block and run away.
  • mdokicmdokic
    Posts: 1020
    Idk, nothing really bugs me at all... I tell them what my girls are and if they respond in some way that shows they disregarded what I say or pronounce it wrong I just shrug, and hope maybe they learned something from me :)

    If not, I tried! :P

    I think you'll just learn not to care at some point.. ex: at a brewery a little while back, a man in crutches quickly approached my older kai girl.. she got a little scared, and took some time to warm up to him and be comfortable. His friend said "you know, you just gotta take your dog out more and expose them to things, otherwise they'll be fearful of anything like that"... anyone who knows how kona grew up would laugh (she literally has always gone everywhere with me...class, parks, schools, breweries, walks everywhere, hikes, etc...) Old me would've gone on the defensive explaining everything. With this guy I just said "you know, you're probably right" .. smiled, and ignored him the rest of the night :)

    Care about those who care and seem interested, shrug everything else off. not worth it bugging you :P
    Michelle, with Kai girls Kona and Kimber
    DSC_6037_NEW_banner
  • WrylyBrindleWrylyBrindle
    Posts: 3289
    ^ that! :)
  • ValkyriiValkyrii
    Posts: 157
    Nero has been called the typical 'wolf' 'fox' 'shiba' etc.

    I just tell people he is a cat.
  • DragonflyDragonfly
    Posts: 388
    Most people I meet think Kiyoshi (Shikoku) is a coyote, german shepherd, akita, wolf, shiba inu, or husky mix. Everyone thinks he's gorgeous except a lot of people get scared when he looks them directly in the eyes and stares....lol But I like when there's people that want to know about the breed and will keep asking me questions and try to figure them out. Say they want to do research them/google it.

    The biggest problem is that most people can't spell Shikoku, let alone pronounce it, so I made business cards for Kiyoshi with his breed info and fb page link on it :) They're adorable hahaha. That way there's no excuse to NOT remember how to spell SHIKOKU and they can take it home and look it up :) Maybe even decide to get one someday, who knows!
    photo Kiyoshi-SteveNakatani-2014-1165gnew_zps67b88604.jpg
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    @Dragonfly The shikoku card is actually a really neat idea, rofl! The spelling thing is why I sometimes tell them to google japanese wolfdog. It works ;P

    Also @Oakland thank you for totally understanding my pain, haha. Shibu emu and shikookoo are the ones I hear the most. Though this whole 'card' thing would totes solve that problem...
  • ceziegcezieg
    Posts: 1050
    You mean how people see our foxes and little wolves? :P
    I usually just say "Japanese hunting dog" and more often than not that's all they care to know. The rest of the time I just said "Kai" and "Hokkaido Inu, from the Hokkaido area of Japan"... since the Ken part just creates more problems than answers lol.

    @Kaja Shinkookoo LOL first time I've heard that one.
    Ren, Kai Ken (f, intact) 02-01-2012
    Kirin, Alaskan Noble Companion Dog (f, intact) 05-04-2015
  • emi802emi802
    Posts: 296
    @Dragonfly business cards... that's genius!

    Katsu gets the usual fox, wolf, coyote, akita, shiba inu, weasel face comments. Quite a few people think he's a basenji too--must be the curly tail.

    Most people also respond with "shikoko" so I often also say Japanese wolf dog or Japanese hunting dog. There are a handful of Japanese people we've met that get really surprised when they hear he's a Shikoku haha. They usually think a little, ask again, then have a shocked look.
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    Yeah! My friend's mom is Japanese and was really surprised when she found out I had a shikoku. Like. REALLY surprised. Though she said something about fighting dogs, so I don't know if she was expecting a shikoku ken or a tosa... since they are also from the Shikoku area.
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-04-30 22:32:37
  • yo_eddyyo_eddy
    Posts: 90
    A little boy learning to ride his bike on my street always greets Yuki with "Hi Wolf!"
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    Posts: 2215
    @Kaja, you're right in the sense that if you were to say Shikoku-ken or "Kochi" ken, some Japanese people would think of the Tosa. I've had it happen to me before when I'ved talked to some Japanese people. Shikoku (and the other region-specific dogs) are just that unknown/rare.

