Trip to the zoo :)

Today Pia, Kaufi, Nobu and I visited the zoo of Vienna. Since it was really hot, all animals were sleeping so it  was nearly impossible to get any wild animals action pics. 

Instead we decided to take some fun pics...here they are! :)

Baba Lisa

Im back :)

Ok guys, sorry for the long interruption but getting back to normal life took some time and effort (jetlag and taming Sophie Monster:)

For all who havent got to see my Canada pics up until now here is a link to my online webalbum:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ichigo3639

Im planning to introduce you to some of the dogs at Akashima Kennel with a short character description, some pics etc in the next weeks, but life is busy so be patient:)

Baba Lisa

2nd day Vancouver!

 Today was a strange day...

It started really good with a private guided tour through the brand-new convention center down at the harbour for Michael and me. Yesterday we had only asked a staffmember where the entrance is located and she just organized a guide tour for us. Canadian people really are strange (She was from Germany :) Its a really nice building, half built on the water with typical canadian plants, trees, honeybees and a racoon on the roof. Everything in this building was

 designed, created or has its origins in Canada. They even made the walls out of  canadian cedars and another kind of tree, which gives the building a nice smell of woods. Not to forget the amazing few over the water up to the mountains!! Oh I almost forgot. All big tv broadcasts about the Olympic Games will be held there!!

Afterwards Michael and I splitted up and I made my way to the BC Museum of Anthropology located at the University Campus. But I took the wrong bus and it took me mor

e than 2 hours to get there cause the Campus is located far away from the Center. Its a huge area and I got lost several times again. Its like they didnt think that somebody dares to arrive there without a car, and I had to run over the whole Campus to get there. When I finally arrived parts of the museum where closed cause of renovation, and there was only a small exhibition but the totem poles which I was able to see where impressing.

On my way back to the hostel I went off the bus to buy some crazy food (Chips with garlic and honey flavour, Marshmallowcream, Jelly Pudding) in one of these big supermarkets which you cant find in Downtown, but they hadnt anything of it.

Back at the hostel i tried to check-in for my flights via the internet but first my macbook didnt want to connect and then the printer didnt work so I have to do it again tomorrow at the airport.

Completly exhausted I went off again for shopping cause of my bursting luggage I needed another bag and something to eat, which I had totally forgotten between getting lost several times and the computer problems.

I wanted to eat something special on my last day but couldnt find any of these fabulous looking asian restaurants, which I had seen thousands before I decided to look after them. I ended up sitting in a park near the water with an tuna sandwich from subway, an extreme sweet mousse au chocolate from the supermarket and a icy but tasty tropical smoothie, resting in the last warm sunlight.

After 1 hour packing my luggage and sulking in my bed, Michael came and drag me out of the room for watching my last sunset on the beach in Vancouver. Thank you Michael! :)

I think normally I wouldt had a problem with such a day but Im at my time limit now and I relly really cant await to get home!!! :)

See ya guys tomorrow!!

Baba Lisa

Vancouver day 1

Hey guys :)

Yesterday I spent most of my time in Stanley Park. Its a huge park/forest with several hiking paths, a rosegarden, a beaver lake and many squirrels and ducks, who dont care if you come near them. This area is surrounded by the sea and so there are several beaches too.

At arouond 4 pm I met with Michael, a german guy who I had met in Victoria and we went up the Vancouver Harbour Lookout, a nearly 200m high building with a great view over the city.

Afterwards we watched the sunset on another beach, then went back to the Lookout again for seeing Vancouver at night and finally watched the new Star Trek movie in one of Vancouvers biggest movie theaters.

A great day with a great ending :)

Baba Lisa

Victoria - Vancouver

Good Morning!

Yesterday I had a great time. In the morning  I wandered around through Victoria Downtown again, ate a Bagel, sweet Potato Fries at the other side of the harbour and drank a thing called Bubble Tea (seasoned green tea with tapicoa bubbles inside - its the thing you have in your coconutmilk an Running Sushis but bigger).

At 1 pm I borded an old sailing ship and we went off to a 3 hour trip to the street of Juan the Fucca. All passengers had to help a little bit like hoisting the sails etc. It was a great experience and a chance for me to make another dream of mine come true - sailing the ocean :) I spent more than an hour in the nets at the top front of the ship, beneath me the ocean freezing in the cold wind!

