tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27344626369057942642024-03-17T16:30:18.931+09:00The Nihon Ken BlogMusings on preservation of the native hunting dogs of JapanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger790125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-69144727271359888382024-01-13T20:58:00.006+09:002024-01-13T21:07:30.243+09:00The Nihon Ken Standard<p> One of my other remaining projects, something that is a bit of a monster to tackle, is a translation of the original Nihon Ken standard. </p><p><br /></p><p>What follows is my translation, point 1 of 12. It is based on the current standard, along with official commentary from NIPPO's website. I keep it as dry and exact as possible, attempting to capture the nuance of how it was written and expressed in the original Japanese. I do not include any personal opinions or commentary. It's still a work in progress, so anyone with comments, feel free to comment.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Nihon Ken Standard</b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p align="left" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The standard for the Japanese Dog (Nihon Ken) <i>based on the characteristic traits of the Nihon Ken, and guiding the direction
of the Nihon Ken that should be produced in the future </i>was published in 1934
by the Japanese Dog Preservation Society (commonly referred to as NIPPO). It
divided the Nihon Ken into three categories: small, medium, and large. It can
be said that the Nihon Ken breed standards of all canine registries worldwide,
including the preservation societies in Japan, were created based on this
standard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US">*This Nihon Ken standard is written in a
style that aims to concisely and precisely summarize complex points, so the
expressions used can be difficult to understand. In commentary we will attempt
to explain each section, and draw attention to points of importance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>1.本質と其の表現<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>悍威に富み良性にして素朴の感あり、感覚鋭敏、動作敏捷にして歩様軽快弾力あり。<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk50371898"><b><span lang="EN-US">Essential qualities</span></b></a><b><span lang="EN-US"> and their expression<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Abounding in </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">Kan-i</span><span lang="EN-US">, exhibiting
Ryōsei and an air of Soboku, senses
keen, movement agile, stride is light and elastic. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">NIPPO
commentary: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">日本犬は悍威、良性、素朴の本質をとても大切にしています。悍威とは、気迫と威厳、良性とは、忠実で従順。素朴とは、飾り気のない地味な気品と風格をいい日本犬が生まれながらにして持つ根本的な性質を言い表しています。<span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span>加えてその表現は、小型犬と中型犬は感覚は鋭敏、動作は敏捷、歩様は軽快で、弾力があります。大型犬のその表現は、重厚なふるまい、である。と、それぞれに定義しています。<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kan-i, Ryōsei,
and Soboku are extremely important essential traits of the Nihon Ken. Kan-i means
spirited, with an air of authority. Ryōsei, loyal and subordinate. Soboku is a word
that describes an innate quality of the Nihon Ken: an unadorned, unpretentious but
refined air.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, the standard goes on to describe visually
expressed traits: the small and medium size breeds are described as having <i>senses keen, movement agile, stride is light
and elastic. </i>The large size breeds (Akita) are described as having a <i>bearing of substance.</i></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-88177585132153734692023-12-08T23:13:00.006+09:002023-12-17T11:45:18.673+09:00JAHD (Japan's OFA) Hip Dysplasia X-rays<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After all these years of working with Nihon Ken, I finally got around to registering a dog (Doru) with JAHD <a href="http://www.jahd.org/">http://www.jahd.org/</a> which is like Japan's OFA. I thought it could be useful for people within and without Japan, and I probably should have done this years ago so all the overseas breeders could have had their adult imports graded before export, with results listed on their Japan Kennel Club export </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">pedigrees.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHWU2rSogRqNZBKBhwgywGYhlR8FPv_AYajbk6wrAHkyofxSFcjVzbygzMdIgrGWKgjZcoqzchyYYDlvTY6yM_CL5XtORDkfAGns-kh9T6LFE5tFI8gwN8dXlX1vKyshaH5jgctaDSA3xMOWxWo67W4yijojUNZgCZTDND0X21M5koNzr625AtYjTHwR4/s2180/IM-0001-3001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="1700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHWU2rSogRqNZBKBhwgywGYhlR8FPv_AYajbk6wrAHkyofxSFcjVzbygzMdIgrGWKgjZcoqzchyYYDlvTY6yM_CL5XtORDkfAGns-kh9T6LFE5tFI8gwN8dXlX1vKyshaH5jgctaDSA3xMOWxWo67W4yijojUNZgCZTDND0X21M5koNzr625AtYjTHwR4/s320/IM-0001-3001.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iRUzhR6g-QBmbYS-icSJKtoCIrEVU0nbR9sLJ-q-KqkkfLtv1bMFYG-6ib3OJDr3KAezNlzxx0h5Rsfv3vuJk5ZeP7A0qJZHfVVz-0-8b9dxWvk-w3JmtvOUbRpqtEfgYFOiXyNXTXU97GgA2qmmX0Djg9ISuXOhspltgPxXs2MbJSrhnxql10Qp3Mo7/s2180/IM-0001-4001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2180" data-original-width="1700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iRUzhR6g-QBmbYS-icSJKtoCIrEVU0nbR9sLJ-q-KqkkfLtv1bMFYG-6ib3OJDr3KAezNlzxx0h5Rsfv3vuJk5ZeP7A0qJZHfVVz-0-8b9dxWvk-w3JmtvOUbRpqtEfgYFOiXyNXTXU97GgA2qmmX0Djg9ISuXOhspltgPxXs2MbJSrhnxql10Qp3Mo7/s320/IM-0001-4001.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "hiragino kaku gothic pro", meiryo, "ms pgothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I think the most difficult part of the process was educating and making my veterinarian aware of the importance of positioning, in order to get good x-rays. This will probably be the same for anyone else trying to get a dog rated by JAHD here in Japan. JAHD was quite surprisingly much more forgiving than OFA as far as information that has to be included on the x-ray itself. They say that dog name, hospital name etc etc all have to be listed on the x-ray on film or in DICOM format, but in the end they accepted the pretty barebones data provided by my veterinarian (though of course with a signed/stamped form attesting to all data).</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "hiragino kaku gothic pro", meiryo, "ms pgothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I got Doru's knees graded as well (0 normal), but he started to come out of anesthesia before we finished the second elbow, so did not get that rated. X-ray can be taken with or without anesthesia, though I opted for anesthesia since I've never done it this way before, and because I wanted the positioning to be correct.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "hiragino kaku gothic pro", meiryo, "ms pgothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">JAHD fees are quite reasonable, as they only charged 4000jpy to grade hips+knees (3000jpy for just hips) and took 1 month to grade and process everything. I've attached two shots of his hips so that everyone can get an idea of what the grading system here is like. The right was graded 4, and the left 4, for a total score of 8. JAHD's scoring system gives points (0-45 for each hip) with lower scores being better, and the JKC translates them to FCI grading. Grade is given based on the worse hip. Each point is awarded for things like laxity etc (it's quite a detailed and clear list they have going). Anyway JKC considers 0-4 A, 5-11 B, 12-15 C, 16-20 D, 21-45 E. <a href="https://www.jkc.or.jp/certificates_and_breeding/hereditary_disease/pedigree_certificate1">https://www.jkc.or.jp/certificates_and_breeding/hereditary_disease/pedigree_certificate1</a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I wasn't sure if they'd give Doru an A or B, and I guess I was spot on as they gave him 4 for each hip, which is A, but he was pretty close to getting a B.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "hiragino kaku gothic pro", meiryo, "ms pgothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My veterinarian gives me great discounts but it did cost me 32,000 for the x-rays and anesthesia. I imagine the whole process will end up costing me about 50,000JPY. Once I've recorded the results to his JKC pedigree, I'll post a picture of it for future reference.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, "hiragino kaku gothic pro", meiryo, "ms pgothic", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This is just part of my effort to wrap up some of the things I had left undone for the Nihon Ken. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-65600452027129064312023-12-05T10:37:00.001+09:002023-12-05T10:37:18.994+09:00Nihon Ken Pedigree Database<p>In 2018 I created the <a href="https://nihonken.pedigreedatabaseonline.com/en/" target="_blank">Nihon Ken Pedigree Database Online</a> as a resource for preservationists of the Japanese breeds. It started as a database to track the Shikoku Ken, and in 2019 was expanded to allow data from all 6 Nihon Ken. The following text comes from the top page of the site: </p><p><i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Nihon Ken (Japanese Dog) are the 6 aboriginal Japanese breeds designated in Japan as 天然記念物 or Natural Monuments. These 6 breeds are the Akita Inu, Kishu Ken, Shikoku Ken, Kai Ken, Hokkaido Ken, and the Shiba Inu. As the populations for many of these breeds have been decreasing every year, it is becoming increasingly critical to collect as much data as possible about the remaining breeding stock. This data will hopefully help the guardians of the breed to make the best possible plans for breeding and preservation. The Nihon Ken Pedigree Database Online was started in 2018 by Shigeru Kato with support from Laura Quadri, and originally tracked data for the Shikoku Ken. In 2019 it was expanded to accept data for all 6 breeds. The database is currently run by a worldwide group of Nihon Ken enthusiasts who volunteer their time to edit and administer the site.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">While I will still be taking a peak at the site every now and again, and will be around to make sure it is still functioning properly, I am stepping down from its management and ownership. All inquiries and feedback regarding the database should now be made to </span></span><a href="mailto:nihonkenpedigreedatabase@gmail.com" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">nihonkenpedigreedatabase@gmail.com</strong></a></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I am certain the site will continue to be useful in tracking bloodlines and health issues in the Japanese breeds for years to come, and hope everyone continues to make good use of the data it provides.</span></span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-78150331479231334712023-11-13T09:10:00.001+09:002023-11-13T09:15:10.511+09:00Thylacine<p> I'm having a bit of a personal laugh as I type this, because the universe seems to enjoy throwing me large clumps of irony recently. The latest ironic mass comes in the form of a little Kishu tiger. Yes, the breed has historically had brindle dogs, though the last one I saw or heard of was almost 20 years ago. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCpOVuHX4BNwt9BMSkjwsP4E8HGMfhsSFsYFAKFRTzj3mhd-mSjoBt56fwHq17gNfCSSN01kZMR5ZvjkIZTtySNxR9YxpskOqcaxdiIoWiVt8H2jkXFR1lOL52iG_z0nVKkH8F8ulTEZ2ltOo9Lb1RpLDp7RmJCE4EaSXXnkoW9Y1G3BIwI7577PJ4L1z/s4912/DSC07087.