    Jesse
    Jesse Pelayo

  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    My Shikoku was a Shih Tzu for a while according to his license in Providence, RI. I said "Shikoku" and that's what they wrote.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • WhoBitMeWhoBitMe
    Posts: 1938
    I was recently walking downtown and after I told some young men that Meitou wasn't friendly for petting they decided his name was Killer and he was training to get into the military.
    1 Human + 1 Hokkaido
    RIP Amy (Border Collie)

    “Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket.
    But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.”
    --Patrick Rothfuss, A Wise Man's Fear

    "Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."
    --Brandon Sanderson, the First Ideal from The Stormlight Archive.
  • kshiaukshiau
    Posts: 12
    Everyone who has seen Akira has thought he was beautiful, and a girl :), but none of them had ever heard of a Kai Ken before. I get "he's a husky/shepherd/wolf/cat/fox/akita" mostly. This guy across the street thought i was pronouncing 'Akita' wrong in saying Akira is a 'Kai Ken'.
    Post edited by kshiau at 2015-07-15 16:49:32
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    Went to a dog fair recently, and Kaja got a lot of attention. Some folks thought she was an akita puppy. Some figured she was a big shiba. Most comments were like, "she looks like a fox!" or "like a coyote crossed to a shiba".

    One woman just straight came up to me and asked how I managed to get a coyote as a pet. At least that was better than the young woman who asked if Kaja was a fox mix. I gently explained that foxes can't breed with dogs. xD
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-07-27 02:54:45
  • TheYetiTheYeti
    Posts: 166
    Ive had a lot of 'aww what a cute little wolf' and 'is he a fox?' Over the past week. I've had him out lots around other people over the past few days. There have been a few to whip out their phones, take a picture of him and write down the spelling of 'shikoku'. He gets lots of attention.
    To err is human, to arrr is to pirate.
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    @TheYeti That too! Spelling out the shikoku part for people on their phones, I mean.

    My partner and I are debating getting Kaja a bandana or vest that says something like "I'm a shikoku" on it. Or "Not a fox, not a coyote, not a shiba!". Just for events like dog fairs or whatnot, rofl
    Post edited by Kaja at 2015-07-27 16:03:36
  • RikachanRikachan
    Posts: 89
    These anecdotes are great. It's interesting to read about how Nihon Ken are perceived in America (and I presume other localities).

    I don't have these kind of stories to share. But most of the few other dogs around here are either Western breed hounds, toy-type "yappy" dogs (sorry for the prejudice), or the occasional Shiba-Inu. So when there is any conversation about my girl Rika (Kai Ken) it's either "Otonashii" （meek, quiet, reserved）or "kakko ii" (Cool!)。(All of the above, in my humble opinion).

    There was an interesting thing when we went last year to register at the local municipal centre. Kai Ken are so rare, even in Japan, that when the City clerk first saw her he asked if she was a Shiba. I told him she was in fact a Kai. He actually had to Google the breed to get the proper kanji to write in for her registration papers.

    So yes. Your stories (I loved reading the posts). Things like that can happen even in Japan.
  • sarahnyasarahnya
    Posts: 48
    As a Husky cross it would seem...Akita Inu and Shiba owner here.
  • violet_in_sevilleviolet_in_seville
    Posts: 332
    Oddly, at the new vet clinic we are the first shibas, but the vet was familiar with kai ken. Apparently one of his college friends had two ten year old kai!

    But yes we get the same fox, coyote, baby wolf comments plus mini husky, mini akita, and basenji and corgi guesses too. At least the first three seem to be popular guesses for nk. But my favorite all time reaction was the little kid who told his mom to look at the baby deer (in response to my daintily built shiba girl who looks like a shiba with a sighthound build). Strangely we hear the deer/fawn comparisons in response to her on a semi-regular basis.

    I also like that the new google photos app categorizes them as both dogs and cats.
  • emi802emi802
    Posts: 296
    @violet_in_seville corgi?!?! I wonder why hahaha. Deer is even odder to me!

    The Google photos app does the same with my dog
  • violet_in_sevilleviolet_in_seville
    Posts: 332
    @emi802 - you would laugh even harder if you had ever met my girl. You know how adolescent nk sometimes hit that gangly stage where they've gotten tall and leggy but haven't filled out yet? My girl is permanently physically stuck at that stage. She's got a deep, narrow chest, long legs, and a teeny tiny waist. We jokingly call her the supermodel, and our breeder has referred to her as the little giraffe. We figured she would fill out in adulthood but she never did (and she's six years old now). I think corgis are super cute, but they have short stumpy little legs and that barrel body which is pretty much the polar opposite of our girl. The fawn/deer thing I think is because she's got those long legs.

