CKC BREED STANDARD

LISTED BREED-GROUP II - HOUNDS

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Origin and Purpose

This breed goes back to medium-sized dogs that existed in Japan in ancient times. The Shikoku was bred as a hunting dog, mainly for hunting boar and deer in the mountainous districts of Kochi Prefecture. It is sometimes called “Kochi-ken” (ken = dog). The breed took on the name of the region and was designated as a “natural monument” in 1937. A study in the 1930’s conducted by Japanese cynologist Harvo Isogai classified a native Japanese dog breeds into three categories; large, medium and small sized. These dogs are tough and sufficiently agile to run through a mountainous region and often referred to as deerhounds. They are characterized by their sesame coloured coats.

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General Appearance

A medium-sized dog with well balanced and well developed clean cut muscles. It has pricked ears and a curled or sickle tail. Conformation : strong, well-boned and compact.

Important Proportions : The ratio of height at withers to length of body is 10 : 11.

 

Temperament

A dog of marked endurance, keen in sense with a naive feeling, energetic and highly alert; an enthusiastic hunter; docile towards his master.

 

Size

Height at withers: Dogs – 52 cm (20.5 inches)

                             Bitches – 46 cm (18 inches)

There is a tolerance of + 3 cm (1.2 inches)

 

Coat & Colour

Coat

Hair: Outer coat rather harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense. The hair on the tail is rather long.

Colour

Sesame, black sesame and red sesame. Definition of the colour sesame: Sesame: Equal mixture of white and black hairs. Black sesame: More black than white hairs. Red sesame: Ground colour of hair red, mixture with black hairs.

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Head

Skull: Forehead broad. Stop: Shallow, but defined. Nose: Black. Muzzle: Rather long, wedge-shaped. Nasal bridge straight. Lips: Tight. Jaws/Teeth: Teeth strong, with a scissor bite. Cheeks: Well developed. Eyes: Relatively small, triangular, set well apart, dark brown in colour. Ears: Small, triangular, slightly inclining forward and firmly pricked.

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Neck

Thick and powerful.

 

Forequarters

Shoulders: Moderately sloping with developed muscles. Elbows: Set close to the body. Forearms: Straight and clean cut. Pasterns: Slightly inclining.

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Body

Withers: High, well developed. Back: Straight and strong. Loins: Broad and muscular. Chest: Deep, ribs well sprung. Belly: Well tucked up.

 

Hindquarters

Powerful, with muscles well developed. Hocks: Moderately angulated and very tough. Feet: Tightly closed with well arched toes. Pads hard and elastic. Nails hard and black or dark in colour.

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Tail

Set on high, thick and carried over the back vigorously curled or curved like a sickle. The tip nearly reaches the hocks when let down.

 

Gait

Resilient, with rather narrow strides, but light. Action is quick and turning is possible.

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Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

• Bitchy dogs/doggy bitches.

• Slightly overshot or undershot mouth.

• Long hair

• Shyness.

 

Disqualification

• Aggressive or overly shy.

• Extremely overshot or undershot bite.

• Ears not pricked.

• Hanging tail, short tail.

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

 

Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.