Kishu Ken puppies

About the Kishu Ken

The Kishu Ken comes from the mountains of the Kii peninsula in Japan, where it was bred to hunt boar, working close and quiet rather than noisy. Almost all are solid white now. It is a medium spitz of 13.6 to 27.2 kg and 48 to 56 cm, with a short harsh double coat, prick ears and a curled or sickle tail. The temperament is calm and stoic indoors, deeply loyal to its own household, wary of strangers, and intensely focused the moment something moves.

Daily walks, hikes or scent games meet its needs; this is not a dog that has to run all day. Grooming is minimal outside the one or two annual moults, when a bath and a high velocity dryer save weeks of loose hair. Prey drive is the practical problem: fencing must be solid and off lead work is unreliable. It rates in the middle with children and other pets, so supervise and socialise. New owners often read the breed's stillness as contentment when it is actually boredom building up.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Kishu Ken puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Autoimmune thyroiditis, screened by a thyroid blood panel
• Addison's disease, or hypoadrenocorticism, diagnosed by an ACTH stimulation test
• Food and environmental allergies, worked up by a vet with elimination diets and skin testing
• Discoid and systemic lupus, diagnosed by a vet from skin biopsy and blood testing

From Kishu Ken breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/kishu-ken/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Kishu Ken puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Kishu Ken.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 13.6 to 27.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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