    The second best comparison I've heard was from my partner who got to play with some adolescent cheetahs during a business trip to South Africa. I believe the cheetahs had been found essentially abandoned as babies on the reserve due to the death of the mom (by poacher unfortunately) so they were raised by the staff. They were quite people friendly so you could pet them and interact with them. When my partner returned he was showing me photos from the trip and mentioned that the cheetahs really reminded him of our girl dog in terms of mannerisms and behaviors, and even play patterns. I was surprised and said, "really?" and looked over at her and she was literally in the exact same pose as the adolescent cheetah in the photo he was paused on at the moment.

    The worst thing I've heard in response was after I explained to some woman that they are a native japanese breed, she said "oh yes, she looks japanese. After all she's got those slanted eyes." My partner thought that the woman's stupidity eclipsed the offensiveness, but to be honest I've never quite been able to let that one go.
  • emi802emi802
    Posts: 296
    @violet_in_seville Little giraffe is such an adorable way to refer to her. Ours is just getting out of his gangly stage (a little over a year old now). Id love to see what she looks like :D it's really interesting that the baby cheetahs play like her and she happened to be in the same pose hahaha
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    Hehe. Kaja is lanky, too, and while strangers haven't said it, we say she looks like a kangaroo. Try taking a photo of them when they have their paws up against your legs and you might see it too, haha ;)

    On the big cats and mannerisms -- yes! We were watching a documentary on lions and we couldn't help but notice similarities to the way our girl behaves.

  • sunyatasunyata
    Posts: 4546
    @Kaja - When my oldest (Bella) was a younger she was incredibly leggy (she still is, just not as much). I always called her my little kangaroo when she was pooping. ;-)
    Bella 2Mountains 2Nola 2
    Casey, with Bella and Nola, hanging out in the mountains of Virginia.
  • sarahnyasarahnya
    Posts: 48
    I get the fox comment a lot with the Shibas, or I get told they are gonna get real big when they grow up lol

    Also with our Akita Inu I've already had a lot of comments asking if she's a Husky and someone insisted that she isn't a pure Akita.

    I don't argue, I just go right along with it, of course they know best!
  • WhoBitMeWhoBitMe
    Posts: 1938
    Yesterday I overheard someone say this about Meitou: "You could mistake him for a wolf!"

    Um....
    1 Human + 1 Hokkaido
    RIP Amy (Border Collie)

    “Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket.
    But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.”
    --Patrick Rothfuss, A Wise Man's Fear

    "Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."
    --Brandon Sanderson, the First Ideal from The Stormlight Archive.
  • sarahnyasarahnya
    Posts: 48
    Okays I've now heard 2 people say, 'is that a cat she's got on a lead' about my Akita pup. I seriously think people need to invest in glasses around here lol.
  • zoomiazoomia
    Posts: 16
    People either gush over my akita girl or they cross the street when they see us coming.
    Very opposite extremes.

    A lot of people ask if she's a chow mix. Or assume that she's a malamute. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is all the people with leash reactive dogs who shoot me dirty looks and mumble about aggressive dogs when their dogs start going bonkers.

  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    Posts: 2215
    There was a guy walking down the street with a garbage bag full of cans making all sorts of noise as I was walking my Shikoku across the street from him on the sidewalk:

    *dogs bark at him and lose their shit*

    Guy: "I thought huskies were supposed to be friendly?"

    Me: "I'm sure they are, but these aren't huskes! They're Japanese Hunting Dogs!"
    Jesse Pelayo

  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    There was a guy walking down the street with a garbage bag full of cans making all sorts of noise as I was walking my Shikoku across the street from him on the sidewalk:

    *dogs bark at him and lose their shit*

    Guy: "I thought huskies were supposed to be friendly?"

    Me: "I'm sure they are, but these aren't huskes! They're Japanese Hunting Dogs!"


    We get "OH! HUSKIES ARE MY FAVORITE DOG! :D" every once in a while. And in my head, I go "well, it's great you can identify your favorite dog." and in reality I go "oh, well that's cool."

    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    Oh @Crispy I feel your pain.

    This happens most often when I go in to pet stores, I've noticed... even if I mention she is a shikoku, people will say things like: "Oh my friend has three of these! One even looks and acts exactly like yours does!"

    And I think to myself -- really? Your friend has three of these? Shikoku? I don't have the nerve to ask them if it's a shikoku for reals or if it's a shiba or something. Sometimes I'll mention how there aren't very many in North America and then they give me a look like I'm absolutely nuts. Like their eyes are saying... yes there are, my friend has three.