In the evening I took the BC Ferry from Victoria to Vancouver comfortable sitting in a Greyhound Bus, who took my from Downtown Victoria to Downtown Vancouver without getting stressed about how I will get to the ferry and to the harbours which are quite far from the cities. I watched a marvelous sunset in all kinds of colors, saw the wild coast of Vancouver Island and the Mainland, spotted a dophin or small whale for around 3 seconds and 2 noses of sealions :)

Arriving in Vancouver at around 9:30 pm I took a taxi to my former hostel, which is in a nasty area of this city. The door was locked, check-in time was only until 6 pm, and some guys yelled and showed their fists to me and my taxidriver so we went off to a better known hostel in a better area, where I gladfully got a bed for my stay here. It was really scaring!!!

Lets see what this day may bring :)

bye Lisa

Victoria

Hey guys!

This morning I left Akashima Kennel to do some sightseeing.

First station on my trip is Vancouver Islands capital city Victoria. I arrived here at around 2 pm and managed to get all my luggage safe to the Oceanisland Hostel. It seems to be clean and the stuff is really great!! The afternoon I spent with wandering around in Downtown, Chinatown and the Inner Harbour. Downtown has a nice old victorian flare with all the brick buildings. Chinatown was a little bit disappointing. Just some asian restaurants, chinese lampposts and a chinese arcway, but perhaps I missed something. 

For dinner I bought some teryaki chicken noodles for take away and ate them in a rural park on a stone, watched by ravens who waited for their share :)

The thing i liked most was the inner harbour. There were some old ships and you could watch waterplanes during start and landing. I think I spent nearly 2 hours sitting on the steps there, watching the seagulls drawing their circles and relaxing while listening to 2 great streetmusicians. One is called Dave Harris and he has tons of different instruments around him and sings good old American Country Music. After some while another guy joined him and they played some reggae mostly Bob Marley. They had great voices, and this was the first time today when I thought: Damn Its nice to be alone!!  Cause if I would have been there with other people I had worried if they like to leave etc.  So I sat there until sun setted and then, almost freezed, went back to the hostel to write you, cause I miss you all :)

Tomorrow I will take the bus + ferry to Vancouver in the afternoon. Im not sure how I will spend the half day in Victoria but perhaps when the weather is fine I will do a whalewatching tour, but its a little bit to early for whales so its not sure if we see any. Lets see what tomorrow brings :)

Baba

Yours Lisa

7th update: It's puppy time!!!

Hey guys!

Little princess Saya gave birth to 3 healthy puppies this morning!! 1 cream male, 1 red male, 1 red sesame female. It was hard work for Saya cause at least 2 of the puppies came out with their back forward and the first puppy was very big. Unfortunately Saya is not very accustomed with beeing a mother, its her first litter and she didnt really know what to do. She didnt clean them up, but at least she let them suck now and licks them!

The puppies were sired by Kuro (bt) and since Saya also has bt genes in her, Katja wasnt totally surprised when the big cream puppy was born. But its the first cream puppy ever born in Akashima Kennel!Since Katja has only deposits for red females, the 2 boys especially the cream one are looking for a home, unless the people with deposits change their minds :)

It was the first birth of puppies Ive ever seen. It really was a great experience and I want to become a breeder definitly now!!

And now here some pics!!

Baba Lisa

6th update: Waiting for the puppies!!

Hey guys!
Saya, the little Shiba princess is going to have her first litter!!! First date of birth was the 19th of May. Since they didnt popped out, Katja now calculated from the 2nd date of breeding, and we hope it will be the 24th of May. Im really really excited about this. Seeing live the birth of puppies.. Whoooaa. I cant await it!! I hope that there arent any further delays cause Im leaving Akashima Kennel on the 26th!!

Kuris puppies are now around 5 weeks old and for one week they start to behave like real little dogs. They are jumping, groaning, fighting, and get really excited and run towards you, when you enter their puppykennel. I love to play with them now cause the first weeks they just were cute but little bit boring sleeping all the time and crawling around like worms :) Now theres more action and you can interact with them!!!

Think I will pay them another visit,
See ya :)
Lisa

5th update: great worries :(

Although training with Mura and Sachi really goes well, Im now having a hard time cause I somehow think that my stay here harms these dogs more than it brings any good.

