The pups are 40 days old now. I took them to the vet the other day for a physical, and they all came back with a clean bill of health. Hearts, bites, joints, overall health, all looked good. Not that Kenzo will ever be used for breeding, but I had his testicles checked as well, and one is already descended.
In temperament I'm finding 3 very nice pups, with Summer being the more subdued of the three. She is the most wary of the pups when it comes to strange noises etc, but she really loves people she knows and will work to get their attention. Kenzo is a cuddly roly poly, and is a pretty happy go lucky guy. Momo (temporary name since she doesn't have a home yet) is the pup I would pick as a working pup. She's more vocal than the other three, is the most inquisitive, has decent recovery, and is tenacious. I'll probably temperament test the pups for fun next week.
So here's a short video of the pups, Kenzo (male), Summer (female 1- red), and Momo (female 2- sesame).
The pups are big. I'm used to seeing pups at around 3kg at closer to 2 months old, but these roly polys are already there. And, Momo is now bigger than Summer.
A pic of Momo since she's still looking for a home.
How are people not running to take these pups out of your hands?! I love how the goma pup just plops down lol
ReplyDeleteYeah, Kenzo is a hoot. I've had a lot of inquiries about the pups, but I'm trying to be selective in where I place them.
DeleteI'm a little bias :) (Kenzo's new dad,)but I think this is a great opportunity to own a very rare and beautiful dog. The pups look awesome and Kenzo is stud! I do think the cross makes since and should be a very healthy and strong litter. Baron brings good working ability and Hime is a beautiful female. Maybe people are set back a little because of the politics of crossing the two breeds. I understand the politics prohibits the dogs to be used in a breeding program and I understand why. I also believe in the integrity of keeping breeds pure and understand why it is so important. However, I do think if the Shikoku's are having genetic problems including poor fertility, alternative ideas to strengthen the breed should be entertained. I'm not sure if out crossing is the answer, but many breeds through out history have used this approach with success. I think I'm sounding to political so I will stop there and just say I'm very proud and honored to be able to bring Kenzo into my family and feel in many ways this litter has advantages over a pure litter for me.
ReplyDeleteI think that if I ever entertain the idea of an outcross for the Shikoku, it would be with another breed that is not so closely related. The Kishu have problems of their own, and are a rare breed in their own right. I hope that Kenzo settles in well with you and your family! Thanks for the phone call today.
Delete