    I presume people are mistaken when they say that sort of thing... more often than not I just assume they are thinking of a shiba or a husky variant. But I do wonder, sometimes!
  • jigzzorjigzzor
    Posts: 125
    Number one thing i hear people call katsu... Hmmm i think the biggest annoyance to me is when i say shikoku slowly, they say Shicoco?
  • TheYetiTheYeti
    Posts: 166
    We actually had a battle with our veterinary secretary over what breed Rollo was. She made up an ID card that said Rollo was a Shiba inu. We had to convince her that a Shikoku is a real breed, and the veterinarian straightened her out haha. The card is now corrected!
    To err is human, to arrr is to pirate.
  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    Oh @Crispy I feel your pain.

    This happens most often when I go in to pet stores, I've noticed... even if I mention she is a shikoku, people will say things like: "Oh my friend has three of these! One even looks and acts exactly like yours does!"

    And I think to myself -- really? Your friend has three of these? Shikoku? I don't have the nerve to ask them if it's a shikoku for reals or if it's a shiba or something. Sometimes I'll mention how there aren't very many in North America and then they give me a look like I'm absolutely nuts. Like their eyes are saying... yes there are, my friend has three.

    I presume people are mistaken when they say that sort of thing... more often than not I just assume they are thinking of a shiba or a husky variant. But I do wonder, sometimes!


    I have only had ONE person confirm that they were talking about a Shikoku (the lady like, whipped into a Dunkin Donuts parking lot to talk to me and TK when she saw me walking him and asked me "OH MY GOD WHERE DID YOU GET HIM???"

    We actually had a battle with our veterinary secretary over what breed Rollo was. She made up an ID card that said Rollo was a Shiba inu. We had to convince her that a Shikoku is a real breed, and the veterinarian straightened her out haha. The card is now corrected!


    Auugggh, painful. I actually have been giving my vets my Kishu Ken cards. For TK, I write his breed and give the North American Shikoku Club website.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • WrylyBrindleWrylyBrindle
    Posts: 3289
    someone once told Peggy they had been doing their research for a very long time now and knew ALL about Shicka-coos.
  • emi802emi802
    Posts: 296
    @TheYeti That happened to us too! The vet secretary ignored what we told her and put shiba inu. Then, the vet said "This is a pretty large shiba, especially for his age... and he's the calmest shiba I've ever met!" Then we had to explain he's not a shiba :( At least he fixed it afterwards.
  • shibagirl88shibagirl88
    Posts: 25
    When we first got our two shibas years ago no one knew about shibas so we got husky, fox, wolf, etc. Now a days shibas are super popular so we no longer have that issue.

    Well now we have our Kai Ken baby and not even the vet knew what he was, they had to look it up, they assumed he was a mixed breed shiba and on his records it says "mixed" under breed because the vet office only has a limited list of breeds to choose from and Kai isn't one of them..According to them they cant manually input a new breed. I said boo to that lol!
    Strangers have asked if he is a chow, shiba, German Shepard... once I tell them he's a Kai Ken they say oh wow that's cool and some ask more in-depth questions and others say oh ok yeah he's cute and walk away.

    It is what it is. Doesn't bother me much, its kinda neat to be able to educate people on the breeds especially to the ones that show a genuine interest.
    ~Jen~ Mommy to Raiden the Kai, and Shibas Nalla & Kimba!
    image
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    No one has come up to me knowing she's a shikoku, but I did have someone (with a shiba) ask recently if she was a kishu! I was really surprised by that. Was the most decent guess I'd heard.

    I really am considering making cards, it seems like such a good idea.
  • CrispyCrispy
    Posts: 1905
    lol, @Kaja! I wonder if it's because there are more sesame Kishu in the USA/North America, now. When I first started sharing Nami, people would guess or ask if she was a Shikoku Ken (online, where people generally have more access to random breeds), but now no one questions her breed - and most people get that she's a Kishu right away.

    Tho come to think of it, someone has asked if TK was a Kishu... I don't remember where or when... but it was right after I got Nami.
    Akiyama no Roushya || 秋山の狼室 || www.kishu-ken.org
  • KajaKaja
    Posts: 216
    @Crispy ... really! I wouldn't have guessed that. I wonder what circumstances made the kishu a more known breed.

    It caught me off guard, anyway :D
  • pyleapylea
    Posts: 19
    ~65% of the time people correctly ask, "is that a shiba?" or "is that a shiba inu?"

