Shikoku - Kochi Ken - Japanese wolf

since 1937 natural monument

The Shikoku is often also found under the name Kochi Ken (Kochi is one of the prefectures of origin) and was formerly also called Tosa Inu. The latter often leads to confusion. There is another Japanese fighting dog with this name, which is completely different from the Shikoku. It is believed that the Shikoku was taken as the basis for the Tosa Inu.

The Shikoku is a good hunter and comes from the mountains of Japan. It is ideally suited and adapted to this topography. Because of his fierce appearance, it is said that he possesses wolf blood. The Japanese wolf survived the longest on the island of Shikoku, which is why this legend persists...

There are 4 lines in the Shikoku. Awa, Hongawa, Hata and Uwajima. Unfortunately, the Awa lineage disappeared due to the war (WWII). The Hata and Uwajima were almost indistinguishable - so they united under the name Hata. The modern Shikoku thus originates from the Hongawa, the purest lineage and Hata lineage. Some dogs lean more towards the Hongawa lineage, others towards the Hata lineage. Most of the time it's a mix of both.

- more details in the table as an overview -

Character:

Fearless, courageous, persistent, attentive and demanding. Everything a good hunter should have. He has the most "will to please" of any Nihon Ken. But that doesn't mean he just does it all. He questions and needs consistency! They tend to SSA (Same Sex Aggressive - aggressiveness towards same-sex dogs) more often, especially when there is a lack of or incorrect socialization and during puberty. Furthermore, they are very rough players who often do not interpret stop signals from other dogs and continue to provoke or play to the point of escalation.

Current:

The Shikoku is very endangered in its existence. Even in Japan, only a few hundred puppies are born each year. In comparison, there are several thousand shepherd dogs in Germany!

Cystinuria was recently found in Shikoku. Now it is tested for cystinuria in order to be able to localize this more precisely in the breed (basic carrier).

Health:

The main problem with the Shikoku is the HD and PPM. Both are also used borderline in breeding. It has also shown up in a line of epilepsy - several times and demonstrably.

NEW - Cystinuria

Due to the lack of individuals, Shikoku are sometimes bred very closely and many breeders also practice line breeding.