THE KISHU KEN STANDARD

Per NIPPO, Japanese dogs were standardized in 1934 as "small", "medium" or "large" in type. The Kishu Ken is one of four of the breeds that is shown in the "medium" sized category along with the Shikoku Ken, Kai Ken, and Hokkaido Ken. The breed name, "Kishu Ken" is used over the name "Kishu Inu" due to grammar practices: "Kishu" (紀州) is read using the "on" pronunciation of the kanji, so "Ken" should be used as the "on" pronunciation of the kanji "犬." However, it should be noted "Kishu Inu" and "Kishu dog" (or, simply, "Kishu") are used interchangeably outside of Japan when speaking about the same breed.

The following standard has been written in the AKC template as an example proposal. We encourage visitors view recognized standards posted in the sources.
Right: illustrated standard, published by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai
Note: current standards for the Kishu Ken breed in the UKC (US) and FCI are vague and do not include the NIPPO judging resolutions which help judges best assess type and quality of the Kishu Ken. This is because these judging resolutions exist separate from the standard and some material is only known through hands on experience and study of these breeds. The National Kishu Ken Club has written this standard to the best of their ability to bring these judging resolutions and independent material together in an English-language standard.

Kishu Ken Standard Proposition (First Draft)

Picture
Figure 1
I. General Appearance. The Kishu Ken is a large game hound used in the densely forested mountains of the Kii peninsula. They are spirited, alert, and rustic in appearance, with compact, but well-developed muscles. Kishu Ken are most often white-coated and medium-sized, with erect ears, a tail held over the back, and a keen expression.
II. Size, Proportion, Substance. Height is 20.5 inches for males and 19 inches for females. A deviation of 1.5 inches in either direction for both sexes is permitted. Proportions should be very slightly longer than tall, at a ratio of 10:11. Males should appear more square than females. A Kishu Ken is well-muscled with moderate substance.*
* Kishu Ken are to be shown fit, never with excess weight. Ribs and hips may be especially visible on young dogs or dogs in summer coat. There should be no excess weight; ribs and hips may be easily felt on judge exam if they are not visible,  even on dogs in good condition. A dog should never be overly fleshy (food-bowl conditioned for the appearance of substance) without appropriate muscle condition.
III. Head
  1. Expression is confident and intense.
  2. Eyes are somewhat triangular and very dark in color. The bottom line of the eye is nearly straight and angled slightly upward from the muzzle to the outer eye. The top line of the eye is like the rounded top of a triangle. The flesh of the eye rim is dark.
  3. Ears are erect. The inner line of the ear is straight. The outer line is somewhat rounded. The ears are inclined slightly forward from the back of the skull. Hanging or dropped ears which are not related to injuries are a disqualification. Those which are hanging or damaged due to injury are to be evaluated by the judge who may determine the severity of the fault.
  4. Skull is broad, with a wide forehead.
  5. Stop may be abrupt or shallow but has a slight furrow to the brow.
  6. Muzzle is straight and firm. The shape should resemble a thick wedge to the cheeks.
  7. Nose is black. Flesh-colored noses are permitted in white dogs.
  8. Lips are tight and straight.
  9. Bite is strong and substantial and comes together in a scissor. Kishu Ken have a full set of robust teeth. ​Malocclusion (underbite or overbite) is a disqualification. Missing teeth are a severe fault. Broken or surgically removed teeth due to injury are not to be penalized.
IV. Neck, Topline and Body 
  1. Neck is thick and muscular.
  2. Topline is straight from the back of the shoulder to the tail, and strong.
  3. Body is athletic and muscular. The Kishu Ken are presented fit for hunting and physical activity.
  4. Chest is well-developed and has an ovular shape. It should drop to no less than 45% of the total dog height.
  5. Ribs are well sprung and may be seen or felt upon exam.
  6. Underline is slightly tucked up from the chest to the loin.
  7. Loins are strong.
  8. Tail is moderately thick, expressive, and powerful. It is  carried over the back as a sabre, a sickle, or carried as a curl. Tails do not lie flat on the back. The tail is ideally a sickle which is carried parallel with the back or a single curl which rises well over the back before dropping below the topline. Tails which are carried erect vertically and double curls are permitted. The length of the tail reaches the top of the hock when down. Hanging tails that cannot curl over the back and bobtails are a disqualification. Kinked tails are to be evaluated by a judge who may determine the severity of the fault.
V. Forequarters 
  1. Angulation is moderate.
  2. Shoulders are moderately sloping, and have well-developed muscle.
  3. Upper Arm meets the shoulder at a moderate angle.
  4. Elbows are held close to the body.
  5. Legs are spaced at the same width as the body, are straight, and parallel.
  6. Pasterns are strong, set at a moderate angle.
  7. Feet and toes are tight, with strong grip.
  8. Pads are thick and flexible.
  9. Nails are dark in color. Light nails permitted. White dogs are not to penalized for light nail color.
VI. Hindquarters 
  1. Angulation is moderate, in balance with the front. The rear of the thigh and the front of the hock lie along a vertical line.
  2. Legs are strong, well-muscled, spaced the same width as the waist or lower back, and straight.
  3. Upper Thigh is well-developed, and somewhat long.
  4. Stifle is strong.
  5. Second Thigh is slightly shorter than the upper thigh.
  6. Hocks are tough, strong, and should not appear to turn significantly in or out.
  7. Dewclaws are permitted ('wolf claw') but may be removed by the breeder.
  8. ​Feet, toes, and pads are as in the front.
VII. Coat. The guard hair is hard and coarse and should stand when the Kishu has a dense undercoat. Undercoats are soft and dense when fully grown for the season. Kishu have full seasonal sheds which diminish the undercoat and may cause the guard coat to lie flatter than typical. The tail hair is longer than the body but stands the same. During this time it is not required that dogs be groomed to have healthy sheds. The coat is rustic and natural. Trimming is not permitted. Product is not permitted.
VIII. Color. Kishu have a number of acceptable coat colors. ​
  1. White is the most common coat color, and appears as pure white to a biscuit-like, pale yellow.
  2. Sesame is a wild-type coat color with an even mixture of red, black, and white hair. Sesame is sometimes further divided into Red Sesame for dogs which are sesame but have a predominantly red appearance and Black Sesame which is a sesame dog with a predominantly black appearance. Black hair is distributed evenly over the body no matter how dense or sparse it appears. Sesame coats should always have obvious red pigment, and not appear washed out or grey.
  3. Red is an evenly-pigmented red-orange coat that should not be so pale it appears yellow, or so dark it appears “burnt.”
  4. Black is a predominantly black coat with tan marks in a pointed pattern. Black dogs have should not have a dull or brown appearance to the fur; it is not to be blue or aubergine in the light. Tan points appear as a spot over each eye, the sides of the muzzle and cheeks, as a bib under the jaw, down the insides of each leg, on the paws, and under the tail.​​
On all but White coats the undersides are clearly paler than the body color especially on the chest, the cheeks, and the underside of the tail (“urajiro”).* Pinto markings (white markings that interrupt the body color by reaching up over the shoulder of a dog or form a collar) are faulted. Black masks that interfere with the expression of the required urajiro markings are not desired. These masks are permitted in young dogs, but are ideally gone by adulthood (30 months of age.)
IX. Gait. The Kishu is a sharp and nimble dog with great endurance. The gait is elastic and light. This is not the typical ground-covering gait with deep reach and drive, but should give the impression of great athleticism and the ability to effortlessly navigate steep elevation changes through dense undergrowth.
X. Temperament. Bold and dignified, but affable in nature. The Kishu is exceptionally alert. He is a keen observer who appears ready for a challenge but is amenable to strangers when approached and faithful to their handler. Handler-targeted aggression of any kind is a disqualification. Excessive shyness is a disqualification.

