SANSUI SOU SHIKOKU KENNEL
MY GOALS FOR THE BREED
What is the "perfect" Shikoku Ken?
As I have been learning and preparing in my journey to breed Shikoku, there is no such thing as a "perfect dog." They all have flaws, some minor and some major, that you'd like to fix in future generations. There is no black and white in breeding either. Decisions that would be unnecessary or detrimental in some breeds may be your only choices with others.
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This is something we face in Shikoku. We have health issues we want to avoid, but if we exclude dogs that may pass on those genetics we're looking at a genetic bottleneck with only closely related dogs to move forward with. Or we may have options that have good health scores and aren't too closely related but have poor temperaments. And then on top of all that, we don't want to completely lose breed type (all the characteristics that make a dog look and act like its breed).
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So knowing all this, I have goals for what I want to produce in my breeding program, but these are ideals and likely not going to be a reality for several generations. I do hope that all the dogs I produce are at least steps in the direction I want to go.
Breed Standard and Type
Although I always want to prioritize health and temperament, I think if we ignore breed type completely then there's not really any point in breeding one breed over another. I personally do not want to lose sight of the original breed standard in favor of my own preferences, although I know some bias is inevitable. It's also important to remember that breed type is so much more nuanced than words on a piece of paper, and I know my understanding of the standard is something I will continue to learn, ideally from people who breed this breed in Japan or have learned from them.
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Although I will take the FCI standard into consideration, I believe Shikoku should ultimately be bred to conform to the NIPPO standard for the Japanese dog.
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An unofficial translation of the NIPPO Standard can be downloaded here.
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Below is a photo from the NIPPO website page on the Shikoku. To me, this is an excellent example of the breed and one of the dogs I keep in mind as I'm making decisions for my kennel.
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Rather than just repeat all of the aspects of the breed standard, I just want to highlight some of the areas where breed type can easily be lost. These are all areas of focus for myself and my breeding program particularly.
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF THE JAPANESE DOG
"Kan'i, Ryousei and Soboku are the essence of the Japanese dog and are of immense importance. Kan'i is spirited vigour and dignified majesty; Ryousei is faithful devotion and gentle obedience; Soboku is rustic, sober and unadorned elegance. A good Japanese dog possesses and expresses these fundamental inborn characteristics by its very nature." - From the NIPPO Japanese Dog Standard
SIZE
The Shikoku Ken is a medium-sized breed, with a height "measured from the point of the forefoot to the point just behind the uppermost part of the scapula, pressing down on the hair" of 49cm for females and 52cm for males, with a range of +/- 3cm. There is a tendency, especially among pet people, to be attracted to especially large individuals. Despite having a male at the top of the standard myself, I want to drive home the importance of maintaining this breed as medium-sized dogs. Massive, blocky, stocky dogs can be reserved for the American Akita. Shikoku should be well-muscled, and solid, but lean and light on their feet.
ANGULATION AND MOVEMENT
This breed should ideally have moderate and balanced angulation. One of the challenges our breed faces in the show ring is a preference for what is considered "good" angulation by many dog enthusiasts which would result in an over-angulated dog in our breed. The breed does trend toward being very straight, especially in the rear, so we need to be cautious of this. Movement should still be smooth, although a quick snappiness to the movement (NOT to be confused with bounciness) is appropriate.
THE HEAD
Shikoku Ken and the other native Japanese dog breeds are considered "head breeds." Although many will argue that you shouldn't focus on the head over the rest of the function of the body, I have always taken this to mean that the head is where we're going to see the most distinguishing features that make you say "THAT is a Shikoku."
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The areas I think we have to watch most closely for losing type in the breed is the ears, the eyes, and the muzzle. Ears should be proportionate for the head - not large and long like a Shepherd, and not too tight and small. They should also be set on correctly, not too low or too tightly together, with a forward pitch that makes them almost follow the arch of the neck forward. Eyes should be relatively triangular in shape, and set deep enough to give them an intense gaze. This is one area we see crucial sexual dimorphism, with the lines of the females' eyes showing a slightly softer curve. Muzzles should also be proportionate to the head and a wedge shape. I see dogs outside of Japan starting to favor a finer muzzle, following a similar trend in the Shiba. Lips and bridge of the muzzle should form straight, tight lines, no loosness or arching.
COAT
Maybe it's my background as a groomer, but I have a very specific preference for coat type in Shikoku. The standard calls for a hard, harsh guard coat and a soft, fluffy, thick undercoat. There tend to be two "types" of coat we see in Shikoku, and both are technically correct. It can be hard to understand the difference without seeing them side by side. One is a shorter coat (though still not as short as a smooth coat) that almost looks soft and plush in appearance. The other has a more textured appearance, with the coat looking like it's standing straight out from the body. The second is my personal preference, with a more visible texture without the coat being overly long.