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4912" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCpOVuHX4BNwt9BMSkjwsP4E8HGMfhsSFsYFAKFRTzj3mhd-mSjoBt56fwHq17gNfCSSN01kZMR5ZvjkIZTtySNxR9YxpskOqcaxdiIoWiVt8H2jkXFR1lOL52iG_z0nVKkH8F8ulTEZ2ltOo9Lb1RpLDp7RmJCE4EaSXXnkoW9Y1G3BIwI7577PJ4L1z/s320/DSC07087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So of course as soon as I say I'm going to take a sabbatical and try to focus on other things for 2024, the first pup that pops out of my Kishu litter is a brindle. Now this is a non-pedigreed line of working Kishu that I'm breeding now, so anything is possible as far as some brindle ancestor sneaking in, but it's still very fascinating. A lot of NIPPO members and judges have expressed their interest and have visited to see the pups. I really like all three of the females in this litter, two whites, and the brindle, and I would have happily kept all or one of them as a working prospect. As it is, they will all go to working homes. The big white male kind of reminds me of great grandfather Baron, and he will go back with his mother Miya to the hunter that owns her, as part of their hunting pack. The remaining male with a lot of yogore-jiro (red tipping) will be going to a pet home in Tokyo.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S2HomW9CujA?si=qW4nww8e5Jh3LRgL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I don't know that I'll get to see another brindle Kishu in my lifetime, but apparently they've traditionally appeared in white x red pairings. I spent the first few weeks of her life wanting to keep her, but now is not the time. So she will be staying close by, and I guess I'll get to see her mature, unlike her sisters who will be going to Okayama and Nara. It has been a joy to be able to breed a line of dogs solely focusing on working ability, temperament, and health, without being confined to an ever shrinking and possibly unviable gene pool that is not being selected for what I am trying to create. The breeding, pregnancy, birth, and everything else has been natural and easy (knock-on-wood). I'm just ironing out some kinks with the pups being very alert and reactive to sound, but it seems a lot of that is them picking up on their mother's wariness to being in a new environment (she doesn't live here, and I'm just raising the litter here).</div><div><br /></div><div>I've had some luck with Hina having a very stable and predictable heat, just like last year (good to see in the Shikoku, where I think we're starting to see a trend in the other direction), so she has been bred again to Kikuoumaru, 2022 NIPPO Grand National RBOB. As he's out of Ayumi lines, he has quite a bit of hunt in him, which is why I did the pairing for Hina's first litter last year. I'm quite happy with the temperament of those pups, but all three ended up in show and pet homes. This time round, I have a few hunters waiting for pups from this litter, so hopefully it takes.<br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-68297705237374934122023-10-10T18:43:00.003+09:002023-11-11T19:09:58.307+09:00Hunting Kishu Litter<p> I'll have a litter of Baron great-grand children born between the 15th and 17th of October. X-ray says 5 or 6 pups. Both parents are working boar dogs, bred for temperament and working ability. Both parents are out of Kishu lines, but are not pedigreed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAr8HFjSIiOg7ZLcWBZU13KfjMN2VSDzVm4zIJ-aZoEscmQmU1caiLkxanqkL_ifxLiSAJI4gWuHq-r917mPoXnhbxUfn18xTSTdH7vxuPY2okQtYzmAN11c0cMx_KX8epE5hXk5C_Pp4y2QXAcJi0s35gaPU7a_g8RNBBNNwjyB_HHtCPMsDjvkE-eoh/s750/379658051_335942968817511_3376086547959804355_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAr8HFjSIiOg7ZLcWBZU13KfjMN2VSDzVm4zIJ-aZoEscmQmU1caiLkxanqkL_ifxLiSAJI4gWuHq-r917mPoXnhbxUfn18xTSTdH7vxuPY2okQtYzmAN11c0cMx_KX8epE5hXk5C_Pp4y2QXAcJi0s35gaPU7a_g8RNBBNNwjyB_HHtCPMsDjvkE-eoh/s320/379658051_335942968817511_3376086547959804355_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sire is this white male, great temperament, fine with all people, and okay with other dogs as well. Can range a bit far when on scent, but can be hunted solo. Not a dedicated catch dog, but is a gritty bay dog. Weight 20kg<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij62V5FQtwPVRBv4hxCINHMdQ-fva0-a3RREDdcpK9ET-B_eiDcqfYoL8nziYei9bblIU5XYEDaVeLNVog9xyEhNrfawuGOor9Z-yTLR0rLhaigBX9wBZswoddBXA-rJgtUwwwZsY-I8oQ3XG6j-UJdu2zK_gFhaEglIETyzkW5hT7QqR1JAq4DDxUglEI/s1000/380115916_764424752128115_3138907078009663933_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij62V5FQtwPVRBv4hxCINHMdQ-fva0-a3RREDdcpK9ET-B_eiDcqfYoL8nziYei9bblIU5XYEDaVeLNVog9xyEhNrfawuGOor9Z-yTLR0rLhaigBX9wBZswoddBXA-rJgtUwwwZsY-I8oQ3XG6j-UJdu2zK_gFhaEglIETyzkW5hT7QqR1JAq4DDxUglEI/s320/380115916_764424752128115_3138907078009663933_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dam is a yushoku Kishu, Karen's daughter (so Baron's granddaughter). She is more of a bay dog, close ranging. Will avoid strangers, like Karen does. My line of Kishu is very quiet at home. Baron never barked, and neither does Karen. Miya follows in this tradition of quiet at home, loud on boar.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTVAhEaf_Lj-2BztjmPZpgWtKT-6jyTp8xhLwE5WWahgUVDWU6-GzCc3kfpRqDzIixsyfDkf9N34kazt6YWrrWKaiXoOF7ZYjA4viS43u1X86XJXhMtD3BeihrH1ADjfN5mCw1SvCrmiqzAvYx3nRhtexWzbxScDtl1qNfNcCDxBbo4sY57MHvNs0EVyg/s1000/380170899_667292382159426_4400490646670740169_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTVAhEaf_Lj-2BztjmPZpgWtKT-6jyTp8xhLwE5WWahgUVDWU6-GzCc3kfpRqDzIixsyfDkf9N34kazt6YWrrWKaiXoOF7ZYjA4viS43u1X86XJXhMtD3BeihrH1ADjfN5mCw1SvCrmiqzAvYx3nRhtexWzbxScDtl1qNfNcCDxBbo4sY57MHvNs0EVyg/s320/380170899_667292382159426_4400490646670740169_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>All the pups from this litter have been reserved. </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-51918651170277515342023-09-30T23:18:00.003+09:002023-09-30T23:23:54.377+09:00Change<p> 20 years ago the idea that I wanted to live a bit more ethically, no, naturally is a better word for it, hatched in my brain. I'd come back to Japan as a 20 year old, and having loved dogs and animals since I was a toddler, I got into rescue and had my first dog, a big Newfie mix. Being against factory farming, I was a vegetarian for a while, but that was a pretty difficult diet for a hard gainer living in early 2000's Japan, working a ridiculous 15 hour 6 day a week salary man job. I ended up eating a lot of tofu and salad, which was not sustainable.</p><p>I naturally lean toward being an extremist, but my extreme upbringing ingrained in me a natural safety switch. I grew up in an extremely religious and abusive environment, which has shaped the human I am in many ways, negatively and positively. The safety switch that kicks in when it comes to extremism is thanks to my childhood. Everything in moderation, even the good things, is my mantra. So, I stopped trying to be a vegetarian, and thought that if I was going to eat meat, I wanted it to be sourced as ethically as possible. I started spending my days off fishing, and eventually came up with the idea of hunting as a more economically rewarding way of supplying my protein.</p><p>I tend to do a lot of research, on everything that interests me really. I've got a naturally inquisitive mind, and looking into hunting and wildlife in the area I lived at the time told me that there were massive issues arising due to a wild boar population explosion. So I started looking into how they were hunted in Japan, and this lead me to dogs. This was perfect for me since living with dogs is something that I enjoy, and having a job we could do together would be even better. Looking into all the breeds I could hunt boar with, my conclusion was simple: what better breeds to hunt boar with than the working dogs that had evolved naturally in Japan, and were probably most suited to this climate and terrain?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6sMXQ4AVyhwMrdWShPARYcUzdcCf2tcEDA0mQUxrexPufCWDvVfCaRGRFV-Xu12iYi2A4GKo14LCbBnsvmUBXJ3xchSnFzqJTeDPBWZQs1mOt-PTtB2siIR61FJ3marXhl6YaIzAS0PSRm1FxDepBQqRCpwEktMQwWSmPz5tjUF-nMMLf2oJ4AGUd12N/s1600/forNK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6sMXQ4AVyhwMrdWShPARYcUzdcCf2tcEDA0mQUxrexPufCWDvVfCaRGRFV-Xu12iYi2A4GKo14LCbBnsvmUBXJ3xchSnFzqJTeDPBWZQs1mOt-PTtB2siIR61FJ3marXhl6YaIzAS0PSRm1FxDepBQqRCpwEktMQwWSmPz5tjUF-nMMLf2oJ4AGUd12N/s320/forNK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>This is how this journey started. 15+ years of my life have been dedicated to and revolved around the Nihon Ken and their preservation. Literally. I've spent my money, I've given it my time. It has brought so much in to my life, so many amazing people, and of course some unforgettable and legendary dogs. But on the flip side there has been a lot of sacrifice. My social life and romantic relationships have definitely suffered, and I always knew I would need to bring this into balance someday in order to be truly happy with the life I've created.</p><p>The past couple years have been rough. I've had a lot of questions about how to continue the preservation effort. It's a changing world. Legislation is making it more difficult in Japan for preservation breeders, and there are so many things about the world of show dogdom and breeding that I feel are missing the mark and do not actually help true preservation. It would take a small book to cover all the issues that we are up against, so I won't cover them all here, but after a lot of thought and many conversations I finally started to understand what needs to be done to move forward. I came up with a plan, but realized it would require me doubling down and giving even more of my time, energy, and finances to make it happen. I was prepared to do it, and started mapping the process. And then it struck me. I've started to lose my joy. The simple joys of enjoying life with my own dogs has taken a backseat to some greater preservation effort. </p><p>I love living with dogs, doing every day things with my canine partners in work and life. My current lifestyle has actually taken away a lot of my ability (and time) to do things with them. The truth is I spend a lot of every day replying to Nihon Ken correspondence from all over the world. There have also been large periods of time where I've had large numbers of dogs, 18 at one point I think, and while the preservation effort is surely helped by having breeders who take on large breeding programs like this, it is not for me. Give me a few good dogs that I can work with, and bring out the best in. That's my happiness.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEwrA2UfGcKMqTKC4Qd_Efs1fGgF1bA2ggAr-Nm03vkT-R96xD9zU9TEs72JQPKSEyOdsXLbWpi1BHJGL33_5_ZkgMZubUSZW7B9SB2AC1nZLD93-wEYslqL55K-QFg3FIbbnsnkKkp2WBeeefyfLDBcZBsJcxNYdnmyM8BJD3nOOBt9fKn0cdpsMbL4k/s960/1545915_742560912421514_1426347051_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEwrA2UfGcKMqTKC4Qd_Efs1fGgF1bA2ggAr-Nm03vkT-R96xD9zU9TEs72JQPKSEyOdsXLbWpi1BHJGL33_5_ZkgMZubUSZW7B9SB2AC1nZLD93-wEYslqL55K-QFg3FIbbnsnkKkp2WBeeefyfLDBcZBsJcxNYdnmyM8BJD3nOOBt9fKn0cdpsMbL4k/s320/1545915_742560912421514_1426347051_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Last year I started talking to a few close friends about this, and started making plans. I began letting my breeding program wind down slowly, and it was accelerated by the retirement of my great hope, Alice, earlier this year. The first eight months of 2023 were actually quite stellar. There was a lot of excitement for me in the idea of change. Many of my friends have commented on this life that I've crafted, they tell me that they envy me. I've worked hard for it, made a living doing things that I enjoy, in a pretty magical part of the world, but I need a break. I need some change. It's a pretty lonely life living out in the countryside, even with all the dogs keeping me company. </p><p>This July I celebrated my 44th birthday with friends and family. It was the best birthday I've had in my life, and truly the happiest I've ever been. As life gives and takes away, the months since have been some of the roughest I've ever faced, but I'm trying to power through and get to next year. I have found great homes for my retired dogs and rescues, and if all goes well there will be a litter of Baron great grand children born here at my house in a few weeks. They should be some pretty awesome working pups. I will also possibly do one last Shikoku litter with Hina when she comes in heat in November, and after that I will be shutting down my breeding program. I plan to enjoy this hunting season with my dogs and my friends, and next year I will probably be traveling a lot and maybe doing some writing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiR-M6n3qmbPCapRwEtCpoMiu6TNzb4s8Y53yLek1KX0IiD8H9ojJ9YNFCRljgGwaUEARuuSOzZvhX9epO44JTgMn24oJfjpyxmx9nrJOEptRHpDrr0DEaVOqi-kDcpF675cWqgED0MlKtfoE8ZjiOyqWwbwCMy5ufT00fTvbV95n8yHNGqW9RK2ee7AY/s1600/_DSC7332.