​Traditionally, the Japanese native breeds are described in three words by the original Nihon Ken Hozonkai standards. Kan'i is daring. The Kishu Ken courage and spirit. The Kishu Ken is always appears on their toes and ready for a challenge. They are confident and self-assured. Ryosei is a good-natured disposition. The dog is deeply devoted and never aggressive with its handler. Soboku does not have a clean or concise translation but may be best understood as an understated quality of rustic and natural beauty. Soboku is something that is felt when in its presence. Kishu Ken can further be described by the phrase subarashii yaseimi​ or having a "wonderful wildness" to their character. The Kishu Ken is a rustic dog in both temperament and appearance; a Natural Monument of Japan, and a clear link from contemporary hounds to their wild ancestors.
References.
  1. “Kishu - FCI Standard.” Fédération Cynologique Internationale, 10 Feb. 2017, www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/KISHU-318.html.​
  2. “日本犬標準.” 公益社団法人 日本犬保存会, www.nihonken-hozonkai.or.jp/standard/.​ [Japanese Language]
  3. "Subarashii Yaseimi"​: Knight, J. (2006). Waiting for wolves in Japan: an anthropological study of people-wildlife relations (p. 210-211). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  4. Final Illustrations From: Kishū Ken. 誠文堂新光社, 1978. [Japanese Language] [Amazon.com link for purchase]
Photography Credit.
  • Tabby Hanabi (Fig. 1 - Kishu photographed at the 2013 NIPPO Grand National)
  • ​Alexis Amerosa of Boomlay Shiba Inu (Fig. 2, 4 - Kishu photographed at various NIPPO Grand Nationals)
  • C.J. Hammond (Fig. 3, 6 - Kishu photographed in the USA)
  • Coat color graphic: Black coloration donated thanks to "Kukku" the Shikoku by Katie Greene, to help illustrate.
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