【秋山の狼室】
Akiyama no Roushya

About Akiyama no Roushya

Akiyama no Roushya is operated by C.J. McCammon with the help of family, co-owners, and close friends. CJ is involved in public health and disease surveillance professionally. They came to the breeds through their background as a canine behavior specialist, dog trainer, and animal care provider and they have an education in behavioral psychology and conservation biology. C.J. joined the Nihon Ken community in 2009 in search of assistance for a client's Shikoku Ken and subsequently became interested in Kishu Ken in 2010. They spent years studying and learning about the breeds, their history, temperament, type, and health, finally obtaining their first Shikoku Ken in 2013 and first Kishu Ken in 2014, both rehomed adults.In 2014, Kishu-Ken.org was published to bring as much unbiased information to English as possible from native Japanese sources, from early publications, and from scholarly articles. In 2015 the kennel moved from Rhode Island to Oregon and has grown since. Shikoku Ken were added to the Akiyama no Roushya in 2020 after TK's (O'IKon's Takoda) earlier in that year. The URL changed from kishu-ken.org to akiyamano.co to reflect the change.In their volunteer work for the breeds, C.J. served as voted-in president for the National Kishu Ken Club from its foundation until 2022 when they stepped down. From 2023 C.J. serves as board member and Pacific Northwest region representative for both the National Kishu Ken Club and American Shikoku Ken Club. C.J. has also been a long standing member of the volunteer rescue community since 2009 under various groups nationwide.

Writing, Work, & Features

In addition to being a contributing member to several social media groups, writing the foundation for both the Shikoku Ken and Kishu Ken parent club websites, writing the foundation for the Shikoku Ken and Kishu Ken AKC parent club breed standards, and contributing to countless other credited and uncredited breed education documents, C.J. has been published and credited in a handful of works for the Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken breeds.Articles
Hammond, CJ. "The Kishu Ken – A Wonderfully Wild Dog Living in a Modern World." Showsight Magazine, 26 October 2022, https://showsightmagazine.com/kishu-ken-wild-dog-living-in-modern-world/
McCammon, CJ. "The Power of Popularity Trends: Inheritance Challenges of Yuushoku and White Coats in the Kishu Ken." Akiyama no Roushya, 23 April 2023Projects
McCammon, C.J. "The Kishu Ken: Breed History & Expanded Resource." Draft finished. Editing phase. Expected release 2024-2025
McCammon, C.J."The Shikoku Ken: Breed History & Expanded Resource." Draft finished. Editing phase. Expected release 2024-2025Interviews & Features
Okazaki, Manami. “Japanese Dog Breeds.” Japan's Best Friend: Dog Culture in the Land of the Rising Sun, Prestel Verlag, Munich, 2022.

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• Intro
• In Depth
• Standards
• Resources

Which breed is right for me?

The Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken have interwoven histories and very similar traits and qualities. Both dogs were developed as medium sized hounds from neighboring regions; Shikoku island is an island off the coast of the Kii peninsula. Both breeds are loyal and tenacious. Both breeds have a great off-switch that makes them easy to live with in the home. This list goes; the Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken share many standard points as well.It wasn't until recent history that the breeds were divided from regional varieties of one landrace breed ("medium sized Nihonken" under NIPPO) and their historical interbreeding was disallowed. This tends to mean that although they are not entirely interchangeable, if you are a good home for one breed, you may be a good home for the other and the choice can come down to the smaller details.That said, there are modern trends within each population since their official splitting which make it more common to see some traits in one breed versus the other and these trends may spell out dealbreakers for a prospective individual puppy owner or family.

Essays could be written on the similarities between the breeds and so their differences become more important to illustrate. Keep in mind that because of they have shared a fundamental purpose and interwoven histories these differences may not apply to every individual in the two breeds! Plenty of overlap exists and can be very dependent on the line and parentage of the individual in question.One thing that requires mention for the similarities between the breeds is this: When looking at both the Shikoku Ken and the Kishu Ken, be prepared for training impulse control, particularly around prey animals and strange dogs!

