Unplanned encounters with shikoku: have you had one?

edited November 2016 in Shikoku Ken (四国犬)
Hey guys!! I know shikoku are pretty uncommon. Kaja is in fact the only one I've seen in person. We had an encounter the other day and it prompted me to wonder -- have you guys ever randomly crossed paths with another shikoku?

Our story! The coolest thing happened. I was in Japan for a bit and so left Kaja at overnight doggy daycare. And she met another shikoku! His name was Goma -- so I checked the pedigree database and I'm pretty sure they are even half siblings (Hana is their mom). So there we have it. Kaja met one of her brothers -- and I wasn't even there! I do have photos, though! They seemed to get along well enough, as the photos consist of them chasing one another. :P

From this I learned Kaja is pretty small compared to some other shikoku haha.
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Did I see any shikoku while in Japan? No. I did see plenty of shiba and akita though!

What about you guys? Any encounters and what sort of reaction? I was pretty stunned when I found out Kaja met one without me!

Comments

  • I met my first Shikoku during a random encounter while I was working at a dog daycare. It's the entire reason I ended up with my boy, TK. :)

    Males are significantly larger than females, from what I've generally seen so far, so it's not surprising that she was smaller! He looks quite masculine and she looks quite feminine.
  • Lucky! I haven't had any random encounters (yet) but I've had the pleasure to go out and meet up with one. Looking forward to hopefully getting my pup for 2017. I remember seeing an Akita for the first time... so big and fluffy.
  • Met a Shikoku at UKC Premier last year. No Shiba or Japanese Akitas besides our own (and no other medium NK obviously) ... so it was kind of shocking.

    Turns out she was the daughter's dog. Dog show/breeding people who wanted something exotic and "different" ... meh.
  • That's so cuuuute!! They look like they get along great! :D I'm too paranoid to put any of my shikoku in day care :( All of the other shikoku we've met have been planned meetings. Fortunately, lots of people in our area are on these forums :)

    At most, I'd consider letting Miyuki stay at one because she's quite friendly. However, she's intact, so most day cares wouldn't let her in anyways. Shou apparently grew up going to a daycare since his old owner was a manager at a one. He seems very wary of strange dogs now, so I don't think I'd leave him at one either.
  • @Crispy oh really! That's awesome.

    I encountered a big Japanese Akita tied up outside a grocery store in a small town once. I thought to myself how the owner must be really confident no one would walk off with his dog... and that's saying a lot, considering gypsies in the area were well known for stealing animals out of yards. It was a beautiful Akita. I would never be able to leave my dog tied up outside a shop because I'm worried someone would try to steal her (well, she'd bark at anyone who came near anyway, I guess!).

    @emi802 At the doggy daycare we go to, there are regularly plenty of Shiba Inu, and once in a while some Japanese Akita... though as far as I know these are the only two Shikoku. It's awesome to see them all playing with one another and getting along with all the different breeds. Though all the dogs have to be screened beforehand for temperament, so I guess that factors in. And yeah, all these dogs are fixed. xD

  • @Kaja I've seen plenty of dogs get hitched outside stores here in the city. It recently occurred to me that people steal pets. (Maybe I'm a bit naive but my mind was blown. @-) ) My friend's parents just recently adopted a puppy last week from a lady that couldn't keep him because her current dog was not getting along with the new puppy. So they took him to a store to pick up supplies and this guy approached her and started ask her questions about the pup and proceeded to stalk her until she found her husband. She said she thought this man was going to just grab her puppy from her arms.
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