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiR-M6n3qmbPCapRwEtCpoMiu6TNzb4s8Y53yLek1KX0IiD8H9ojJ9YNFCRljgGwaUEARuuSOzZvhX9epO44JTgMn24oJfjpyxmx9nrJOEptRHpDrr0DEaVOqi-kDcpF675cWqgED0MlKtfoE8ZjiOyqWwbwCMy5ufT00fTvbV95n8yHNGqW9RK2ee7AY/s320/_DSC7332.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I don't have any definitive plans for what I will be doing, or where I will be in the future. I can't say this is the end of my Nihon Ken journey, but it may be. For now I'm just going to call it a sabbatical, and enjoy what comes. I'll still blog as I have time, and when there are things to talk about. Thank you all for being here on this journey with me. It's been a pleasure and a privilege.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-74180147009032430532023-09-23T21:21:00.002+09:002023-09-23T21:21:28.892+09:00Simple and Beautiful<p> </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/05sUhlxFBk0?si=JOmJMU_xqfez0ME5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-67200037230147428012023-08-27T10:52:00.002+09:002023-08-27T10:52:30.775+09:00NIPPO Microchips<p> On August 11th NIPPO announced through its website that they will now require all Honbusho winners (NIPPO's version of a BIS at a regional show) and all winners at the NIPPO Grand National to provide proof of microchip registration. This is in line with new national regulations that came into effect on June 1st of 2022 requiring that all dogs being sold in Japan be microchipped. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYLBnLHedQ5fA4phwcTX_MjnL3-zqBj-gEFtt9f5keu3L4_dPRrVPiU-4wxaaQfRY3FgzVsaMq_bygeK703ojfJjBj2OuAiAfUt8yJXyEfbygoKTCGKvAz_IOs_fw8RasVzng_ctiQtia7s0WF-VV3BQ9FY3GYHseQo_X_afyqY5cIYskJ0ivE420H2H1/s4912/DSC06435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4912" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYLBnLHedQ5fA4phwcTX_MjnL3-zqBj-gEFtt9f5keu3L4_dPRrVPiU-4wxaaQfRY3FgzVsaMq_bygeK703ojfJjBj2OuAiAfUt8yJXyEfbygoKTCGKvAz_IOs_fw8RasVzng_ctiQtia7s0WF-VV3BQ9FY3GYHseQo_X_afyqY5cIYskJ0ivE420H2H1/s320/DSC06435.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>While this would not mean that all NIPPO dogs have to be microchipped by law, since many NIPPO dogs come from a non-commercial setting, or were born before the law came into effect, I think this is a positive move by NIPPO. It shows that the organization is moving forward, beyond what is required by law, for the welfare of their dogs. I believe NIPPO is the first canine registry in Japan to require this for show results, and without giving anything away, NIPPO will be making more moves in the future as part of a proactive and less conservative approach to changes in the world of dogdom. There will hopefully be some more news out of NIPPO HQ in the new future that I will be able to share here.</p><p>These new rules will come into effect from this upcoming show season, and will apply to this year's grand national as well. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-23509770420341377262023-08-24T21:00:00.001+09:002023-08-24T21:00:30.982+09:00The Functional Dog<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dogs-functional-breeding-purebreds-shelters-rescues?fbclid=IwAR1ma3Q8Y_HY7VM8KjLHLN-RhNdoi4T0Rnw1C2EwtstvY1WW_9gSLHA5sOw_aem_AYHqQUlwHNpMXbDonlS_zrt20qXS7FiPtycn4KfjfbOxje5EUUQl6mdx6fJVJ9FWS5M" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1470" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRP5MMbSCcggNaKAFuHac2K7kP_mJEm7AnbG9d0fc6lXVVtE678WGeotopgCboKYh5SYfeGq-6rYnqfGSs1-djCNRjz0iGkUduIL0nLDOcPbUMs3DQFvGt3eqoSXO8tD3WenaGZrb_83jG1DoQjUZCRMCogEbQopMoo8ZLQZe58r643hFctTkYtnGRwHmE/w400-h250/functionalNG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dogs-functional-breeding-purebreds-shelters-rescues?fbclid=IwAR1ma3Q8Y_HY7VM8KjLHLN-RhNdoi4T0Rnw1C2EwtstvY1WW_9gSLHA5sOw_aem_AYHqQUlwHNpMXbDonlS_zrt20qXS7FiPtycn4KfjfbOxje5EUUQl6mdx6fJVJ9FWS5M">Inside the growing movement to breed healthier, friendlier dogs - National Geographic</a></div><br /> There was a great article in the National Geographic the other day, about the <a href="https://functionalbreeding.org/" target="_blank">Functional Dog Collaborative</a>. I've been following the FDC for some time now. I'm in their Facebook group, and have listened to all their podcasts. Some more than once. Personally, I believe this is the future of canine breeding.<p></p><p>The Japanese breeds have a host of issues looming on the horizon: small gene pools, lack of health testing in their country of origin, and extreme selection for aesthetics while traits like working ability and temperament are being left behind. The Nihon Ken are also part of the larger purebred dog world, that has its own issues, and I've been wrestling with serious questions for several years now. How do we move forward with the preservation effort? What do I consider ethical breeding? How can we deal with health and temperamental issues in an ever shrinking population with very little hope for more genetic diversity? What part do I want to play in this world?</p><p>In the grand scheme of things, I think we're running into a few problems in the breeding world. One is that 'purebred' dog breeding with no outcrossing is essentially breeding into a wall. All breeds are hurtling toward it, some slower than others, but that wall is ever looming. As a breeder I feel like I'm playing a game of whack-a-mole, where there are more and more moles, and they will get faster and faster.</p><p>I think another big issue with purebred dog breeding is what this article points out: the vast majority of dogs today will be pets. They will essentially be lapdogs, with maybe some being a bit more active if they are owned by people who like to hike etc. But almost all our dog breeds are heritage breeds, that were bred for a purpose that they are no longer used for. They were essentially selected to do one thing (like herding for example), but now we want them to sit on a couch. And that has consequences. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: GeoEditBold, "Franklin Gothic Medium", "Franklin Gothic", "ITC Franklin Gothic", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 1.214; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: #d0e0e3; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.214;"><i>Breeding dogs to be good pets</i></span></h2><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 19px; letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 1.632; margin: 12px 0px 24px;"><span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;"><i>Apart from toy breeds bred specifically as lap dogs, many breeds have backgrounds as working dogs: herding, guarding, hunting, and so on. But today, the primary purpose of dogs, especially in western countries, is as pets.</i></span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 19px; letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 1.632; margin: 12px 0px 24px;"><span style="background-color: #d0e0e3;"><i>Yet few people breed dogs for this purpose, according to Joyce Briggs, treasurer of the <a href="https://functionalbreeding.org/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-image: linear-gradient(120deg, rgb(255, 204, 0), rgb(255, 204, 0)); background-position: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 100% 0px; border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); border-image: initial; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: none; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; line-height: 28px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: background-size 0.125s ease-in 0s;" target="_blank">Functional Dog Collaborative</a>, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit. “The profile of the successful, really well-balanced family dog is not being looked at as a category,” says Briggs.</i></span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.632; margin: 12px 0px 24px;">We have this issue with the Nihon Ken as well. They are a hunting breed, and preservation based breeding means we keep them that way. We preserve the hunt in these dogs. That's not a problem for me, since I'm a hunter, and that's why I got into these dogs in the first place. But the vast majority of Nihon Ken owners today are pet owners, with second place coming to show breeders. Basically almost no one is actually breeding toward companion dogs. Show breeders are breeding toward a show type and temperament, and hunters toward working ability. You see the disconnect there. I think therein lies a lot of the 'problems' I hear about in Nihon Ken temperament from first time owners. They have their quirks due to what they have been and are still being selected for. </p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.632; margin: 12px 0px 24px;">What do we do about this? I'm not quite sure. It's a difficult question, with a lot of difficult answers that we may not be ready to hear. But I would suggest that if you haven't, give the <a href="https://functionalbreeding.org/podcasts/" target="_blank">FDC's podcasts</a> a listen. If nothing else, you will definitely pick up some really cool science on the breeding of dogs. I've learned a lot, and hope you do too.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-49348022775941849472023-08-21T15:21:00.003+09:002023-08-21T15:21:33.258+09:00HUCK MagazineOn the day before my birthday last month, an interview I did with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/manami.tokyo/" target="_blank">Manami Okazaki</a> for HUCK magazine was published, and what a birthday gift it was. She tends to cover all things Japan in her writing, and has put out some great books on Japanese subculture and artisanal crafts.<div><br /><h1 class="font-secondary text-elephant uppercase text-theme-copy px-5 xl:px-0 !px-5 pt-14" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f2f2f2; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: var(--font-secondary),ui-sans-serif,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,"Helvetica Neue",Arial,"Noto Sans",sans-serif,"Apple Color Emoji","Segoe UI Emoji","Segoe UI Symbol","Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: clamp(3rem, 7.5vw, 152px); font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0.8; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3.5rem; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); box-sizing: border-box;">IN PHOTOS: GHOST HOUSES AND WILD BOAR HUNTING IN BACK-TO-THE LAND JAPAN</span></h1><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.huckmag.com/article/in-photos-ghost-houses-and-wild-boar-hunting-in-back-to-the-land-japan">https://www.huckmag.com/article/in-photos-ghost-houses-and-wild-boar-hunting-in-back-to-the-land-japan</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-z_rSpUpqZ6CqsJaXg8Ptqk7iSHmenXPdbklEqYUpB4baXpExctyq6GuMivonch3suleaZDhLEWQiAoFhapyXJ7zUNe2-EZ9eCHPvco1AdYWiREwT4a0mN3_pKyhyWsgl4CREJ5_bz-xHflUF6TLd_cjV2fwGUM3Fjs1XXKwfjnSLVWS9ImB3iM8INRc/s3150/ronin-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="3150" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-z_rSpUpqZ6CqsJaXg8Ptqk7iSHmenXPdbklEqYUpB4baXpExctyq6GuMivonch3suleaZDhLEWQiAoFhapyXJ7zUNe2-EZ9eCHPvco1AdYWiREwT4a0mN3_pKyhyWsgl4CREJ5_bz-xHflUF6TLd_cjV2fwGUM3Fjs1XXKwfjnSLVWS9ImB3iM8INRc/s320/ronin-48.