Available Akita

Occasionally we may have puppies or adult dogs available for placement. Placing one of our family members in a new home is never easy for us, actually it's terribly hard. However, sometimes situations come up, or things change, that put us in a position where we need to make this kind of tough decision. In this case, it is our 3 youngest Akita Inu that need new homes.

Our female Akitas, Lani & Fuji, are very sweet and loving, and do very well with our other dogs, but they crave our attention constantly. We feel, given our situation, we cannot give them as much attention as they would like. So, we have decided they will do better in a home where they have more of their owners attention than they do with us (since they have to share our attention with the other dogs).

For Kahuna, our young male Akita, the decision to place him is for his best interest, but not due to him needing more attention (he seems very happy with us). In Kahuna's case his poor health is something that will require a focused and experienced dog owner, some one who has the patience to help rehabilitate him. Kahuna does very well with our other dogs, but due to his poor health, he is picked on by the other dogs making it a dangerous situation for him, and hard for us to give him the freedom he deserves (he spends a lot of time sleeping on our couch and not playing with the other dogs).

Below is a description of Fuji, Lani, & Kahuna. Read over it, and if you feel you can give them the forever home they deserve please let us know. Also please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments, you can email us at: info@yamabushikennel.org.

Click here to read more about our defunct Akita breeding program.

----

About Lani

Lani is a 2-year old female, brindle Akita Inu. Lani came to us in Spring 2008 at the age of 6 months to be a part of our breeding program. Unfortunately, breeding plans changed when Lani was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. While it's environmental (due to a stressful transition to our family from her breeder), we didn't want to potentially pass on a thyroid condition. In addition, Lani's reproductive system was a little out of whack – she had 4 heat cycles before her first birthday – probably due to the hormonal instability associated with her hypothyroidism. Lani was spayed (to prevent any complications in her reproductive system because of all of the heat cycles) and all of her shots are up-to-date.

Lani is a very loving and affectionate girl who loves to be goofy with her toys and get her belly rubbed. Lani came to us under-socialized and shy. Due to this poor socialization in her first year, Lani is a little fearful of new things (neophobic) and shy. She warms up pretty quickly to women, but will take a little while to get used to men.

She really likes to be in the same room with you, but she doesn't like to be in the way. She also loves sleeping on the bed or the couch and cuddling. She's a good girl. She's never had an accident or chewed anything in the house. She's crate-trained and comfortable spending time in her crate, but she's also great left out in the house. Lani also makes a good little watch dog and will alert you to unwelcome visitors, she loves her family and shows signs of wanting to protect them.

What Lani Needs
Lani needs a special home where she can spend a lot of time with you. She needs gentle, patient family and a reasonably quiet environment. We think that it's best that she not be in a home with young children because of their naturally more erratic, loud behavior (if children come around occasionally, she is fine being crated). She also shouldn't be in a home with small dogs or cats. She does much better with medium-larger, confident, socialized dogs if their will be other dogs in the household.

Due to her thyroid-related weight issues, she should have at least one walk per day and her food/treat intake will need to be kept under control.

She is on medication (Soloxine) to stabilize her thyroid hormone. The medication is only a few dollars a month. She will also need annual testing for the rest of her life.

If you think you could give Lani a happy home please email us at: info@yamabushikennel.org.

----

About Fuji

Fuji is a 1 ½ year old red/white female Akita Inu. We got Fuji from Lani's breeder when she was about 4 months old. As soon as we met her she was happy and outgoing – she bounded right out of her crate to say "hello." Fuji has had only minor (and temporary) issues with dogs. She is generally playful and social with other dogs of her same social and energy level.

She's a sweet, happy girl. Fuji loves to play and run and go on walks. She's not really the hiking type. She's a little prissy about puddles and streams, and is really more of an urban girl. She loves being brushed and is good about getting nail trims.

She's never had any health problems (she has the smallest medical file of all of our dogs). Fuji was spayed when we decided not to press on with our Akita breeding program. All of her shots are up to date.

What Fuji Needs
Fuji needs a "fun" home. She would love a home where she can get lots of hugs (she gives real hugs) and cuddles. She would be happy with a walk or two everyday, or just a good play session – she's pretty low maintenance.

