Akiyama no Roushya (秋山の狼室) | NIPPO, AKC, & UKC Kishu Ken & Shikoku Ken
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Is a Kishu Ken or Shikoku Ken right for me?

The Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken have interwoven histories and very similar traits and qualities. This means that if you are a good home for one breed, you may be a good home for the other, and the choice could come down to something as little as personal preferences on appearance.

That said, there are trends within each population which make it more common to see some traits in one breed versus the other and these trends may spell out dealbreakers for a prospective individual puppy owner or family. This page will be a work in progress and points may be added or taken away as the page develops.
White Kishu Ken female, black sesame Shikoku Ken male
White Kishu Ken male, black sesame Shikoku Ken male
Red sesame Kishu Ken female, black sesame Shikoku Ken male
Red sesame Kishu Ken male, red Shikoku Ken male
Sesame Kishu Ken female, red Shikoku Ken male

Energy Level

Both the Shikoku Ken and the Kishu Ken are often moderate in energy, meaning they may go for miles of hiking and exercise but then relax when indoors. However, some lines of Kishu Ken are better known for being perpetual motion devices, constantly looking for something to do, particularly as youngsters.

​This may mean if you're looking for a very active hiking, biking, or running companion, the Kishu Ken may be more likely to produce an individual dog you are looking for. The Shikoku Ken is also known for joint illness and joint deformities such as hip dysplasia and polyarthritis which may impact their ability to do long hikes or be a healthy running partner.

Drive & Trainability

As a still-active and working boar hound breed, the Kishu Ken tends to outperform the Shikoku Ken in the arenas of drive and biddability. Both breeds can be driven to work with their people and easy to motivate, but the Kishu Ken tends to more frequently produce individuals of intense drive and enthusiasm to work.

This could be due to the tendency of some Shikoku Ken to become overwhelmed or overstimulated and stop working well or taking reward, while the Kishu Ken tends to have the opposite issue where when they become overwhelmed or overstimulated, they will not stop working, but power through with frustration to complete their task. This could mean that a Kishu Ken needs more help learning their limits or a handler/owner may not be able to recognize a Kishu Ken at their limits as they will work to the point of detriment. Shikoku Ken tend to be easier to read when they reach their limit as they are more likely to simply stop working or responding to their handler.
Sesame Kishu Ken female, red Shikoku Ken male
White Kishu Ken male, black sesame Shikoku Ken female

Sociability with people

While both breeds MAY be either open or reserved with strangers, trends in the populations dictate that the Shikoku Ken is more likely to be a reserved, aloof, or even stranger-reactive dog. The Kishu Ken is more likely to be aloof to bold, affectionate, and outgoing with strangers with less socializing and training.

Some individuals may want a reserved or aloof dog, but to others, an open and social dog is a must. This should be a consideration when choosing between the two breeds.

Sociability with other dogs

If a dog who is social with strange dogs is very important to you, neither a Kishu Ken nor a Shikoku Ken will be a good fit.

That said, if you have a multi-dog household or will be starting a multi-dog household, the Kishu Ken tend to be easier to build into packs - either those established or those growing - and have fewer incidences of same sex aggression than the Shikoku Ken. Shikoku Ken tend to do better in opposite sex pairs or as only dogs as they have a difficult time reading their playmates correctly without a lot of training and management in the first few years.

Males of either breed are more likely to become reactive to dogs, particularly strange dogs while being walked on leash and they experience frustration at the end of the leash. 

Females of either breed do tend to be slightly better, but in my experience female Kishu Ken tend to do the best with strange dogs in general and be the most open and social of the breeds and between the sexes with the least amount of work.

Appearance

While temperament considerations should be the first and foremost reason individuals select between breeds, this is a dog a prospective owner will be looking at for a hopeful 12+ years, so enjoying the look of the dog may also be a consideration and I will not fault a puppy owner or family for this preference.

Shikoku Ken are more commonly going to be sesame, black sesame, or red sesame and have denser coats which take a bit more effort to shed out on average. They may need more grooming than the Kishu Ken, whose coat is often somewhat less dense and sheds much more freely. The Kishu Ken is most commonly white-coated, but may also be red sesame second most commonly. Red is uncommon in both breeds, as is black and tan.
Akiyama no Roushya | A breeder of NIPPO, AKC, UKC, & FCI Kishu Ken & Shikoku Ken
  • About
    • Articles >
      • Importing Challenges
      • Japanese Wolfdog
      • Kishu vs Shikoku
      • Waitlists
  • Kishu Ken
    • Breed Club
  • Shikoku Ken
    • Breed Club
  • Kennel
    • Puppies
    • Available Dogs