In the last days excitement and aggression between the dogs have rosen up, when Im around. They now know what it means, when Im entering the kennel and picking out one dog. I try to constantly work with Sachi and Mura at least 1 hour per day plus 2-4 other dogs, but their training mostly consists only of half an hour walking or playing with me in the paddock. So Im just showing them a little blink of what they should experience at least 2 hours a day. And the other 8 or so arent getting any human contact except of feeding, letting them in the outlet, medication and grooming.

I just wondered if I should concentrate on lets say only 3 dogs, and let the others be aside, but I cant do such a thing. Watching them running up an down in their kennel, and jumping at the door I have to take them out even if its just for a short time. But thats not enough :(

Watching them from the house, they dont seem so unhappy, but when a human comes in their sight or only the sound of an opening door reachs them, they explode of excitement. My dog Sophie always gets excited when Im coming home, but its an excitement out of happiness and not a desperate struggle for attention.

Ok, I think Im finished...
Give your pets a kiss from me!
Lisa

4th update from Canada

Training somehow worked the last days!!!

Sachi and Mura are doing great steps with the recall training. I used different methods training them but both work well.

1st method: blowing the whistle, calling her name, tibit if she reacts/ comes
I choosed this method for Sachi cause she already had a great reaction to her name, and so Im only working on replacing her name with the sound of the whistle

2nd method: blowing the whistle, giving a tibit
It's like the Clicker-Method, Im just using a whistle instead of the Clicker and am trying to building up a positive link between the sound and the tibit. This method worked well on Mura cause she didnt reacted on her name but I was able to get her full attention just with one tibit. After giving one to her she is following me almost endless begging for more. She would be great in Obedience cause you really have her full attention!!

Today I went a step further, and used the whistle during a long on-leash walk through a wood. So we were out of the accustomed training ground and there were many distractions. For Mura it worked out well, cause the distractions were big enough to get her away from me, and she was hoggish enough to come back for the whistletibit :)

Sachi had some litte problems cause she was really very excited and not as hoggish as Mura. But she als did a great job, I just had to use her name after whistling.

One thing I've learned: You have to differ between the many kinds of sniffing cause they have different levels of distraction.

• sniffing for knowing who was there?, whats this? etc - lowest distraction lvl
• sniffing for finding the right place to marking-pissing-shitting - high distraction lvl
• sniffing a track of an animal - high distraction lvl
• sniffing on potential food - highest distraction lvl

So on our walk today I saw that their recallconnection is only on a low distraction lvl and I have to slowly highen up the lvl and espeacially be aware of their bodylanguage to catch whats going on in their minds :)

Satos Show-Training
Yesterday I began training with little Sato (Shiba puppy). I want to see if theres an alternative way for training dogs for the examination during dog shows, cause I dont like the way its done at the moment. But time runs out and rain has come back. Its not great fun training outside during heavy rain.

Training steps:

• Conditioning on the Clicker
• Sato tips with his nose on my open hand - click - tibit
• Sato tips longer with his nose on my open hand
• training on a longer duration - delay the click for little timesteps - tibit
• Sato holds contact between nose and hand even if i move my hand
• Sato allows to manipulate his feets etc for bringing him in the right position while tipping my hand
• Sato stays still with his nose on my hand, while another person (judge) is touching him on different bodyparts

General handling training with all dogs
With all dogs Im doing some general training during walking them (unfortunately I cant walk all dogs, 15 is too much)

• staying calm during I open their kennel and put them on the leash - this takes much time: every movement from my side triggers another jumping, barking, running explosion in which all dogs of the kennel join in
• waiting calm while Im opening a gate or the kennel door
• Sit and down

Yes this was my training update from Canada, you see I have lots of things to do :)

Bye, Bye yours Lisa

3dt Update from Kanada

Hey :)

From the moment the training began, Im really busy and tired in the evening. Im training now with 3 dogs a day (Sachi, Mura and Kimi)

The thing about outgoing Shikokus I told you in my last update was a little bit wrong.. when Katja opened the kenneldoors that day they just bursted of energy and all ran directly in my direction and tried to lick my hands and face...but it was all in a lets say.. very submissive way and i think none of them really likes to be petted...at least not from me

So my main topics for my training are now:
building up some trust
drawing of a lot of energy out of the kennel

the dogs which Im working with arent able to concentrate cause everything outside the kennel is interesting, alerting etc
I have to remove their excitement before even thinking about training

So Im now thinking about methods to relief their energy, but physically they have so much more energy than me so Im a little bit in a pitch :)
Im walking them, letting them run and sniff in a corral and on monday I will start playing with them the bottle game ( the dog has to turn a bottle pierced with a stick upside down, to let a treat fall out) Its just a little game but it helps the dogs to focus and learn that I Am intersting.. and not only a foodmachine or leashholder... but I dont think thats enough..