If you think that Fuji sounds like the dog for you please email us at: info@yamabushikennel.org.

----

About Kahuna

Kahuna is a 1 year old brindle male Akita Inu. Kahuna came into our home at about 4 months old as the first male in our Akita breeding program. He was the final straw in our decision to cancel breeding plans. We struggled for about 6 months to stabilize Kahuna's digestive system. After rounds and rounds of tests, medications and food changes, we have been able to put an end to his chronic vomiting and anorexia. He will need to stay on the same food that we've been feeding him (Acana) because it is the only food that we have been able to keep him stable on. A RAW or homemade diet may also be acceptable for him.

Other health issues that are of concern are orthopedic. Kahuna was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia in both hips and will need total hip replacement surgery within the next few years. He has a little difficulty getting up after laying down for awhile. His hip dysplasia is very noticeable when he walks. He also has luxating patella, but at this point it is not bad enough to worry about, and may never need to be surgically corrected. His weight will need to be maintained in order to keep enough muscle strength, but not to let him get heavy enough to cause unnecessary stress on the joints.

Kahuna is a very sweet and loving boy once you get to know him. However, he is fearful and generally kind of jumpy. We have improved his mental state with Prozac which seems to effectively lower his stress level. Kahuna likes walks, but doesn't have the best leash manners and will need a little work in that area. Kahuna is good with other dogs, though some dogs tend to pick on him because of his weaknesses.

Kahuna is neutered and up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Kahuna is also crate trained and comfortable being in a crate for extended periods. He's also been fed in a crate all of his life. He is a little bit of a resource-guarder, so the crate has always been to safest place for him to eat when he's around the rest of our dogs.

What Kahuna Needs
Kahuna needs a very gentle and patient family. It took us several months to fully gain his trust and, so, you should expect a longer transition period than with most new dogs. He is typically standoffish with people and shouldn't be forced to interact – if he wants to interact he'll come around on his own terms. He will more than likely resort to fight instead of flight when cornered. We're not sure how he is with children, but it's probably best for him to be in a home with older or no children.

Kahuna will need Prozac for probably the rest of his life. He will need hip replacement surgery once the pain and discomfort really begin to impact his life. He is on a daily dose of pain medication to ease the discomfort.

If you think you can provide a happy home for Kahuna please email us at: info@yamabushikennel.org.

Click here for more information on Kahuna and his time with us.

----

Prey Drive Makes Hiking Fun!

We are avid hikers, we try to do a serious back-country hike once a week or so, this is one of the reasons we have so many "Guardian Breeds" as we run a risk encountering predators during our hikes. We try to take 1 guardian with us on our hikes, usually Masha or Blue.

Recently we went for a long and moderately challenging hike with Ahi, Kona, & Masha. The hike took about 8 hours and climbed 2000+ feet, it was a lot of fun.

The trail we hiked was a good ways off a back road, it's a rarely hiked area and snakes deep into the mountains, then follows a ridge into the forest. We were happy to have Masha with us, she did her guarding job well; she can really give an intimidating "display" when threatened.

The hike took us longer than expected due to the trail being very over grown and not very well marked. We had to take it slow and back-track a few times to make sure we didn't get lost (need to purchase a handheld GPS).

We had not hiked Masha much this years as it's been too warm but the weather for this hike was 70 degrees fahrenheit and partly cloudy; not bad weather for a hike and certainly not too warm for the dogs.

It took about 10 minutes of hiking before Masha started to slow down, she would lay down every time we stopped (usually seeking out shade) and seemed uninterested in hiking. This was discouraging considering how early in the hike it was. She was not panting heavily and was getting plenty of water, and it was very early in the hike when this started so we know it wasn't heat or exhaustion. She just seemed to not be enjoying the hike!

As we continued (slowly, thanks to Masha) we started discussing the differences in the dogs attitude toward hiking. Kona was carrying about 8lb in his pack but still pulling, and Ahi was pulling most of the time too. They really seem to love hiking; meanwhile Jen is having to all but drag Masha to keep her going.

