Making Entries to the Nihon Ken Database

A user who has been working hard to add information to the Nihon Ken database contacted me to ask why some entries had not been confirmed. This was my reply:

If there is not enough information entered to confirm an entry, or information is not entered in the correct order, then the entry is generally just left in the 'waiting for confirmation' part of the database until it is updated with more information (or corrected).

The reason for this is that since we're trying to track health issues and inbreeding coefficients through this database, an entry that only lists a dog's name can be very problematic. Japanese dog names can be read in many different ways due to multiple kanji character readings, and often names on JKC export pedigrees are not listed correctly. This can mean multiple entries of the same dog, under different names, or someone picking the wrong dog as an ancestor for their dog. It would really screw up trying to track health issues, and of course it would completely ruin calculation of inbreeding and things like that.

Personally, I don't make entries to the database unless I have a registration number. I know some of the other administrators will do it for some dogs when they know the entry is correct, or can confirm it with NIPPO etc 

Also, I thought I'd add here that the correct way to enter a dog's name is in the following order:

Masamine Go 雅峰号 Futomi Sou 太海荘

Name (English), Name (Japanese), Kennel (English), Kennel (Japanese)

And please, enter dog registration numbers. Thank you all for your help with the database!

JKC Appendix Registration for KKA?

 So some massively good news has come from the new JKC Appendix system. Nestled away in the verbage I found a line stating that the JKC would also recognize 'limited registration pedigrees' from listed organizations, and allow them to be transferred to the JKC Appendix registry.

Up until this point it has been impossible to register KKA Kai with the Japan Kennel Club, since NIPPO will only give KKA dogs limited registration (which ironically is what the JKC is now doing to NIPPO dogs), and the JKC would not accept NIPPO's limited registration pedigrees to its registry. It took 3 generations of breeding in NIPPO to finally get a full registration, and then transfer to the JKC registry was possible.

Well after finding that little nugget of a line, I called the JKC registration department and pointed out that the new rule should then allow KKA pedigrees to be transferred to NIPPO, and then the limited registration would have to be recognized by the JKC, right? I just got my reply that yes, with the new rule, they would accept this process.

So there we have it. Starting next year, KKA (Aigokai) Kai being exported from Japan can be issued a JKC appendix pedigree. Of course this is all possible in theory, and I'll believe it when I have seen the process work (I'll do a test run first thing next year with one of my Kai). The process should work, and a JKC Appendix export pedigree should be able to be issued. This tiny bit of sunshine has taken some of the bite out of my frustration with the current FCI/JKC Appendix situation.

JKC Appendix Registration

 

So the JKC has now formally announced that from January 1st, 2022, they will no longer allow 'single dog registration' (単犬登録）from a list of Japanese registries that include NIPPO, AKIHO, and DOKENHO. From January 1st, 2022, they will only accept transfers from these registries to the JKC APPENDIX registry. The cost of transferring registration will remain the same. Here is a link to the announcement on the JKC's website 

https://www.jkc.or.jp/archives/important_notice/15132?fbclid=IwAR1WuP6sL9W3mRha2HPF4uoaj4fSAYwUDUQ5E5MVK78nPJEheYKUDVBUz9Q

Dogs with appendix registration can have an appendix export pedigree issued (like someone mentioned the Korean Kennel Federation does), which will definitely be helpful. Since I haven't seen what the appendix export pedigree looks like, I can't say exactly what information will be included on it, but I was told by the JKC registration department that it will be look similar to the current JKC export pedigree, but in the top corner will have an APPENDIX annotation. It will be a three generation pedigree, with the APPENDIX registered dog receiving an APPENDIX registration number along with other information like coat color etc listed. However, all dogs on the pedigree that are not APPENDIX registered will only have their name listed.

As I mentioned in my last post, appendix registered dogs can generally be shown, but will not receive cards/points toward championships, and if used for breeding, their progeny can only be appendix registered until 3 generations have been registered in the appendix. Overseas kennel clubs seem to vary in the way they accept pedigrees from other clubs, so now would probably be the time for overseas Nihon Ken clubs to prepare for the switch next year.

This will most likely affect the Akita less than the other breeds, since most of the well known kennels in Japan are now hurriedly becoming JKC members, creating JKC clubs, and registering their dogs with the JKC. For the Hokkaido Ken, overseas breeders will generally just have to plan to make do with appendix pedigrees (for future imported dogs) since very few, if any, DOKENHO members will make the move over to JKC pedigrees. The same can generally be said for the Shikoku and Kishu. You will still have NIPPO pedigrees and an appendix pedigree to work with, just no more full registration JKC Export Pedigree. Since some dogs in Japan will have full registration JKC pedigrees, every now and again dogs will pop up with NIPPO and full registration JKC, but that will probably be the exception.