Im open for every hint or help :)
Bye yours Lisa

2nd update live from Canada :)

Hey guys :)
Im living again :) beside a little bit headache and cough Im more actve again. Today I met the whole pack. What a lovely bunch of great dogs!! Shibas and Shikokus, all were really outgoing and friendly. But Im completly lost if I have to name them :) Think I will make some pictures, marking them with their names and then memorize until i fall asleep :)
Today Katja and I made some training plans: Recall, sledging, sniffing for special thinks like coffee or tabaco and mantrailing. When the weather and I feel better we will start :)
Today I also handled the puppies for the first time. Damn they are so lovley. They arent able to move their hind legs and are crawling around like little worms but its really adoring. I could watch them for hours and the big smile on my face wouldt fade away!!!

Bye,Bye
Lisa

1st update from Canada

Hey guys!
Im sorry it took me so long to post, but I fell ill during the flight ( a nasty cold) and havent seen much more than Katjas House and my bed. Up until know I met the human family members George and his mother, and of course the proud Mama Kuri, her 3 cute whelps and Anjin and Sumi (2 of Katjas Shibas). Im really frustrated and angry about this but I hope I will be able to meet the other ones tomorrow!!
There will be much more updates as soon as Im fit again, but cause of the Internetlimits here I will post my many fotos when Im back in Austria. So be patient :)
Bye Bye and stay healthy
Lisa

A brief history of the Shiba Inu

Originally, Shibas were bred to flush birds and small game and were occasionally used to hunt wild boar. Now they are primarily kept as pets, both in Japan and the United States. There are more Shibas in Japan than any other breed. Around 7000 BC the ancestors of today's Shiba may have accompanied the earliest immigrants to Japan. Archaeological excavations of the shell-mounds left by the Jomonjin, or Rope-Pattern People (a name derived from the pattern found on their earthenware), show that they had small dogs in the 14 1/2 to 19 1/2 inch range. In the third century BC, a new group of immigrants brought their dogs to Japan. These dogs then interbred with the descendants of the Jomonjin dogs, and produced canines known to have pointed, erect ears and curly or sickle tails.
In the 7th century AD, the Yamato Court established a dogkeeper's office that helps maintain the Japanese native breeds as an integral part of Japanese culture. Although the country was closed to foreigners from the 17th through 18th centuries, some European dogs and a breed known as the Chinese Chin were imported and crossed with native dogs living in the more populated areas. Dogs in the countryside, however, remained relatively pure. Originally there were three main varieties of Shiba; each named for its region of origin. Although similar, the Shibas from each area contributed to differences in breed type seen today.

The small size dog has been called the Shiba since ancient times, with several theories surrounding the development of that name. One popular explanation is that the word Shiba means "brushwood," and the dogs were named for the brushwood bushes where they hunted. Another theory is that the fiery red color of the Shiba is the same as the autumn color of the brushwood leaves. A third conjecture is related to an obsolete meaning of the word shiba referring to its small size. These explanations are often combined and the Shiba is referred to as the "little brushwood dog."
World War II nearly spelled disaster for the Shiba, and most of the dogs that did not perish in bombing raids succumbed to distemper during the post-war years. While the Mino and Sanin Shibas became practically extinct, more of the Shinshu Shibas survived. After the war, Shibas were brought from the remote countryside, and breeding programs were established. The remnants of the various bloodlines were combined to produce the breed as it is known today.

Source:

http://www.shibas.org/newstand/geninfo.html

http://www.kennels.co.uk/Utility/Utility.html

The Shiba Inu

The Shiba is a very proportionate dog with a height to length ratio of 10 to 11. Males run from 14 1/2 to 16 1/2 inches tall, with females ranging from 13 1/2 to 15 1/2 inches. Heights over or under the limits are a disqualification in the show ring. The weight varies according to height up to about 25 pounds. It is a medium boned, moderately compact and well-muscled dog with a generally Spitz-like appearance. Because of its hunting heritage, it is quick, agile and able to turn on a yen. It has a dense double coat similar to that of a husky. Although all colors are acceptable in the Shiba standard, red, red sesame (sable) and black and tan are preferred. White and cream shadings (urajiro) are present on the legs, belly, chest and part of the face and tail.

