Love to hear people's breeding plans - what are you expecting from the Shoko/Kai puppies in terms of structure and temperament?
Temperament was definitely a big driving factor for this litter. I have had so many people who have met Shoko ask to be on my waiting list specifically for a puppy from her, since they liked her so much.
The thing is, she is kind of a unique Shikoku. That's not to say she doesn't have a lot of the typical Shikoku traits, and her temperament is within the realm of what someone might see in a Shikoku. But so many of the things people like about her and are looking for are things that definitely cannot be guaranteed in a Shikoku.
One of the biggest things is just that she's extremely laid back. She has a super stable, easy-going personality that takes everything in stride. She's really thoughtful and observant, zero reactivity, and I can take her anywhere without worrying.
She is also good with other dogs. I mean, not every dog appreciates her somewhat-rude play style (typical of Shikoku), and she's pretty picky about who she wants to play with in the first place. But I have absolutely never worried about her being around other dogs. In her early years we spent a lot of time at dog parks (large sprawling ones with hiking trails). 99% of the time she just ignores other dogs, or gives them a polite sniff then moves on. Typically Shioku will do well with dogs they are raised with, but reactivity and even aggression are definitely not uncommon, especially with same sex or strange dogs.
Similarly, she does well with strangers. She's definitely not lab levels of friendly, but she will give people a little wag and maybe a kiss, and then probably ignore them for the most part, lol. Unless they are kids, she loves kids. She is also fairly low energy for a Shikoku, and surprisingly low prey drive. She will sit in the yard and watch squirrels run by six feet in front of her without moving.
SO, with all that in mind, the goal was to highlight and maybe even further bring out some of these traits, while not sacrificing the spitzy traits we love about her (independent, spunky, good off-switch, etc). And Kai just really seemed like the perfect fit to me. He's got that laid back, go-anywhere attitude, while maintaining some spitz spunk. I'm also hoping he can bring in a bit of biddability and brains, lol. Shoko can be super stubborn, and not the brightest...
As far as structure goes, I'm admittedly not the best at evaluating structure, so someone with a better eye may have a better analysis. But to me they both seem to have moderate and functional builds. They are definitely the same general flavor of dog, lol. I think Kai will bring in a bit heavier bone, and obviously he's a lot bigger too.
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