Kishu Ken - Tumblr Posts
I take a lot of pictures of my pets (like a LOT) but I rarely post them because they’re not... that good...
But I want to spread the word about the Kishu Ken (pictured above), and what amazing dogs they are. And hopefully if more people take interest, they won’t disappear forever. So maybe I will start posting all my mediocre pictures. Some content is better than none, right?
How is hatsiharus’ temperment now that he is mostly grow’d up? Stubborn, headstrong? Bitey?
All of the above?? Lol.
At 8 months old, he’s definitely going through his terrible teenage stage right now. He’s been super demanding, full of endless energy, and never seems to be satisfied. That said, he still has an incredible off-switch. Right now he’s curled up on his bed in the kitchen while I work from home. He’s really good at reading the vibe and adjusting his behavior to match the energy of the humans.
He’s extraordinarily stubborn when he wants to be. His favorite game since he was like 6 weeks old is standing/barking at the door and refusing to come inside. But he’s super food-motivated and really easy to train (in a primitive dog sort of way). He likes to learn and he likes to work for food. More than anything he likes to do things with his person, so training is a lot of fun for him. Kishu bond really strongly so getting to be engaged and work with his person is something he really enjoys.
He’s also just super goofy and affectionate. He’s blissfully unaware that he has a corporeal form, so he blunders around the house a lot and does ridiculous things like trying to walk under Shoko even though he’s 3” taller than her. When he tries to join you on the couch, he just sort of thrusts his whole body in your general direction rather than climbing or jumping up.
He’s smart, driven, and focused. I love watching him outside (his favorite place to be) because he is both calm and relaxed, and acutely aware of everything happening around him. He notices and pays attention to every little noise and movement, but not in a neurotic or anxious way. You can see him registering it, considering it, and deciding whether to address it or not. In our city backyard, he usually doesn’t bother. In the woods, his hunting instincts kick in and he’s really in his element. Oh and he’s remarkably sticky off-leash so far. Like I said, very handler focused. (But again, this is all coming from a primitive dog lense. He’s got nothing on a BC for handler focus, lol.)
Anyway I could go on for ages about him. He’s really turning into an incredible dog and I’m so glad he’s in our lives. Here’s a picture of Haru’s dumb excited happy face to make up for all my rambling:
do kishu kens only come in white? they seem to otherwise be perfect to me, but i'm just not fond of solid/predominantly white dogs (i know, i'm shallow).
The majority of Kishu are white, but that’s not the only color they come in! My co-own female, Haru’s dam Cosmia, is sesame, and so is one of Haru’s brothers.
In Kishu, non-white dogs are called yuushoku, which basically means “with color” in Japanese. To quote a recent article posted by the National Kishu Club:
“While at one point, yuushoku Kishu comprised almost the entire breed, some estimates put yuushoku Kishu at only 20-30% of the modern breed makeup, with white coated being the most common by a landslide. This is due to a popular sire effect when a line of white-coated Kishu became popular in the breed's history - this line was extensively bred to, and the number of dogs who were yuushoku diminished over the subsequent generations.”
Since white in Kishu is recessive, you can’t have a non-white coat hiding and pop back up later-- you have to actively breed it back in. There’s definitely been an effort in the US to preserve yuushoku Kishu, and we probably have the highest yuushoku to white Kishu ratio.
Here’s some more examples of yuushoku Kishu:
Riki -- sesame
Toutarou -- sesame
Cuchulainn -- red
Fionnuala -- black sesame
He loves a good scratch
Haru put his favorite socks on 🧦
I have a bunch of Kishu-related asks sitting in my inbox that I hope to spend some time answering today! Some of them are a month old or older, so I’m sorry for the wait. Things have been busy around here but they’re finally settling down and Haru is asserting his favorite place at the top of the stairs.
hey there! i'm super interested in kishu ken, but i'd really like some info from someone who has one! how'd you get a kishu and what sort of lifestyle do they fit? i'm not a super active person although i do like strolling through cities and going on occasional hikes, but i'm pretty sure they're a more active breed? as you can see i'm not a super knowledgeable person haha
Hello!! Thank you for your interest in Kishu~
I’m gonna break this question down into two parts, as I interpret them:
Finding a Kishu
I got my first Kishu, Cosmia, from a breeder. She’s a co-own and doesn’t live with me currently, but I see her often (she’s actually coming to stay with me in a couple weeks!) My current Kishu, Haru, is her puppy from a litter I bred in late 2018.
