Boar, Deer, and... Rabbit?

It might be pretty easy to see what these animals have to do with Kishu: they are all game to be hunted. Did you know that these three words also refer to Kishu body types, as well? According to Japanese Dogs by Michiko Chiba, Kishu Ken could be categorized by the game they were bred to hunt along three different varieties:

• Boar Type had a stout and muscular build with intense temperaments suitable for hunting wild boar. Of the three varieties, the boar dog was the most common.
• Deer Type were slender dogs that were capable of running fast, and running for long periods. Deer dogs were agile, to chase down their prey.
• Rabbit Type was a rarer variety used in the flushing and catching of small game like birds and the titular rabbit. There is not much information on this variety.

All three varieties were considered the same breed based on geographic origin and function, but may help to explain some of the variety we see in Kishu body types today. Interestingly, we see boar-type and deer-type varieties in other medium-sized Japanese dogs, also explaining the variety in body types to laymen, so this is not unique to the Kishu Ken.

Two female Kishu Ken exhibiting different body types.