Fast forward about 5 hours, now we have covered a lot of ground and it is raining a bit. The temperature has dropped several degrees (maybe as much as 10) and it's the same story: Masha is dragging and the Shikas are pulling. By now we are deeper in the mountains along the ridge and headed into this forest. Ahi and Kona are hunting, that's all they have been doing the whole time, tracking and hunting.

At this point it hit us, without prey drive hiking is not much fun for dogs! All this time we have been dragging Masha and its been because she is bored, not hot or tired, just bored! Ahi and Kona are having the time of their lives, hiking is what they love to do, but Masha, due to her very low prey drive, couldn't care less about it.

On our way back down the mountain headed to the car we passed a random person, the first (and only) person we saw for the entire 8 hours hike. She kinda surprised us, just appeared around a bend. Ahi and Koan jumped at her in excitement wanting to give her their typical rude greeting while Masha switched into defensive drive and gave off a rather over-the-top display. This was the first and only time on the hike that Masha showed any excitement.

What's interesting about that situation is Kona is not as outgoing as Ahi and would usually be more reserved when confronted by a stranger, but in this case he was just as excited to see this lady as Ahi was. It could have been because of Ahi's reaction, or maybe it's because he was just having a blast; after all in his mind he had been hunting for 8 hours - what's more fun that that?

The point we came to was that one of the qualities a person should look for in a dog they plan to hike with is prey drive. A dog with prey drive will always enjoy a hike and rarely slowdown before you will. If the dog lacks prey drive, or has a very low prey drive, like Masha, the hike is no fun - it's just a long walk!

We have hiked with Blue, our other guardian, a Cane Corso, and noticed he hunts about half the time and guards about half the time. His combination of defensive drive and prey drive is nicely balanced and he is constantly alert to potential threats but also totally enjoying the hike as his prey drive engages him in the "hunt".

This certainly makes it clear why a Karelian Bear Dog make a great hiking companion as they have solid prey drive (probably as much as Ahi or Kona), good size, and solid defensive drive. That's similar to Blue's temperament as well and he clearly makes a better "trail dog" than Masha.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a good protection dog that you plan to take into the back-country we strongly suggest looking into a breed with a nice balanced drive, I'm not sure it needs to be 50/50 prey/defensive but you certainly want a dog with a good bit of prey drive so they enjoy the hike while still providing protection on the trail. Remember: Prey Drive = Fun.

----

Update On Loa's Breeding...

Well, Loa didn't cooperate with Aki - she wouldn't stand for him. So, unfortunately, Loa was not bred this time around. We wanted to try it naturally first, knowing that there was a chance it may not work as both Loa and Aki are inexperienced.

The good news is Aki did breed to Loa's sister, Maya, so O'iKon Kennel will hopefully have some puppies from that breeding in a few months. Another good note is that Aki and Loa really got a long well, they seemed to really enjoy being together, so it seems their personalities are nicely matched.

Our next step is to wait for Loa's next heat, in about 6 months, and do a Surgical Artificial Insemination using Aki again as the stud. With a Surgical AI we will also get a full examination of Loa's "parts" to confirm she is healthy, which will rule out a health issue being the reason she wouldn't stand for Aki. Loa's helth is our #1 concern.

We will post updates as things progress.

----

How are Shikoku Ken or Kai Ken different from Shiba Inu?

A questions we get asked a lot is: How are Shikoku/Kai different from Shiba?

It seems a lot of people assume Shikoku and/or Kai are basically just larger Shiba. In our honest opinion this couldn't be further from the truth, but when asked to name the differences on the spot we often struggle to clearly explain them.

So, that is the point of this post, to help explain how/why Shikoku and Kai are not Shiba, or Hokkaido, Akita, or Kishu.

First off, there are obvious size differences among the breeds. We're not going to get into these details, we can all look up the standards and figure that out pretty easily - and honestly, from the vastly wide variation in the Shiba in the US, it is hard to say there is really that much of a size difference among the medium and small size Nihonken.

So what are the differences, and how do we describe them? We think the easiest way to answer this question is with one word: refinement.