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In contrast to the usual TV and news spots I'm interviewed for, this one was about more than just the Nihon Ken or hunting, and I'm really happy with how it came together. I think you can get a feel for how I try to live my life, and why I ended up out here in rural Japan with the dogs and boars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pictures were taken by another famous face in the world of Japanese subculture photography <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ronin_de_goede/" target="_blank">Ronin De Goede</a> and it was a pleasure to spend a day with the crew, chilling in the mountains and chomping down some excellent local ramen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a nice little hunt for the shoot, and Karen actually got us on a little herd of boar, which sent both writer and photographer into the trees. I scrambled uphill to cut off their retreat, but unfortunately Aiki's shot missed, so no boar for the table on this day. All in all, another great memory that I will file away for my old age. Days like this I am reminded that this is the life I created and sometimes take for granted. I don't know how many years of this I have left in me, but I know I will enjoy them all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-982634264368591752023-08-19T09:49:00.003+09:002023-08-19T09:59:33.823+09:00In Memoriam<p> So yesterday was a bit of a rough day as I'm dealing with some personal loss at the moment, and in the evening I received 2 somber texts about dogs that I have loved, passing away. The first was from a good friend that has a pup out of one of my males, and they told me that in a few hours their dog would be put to sleep. I won't discuss the details here, as it is a personal issue, but it was a lovely dog, and I know the owner will be going through some hard times the way I did with Baron and Rin.</p><p>The second text, which was right after the first, was a message from my Shisho saying that Kotofusa had just passed away. He was 14years 10 months old, and the saving grace in this is that Koto lived a long and distinguished life. But when it comes to our dogs, it never seems long enough, does it? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsacsEaYf2xyASnI3FmgUHKQGI-qezlPQFWuFKw-Pqy8AJ2c252uIfR7l8VmI-MHpSmWtEP8hAyfvgfiX4FHKwXnz8o6jDDUXqYJWUu6GesTILqQHUwM55GfAW4XAZbkVdGlXvAMFOWoU8EL-g6mE3N22ItvNoA9EFL1M1f1__smsUwRsvinAQ5y1V0gd/s3008/DSC_0053.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsacsEaYf2xyASnI3FmgUHKQGI-qezlPQFWuFKw-Pqy8AJ2c252uIfR7l8VmI-MHpSmWtEP8hAyfvgfiX4FHKwXnz8o6jDDUXqYJWUu6GesTILqQHUwM55GfAW4XAZbkVdGlXvAMFOWoU8EL-g6mE3N22ItvNoA9EFL1M1f1__smsUwRsvinAQ5y1V0gd/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Born at Nidai Iwahori Sou on October 28th, 2008, out of the famous pairing of Teruhide Go and Sekihoume Go, Kotofusa signaled the beginning of a new wave of Shikoku in the Kanto region. Traditionally the level of quality of dogs in the east of Japan has always been second to the dogs from the west, but here we finally had a dog of quality that could compete at the NIPPO Grand National. <div><br /></div><div>Kotofusa went on to place 4th in class at the national in 2009, receiving a Waka-Inu prize, 3rd the following year in Waka-Inu 2, 2nd in 2011 as a Soken, 5th as an adult male in 2012, and 6th the following year in 2013. He retired as a 'Kansei Ken' (finished dog) after winning 6 Honbusho, and I had the honor of showing him for that 6th win (and of course at the Grand National).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslC04ReI_Y9dWMVgcxLVCxhgsGvu5-JcQToF7vFGWPJg7dNaay_GAr7Bv-31mIw1-Pn4Y-Kz41vtAfMMHbh97-gpgOq57AwpSAbka5ev97PeYmLjlWBTqoKPdwoz52P74VGwCfyEn7m6kbA7xB9SpbHlnd985D5oH68Z4ieOb7BsCM3JKyaBmDl3IxN0Q/s960/1470034_541973885891933_978849067_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslC04ReI_Y9dWMVgcxLVCxhgsGvu5-JcQToF7vFGWPJg7dNaay_GAr7Bv-31mIw1-Pn4Y-Kz41vtAfMMHbh97-gpgOq57AwpSAbka5ev97PeYmLjlWBTqoKPdwoz52P74VGwCfyEn7m6kbA7xB9SpbHlnd985D5oH68Z4ieOb7BsCM3JKyaBmDl3IxN0Q/s320/1470034_541973885891933_978849067_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Winning his 6th Honbusho at the NIPPO Tokyo Branch Show</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>His legacy lives on in the breed, most notably in dogs like Yoshishizuha Go who placed 3rd in the adult male class in 2016, and in Yoshi's son Jukaishuu Go who took Best of Breed at the Grand National in 2019.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a rookie handler who had just gotten into the breed, Kotofusa was not an easy dog to show. We went through a trial by fire together, often placing lower than we should have due to my inability to control him. His placings as an adult male were far lower than expected, especially in 2013 when we were earmarked to possibly take Best of Breed. But oh the memories. </div><div><br /></div><div>RIP Koto. You live on in the dogs here at my house, and as part of all those Shikoku living happily with their owners all over the world.<br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-28054592129701609272023-07-25T12:03:00.004+09:002023-07-25T12:04:27.687+09:00No More Puppy Travel to the USA?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2EAAOcKtDgqYr4pJ4yg1ZvjOAP8D342DRtX2AaucOdCpK31jQ_b1ecvec4l48gQs4ciq5mSvapeImxKD772i8_QUDC4AIEr-HmK-NSifWaBVBrzXqLXrdKD0RR-D5QYbAuRT19iSNhsXij-QiEemoWctlD1HU8mTXwQ1jBd7dir_TIrPVdHzSnEcmGV9/s1116/CNNdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1116" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2EAAOcKtDgqYr4pJ4yg1ZvjOAP8D342DRtX2AaucOdCpK31jQ_b1ecvec4l48gQs4ciq5mSvapeImxKD772i8_QUDC4AIEr-HmK-NSifWaBVBrzXqLXrdKD0RR-D5QYbAuRT19iSNhsXij-QiEemoWctlD1HU8mTXwQ1jBd7dir_TIrPVdHzSnEcmGV9/w640-h502/CNNdog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> As reported by <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/11/health/cdc-dog-import-rules/index.html" target="_blank">CNN earlier this month</a>, the CDC has a proposal to change US canine import regulations. The proposed rules are open for public comment here <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2023-0051-0001">https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2023-0051-0001</a><p></p><p>As someone who has been involved in a lot of worldwide pet import/export, I understand the issues the dog world is facing probably better than most. There are definitely problems that need to be addressed, but unfortunately most legislation worldwide goes far beyond what is necessary, and enters the realm of non logic based regulation. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>"In addition to the more stringent vaccination verification and screening efforts, the proposed updates require that <span style="color: red;">all</span> dogs entering the US be microchipped, at least 6 months old and healthy upon arrival."</i></h3><p>If you read through the CNN article (or the CDC document linked above) you may miss the fact that the logic for raising the minimum import age to 6 months old is to tighten rabies restrictions, but they will be applying it to rabies free countries as well (like Japan and Australia). That's a bit of a head scratcher, since we haven't had rabies here since the 1950's. </p><p>Parts of the regulation I whole heartedly agree with, such as requiring microchipping for all dogs, something which I have always been shocked was not a rule for entry to the US. But even Japan which along with Australia and Iceland, has some of the most stringent canine entry restrictions in the world, still recognizes that there are rules for rabies free countries, and then another set of rules for countries where rabies is still a threat.</p><p>Worldwide, the trend in animal and especially pet related regulation, has been moving toward more and more restriction and regulation (I'm looking at you, Canada). I am a proponent of fixing laws to give better protection to our animals, but we as pet owners need to be aware of new legislation and use our power to push back against what is not logic based or reasonable. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-29511757967160496912023-07-01T01:29:00.004+09:002023-08-19T11:15:40.204+09:00To The Imperfect Dogs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've always had a difficult time talking about the dogs I've lost. It seems a personal thing. Once one talks about it, I feel we are inundated with the typical and proper replies of concern, which may help others, but they make the process harder and more tiresome for me. I wrote this about one of my dogs that I lost in September of 2022, and never published it. Closing in on one year since her passing, I feel I owe her memory a post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp0hvnu22p07B3BT5W28uVWhXpJazXIPJD4l9a-CRAcpDxxMvb5Eq_gg3tHha2GZZWtZb03hTxMKdkrIi2VjsELJEiXLE8SRZzmUFKUcc-cHz6fjp5_aN-r6DR0mIce_ogIuKfOUP9ltzz4nIct-oldHdBFLL-A5gnzYpRbqo27buj1_W9sP0p_kuAQ/s2048/297000217_451787750193783_5240245911093976866_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp0hvnu22p07B3BT5W28uVWhXpJazXIPJD4l9a-CRAcpDxxMvb5Eq_gg3tHha2GZZWtZb03hTxMKdkrIi2VjsELJEiXLE8SRZzmUFKUcc-cHz6fjp5_aN-r6DR0mIce_ogIuKfOUP9ltzz4nIct-oldHdBFLL-A5gnzYpRbqo27buj1_W9sP0p_kuAQ/w400-h300/297000217_451787750193783_5240245911093976866_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> Yesterday I found out that I'm losing another of my dogs. Rin has liver cancer, and we expect her to have another week or so. She's just turning 7. <p></p><p>It seems not so long ago that Mitani Sensei sent 2 tiny Shikoku pups to me. I had nonchalantly asked him at some NIPPO Grand National for a dog from his line, and nearly 4 years later here was a call out of the blue asking if I still wanted to try hunting with one of his dogs. My answer of course was yes. What hunter trying to breed working Shikoku would not want a dog from the only line still being bred for dual purpose show & hunting? The reply to my reply, was to go to Haneda airport to pick up a pup the next day. Once at the cargo terminal I discovered 2 almost miniature little Shikoku pups curled up together in their crate. </p><p>In some things Rin and Ran never changed, they were very small girls, 43.5 and 44.5 centimeters at withers when they were fully grown, but curled up they were not. They were fireballs of energy, constantly testing the older dogs and playing (mostly with each other) at 100 miles an hour. They had a streak of what we in the dog world might call aggression (it's a lazy term in my opinion) toward other dogs, and in this and other things they did not hold true to my idea of a modern 'safe' hunting dog. I found their argumentative and easily triggered temperament a bit of red flag, and ended up placing Ran with a new owner just after her first birthday. Having two of these girls together feeding of each other's energy was a bit too much, and my hope was that with just one of them I could mold them into a more even keeled dog that I could actually hunt with.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshU3KEibLZWQGRrez0nN5QsWfG8vIVBkpodg63hreHoIZaYGIb6Eek2h-twJnVrblCMB-OA48LXIOa_jVDK5BaJOV_ca_TUDupF01xkE9_25R0zGqKm4B_3DqdBq25ZR6jVfAH-pHmyhVzZBU7OsdfEEKE0qAu_xYhRwMQbxOqNzvvjiQ_SzoNySn8134/s4288/DSC_9257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4288" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgshU3KEibLZWQGRrez0nN5QsWfG8vIVBkpodg63hreHoIZaYGIb6Eek2h-twJnVrblCMB-OA48LXIOa_jVDK5BaJOV_ca_TUDupF01xkE9_25R0zGqKm4B_3DqdBq25ZR6jVfAH-pHmyhVzZBU7OsdfEEKE0qAu_xYhRwMQbxOqNzvvjiQ_SzoNySn8134/w400-h266/DSC_9257.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It was an unfortunate thing, since both girls showed promise as working dogs. They worked boar nicely at NIPPO's hunting instinct test at under 1 year old, an event where Mitani Sensei was present. In the end though, Ran did end up biting her new owner's wife, and Rin developed a bite history of her own with 2 bites to owners of neighborhood dogs. While Rin's focused aggression toward strange dogs was concerning, what was even more worrisome was that she would also switch on to people she knew owned dogs. She would switch on to them even when their dogs were not present, and this lead to her two bites.