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Generalizations and finer details...

One might describe the Kishu Ken as a lightning bolt: big and bold and racing to its destination from point A to point B as quickly as possible. The Shikoku Ken, then, reminds me of the oscillating devices during a Tesla demonstration: it performs the same general task, but in a more frenetic and chaotic way. Ultimately, both are electrical forces that are seeking the same thing.For those who do not visualize in that way:Are you an extrovert or always looking for a new big adventure? If you like dogs that will accompany you to the brewery, downtown, or a busy party and it's important that your dogs like friends and strangers alike, the Kishu Ken is your perfect match of the two. These social and exuberant dogs are enthusiastic hunters - whether that's on the trail for a good chase, good eats, or a new friend. Kishu Ken wear their heart on their sleeve and give their all in every endeavor. You'll never question how your Kishu Ken is feeling.Many Kishu Ken have a difficult time knowing when to quit their fun or activities and need help with their impulse control. They need to be taught how to quit while they're ahead. To successfully rear a Kishu Ken their partner and handler must advocate for their needs and intervene when it's time to eat a snickers or take a nap. A Kishu Ken over threshold can be difficult to spot because they do not shut down or stop taking reward and sometimes their stress escapes notice until they become a dragon or a shark.Maybe you're an introvert who prefers the company of good friends in a quiet space. The Shikoku Ken may enjoy your lifestyle. The Shikoku Ken is a sensitive soul who needs strong and kind socialization as a young dog and into adulthood to feel confident in many situations. Many dogs like the people they know and the comfort of familiarity. The Shikoku Ken wants to have fun in company they know the best. This does not mean they are demure or sedate: they are adrenaline and serotonin seekers waiting for their next rush, when they are their best selves.The Shikoku Ken tends to grow uncomfortable with the unknown and may withdraw within themselves when stressed. This may make it difficult to know when to step in and advocate for your Shikoku Ken or reward them when they need it most. This becomes challenging when raising a Shikoku Ken because if the person they trust most consistently fails to recognize their struggle, the Shikoku Ken may feel they need to advocate for themselves and become wary or aggressive with strangers.

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• Intro
• In Depth
• Standards
• Resources

The following are English language standard-prototypes taken from the Nihon Ken Hozonkai and written in the language and format established by the American Kennel Club's standard writing documents. These standards are published on their respective breed parent club websites. The Nihon Ken Hozonkai standard is the basis for the standard brought to FCI through JKC, but lacks expanded material.It is up to the respective breed clubs (the National Kishu Ken Club & American Shikoku Ken Club) to establish their standards with the AKC.

For official standard material visit NIPPO, UKC, and FCI.

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• Kishuken
• Shikokuken

Our breeding and prospective breeding Kishu Ken. We have historically focused on diversity of the Kishu Ken and obtained or bred dogs of varying backgrounds to help sustain a US population of NIPPO-registered Kishu Ken. Akiyama no Roushya has wanted to bring the stable and easily motivated temperaments of the hunting line dogs in our foundation to the excellent breed type of the show line dogs more recently imported. As a secondary goal, due to the prevalence of yuushoku coats in our production, we attempt to breed vibrant and more standard-fitting yuushoku dogs.

Our Dogs

Co-Owned & Guardian Home Dogs

We are a National Kishu Ken Club member working with breeders nationally and internationally. Our co-own and guardian home dogs to not reside with us, but are at other private owners and breeders' homes.

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• Kishuken
• Shikokuken

The breeding and prospective breeding Shikoku Ken at Akiyama no Roushya. There are many Shikoku Ken breeders in the USA who report that they focus on diversity and so this was not necessary for us to focus on like it was with the Kishu Ken. Akiyama no Roushya's focus in Shikoku Ken is to select for temperament and type and have acquired dogs which fit our vision of what a Shikoku Ken should be or should be able to accomplish.