    The rest of the time I get:
    - "Is that a shibu?"
    - "Is that a puppy or one of those sheena emus?" (uh, both, I guess)
    - "I've never seen a mini husky before!"
    - "Is that an akita puppy?"
    - "Oooh that pup is gonna be HUGE" (I assume they think she is an akita puppy)
    - "I thought she was a pomeranian with a haircut."
    - "That looks like a husky / pomeranian."

    Actually today, some guy ooh'd at Pylea as we were crossing an intersection downtown and asked if he could pet her (in the middle of the crosswalk!) and I said no, and he muttered something about me being Asian as I walked away. I wish I had heard what he said, lol.
  • kaikenonekaikenone
    Posts: 187
    The neighbors father thought the Kai were wolves. Didn't help that Taka killed their 2 chickens. And of course I can't keep a collar on Taka because she chews hem off. That freaked out the neighbors wife so she texted me freaking because they were going to bite her kids. Meanwhile Jim ( the neighbor) at work in another part of the state is receiving phone calls and texts from his wife and dad in between trying to get a hold of me to let me know one of my dogs is out.
    Taka of course has no idea she did anything wrong... Lol. in fact she was quite plesed with herself... Oh Taka please stopping digging out!!
    I have since found her a training collar with pink material threaded through it... There chew that... Hate leaving collars on especially chain ones but I dont want anyone to shoot her thinking she is a wolf.

    One conversation went like this.
    Stranger : what kind of dog is that?
    Me: are you familar with the Akita from Japan ?
    Him : no
    Me: the Shiba Inu ?
    Him: no
    Me: well ok then, they are calld Kai Ken and they are from Japan...
    Him : Kia Kim?
    Me: Nooo Kai Ken.. K-a-i K-e-n .. Kai and Ken like the name. Ken means dog.
    Him: Oh I heard of those... My uncle had one..
    Me: ( of course you have.. Well of course he does)
    Oh great so you know they are a meduim size Japanese hunting dog.!! Awesome !!

    At that point what else can you say!

    Marsha Short
    Mijikai Kennel
    http://kaikenpuppys.tripod.com
  • HeidiHeidi
    Posts: 3386
    I once had a neighbour who insisted Tojo (shiba inu) was an "Ainu Spitz." Which is kind of weird, because Ainu is another name given to Hokkaido Ken. You'd think someone who knew about Ainu would know about shiba inu. But it was really weird, because I'd say, "He's a shiba inu", and she'd respond, "Yeah, an Ainu Spitz." So, I'd repeat, "No, shiba inu", and she'd reply, "Ainu Spitz, that's right."

    *shrug*
    Dogs: Rakka (shikoku), Sosuke (kai), Effie (bc/kelpie)
    Cats: Hester, Batgirl, Stephanie, Harley
  • HeidiHeidi
    Posts: 3386
    Then there's this gem:

    Stranger: What kind of dog is that?

    Me: Shikoku ken.

    Stranger: Whats that?

    Me: A Japanese hunting dog.

    Stranger: Japanese? Oh, she must be really smart!

    Me: Yeah... she gets straight A's...
    Dogs: Rakka (shikoku), Sosuke (kai), Effie (bc/kelpie)
    Cats: Hester, Batgirl, Stephanie, Harley
  • 703pippa703pippa
    Posts: 8
    Sorry to bring up an ancient thread but even here (in Kanagawa, Japan) most people go "Shiba?" at first when they see Sky, and then "wow, Shikoku?!" when I correct them. I've only had one person correctly ID him so far, and that was a woman with four(!) Samoyeds. If only they were more well-known here, too!
  • jellibirdjellibird
    Posts: 27
    even in Japan my Kai gets mistaken for other types of dogs too! I've had him called a shiba especially when he was a puppy, some people were convinced he wasn't a Japanese dog, others have confused him for different nihonken breeds, but it's really heartening when he does get recognized correctly, especially when people are excited to see a kai or just meet one for the first time. It's a bit like he's a breed ambassador.

    One time a couple of little girls kept telling their mom that he was a wolf!
    Post edited by jellibird at 2018-10-30 05:07:00
  • AstorAstor
    Posts: 9
    Stranger: Is that a patterdale? I used to own those.
    Me: no, she’s a Japanese Breed.
    Stranger: yeah, a Japanese dog crossed with a patterdale! I had one of those too.
    Me:... r I g h t

    My friend next to me, who ACTUALLY owned a patterdale:
    image
    Living in the UK with Scamp the Border Terrier and Akiko the Kai Ken
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