I met my first Kishu Ken and spent time with in 2019 on my trip to Japan. Since meeting them, I reached out to a breeder in the states to ask questions about temperament about the breed making sure the dogs I met weren’t just a fluke as I really enjoyed them. So 4 years later I welcomed an older Kishu puppy to my pack. Since I’m fairly new to the Kishu Ken I am including the link to the National Kishu Ken Club. As I get more familiar with the breed, I feel I’ll be better qualified to post my own thoughts and experiences about the breed.
There are three words that the Japanese use to describe the Nihon Ken’s temperament:
Kan-i is bravery and boldness combined with composure and strength. Ryosei is good nature with a gentle disposition. Kan-i & Ryosei are opposites; one cannot exist without the other. The last word to describe the Shiba Inu is Soboku which is artlessness with a refined & open spirit. All three of these characteristics combined make the Kishu a Kishu.
The Kishu Ken is a medium size boar hound from Japan. Legend has it that a Japanese hunter stumbled upon a wounded she-wolf that he helped nurse back to health. To repay his kindness she gifted him with a pup and that pup became the ancestor of the Kishu Ken. The Kii peninsula is the birthplace of the Kishu, with both Wakayama and Mie claiming the breed.
Like other Japanese breeds, the breed itself is fairly young with the standard being written in 1934 by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (NIPPO). Unfortunately like the other Japanese medium breeds, the breed faces extinction with only a couple hundred pups being registered per year with NIPPO, each year the numbers are declining. There are also not many fanciers of the breed outside of Japan.
Recommended health testing for the Kishu Ken: OFA
More information on Kishu:
Kishu History by the National Kishu Ken Club
Kishu Temperament by the National Kishu Ken Club
Kishu Standard by the National Kishu Ken Club
Kishu Health by the National Kishu Ken Club
Boomlay Shiba Inu 