Temperament

With a black button nose, little pricked ears and a curly tail, the Shiba enters the world knowing he is a superior being. Whether with intrepid boldness, squinty-eyed cuteness or calm dignity, he is king.The Japanese have three words to describe the Shiba temperament. The first is "kan-i" which is bravery and boldness combined with composure and mental strength. The opposite side of "kan-i" is "ryosei" which means good nature with a gentle disposition. One cannot exist without the other. The charming side of the Shiba is "sobuku" which is artlessness with a refined and open spirit. They combine to make a personality that Shiba owners can only describe as "irresistible." If a Shiba could only utter one word, it would probably be "mine." It is "mine" food, "mine" water, "mine" toys, "mine" sofa, "mine" crate, "mine" car, "mine" owner, and "mine" world. Sharing is a concept he feels others should practice. Some Shibas may carry "mine" a bit too far and become aggressive in their resource guarding, particularly in the presence of other dogs. It is wise to remove favored toys and food-based treats in the presence of other dogs and small children so the dog doesn't become overly possessive.If the bait is dangled when a potential Shiba owner sees adults at a dog show or pictures in a magazine, the hook is set when he encounters his first puppy. They are exemplary examples of canine cuteness, fiery little fuzzballs-from-hell, no words can describe the appeal of the infant Shiba. A litter of Shibas is a Dakin™ Convention and a school of piranha; strutting, posturing little windup toys.

The adult Shiba is far from a toy. "Macho stud muffin" has been used to describe the male Shiba. The body may look "muffin," but the mind is all "macho stud." The Shiba takes the "spirited boldness part of his temperament quite seriously. Early socialization and neutering are mandatory for the young puppy. Dog aggression, especially in the un-neutered male, is a breed characteristic. This fiery aspect of the Shiba nature cannot be taken lightly.Most Shiba owners learn to deal with the difficult aspects of the dog's temperament to enjoy the delightful ones. With "sobuku" the Shiba sets his hook into the heart. This is "artlessness" with squinty eyes, airplaned ears, and a vibrating tail. It is "charm" standing in your lap, washing your ears, and "dignity" plus "refinement" born of the knowledge of superiority.

Usefull Links:

http://www.shibas.org/

Source:

http://www.shibas.org/newstand/geninfo.html

More experienced Shiba Inu Breeders in Austria/ Shiba Zücher in Österreich

Yesterday I received a complete list of all registered Shiba Inu Breeders in Austria from the OEKV (Austrian breeder club).

There were 14 breeders listed but it seems that only 3 of them had have some registered litters until now and I think some of them arent breeding anymore.

Medilica Kennel/Zwinger von Medilica
The most experienced breeder seems to be the one I met on the dog show in Wieselburg, with around 30 litters and more than 90 registered dogs so far. After I had got his name from the list it was easy to find him on the net --> http://members.aon.at/medilica/hunde.htm

Kennel of Northern Wilderness
Around 10 registered litters, their hp is still under construction http://www.husky.or.at/

ET.S-KABUKIKEN Kennel
2 litters and they breed with a pair from Medilica Kennel. Many cute pictures of their litters!!!
http://www.shiba.nit.at/

Shiba Inu Breeders in Austria/ Shiba Inu Züchter in Österreich

Hi
I just browsed a little bit the net, and found around 4 austrian Shiba Inu Breeders.

It seems that the Shiba breeding scene is very young in Austria, none of these breeders should have had more than a few litters, but at least 2 of them have experiences with other dog breeds. Pls consider that I just browsed them on the net, and I cant give any recommendations about how good or bad or reputable these breeders are!!!

http://www.shiba-inus.at/stammbaeume.php ( Should be their first litter)
http://www.husky.or.at/ (hp under construction but contact informations available)
http://www.bellux.de/detail.php?id=400 ( Shiba hp under construction but contact informations available + many cute pics from little Pugs :)
http://shiba.inu.at/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 ( Should be their first litter)

I couldnt find any informations about the Shiba breeder I met on the dog show on the net, but I asked the oekv (Austrian Dog club) for some contact infos, so I hope I'm able to post something about this kennel here soon. He told me that he has breeding experiences with Rotweiler for around 30 years and for Shibas around 12 years. And his dogs were really lovely!!!

