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Kai Ken

loyal / intelligent / agile
Miscellaneous Class >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

18.5 – 19.5 (males)

15.5 – 17 (females)

Weight

30-40 (males)

25-35 (females)

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    20% 20%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Kai Ken is a medium-sized dog and one of Japan’s six native breeds. The Kai Ken is a unique breed that was traditionally employed to hunt a variety of animals in Japan’s highlands. Kai is extremely intelligent and quick to learn. They appear to learn at the same rate as the other Japanese breeds, if not faster. They are less self-sufficient and more eager to satisfy their companions. The Japanese regard Kai Ken as a trustworthy protector who is completely dedicated to his master.

Kai Ken is an athletic and bright individual that has a great passion to hunt. Kai is a free-thinking individual who can build great bonds with their family. They are strong swimmers and climbers who have been known to climb trees and swim rivers in search of games. Kai has a characteristic brindle coat that comes in three colors: black (Kuro-Tora), brown (Chu-Tora), and red (Aka-Tora). Red brindle is the rare coat color. In ancient times, the dog’s distinctive coloration and brindle pattern let it blend in with the hilly forests where it hunted, camouflaging it against prey and predators. The amount of brindle and the pattern of brindle will differ from dog to dog.

Most puppies are born entirely black, and their brindle will develop as they age and alter during the first five years of their lives. The Kai Ken requires basic canine care at home. They can be kept in apartments if they get frequent exercise in the form of leashed walks. Bathing should be limited to just when necessary due to the breed’s innate cleanliness. Brushing is advised, especially during the twice-yearly coat blowing

What To Expect When Caring For a Kai Ken

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Kai Ken are a generally healthy breed, and prudent breeders examine their stock for health issues like allergies, luxating patellas, and epilepsy. Those interested in owning a Kai Ken can consult with a responsible breeder to learn about the breed's special health concerns. To lessen the likelihood of sickness in their puppies, good breeders use genetic testing on their breeding stock.  

Grooming

Kai Ken has a double coat that is medium in length. They are naturally clean dog who only needs a bath every now and then. Because they are a double-coated breed, they shed their undercoat twice a year. Additional bathing and brushing will help remove the thick undercoat during this period. When they are not shedding their undercoat, brushing their coat on a regular basis will keep it in good condition. To avoid overgrowth, splitting, and cracking, their nails should be clipped on a regular basis with a nail clipper or grinder. Their ears should be checked on a regular basis to avoid wax and debris buildup, which can lead to infection. Teeth should be brushed on a regular basis.        

Exercise

The Kai Ken is a breed that is somewhat energetic. They require regular physical activity as well as mental engagement. Play time in the (ideally gated) backyard or daily walks are two options for exercise. Indoor activities such as hide-and-seek, chasing a ball tossed across the floor, or learning new tricks can also provide exercise. Kai Ken can make excellent apartment dogs if their exercise requirements are met. If the Kai does not receive enough exercise, they can become disruptive within the home.          

Training

Kai Ken may make terrific companions if given the necessary attention, training, and exercise. When it comes to training, Kai Ken is frequently considered soft dog, and positive training approaches should be used. Early training is encouraged to provide a solid foundation as well as sociability. Kai Ken should not be allowed off-leash in unfenced locations due to his great urge to hunt.          

Nutrition

The Kai Ken should do well on high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Kai Ken is a breed known to self-regulate their food intake, so it is not unusual to see variability in the quantity of food consumed. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

History

The Kai Ken is one of Japan’s six native breeds. The breed was identified in the high areas of Kai province near Mount Fuji in 1929. The Kai Ken Aigokai was founded in 1931 and is the oldest and largest Kai Ken registry. Because of the breed’s hunting ability and agility, it was originally used to hunt everything from pheasants to bears.

The Japanese Kennel Club recognized the Kai in 1934. There is very little information about the breed due to the language barrier, however, it is thought that the first Kai Kens were brought to the United States in the 1950s by US military personnel. Another set was flown to Salt Lake City. It is unknown what happened to these canines or if any of their pups survived. The breed’s second known entry was in 1990 when a four-year-old male and three female puppies were brought aboard. Six more puppies were brought over in 1991, and one more male puppy was imported the following year. These dogs provided the genetic foundation for all American-bred Kai Ken; they are the cornerstone of the Kai we have today.

From two great foundation studs, there were initially two sorts of Kai Kens. KAIKURO chose the “shishi-inu-gata” breed, which is a thicker, stockier dog with a bear-like face. DAIRO, famous for his deer hunting, is credited with creating the “shika-inu-gata” type, which has thinner, longer bodies and foxier faces. Each dog instilled in its offspring power, speed, agility, and quick thinking, as seen by the breed today. Currently, the Kai is held in high regard by the Japanese people; they no longer distinguish between the two forms, and neither is favored over the other. The Japanese depict Kai as a trustworthy guardian who is devoted to his master and will lay down his life to protect him. They are very loved and protected in their native country and are considered a natural treasure in Japan.