About the Kishu Ken

Kishu Ken are a medium sized Nihon Ken that was bred to hunt boar and deer in Japan, and has been used by some hunters here. The breed comes in white, red, red sesame, sesame, black sesame, and formerly black & tan. Unfortunately, black & tan is considered functionally extinct. The breed also comes in pinto, but that is a faulted coat color in the country of origin. Kishu are overall an outgoing breed with people, but can be fierce with animals they do not live with. They can successfully live with prey animals if introduced young, and I have kept mine with both cats and rabbits successfully. Boundaries do need to be set, though, if you wish for them to live with animals that most Kishu consider prey. The breed can have reactivity to dogs and I highly recommend training early on to at least achieve neutrality towards other dogs. Kishu also need training for impulse control, and may need to be motivated to work, as many Kishu do not want to work for you, but will work with you if they get something out of it. You can learn even more by clicking the link below that will take you to the National Kishu Club website.