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCPtwHJ-tO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCPtwHJ-tO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">この投稿をInstagramで見る</div></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChCPtwHJ-tO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Yamainu.co(@yamainu.co)がシェアした投稿</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>As a liability, Rin's trips to the mountains were limited, which was a shame because hunting was the thing she enjoyed most. After Baron was retired due to injury, Karen and Rin became the defacto 1st team combo, and they did shockingly well together, pulling in boar in several of their first outings together. However we had to be very particular about where we would hunt with Rin, and as such she spent most of her time at home. I'll never forget her first hunt though, watching her and Karen moving up on a slope, rousing an 80kg boar, and watching that boar come flying down toward my brother and I with a 12kg Rin hanging off its back leg. She was a terror.</p><p>As a preservationist and breeder, there are many difficult choices that one has to make about which dogs to use to further a breeding program, and the breed in general. Rin was not an easy breeder. She would generally not accept males when she was in heat, with an exception being one heat where she adored Masamine. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) this did not lead to any pups. I did one artificial insemination with Rin and Vega as a test study, which did lead to a singleton that died in birth. I called it a day after that attempt, and decided we were better off not producing more little terrors for the hunting world. </p><p>Rin was the quintessential imperfect dog, the imperfect Shikoku that was not what I would want to breed toward. Flawed by standard, flawed in temperament, but with massive heart. In her own way, she still won my love. Sometimes it is these most difficult of dogs that take our hearts, even more than the excellent or perfect dogs, and I would say that my heart was not the only one Rin took. It was a rather sudden end for her, one that was not seen coming. At least we had a last few weeks together during a hot, smoldering Japanese summer. The grumpy lady was in the house and away from the other dogs which she tolerated, but who's company she never really enjoyed, soaking up cuddles and air conditioning until it was time to say goodbye.</p><p>We had one last good drive together, and now she rests in the mountain here behind my house. This post is for all the imperfect dogs, the ones that still have our hearts. To the crazy passionate girls, Rin and Ran, I dedicate this song by The Bluehearts.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-p0Yqcx53O8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-38312481999923841152023-06-11T09:20:00.005+09:002023-09-25T10:50:25.371+09:00Accepting Homing Offers for Alice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">EDIT: Alice has been homed. Thank you for all for your mails 2023/08/24</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So as painful as this is, I will be accepting homing offers for Alice. There will be a rehoming fee to help me cover some of the costs for all the work and time I've put into her (and if you follow my IG you know I tend to put a lot into my keeper dogs). I really love this girl, and she was a very positive step toward what I want to breed toward in the Shikoku. However, she had complications with her pregnancy (which ended in a c-section), and I'm not comfortable breeding her again. So, I'm putting this out there for anyone who is interested in a pet Shikoku, but perhaps would rather start off with a young adult as opposed to a puppy that will take more time and attention.</div><br /><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co9Fh8iS6fC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co9Fh8iS6fC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">この投稿をInstagramで見る</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co9Fh8iS6fC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Yamainu.co(@yamainu.co)がシェアした投稿</a></p></div></blockquote><p> Alice is good in cars (yay! but best not fed before a drive), she's housebroken, kennel trained, crate trained, and I had started training her to hunt. She doesn't range far when off leash, but I would not categorize her as an off leash dog, as her recall is not 100%. She's dog selective, and needs a polite greeting to acclimate to new dogs, she will not be a dog-run type dog, but she gets along with everyone here. She's cleared all her basic health checks (blood testing, hips, knees, heart), and other than her problem pregnancy has been in great health. Her DOB is October 26th 2021</p> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr4dMSGyi7u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr4dMSGyi7u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">この投稿をInstagramで見る</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr4dMSGyi7u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Yamainu.co(@yamainu.co)がシェアした投稿</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br /></div>If I don't find a home for her that I like, she will stay here and hunt with me. But over the years I have realized that I have limited space for dogs, and in the preservation effort to try to save the Shikoku, I have to make some hard choices about which dogs are here at my house. Below is an article that ran recently in a national newspaper about hunting with dogs, featuring a nice picture of Alice and I.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjv20yHUmbCHYzcsUNC-W19OrufcJ4VZ7zJgrINVBYhbgxd58hMJQcnJUD2Wqi7iElebDjAbKimO8jVVu0HD1M-ByyT9necmWtf3yNqRFcLlTBF9v8vJHdSFtoARxDNafSR_9z_XaY7b61cEcD_gI5SNRFVwkTUxZAO3XCk1DLH94uMYCNCdOzZt5M9g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4091" data-original-width="4707" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjv20yHUmbCHYzcsUNC-W19OrufcJ4VZ7zJgrINVBYhbgxd58hMJQcnJUD2Wqi7iElebDjAbKimO8jVVu0HD1M-ByyT9necmWtf3yNqRFcLlTBF9v8vJHdSFtoARxDNafSR_9z_XaY7b61cEcD_gI5SNRFVwkTUxZAO3XCk1DLH94uMYCNCdOzZt5M9g" width="276" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If anyone is interested in having more information about Alice, feel free to hit me up at kato.the.walrus@gmail.com<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-26878691422721169322023-05-08T13:23:00.004+09:002023-05-08T13:23:33.076+09:00Rest in Peace Teruhide Go Sekimei Sou<p> This stormy spring morning Teruhide Go Sekimei Sou passed away aged 15 years 8 months old. </p><p>https://nihonken.pedigreedatabaseonline.com/en/Teruhide-Go-%E8%BC%9D%E7%A7%80%E5%8F%B7-Sekimei-Sou-%E7%9F%B3%E6%98%8E%E8%8D%98/pedigree/9/i</p><p>Teruhide was a son of Daigoro Go, out of the first litter this stud produced in the Kanto region. Through his pairings with Sekihoume Go Iyo Temman Sou, Teruhide left an indelible mark on the breed in the Kanto region, most recently as the great grandfather of Jukaishuu Go, Shikoku BOB at the 2019 NIPPO Grand National. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilthC6kiFCV34VZgrqcUtMt8fjUOmL-jYHrb_pRkgeN1GxM13xk2VDeJl_TA190I5MpTVmSls2vkdunkn3JkpygpQCOTiywnZxA8lIz0-9xpJyaesk2ZwkLoicuH1X4ZaietjEzrSqCSdY-icC9juW8gpmx3JgdlfyjDuCcdDdafJB2bVCwGtclAx95g/s400/1551060519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="400" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilthC6kiFCV34VZgrqcUtMt8fjUOmL-jYHrb_pRkgeN1GxM13xk2VDeJl_TA190I5MpTVmSls2vkdunkn3JkpygpQCOTiywnZxA8lIz0-9xpJyaesk2ZwkLoicuH1X4ZaietjEzrSqCSdY-icC9juW8gpmx3JgdlfyjDuCcdDdafJB2bVCwGtclAx95g/s320/1551060519.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Produced by Ishihara-san of Sekimei Sou, he was picked out of the litter to become a stud dog by the former vice chairman of NIPPO, Iwahori-san. Teruhide became rather legendary for the ease and speed with which he would breed, and the balance in pups produced. Our dogs never seem to live long enough, but a good healthy almost 16 years is all one can ask for. Rest in peace.<p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-58311055908325860332023-03-10T21:56:00.003+09:002023-03-10T21:58:08.763+09:00NIPPO Grand National 2023: Date & LocationThe NIPPO Grand National location and date have been announced. I'm sorry I didn't get around to posting it sooner.<div><br />It will be held on November 19th in Hyogo prefecture, at the location linked below.<br />吉川総合公園 多目的グラウンド<br />0794-73-1155<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, hiragino kaku gothic pro, meiryo, ms pgothic, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E5%90%89%E5%B7%9D%E7%B7%8F%E5%90%88%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92+%E5%A4%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89/@34.8611038,135.1128784,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x60007bd84f8ce24d:0x4541faf89493dd38!8m2!3d34.8611038!4d135.1128784!16s%2Fg%2F11h7ptlv0t?hl=en-JP">https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E5%90%89%E5%B7%9D%E7%B7%8F%E5%90%88%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92+%E5%A4%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89/@34.8611038,135.1128784,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x60007bd84f8ce24d:0x4541faf89493dd38!8m2!3d34.8611038!4d135.1128784!16s%2Fg%2F11h7ptlv0t?hl=en-JP</a></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, hiragino kaku gothic pro, meiryo, ms pgothic, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div>The closest international airport would be Kansai International. I look forward to seeing you all there.<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, hiragino kaku gothic pro, meiryo, ms pgothic, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7VdqOKNZe5PX10WjO_angbBXDOyAW40s2RkArS8eMPqziRieCLUsToB4JobiQ_30-lBo966NaxCuOUPYj5_qGP135ZWwI2N95wevpXH8hsI03rosB7mNv0AKjSg2bQls05jYahYAQCTGFx9npuuCILe1jVWgy5B6bb7c3PD459I34RyFhLUsUBKwDw/s6058/Doru%E5%85%A8%E5%B1%95.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4543" data-original-width="6058" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7VdqOKNZe5PX10WjO_angbBXDOyAW40s2RkArS8eMPqziRieCLUsToB4JobiQ_30-lBo966NaxCuOUPYj5_qGP135ZWwI2N95wevpXH8hsI03rosB7mNv0AKjSg2bQls05jYahYAQCTGFx9npuuCILe1jVWgy5B6bb7c3PD459I34RyFhLUsUBKwDw/s320/Doru%E5%85%A8%E5%B1%95.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Segoe UI Historic, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, hiragino kaku gothic pro, meiryo, ms pgothic, sans-serif" style="color: #050505;"><br /></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-51005316246739420802023-02-26T19:50:00.006+09:002023-02-26T19:50:56.274+09:00Shikoku Ken Population in JapanI just made a population graph for the Shikoku Ken in Japan. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6IOZkCeDpo6os33NDpZ1JyWU4GSAkjvwvAhUhi5IPsPqIETgBltMaBmFNxsAZYCQYe2gMSJaAowYGnRRRY0-40DJdeG1K-M4tHGsmBDrLfVqjGDsPt9r2OsQZCaObtqjHQCAQmk0b1Xvr8OWArFQ5lOXEsZVm9cD-VfN9r8BaS34DUs1vI7uxuAUAQ/s864/SHIKpop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="864" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6IOZkCeDpo6os33NDpZ1JyWU4GSAkjvwvAhUhi5IPsPqIETgBltMaBmFNxsAZYCQYe2gMSJaAowYGnRRRY0-40DJdeG1K-M4tHGsmBDrLfVqjGDsPt9r2OsQZCaObtqjHQCAQmk0b1Xvr8OWArFQ5lOXEsZVm9cD-VfN9r8BaS34DUs1vI7uxuAUAQ/s320/SHIKpop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> Data for the past 10 years is a bit inaccurate. There are actually less dogs than this in Japan because Shikoku born overseas are included in this number. In 2020 for example, around 10 percent of registered pups were born outside Japan. </div><div><br /></div><div> Best case scenario, the average Shikoku lifespan is 15 years. That would give us a population of 4775 Shikoku in Japan. If we divide that in half, there are roughly 2387 males and 2387 females of various ages in our imaginary population.</div><div><br /></div><div> Assuming that in our imaginary population, males are fertile and used as stud till age 10, that gives us 1428 males that could possibly be used to further the population. Since Japan has just revised its law to only let females under 6 years old be bred, but under 7 years old if the bitch has had less than 6 litters, we will tally bitches up to 7 years old which gives us approximately 997 females.