Co-Owned & Guardian Home Dogs

We are a American Shikoku Ken Club member working with breeders nationally and internationally. Our co-own and guardian home dogs to not reside with us, but are at other private owners and breeders' homes.

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• Kishuken
• Shikokuken
• Retired

Dogs who have since retired from breeding. These are listed for posterity and history within our chosen breeds. These dogs generally reside in pet homes or are kept as pets and were either retired before breeding or bred twice before retirement.

Our Retired Dogs

Retired Co-Owned & Guardian Home Dogs

In Memory

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Akiyama no Roushya courtesy lists available dogs who are in need of new homes. We would like to reiterate that these listings are courtesy listings only and that breeding dogs and available dogs listed on this website are not all owned by Akiyama no Roushya nor are they always located at our address, but may reside in homes nationwide.

Litter plans subject to change due to health testing results or development of young dogs. Akiyama no Roushya puppies are placed on contract, prior to transportation arrangements. Owners are responsible for travel arrangements and veterinary costs of health certificate visits. There is no official puppy application. All interviews are performed via conversation online, over the phone, and/or via local meetup. Kishu Ken will have more availability due to the National Kishu Ken Club push to get the breed fully recognized in AKC in the upcoming years.

Our Litters

Co-Owned & Guardian Home Litters

We are a National Kishu Ken Club & American Shikoku Ken Club member working with breeders nationally and internationally. Our co-own and guardian home litters do not reside with us, but are at other private owners and breeders' homes. These are litters Akiyama no Roushya is assisting with for registration and placement purposes.

1. strikethru = waitlisted homes only / no puppies available

Further details

Our wait-list is currently open. All Kishu Ken and Shikoku Ken will be officially evaluated between 5 and 7 weeks of age. If you are interested in an Akiyama no Roushya puppy, please make sure you are in contact with us and on our wait list at least 1 year and no more than 3 years before you are hoping to add a pupAkiyama no Roushya puppies go home with AKC, NIPPO, and FCI registration. Akiyama no Roushya is an FCI member kennel and can provide full 3 generation FCI export pedigrees on all puppies as is needed. The puppy owner is responsible for the cost of the export pedigree. At this time, Akiyama no Roushya is the ONLY U.S. Shikoku Ken and Kishu Ken kennel approved by FCI.Our puppies see a veterinarian for all their needs except standard deworming, which is done at home. Puppies go home between 8-16 weeks depending on what we are looking for in a litter and will be up to date on all age-appropriate vaccinations, microchipped, and owners receive full access to medical notes provided to Akiyama no Roushya by the veterinarian. Additionally, puppies have their eyes checked for OFA and will all go home with Embark (both breeds) and UC Davis Diversity testing (Shikoku Ken.)Puppy owners receive a folder with their puppy's registration, pedigree, and veterinary information. In litters where registration is not immediately available (due to international mailing times and delays), pedigrees can be mailed. They also go home with a small gift bag which will generally include a toy and blanket they've had growing up with us, a small bag of food to transition from, and treats.Akiyama no Roushya puppies are placed "at cost" for the veterinary care and supplies that goes into rearing the litter. This is not our business, this is our hobby, but vet care, supplies, and inflation may cause prices to fluctuate some. If you have financial concerns please raise them to us and we can discuss options. Shikoku Ken puppies are NEVER sold to breeders we do not have prior relationships with, but may be placed as conformation prospects on co-ownership which will restrict breeding rights. EVERY Kishu Ken placement is treated as a full rights placement due to the population crisis, with breeding rights managed in the contract they are placed with. Puppy owners should anticipate costs for both breeds to be within the $2500-3000 window. A holding fee of $500 which will go towards the final puppy cost is required to be placed on the wait-list after a successful interview.

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Contact

You may also contact us and see more of our lifestyle and our dogs on our social links below:

• Intro
• In Depth
• Standards
• Resources

Resources

Nihonken Hozonkai (JP) - Kishu Ken & Shikoku Ken parent club in Japan
Beikoku Chuugataken Aigokai (US) - U.S. medium sized breed club open to NIPPO members

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