Basically the only ways to get a Kishu in the US are from a breeder, or importing. Importing is going to cost you a lot more, but it’s currently one of the biggest goals of the National Kishu Club in order to increase genetic diversity in the NA population. If you or anyone is interested in owning a Kishu and willing to import and keep an intact female, reach out to the club and we will help source the right import, assist in the process as much as possible, and potentially even offset import costs as well. If you’d rather go through a US-based breeder, feel free to reach out to me off anon and I can give recommendations.
Of course, this information is all US-centric. If you’re elsewhere in the world, but interested in finding a Kishu, please still feel free to reach out to me privately and I will help you figure out the best place to find a Kishu based on where you live.
Kishu Lifestyle Fit
Kishu are actually quite adaptable dogs, in my experience. While they are a medium-high energy dog, I don’t think they need a crazy active person to keep them happy. More than anything, they love doing things with their person. That might be taking a casual walk through town and hanging out at a brewery while you grab a drink with friends, or it might be a 15-mile hike. As long as they can do something-- anything-- with their person, in which you’re actively engaged and doing it together, they will be happy. Bonus points if that activity is outside!
The fun thing about this is that they will try anything you want to do together. I think they’re a great dog for someone who wants to dabble in a lot of different dog things but doesn’t necessarily want to get a crazy intense sports dog. Kishu have a lot of focus and drive, and will return anything you put into them ten-fold, so there’s a lot of potential there if you find you DO want to go deep into a particular sport. But they don’t need to go deep, and they have fun just trying things out together. And if all you do with them is just walks and hikes, they’re okay with that too!
The other great thing about them is their off-switch. At home, and especially if they’ve already gotten to Do A Thing with you, they are sooo chill. They are good at recognizing “okay this is relax time now” and just hanging out. They like to be near you, sometimes, but they’re never in your face. They let you have days off if you need to, especially after the puppy stage, and they tend to be really in-tune with their person’s needs.
That said, they will not let you be lazy with them. They bond strongly, but you have to be actively working on that relationship, and on doing things together. They’re forgiving if you miss a day or two, but you can’t put them completely on the back burner. They will remind you that they’re a part of your life and you have a responsibility to them. In that way, they’re very self-assured. They know what they want and what they deserve, and they’re not afraid to ask for it. This is one of the many ways I learn from my Kishu every day.
I feel like this graphic from the National Kishu Club is a way more succinct and well-put answer to that last question.
“Standardized in 1934 by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO), the Kishu Ken is one of Japan’s native purebred boar hounds.
Versatile, courageous, affectionate, and full of heart, Kishu Ken comfortably wear many hats. Whether you are looking for a companion, performance dog, an adventure buddy, or a boar hound, your Kishu Ken will gladly follow you anywhere.
The Kishu Ken is happiest when paired with an active family or individual. They have an excellent off switch and enjoy lounging on the couch after a full day. They eagerly want you to be an active participant in their lives.
Time spent on these dogs is not time wasted. They will pour as much of themselves into your lives as you give to them and more. This breed is an extraordinary fit for modern households.”
hello we are just dogs thank you
This is Haru’s dirt mound. He loves to sit on it.
Just found this old picture of Haru and I need you all to experience it
Haru’s dam Cosmia is staying with us this week and fhskalfjdla I love her so much
I was just walking by to put something away in the fridge, and uh.