</div><div><br /></div><div> While it would seem we have a viable population of around 2425 animals, the majority of these are not owned by breeders. A number that I've heard bandied about is that between 20-25 percent of our dogs end up kept for breeding programs here in Japan. If we assume 25 percent of females, that is 249 breeding females in the whole country. While we could assume 357 males at 25 percent, the true number is massively lower since the number of males kept by kennels is far lower than females. Most kennels will have 1 or 2 males if any, case in point my house where there are 6 females and 1 male. Here in the greater Kanto region there are probably around 10 regularly used studs now.</div><div><br /></div><div> While we have 249 females in our imaginary gene pool, we only had 264 puppies born in 2021. Shikoku litters are generally between 3-5 pups, so let's use 4 as our median. That gives us 66 litters. Given that since 2011 the breed has been wandering between 200-300 pups/year, we can safely assume that we have around 50-75 actively bred females in any given year in the whole country (this is assuming 1 litter/female).</div><div><br /></div><div> My little exercise in mathematics is making a lot of assumption, but however we play it, our breeding population is extremely small. I believe the next step in our preservation effort must be to find out exactly how large our breeding population actually is, and where these dogs are. Only then can we try to make plans to best use the gene pool still available to us.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-21496086190543973092022-09-03T10:57:00.003+09:002022-09-22T21:19:31.959+09:00Why I Don't Export Dogs Anymore<p>I originally started exporting dogs to help fans/fanciers/breeders/preservationists of the Nihon Ken to import better dogs from Japan. Most of the Japanese breeds other than the Shiba are not very popular in Japan, so in the interest of their preservation I surmised that getting gene pools set up overseas would help to preserve the dwindling populations here in Japan. I started this around 15 years ago, and generally I feel that everyone coming together has been successful in getting the Nihon Ken into a better preservation space. Seeing the massive drop in population numbers over the past 5 years for the Hokkaido and Kishu in Japan for instance, shows the importance of having these back up gene pools available. The day will come when Nihon Ken will need to be imported back to Japan.</p><p>Anyway, I began blogging and translating information as I would come across it, as well as talking about my experiences with the Japanese breeds. While I originally turned down a lot of requests to help import dogs from Japan, eventually I realized that someone had to do it, and with the way I was becoming connected in the Nihon Ken community here in Japan, I decided to start helping. The OG community from the Nihon Ken Forum set up by Brad Anderson will probably remember the dark ages of the Nihon Ken when there was little to no information available, a lot of rumor/hearsay (and outright lies), and very few available dogs. All of this eventually morphed into my side export side project.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsldbkJfbJ9UZsZWKtufNN_mYzRODaOmz9QbvgQCfbZV_uSvwc29LZVAThQokhtGE33u9AxS8r7SUcx_ijMMl2jFpSGLDqa5yD6DSVT9lb1XkWgUQj1w_GTA-0cyjEX9bPiBHTDOxtke8saMauff__6zk-BjXcO5OHYAu840q6ZedFOaXn7Ehn8ZK4A/s2048/302036399_590800319360921_8566698666630265758_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsldbkJfbJ9UZsZWKtufNN_mYzRODaOmz9QbvgQCfbZV_uSvwc29LZVAThQokhtGE33u9AxS8r7SUcx_ijMMl2jFpSGLDqa5yD6DSVT9lb1XkWgUQj1w_GTA-0cyjEX9bPiBHTDOxtke8saMauff__6zk-BjXcO5OHYAu840q6ZedFOaXn7Ehn8ZK4A/s320/302036399_590800319360921_8566698666630265758_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>While I'm very happy with the people and dogs I've been able to meet over the years, my fascination with the Nihon Ken has never been a commercial venture, and honestly there have been plenty of situations I have ended up in that were a bit disillusioning. Over the years I became the go to guy for difficult exports, or the translator for situations that were blowing up (or had already exploded).</p><p>Fast forward to June of 2020, and the Animal Welfare law in Japan update: Anyone selling or transferring ownership of dogs is required to do a face to face transaction/explanation/contract AT THEIR REGISTERED ESTABLISHMENT. This first part of the law had already come into affect several years earlier in response to the massive increase in internet sales, and the problems that come with purchasing a pup sight unseen from someone you have never met, and having a puppy arrive at say the airport, in all sorts of conditions. The second part of the stipulation that I have put in capitals is new. It requires the transaction to take place at the seller's registered establishment. So in the past, if I transported a dog to someone, I could do the transaction/explanation/contract anywhere I liked (anywhere in the world for that matter), but now the transaction needs to take place here at my kennel. Obviously in the new world of Covid and Japan's strict border controls this made face to face transactions with people overseas impossible. Finding and picking dogs for people, handling all the communication between parties, and taking responsibility for everything is very time consuming and stressful. To be honest, I was quite happy to use this new law as an excuse to no longer broker the sale of dogs for export. While many breeders are still sending their dogs overseas, and consider this a grey area since the transaction is taking place outside of Japan, I think there is a very high possibility that the media will latch onto this at some point. Over the past few years there have been some very high profile legal issues involving NIPPO, dog breeding in Japan, animal rescue etc. </p><p>Most recently, there was a very well known Shiba breeder who was arrested for falsifying documents and practicing medicine without a license. It seems he had been microchipping dogs on his own without a veterinarian present (which is illegal in Japan), creating the paperwork for the microchips himself, as well as creating his own health certificates and signing them as if they had been issued by his veterinarian. The whole case came to light because Animal Quarantine Japan found the paperwork for 2 Shiba being exported to Bulgaria to be suspicious. </p><p>Over the years helping with exports, I have seen the underbelly of dog breeding here in Japan. There are wonderful things happening, but of course there's the shady bits as well. I've heard off the cuff comments regarding falsification of paperwork etc When I am hired to help with an export, it means my business and name are all over the export paperwork, and to a certain extent I am also legally liable for the validity of paperwork I submit. This is obviously problematic if I can't vouch for the veterinary paperwork or pedigrees that are being supplied to me by breeders. I believe there is also often a lack of understanding on the side of the exporter and importer regarding the exact legalities of exporting/importing a dog. The laws of the country of origin and the country of import have to be followed, and when the exporter/importer use an export service like mine, they can often choose to be oblivious to the laws and possible ramifications that could occur if they don't get everything right. Of course it also leaves a massive amount of responsibility in my court to make sure everything is exactly right, and all rules are followed.</p><p>This is the part that has become increasingly difficult in the current international climate. COVID has made the movement of people/animals/goods very difficult, with sudden unnotified cancellations and changes, and animal welfare laws are making import much more difficult. To import a dog to the EU for example, technically dogs have to be transported by their owner, or by a proxy within 5 days of the owners movement (on the same route), otherwise the import needs to follow the rules for a commercial import (this would also apply to 'transporters' traveling with dogs for the purpose of change of ownership/resale). The paperwork that needs to be put together and stipulations are different, and there is a very sticky requirement that the animal needs to be exported from an establishment registered with the competent authority. The export is also supposed to be registered with TRACES, the EU tracking database for the movement of produce/animals etc. Unfortunately, in Japan the competent authority that handles animal export inspection is the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, but the branch of government that handles the registration, monitoring and licensing of dog breeding is the Ministry of the Environment. So the Ministry of Agriculture is not set up with a list of registered breeders, and also is not set up to enter data like this into TRACES. Technically this would make the commercial export of dogs from Japan to the EU impossible. Of course it has been done for many years, under commercial and non-commercial rules since it seems most EU countries interpret the rules as they see fit. But, using this as an example, it's a complex world out there.</p><p>So the title of this post is not entirely accurate, since I do still give advice on export/import to and from Japan, and my business will continue to help with the logistics of pet export/import (ie arranging cargo flights, transport and kenneling within Japan). What I no longer do is find dogs for export, and we also do not handle the Animal Quarantine Services Japan export inspection application or paperwork. I want breeders and importers to take responsibility for the process themselves and be fully aware of the legalities and process involved.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-61571512400780045302022-09-02T10:40:00.003+09:002022-09-02T10:40:54.320+09:00Origin of the Japanese Wolf<p> There's been some interesting DNA analysis going on in Japan pertaining to the origin of the extinct Japanese wolves, the Nihon Ken, and dogs in general. This video is in Japanese, but the subtitles are a pretty good translation. They've actually discovered that there was another species of giant wolves in Japan that existed before the 2 known wolf species, Canis Lupus Hattai and Canis Lupus Hodophilax. Enjoy!</p><p><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VNBJ6atrOPc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p><br /></p><p>Here's a link to an interesting and related paper</p><p><a href="https://bioone.org/journals/zoological-science/volume-26/issue-11/zsj.26.765/Mitochondrial-DNA-Analysis-of-the-Japanese-Wolf-Canis-Lupus-Hodophilax/10.2108/zsj.26.765.full">https://bioone.org/journals/zoological-science/volume-26/issue-11/zsj.26.765/Mitochondrial-DNA-Analysis-of-the-Japanese-Wolf-Canis-Lupus-Hodophilax/10.2108/zsj.26.765.full</a></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-89575924078148197652022-06-07T11:14:00.002+09:002022-06-07T11:14:18.667+09:00The Reopening Border<p> So Japan is slowly but surely testing the waters as it reopens the border. Today, June 7th, the new rules were announced. To put it simply, there are now three country categories: Red, Yellow, and Blue. The rules for entry differ depending on which group your country is in, but for blue (which covers most of Europe and North America), there is no quarantine on arrival in Japan, and you do not have to be vaccinated. But, you do still need a valid PCR test done 72 hours before entry to be eligible. The border has now opened to tourism, but only for tour groups run by certified travel agencies. All entrants have to apply for a visa.