IHA Wieselburg 09: Met my First Shiba Inu!

Yesterday I visited the first dog show in my life!

And guess, what was the first thing I saw when I went through the entrance?! A lovely little black and tan Shiba!! I first couldnt believe, cause I didnt know that there where any in Austria.

Wandering around confused and disoriented I met this guy :) I just came right to watch the jugding of American Akitas( I had missed the Japanese Akitas :(, and there where quite a lot of them, in all colors and man they are really big!!

Later on I met the only Shiba-Breeder on this dog show and we talked a lot. He was really nice, and explained some things to me. He said that he bred Shibas now for around 12 years, but just as a hobby. His bitch is from Germany, like all other bitches in Austria.

With him where Phibi (his female) and her son, they where both

really handsome and we cuddled a lot just before their showing. This was the thing i liked the most about this breeder. He showed his dogs how they where, he didnt try to use cosmetics or other things to hide "mistakes". But perhaps he just was so relaxed cause he didnt had any concurrents.

Unfortunately I was too excited and happy talking with him so i forgot to take pictures of his two lovely ones :( But here is a picture of Hoji, another Shiba i met on this show, and he is from the same breeder.

For the rest of this dog show I can only say that my feeling that i wouldt like dog shows was right. All my prejudices about dog shows were right. The dogs are highly stressed, it really looks fun

ny when people run circles during showing their dogs, most of the breeders try to make their dogs look better than they are, and often you can see that they handle their dogs as things and not as their friends. I even saw children pushing around their showing dogs, just for the right picture.

Most of the breeder were deadly serious about this and didnt had any fun at all. If I hadnt met this Austrian Shiba Breeder, I think I would never go to such an event again. But he showed me, that there are few Breeder who have fun and arent as serious about this all.

After 2 hours a had enough and went home with a big bag full of bones and dried fish for little Sophie.

First goal accomplished!!

Yeah Yeah!!

My first dream will soon become true!! For whole May Im going to stay at Akashima Kennel in Canada and train there with Shikokus and Shibas!!

Wish me luck!

I hope I have the endurance to post everyday some pics and infos what/how Im doing there :)

Reputable Breeders (Europe + North America)

Akashima Kennel (Courtney, BC, Canada) www.akashima.bc.ca

Yamabushi Kennel (NM, USA) www.yamabushikennel.com

O'Ikon Kennel (Ohio, USA) www.shikokudog.com

van Veghel Kennel (Netherlands) www.shikoku.nl

Of course there are  several breeders in Japan, but unfortunately I dont have much knowledge about them :(

Shikoku-Ken

Shikokus have a thick, double coat, erect ears, a curled tail, compact feet, and has sharper features than some other Japanese breeds. Their eyes are dark brown, almond shaped and slanted. Coat colors are red, red-sesame, and blackish or black-sesame. Height: 7-21 inches (46-52cm.)Weight: 35-50 pounds (16-26 kg.)

The Shikoku is somewhat strongly tied to nature. It is cautious and brave; a temperate dog with good judgement. The Shikoku is also very loyal and submissive to its owner, they love to be touched and often like to give kisses. Although they may be slightly aloof to strangers. This breed needs socialization early to avoid becoming aggressive towards other dogs. They can get along with children if they are raised properly and vice-versa. They have a high prey drive and are very intelligent and are fast learners. They need firm, confident and consistent leadership from the humans around them or they will become somewhat stubborn and quite relentless in attitude and play. They are quick and agile and may do well in agility or obedience. The alertness of a Shikoku may make it a good family watchdog. Shikoku pups can be quite vocal at times. They have a great sense of smell which serves them well in tracking their quarry. Quiet indoors, the Shikoku loves exercise outdoors and is very energetic. Socialize well when young, obedience training is recommended.

The Shikoku is also known as the Kochi-ken "ken" or "inu", which means dog in Japanese. Kin to the smaller Shiba and larger Akita Inu, the Shikoku-ken is a rare breed of dog even in its native Japan. In 1937, the Shikoku was established as one of Japan’s national treasures and to this day is rare, even inside Japan. The Japanese bred the Shikoku to hunt deer and wild boar in the mountainous and fairly isolated Kochi prefecture located on the island of Shikoku. Shikokus are some of the purest of dog breeds due to the remote nature of the region, which greatly restricted crossbreeding.

Source: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/s/shikoku.htm

Pic: Loa fof Yamabushi Kennel