The Shiba, and the Akita, are both very refined breeds. They are breeds that have not been used for their original intended purpose (hunting) for hundreds (maybe even thousands) of years. All the Nihonken were originally used for hunting, each hunted the prey that were specific to their area. The Shiba may be the most ancient of the Nihonken, but they are also the breed that is most removed from their hunting origin. The Akita too has been removed and refined away from their origin.

The Shikoku, Kai, Kishu and Hokkaido, on the other hand, have not. In some cases these breeds are still used today for hunting in Japan and many of the best examples of the breeds come from strictly working kennels that breed for temperament and workability not looks and companionship.

That is why we feel the best way to describe the differences between the Shikoku/Kai and the Shiba is to say the Shikoku/Kai is less refined than the Shiba Inu and Akita Inu.

How does this relate to living with the breeds as companions?

Hmmm... Well that's another hard question to answer, and, as many of us know, personality can vary so significantly from dog to dog. One thing we have noticed with the Kai and the Shikoku, when compared to the Shiba, is that they possess a more compulsive personality. Some might refer to this as "primitive", but we are not fans of that word when describing behavior as it is too vague.

Here are a few traits that we feel most Kai and Shikoku posses. Some Shiba or Akita may possess these qualities as well, but in general, in our opinion, fewer Shiba and Akita possess them than Shikoku or Kai and at a lower/lesser degree...

Barrier Frustration - It's almost a guarantee that your Shikoku or Kai will have some degree of frustration when behind a fence or on a leash. This has to do with the Shikoku's & the Kai's social instinct - they LOVE to meet new dogs and people. Sometimes they may go about this in the wrong (maybe even rude) way, but it's not out of aggression - it's out of pure interest and excitement. As owners it's our job so make sure our dogs form positive associations with other dogs and learn the proper way to meet-and-greet other dogs (and people). With a Shikoku and Kai, this can be a real challenge and is usually best done off-lead so they they can more clearly communicate their intent via posture and signals.

Reactiveness - Shikoku and Kai have a much higher degree of reactiveness when compared to the Akita and Shiba. This reactiveness comes from their higher drive which is typical of a working breed or a less refined breed. The Shikoku and Kai will react to the smallest of stimuli - a stare from another dog, the motion of an object, a sudden noise. All these things will yield an intense, immediate, and instinctual reaction from a Kai or Shikoku.

Ruggedness - We have 2 Shiba, 2 Shikoku, a Kai, and 4 Akita. Here in New Mexico rain will move in very quickly, sometimes unexpectedly. There have been times when our dogs were outside playing and the rain moved in unexpectedly trapping them out in the rain (until we let them inside). When this happens we have noticed an interesting thing, Shikoku and Kai all head for cover - there are plenty of places we have made for them to escape the elements - while our Shiba and Akita will just sit at the window looking at us. They seem to lack the instinct to shelter themselves from the rain - to us this seems less rugged. One could be explain this as "learned helplessness", but in this case our Shikoku and Kai should have the same level of "learned helplessness" as the Akita and Shiba. Yet the our Shikoku and Kai do not wait at the door or window to be let in, they seek shelter. Same applies to the heat. In the heat of the summer, if the dogs are outside, you will find the Akita and Shiba panting at the window or door (noticeably uncomfortable) waiting for us to bring them in, out of the heat, while the Shikoku, Kai (and our other working breeds) will head to a "chill dens" or shade where it is cool and comfortable.

Those are just a few of the things that we have noticed over the time we have spent with our Nihonken and non-Nihonken. To us they explain the core differences between the breeds and illustrate why, when asked to name the differences, the answer is not as easy to deliver.

----

Happy Birthday To Ahi!

Ahi: Shikoku Ken
Originally uploaded by brada1878


Today Ahi turns 3 years old! For her birthday she got to go on a hike yesterday and today got a special dinner and some car riding time. She's very happy. :o)

----

Feeding Time

Feeding Time
Originally uploaded by brada1878

Feeding time on the Dog Ranch!

----

Nice shot of Luytiy

Luytiy is growing his winter coat and starting to look really nice again! :o)

----