</p><p>I imagine that they will run with these rules till at least the end of summer, and at that point will look toward allowing individual tourists to enter the country again. It's been a wild 2 years!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54pXMi-bU4NQnMeVYhD_g-yFBJl1DxWhYvvGL6RbWEnLmwQYiG7KPu6VaIQkeYQ5y4gJGiE8TCNYJJcnuAejsCl6E9BCqVtniujPyYfYbcvm7tboxnTnhs1LK_CuzuBgjqFCZPGPUo4M32LxjurXR1cptTxQv5l5HoB_3Ve4Em-By_kbL4X-wQyEYPg/s3008/DSC_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54pXMi-bU4NQnMeVYhD_g-yFBJl1DxWhYvvGL6RbWEnLmwQYiG7KPu6VaIQkeYQ5y4gJGiE8TCNYJJcnuAejsCl6E9BCqVtniujPyYfYbcvm7tboxnTnhs1LK_CuzuBgjqFCZPGPUo4M32LxjurXR1cptTxQv5l5HoB_3Ve4Em-By_kbL4X-wQyEYPg/s320/DSC_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.insidekyoto.com/can-i-travel-to-japan-now?fbclid=IwAR36as_w1bTy6DgBr9Ln0a02GYXRq7OQmbmPWAK8-yCSeu1Xa7kX9t3W4xw">https://www.insidekyoto.com/can-i-travel-to-japan-now?fbclid=IwAR36as_w1bTy6DgBr9Ln0a02GYXRq7OQmbmPWAK8-yCSeu1Xa7kX9t3W4xw</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html">https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-73830665520912860282022-05-18T11:58:00.004+09:002022-05-18T20:06:09.067+09:00Here It Is: The New JKC Appendix Export Pedigree<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So as everyone is now well aware, as of January 1st, 2022, the Japan Kennel Club no longer gives a full registration to dogs being transferred from NIPPO and other Nihon Ken registries. They are registered to the APPENDIX, where they and their progeny will stay for 3 generations. Below I have included a sample for everyone to see what kind of a pedigree you receive when you export a dog that has a JKC APPENDIX pedigree.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBPWx7li2G8qX0APQttH4Hxg2IVFGuBomlmR3n4jhMk1OlVtJaV7PXvyTyYfccDqEkDarMjhbsEXqPq98owGIJ6b00uwcB5dxAGQnh4DAp2homJTklj6Z9BydVZ3yvEyWK8_it8U72WtC0Hir8Y55xx_9XXJbb9CALqai7kgiCmFRKGJWAaVmzqxhxg/s2322/AppendixPedigreeSample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBPWx7li2G8qX0APQttH4Hxg2IVFGuBomlmR3n4jhMk1OlVtJaV7PXvyTyYfccDqEkDarMjhbsEXqPq98owGIJ6b00uwcB5dxAGQnh4DAp2homJTklj6Z9BydVZ3yvEyWK8_it8U72WtC0Hir8Y55xx_9XXJbb9CALqai7kgiCmFRKGJWAaVmzqxhxg/w451-h640/AppendixPedigreeSample.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see, all ancestors have their names and kennels included, but no other information. This does create a serious issue in that due to the use of Japanese kanji by Japanese kennels, multiple dogs can have the exact same name. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For example: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">百合号 安房山犬荘</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ゆり号 安房山犬荘</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">友里号 安房山犬荘</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">由梨号 安房山犬荘</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ユリ号 安房山犬荘</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the above names are read 'Yuri Go Awa Yamainu Sou' (and I could give you at least 10 more ways to write the same name). You can see how this could be a problem for tracking actual parentage to understand how closely related dogs are, which is a major reason to have a pedigree in the first place, isn't it? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another change that has just been made by the JKC registration department is that Japanese dog names will now be translated into English using the Hepburn System (hebonshiki) rather than the previous system which I believe was Word Processor Type (wa-puroshiki). Personally I preferred the previous system, because it is an exact way to translate the names into English. In the same way that having registration numbers to identify dogs is important, it is also important for names to be uniform, and for there to be no misunderstandings about which dog is being identified by a name.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For example:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ゆり号 安房山犬荘 old style: Yuri Go Awa Yamainu Sou</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ゆり号 安房山犬荘 new style: Yuri Go Awa Yamainu So</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While this may not seem problematic, I can see two large possible problems looming. Dogs previously in the database will retain their registration names using the previous method of romanization. So, a dog that was already in the database, but is entered again as an ancestor of a newly registered APPENDIX dog, could be registered in the JKC database with two separate names/identities. And what will be even more confusing is the following example, and the reason I prefer the old method:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">有利号 安房山犬荘 old style: Yuuri Go Awa Yamainu Sou</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">有利号 安房山犬荘 new style: Yuri Go Awa Yamainu So</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ゆ and 有(ゆう) will both end up being translated as 'yu' instead of as 'yu' and 'yuu'</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are actually multiple examples in the above pedigree of this issue. Not including the change in the suffix 'sou' becoming 'so', out of 14 dogs, there are 9 with very easily recognizable potential for this kind of misidentification (ie 'ryu' instead of 'ryuu')</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As with the Appendix pedigree change, everything was decided before most of us had ever heard that there was a change coming. Once things like this are done, it is just about impossible to backtrack. We will have to figure out ways to work within the new system, so feel free to use this pedigree as a sample to contact your respective kennel clubs about how they will manage this new export pedigree (if at all). It does make the privately run online breed databases even more important than they were before, as they may soon be the only way to track parentage correctly and efficiently.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-6389001515049881472022-04-24T20:00:00.004+09:002022-04-24T20:14:01.824+09:00NIPPO Santama Branch Exhibition, Spring 2022<p> So let's keep that ball rolling. I felt like I should be blogging something 'important', but really, I should just get to it and start with what's easy. </p><p>April 24th, 2022. Covid has put a major wrench in show schedules for the past two years, with two Grand Nationals canceled. But, it looks like we've found our way through to a more comfortable place, and this spring most NIPPO branch shows and regionals are moving according to schedule. </p><p>I got up at 4am today to take care of all my dogs, and then make the 2.5hour drive to the venue for the NIPPO Santama (west side of Tokyo) Branch Exhibition. Entry numbers are way down this year, and the Santama branch felt the bite for sure. There were only 91 entries. Branch shows usually have somewhere in the vicinity of 150 entries. Most disconcerting this season has been the low number of entries of young adult dogs, with many classes having 0 entries.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ9PvI_mn_y7_ez0yepty0v3CwuJ2IMKkHnu7RGDnHL9ubTvOsMzzgyUp_nzob8LoSFzm5grvT3DAaAZ0fOqp1D9C45H7aSJihlr3BQRbq-ewoJaxl_0ONlnqjo-GJl6ZVznIbOZNKXcCV68fcZwXTMajdYMHnaUZQxE-LZV3bFiNTuvbbY8L8_TbNjw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ9PvI_mn_y7_ez0yepty0v3CwuJ2IMKkHnu7RGDnHL9ubTvOsMzzgyUp_nzob8LoSFzm5grvT3DAaAZ0fOqp1D9C45H7aSJihlr3BQRbq-ewoJaxl_0ONlnqjo-GJl6ZVznIbOZNKXcCV68fcZwXTMajdYMHnaUZQxE-LZV3bFiNTuvbbY8L8_TbNjw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Regardless, we're happy to be able to hang out together and see each others dogs. I showed three of mine: Doru (Doruto Go Shibukawa Kato Kensha), Alice (Arisu Go Awa Yamainu Sou), and Iyo (Iyo Go Musashi Aiwa). Doru and Alice both took 2nd place in their respective classes, and Iyo was in puppy class which does not have placements, but she did receive an excellent.</p><p>And here are some pictures for tax</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikp700caBBzPq8FzLEPFv7Cuz_JPbXBuAR7iUzZWsGeuq46pGleGN_nQ-gxWs4_t2Wzus08Czh3zkDrT8Lo0rV-vfGI7IXk5M39mzruYW35vE7HF_c2FIsCUvOBeO2oqzB4j_hqi_UHAJ1tQSrdL8NEhFPcIhhQ6TBd1yWMbVmCEu3y8juZYGDoJwyNg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikp700caBBzPq8FzLEPFv7Cuz_JPbXBuAR7iUzZWsGeuq46pGleGN_nQ-gxWs4_t2Wzus08Czh3zkDrT8Lo0rV-vfGI7IXk5M39mzruYW35vE7HF_c2FIsCUvOBeO2oqzB4j_hqi_UHAJ1tQSrdL8NEhFPcIhhQ6TBd1yWMbVmCEu3y8juZYGDoJwyNg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First place adult female (and BIS)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhEBoJk8g16lUUxGaEWBZ5lYSoqvh5-1QlAKyh3yJryM2m_MwVOGjvsECtJBUcDpCsqNGtzp62pBMnXzfv4lhQ6Aljz0oS2BQ9A8ZkiKOP00r23VvOO1syhvfCA0ZrN6tl05wFAHPvcz9w82pd-oJudp-PVkStpHyWj6LEZ4Y887LWpyzPU_s2qDpE8g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhEBoJk8g16lUUxGaEWBZ5lYSoqvh5-1QlAKyh3yJryM2m_MwVOGjvsECtJBUcDpCsqNGtzp62pBMnXzfv4lhQ6Aljz0oS2BQ9A8ZkiKOP00r23VvOO1syhvfCA0ZrN6tl05wFAHPvcz9w82pd-oJudp-PVkStpHyWj6LEZ4Y887LWpyzPU_s2qDpE8g" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Second place adult female</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4n1qMbSs4zSad8wFbT-4R4FKM2WExw9Y7LfDYV1A1JGKm3ipgDZP2n6srwdcqOOPVggCFgDLnecFUAetV0H7MvCR9TCGles3O1AJwY3u7ug-Lh9BljXlwt4Bjv095qUauZoj7HF9GKWDpUHkuVLj1p73VEIwChLYtylJ9-ZTTHIDDCmTgYfFuM_BW5w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4n1qMbSs4zSad8wFbT-4R4FKM2WExw9Y7LfDYV1A1JGKm3ipgDZP2n6srwdcqOOPVggCFgDLnecFUAetV0H7MvCR9TCGles3O1AJwY3u7ug-Lh9BljXlwt4Bjv095qUauZoj7HF9GKWDpUHkuVLj1p73VEIwChLYtylJ9-ZTTHIDDCmTgYfFuM_BW5w" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Third place adult female</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdt0Ce4WqYSF_3p9uiRjrvoEvsB1bYLhdiNa26y9j22uZm6GFTMY9_NTg3XWY4pXbCnXHUPGEe0tpF97y9XuFV7tMRSjDBxruvSB3gx83OEvslUuRnMj3yTX7RI_1YDYF2zc3csjMnaea__DMZOFJZdKy2k-7CZSFvq2_6NNiN7cmjvkeMe03xN7ZH4A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdt0Ce4WqYSF_3p9uiRjrvoEvsB1bYLhdiNa26y9j22uZm6GFTMY9_NTg3XWY4pXbCnXHUPGEe0tpF97y9XuFV7tMRSjDBxruvSB3gx83OEvslUuRnMj3yTX7RI_1YDYF2zc3csjMnaea__DMZOFJZdKy2k-7CZSFvq2_6NNiN7cmjvkeMe03xN7ZH4A" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alice (taken by my good friend Okabe-san)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinKqAUYC4o-CFxPynIXUuxWNfzLSsdoyG69iUXhMc3Rdxl_rMk7FFJcuPiPOqx6qx5YjRhJjyDWk-58tymz-0o0dG23cbveBhsJ2A6juKbbPY4mACcYY6Vy-zCUvInYjxg9YY247PLHvB1Sf09UJAv4rOoFcESe3iWNt0RFqrmcQMBwQvUCapJfhJQVg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="1104" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinKqAUYC4o-CFxPynIXUuxWNfzLSsdoyG69iUXhMc3Rdxl_rMk7FFJcuPiPOqx6qx5YjRhJjyDWk-58tymz-0o0dG23cbveBhsJ2A6juKbbPY4mACcYY6Vy-zCUvInYjxg9YY247PLHvB1Sf09UJAv4rOoFcESe3iWNt0RFqrmcQMBwQvUCapJfhJQVg" width="179" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Headshot of the little lady (also taken by Okabe-san)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjFVfRP_YXGqfgRZi8eg0hPFvE_fiysGoBLyist28a9Ss2vcDjFL-axFaDVQjaIeV_Gdd-4idE9aMsFUs6b39VmoEpC3_Enj2vmu9_lqBqV2kOGS5RDZsUESnRGV_YYlZyQLMCgRK9usS1hiXLSKjzwRfbuplHlgWXbdCSmhJchEjOml3mdOMcFINzqg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjFVfRP_YXGqfgRZi8eg0hPFvE_fiysGoBLyist28a9Ss2vcDjFL-axFaDVQjaIeV_Gdd-4idE9aMsFUs6b39VmoEpC3_Enj2vmu9_lqBqV2kOGS5RDZsUESnRGV_YYlZyQLMCgRK9usS1hiXLSKjzwRfbuplHlgWXbdCSmhJchEjOml3mdOMcFINzqg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The little puppy monster Iyo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5BvDgmNWj_Bf9GYmbmRr7QIZKcv6CLo3gjc4U2uLnNMVCTU_bxc8hqG6iOLxgBufjX8_TlpeE03KosBlhX5I_MhZIXtt8RFrQXGklnH2ngNk6NJ-RdZyQMVTzHiReFgEZdeju2Mbn24yeZo4yzj5NGY3CG_-ox6JBLiyqAkPOz-c6YHTj7agtTju9Dg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5BvDgmNWj_Bf9GYmbmRr7QIZKcv6CLo3gjc4U2uLnNMVCTU_bxc8hqG6iOLxgBufjX8_TlpeE03KosBlhX5I_MhZIXtt8RFrQXGklnH2ngNk6NJ-RdZyQMVTzHiReFgEZdeju2Mbn24yeZo4yzj5NGY3CG_-ox6JBLiyqAkPOz-c6YHTj7agtTju9Dg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Doru was determined to be an absolute monster, defending the universe against the other 2 Kishu males in the ring. They had the same idea, so it was a bit of a mess trying to keep everything sane. But that was why we were there, to continue the process of toning down Doru's insane energy in preparation for a hopeful Grand National run at the end of this year. I think we need at least one more practice show this spring! May god help us all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alice was a massive hit, with several people trying to steal her. Yes, I'm quite happy with her as well, and doubly happy that she and Doru do not get carsick anymore. Very happy to again have dogs that enjoy going everywhere with me. Walks, shows, hunting boar, these two are down for it and ready.