Overview
The Kishu Ken was bred in the mountainous Kii peninsula to hunt boar and deer, often alone, working in silence until the quarry was held. Most are pure white, with a thick straight coat, a wedge head, small pricked ears and the coiled tail of the Japanese native breeds. It is a national treasure in Japan and very rare in Britain.
Owners describe a dog that is calm and devoted at home, aloof with outsiders and utterly focused when something catches its interest. It is not loud or demonstrative. A walker should expect to be weighed up carefully and should plan around a hunting instinct that has not been bred out.
Exercise and walking needs
Ninety minutes a day is a fair starting point for an adult, with brisk walking and, ideally, a long line in woodland where the dog can use its nose. It was bred to work hard over steep ground and it keeps the stamina to prove it.
Short walks on the pavement leave the Kishu under-exercised and over-focused. If the owner has a secure field, a session there once or twice a week is worth more than extra lead miles.
On the walk
- Prey: Deer, squirrels, cats and small dogs can all switch the dog into hunting mode, and it will go without a sound. Assume no recall under that pressure.
- Other dogs: Selective. Many are fine with known dogs and intolerant of strange ones, especially of the same sex. Avoid face-to-face meetings on paths.
- Handling: Stiff about being grabbed or restrained by someone it does not know. Clip the lead on calmly and leave the rest.
- Coat: Dirt falls out of the white coat once dry. Shedding is heavy in spring and autumn.
Tips for professional walkers
- Keep the dog on a long line in woods and let it work scent; it is the nearest thing to the job it was bred for.
- Walk alone or with a dog the owner has already approved. This is not a breed to add to a mixed group on day one.
- Avoid livestock fields. The hunting instinct does not distinguish between a boar and a ewe.
- Watch for the body going still and the ears locking forward; that is your early warning.
What to ask the owner
- What exactly does the dog do when it sees deer or cats, and has it ever caught anything?
- Is there a dog it already walks happily with?
- How does it like to be handled by strangers, and is there a way it prefers the lead to be put on?