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-741606059450205542022-03-31T18:59:00.004+09:002022-03-31T18:59:36.279+09:00Well Let's Catch Up Then<p> So here we are, sitting a third of the way into 2022, another year in which I have left the blog sitting mostly quiet, un-inked. My posting has always been sporadic, linked to how much time and energy I have at any given point in my life. Since my blogging is a non-commercial venture, I have to feel a fair amount of 'need' in order to pick up the proverbial pen and start writing. It takes time away from doing normal things like paying the bills, spending time with my dogs, spending time in the mountains.</p><p>My blogs have been about the Japanese breeds: owning them, living with them, their history, their present. In 2020 I started to feel that there were deep questions about the Nihon Ken and their preservation that were scratching at the back of my brain, but I had to backburner these nagging thoughts in order to stay afloat through a global pandemic (I imagine just about everyone has had to fight some sort of personal battle to get through the past 2 years). These questions were core questions that shake the very ideas of preservation, purebred breeds, closed stud books, dog shows, and dog ownership. Without taking the time to address these questions, I was not in a place to keep writing.</p><p>A lot has happened for me and the dogs in these past few silent years. I still post visual snippets on my Instagram accounts, which tends to keep everyone somewhat in the loop I imagine, albeit with less commentary. The biggest two events of 2020/2021 would be the January 2020 purchase of my farmhouse, and the October 2021 passing of The Baron.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gmq_8uoD4JMQd5vSdtZeTNQqH32OyU2jX7a9dS3nDo18Uug1lG9vIfy3t-km97vScz9Uj0UoijUkyVKTFBhDpJt_tOTspn4IPIWzLNLk-asu2uPW4XA2zmXuCuAPPR12lzcb8UfKbE9UcU4WoGftPz1lz_NfrtkLRLPsJbKWbQ8TumRvIc-sEWNZZg/s827/277420448_4969314306482326_3789877427508398853_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="827" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gmq_8uoD4JMQd5vSdtZeTNQqH32OyU2jX7a9dS3nDo18Uug1lG9vIfy3t-km97vScz9Uj0UoijUkyVKTFBhDpJt_tOTspn4IPIWzLNLk-asu2uPW4XA2zmXuCuAPPR12lzcb8UfKbE9UcU4WoGftPz1lz_NfrtkLRLPsJbKWbQ8TumRvIc-sEWNZZg/s320/277420448_4969314306482326_3789877427508398853_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The first event was the culmination of over a decade of searching for the perfect property, the one that would tick all my boxes (and fit within my budget!). This property is not perfect, I remember telling my brother after our first visit, but I realized that I could keep searching for another decade for the perfect one, or I could get started with building a dream space for myself and the dogs now. We had waited long enough for more space! We've done a lot of work already, the house is almost completely renovated, kennel has been built, the orchard above the house fenced off for the dogs. As with everything in my life, dog needs take priority, and so everything having to do with them was done first. We're playing catch up on the personal bits of the property. Luckily I have taken a lot of pictures of all the different projects we have undertaken here, so I have plenty of house porn to feed the blog.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uGu5vX2XnXHicHNsoi90-ih1qbGoAtmuvM6Q7AK0uve0k69qA-WN1P9mvdX81o1VYBZqSf-KGN4aVnYy-hH6hu9SnIlYN-BOYcVmq3KDfo3gHZDDBQwhN8GTeVi48XraxNVtBiLjBnNo5T9nkqAOzXYvemntTufkaIDp8Z5f_zIycb9cJ4LqBJneHw/s828/277386390_358478679627450_1992883323177473529_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="828" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uGu5vX2XnXHicHNsoi90-ih1qbGoAtmuvM6Q7AK0uve0k69qA-WN1P9mvdX81o1VYBZqSf-KGN4aVnYy-hH6hu9SnIlYN-BOYcVmq3KDfo3gHZDDBQwhN8GTeVi48XraxNVtBiLjBnNo5T9nkqAOzXYvemntTufkaIDp8Z5f_zIycb9cJ4LqBJneHw/s320/277386390_358478679627450_1992883323177473529_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>The second event was the passing of boar dog and friend extraordinaire, Baron, after a fast bout of acute kidney/liver failure. Cause of death was most likely Leptospirosis since there are outbreaks of it in this area on occasion. Unfortunately Baron nearly died as a puppy due to an allergic reaction to a Lepto vaccination, so he was not vaccinated against it since (and possibly had a predisposed sensitivity to it). We were unable to get a clear diagnosis due to the speed with which everything happened, and the need to start treatment, but it was either that or poisoning of some sort. Everyone who has ever visited with us remembers Baron, and that in itself was a very deep and touching realization I came to during his passing. To see how much he was remembered by friends and strangers all over the world (though to Baron there were no strangers). Everyone was his friend, and guard dog he was not. Baron will have his own post on the blog commemorating the life of a great boar dog. It's just taken almost 6 months to feel I can write about him without losing oxygen.<p>All things considered, we're doing well. Here we are at the end of March, and I've decided it's time to start writing again.</p><p>+</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-69854406163770592362022-03-17T17:52:00.001+09:002022-03-17T17:52:59.187+09:00What's Going on With Canine Travel to Australia From Japan?<p> So it's at least once a week that I have to answer this question in all its varieties: Can you help me figure out how to get a dog from Japan to Australia?</p><p>Short answer: If you are a pet owner that is having issues figuring out how to get your dog to Australia, yes. If you are a breeder or someone looking to purchase a dog from Japan and have it shipped to you, no.</p><p>The reasons for this require some explanation, and I've wasted a lot of time going over this with so many people. So I am posting this here so I can link it to future requests.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMaaEfXAFUTOt52RVDbuau1xY4VJDGYyla7vnj0y84Nra3GXJ683J91X9Qhx69qlWiJaFbLzLygo2NjZT8fLCcBpeu5bjtiUvLHjIH4LuaLPtSlHbKrywmXxZdMIAsqwsM98l7S3IfPc6pEZQkNGV0-cp-_HzZpTy75HAuJnYLvRtkqGz-i9lvD7NCIQ=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMaaEfXAFUTOt52RVDbuau1xY4VJDGYyla7vnj0y84Nra3GXJ683J91X9Qhx69qlWiJaFbLzLygo2NjZT8fLCcBpeu5bjtiUvLHjIH4LuaLPtSlHbKrywmXxZdMIAsqwsM98l7S3IfPc6pEZQkNGV0-cp-_HzZpTy75HAuJnYLvRtkqGz-i9lvD7NCIQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Firstly, Australia requires all canines entering the country to arrive as manifest cargo. That means they can't travel with someone as check in baggage (or in the cabin).</p><p>Secondly, Australia has very specific rules about where and how the dogs arrive in the country due to the need to transport them directly to the Mickleham quarantine facility.</p><p>Due to COVID, most flights from Japan to Australia were cancelled. There is a JAL flight that I can book pets on, but I've been requested to only use it in case of emergency (ie pets needing to be reunited with their owners etc). A new purchase/import of a dog is not an emergency. The reason for this is that there is limited space on this one flight. Cargo (like medical supplies etc) takes priority over pets, so if there is not enough space, pets get bumped. The JAL flight from Narita is a morning flight (11:40), which does not leave enough time to do the Animal Quarantine Services export inspection, customs inspection, and cargo check in. A dog being shipped on this flight would need all necessary inspections and paperwork done the day before (AQS is only open from 8:30-17:00), and once all is done the animal cannot leave the cargo area of the airport. There is no overnight pet care at Narita International Airport's cargo terminal, so essentially the dog has to overnight with no walks etc from around 17:00-11:40 (18+hours) and then handle the flight which is another 10+hours. The dog then has to clear entry into Australia at Melbourne, be transported to the quarantine facility, and finally be released from its crate. So at the minimum, we're talking about 29+hours crated, and most likely more like 35-40hours crated. That's going to be massively stressful for any dog.</p><p>Logistically, the best way to plan a flight to Australia from Japan would be to ship a dog on an afternoon or evening flight. Unfortunately that flight does not currently exist (thank you COVID).</p><p>So now the Australian border is open so all is good right? Not really. Qantas is resuming flights to/from Japan, but operated by their budget carrier which cannot handle pets. So this doesn't really change anything.</p><p>How about connecting flights using other airlines and through other countries? Essentially we're looking at the same issues as the JAL flight: massive amounts of crate time and stress. I would generally not be comfortable putting one of my dogs through this, so unless absolutely necessary, I have not been and am not accepting requests to arrange pet transport to Australia.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2734462636905794264.post-13014864256152465692021-06-14T10:11:00.003+09:002021-06-14T10:14:23.523+09:00Making Entries to the Nihon Ken Database<p class="MsoNormal">A user who has been working hard to add information to the <a href="https://nihonken.pedigreedatabaseonline.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nihon Ken database</b></a> contacted me to ask why some entries had not been confirmed. This was my reply:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>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).</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i>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.</i></span></p>
<p><i>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 </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Also, I thought I'd add here that the correct way to enter a dog's name is in the following order:</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nihonken.pedigreedatabaseonline.com/en/Masamine-Go-%E9%9B%85%E5%B3%B0%E5%8F%B7-Futomi-Sou-%E5%A4%AA%E6%B5%B7%E8%8D%98/pedigree/6/i" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US">Masamine Go </span><span face=""MS 明朝","serif"" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">雅峰号</span><span lang="EN-US"> Futomi Sou </span><span face=""MS 明朝","serif"" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Century; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Century; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">太海荘</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Name (English), Name (Japanese), Kennel (English), Kennel (Japanese)</p><p class="MsoNormal">And please, enter dog registration numbers. Thank you all for your help with the database!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL72icCV3_1Js1N-wvGenqQreS8erjdVWCDXW-vef-NSLo888VgWvG2Yx8t8CH2ghS_BwWNHiGqopIGlnmROeQcV6Jfze5z92askUeFD2ZmFsTH-QKE8CkRTGQ8CprVrQIunoUJ2vXA33/s1379/googleLogo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="1379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL72icCV3_1Js1N-wvGenqQreS8erjdVWCDXW-vef-NSLo888VgWvG2Yx8t8CH2ghS_BwWNHiGqopIGlnmROeQcV6Jfze5z92askUeFD2ZmFsTH-QKE8CkRTGQ8CprVrQIunoUJ2vXA33/s320/googleLogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1