New Page 1

The Kai is an ancient breed that was developed as a hunting dog in the province of Kai on the island of Honshu. The Kai's homeland is surrounded by mountains, so the breed remained geographically isolated. With the introduction of firearms, the Kai was used by professional big game hunters who specialized in hunting deer and wild boar. The breed was not recognized until 1934 and it is still quite rare. In part because of its legendary courage, the Kai was once thought to be too primitive to serve as a family pet, but that myth has been dispelled. In the United States, the Kai has proven to be a gentle and loyal family companion.

The Kai is a medium-sized, sturdily built, Spitz-type dog, with a wedge-shaped head, prick ears, and a harsh, straight brindle coat of medium length. The appearance of the Kai is similar to the other working Japanese Spitz breeds, smaller than the Akita and larger than the Shiba.

The Kai is a sturdy, muscular dog of exceptional courage and agility. Kai have been known to climb trees and swim in pursuit of their prey. Traditional Japanese writings describes the Kai as a natural hunter, a trustworthy guardian and extremely devoted to his master. The brindle pattern of coat color is the Kai's most distinguishing breed characteristic. The tail of the Kai differ from the other Japanese breeds in that it does not form a double curl but is shaped like a sickle and carried over the back. While Kais may be somewhat reserved with strangers, they are very friendly with people and not aggressive with other dogs. The Kai makes an excellent watch dog or home protector.

From the front, the head forms a medium-length wedge, broad between the ears tapering to a long but not snippy muzzle. The head is free of wrinkles and proportionate to the length of body. The length of the muzzle, measured from the stop to the end of the nose, is equal to the length of the skull, measured from the occiput to stop. The skull and muzzle are parallel to one another when viewed from the side, and joined by an abrupt stop.

The skull is broad and nearly flat, with a slight median furrow. The skull tapers slightly from the widest point to the base of the muzzle. The cheeks are well developed.

When viewed from the side, the muzzle is moderately thick. It should be well fitted in under the eyes. The nasal bridge is straight. The lower jaw is strong and blunt but not protruding. Lips are black and tightly fitted.

The Kai has a complete set of good size evenly spaced teeth. A scissors bite is preferred but a level bite is acceptable. The tongue is generally spotted but may be pink or blue black.

The nose is always solid black. In profile, the nose is on the same line as the top of the muzzle and does not extend beyond the forepart of the muzzle

EYES:

The eyes are relatively small and dark brown with black eye rims. The eyes while slightly triangular in shape, are rounder than the eyes of the Akita or Shiba.

The ears are strongly erect, somewhat large in relationship to the size of the head, triangular in shape, and set at the outer edge of the skull, but not to low. The ears are wide at the base and slightly rounded at the tips. Viewed from the side, the back line of the ear inclines slightly forward from the base to the tip.

The shoulders are moderately laid back, with moderate angulations and well developed muscles. The forelegs are straight and muscular, with heavy bone and strong, moderately short, slightly sloping pasterns. The shoulder blade and the upper arm are roughly equal in length. The upper arm lies close to the ribs but is still very mobile, with the elbow moving close to the body.

The ratio of height (measured from withers to the ground) to length of body (measured from point of shoulders to point of buttocks) is 10:11. The line of the back inclines very slightly downward from well-developed withers and then becomes level. The back is well muscled with a short muscular loin. The ribs are moderately sprung out from the spine, forming a strong back, then curving down and inward to form a body that would be nearly oval if viewed in cross-section. The chest is deep and moderately broad. When viewed from the side, the lowest point of the chest is immediately behind the elbows. The fore chest should extend in a shallow oval shape in front of the forelegs but the sternum should not be excessively pointed. The belly is well tucked up.

The thighs are muscular and powerful. The rear legs have heavy bone and are moderately well angulated at stifle and hock joints. The upper thigh is long and the lower thigh is short. The hocks are tough, elastic and well let down. Viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns should be parallel to each other, from the side, they should be perpendicular to the ground.

The tail is thick and set high. The preferred carriage is a sickle tail, but a tail that curls over the back is acceptable. When the Kai is hunting, the tail sometimes straightens out behind or stands straight up. The tail should be at least long enough to reach halfway to the hock joint.

The Kai has a double coat of medium length, longer than the coast of a Shiba, but shorter than the Akita coat. The outer coat is harsh, straight, and may lie flat or stand somewhat away from the body. The undercoat is thick, soft and dense. The hair on the head, legs, and ears is shorter than the coat of the body while the coat on the tail is somewhat longer.

The brindle coat of the Kai has given rise to his nickname as the Tora (meaning tiger) dog. All brindle colors are equally acceptable. Puppies are usually born with black fuzzy coats. The brindle bars emerge as the straight adult coat comes in, but may not be fully apparent until the dog is as old as five years of age. A well-defined brindle is strongly preferred. Some white is allowed on the legs, but never above the knees on the forelegs or the hock joint on the rear legs. Some white is allowed on the fore chest, between the front legs and on the belly. White should never blend up into the body coat.

Desirable height, measured at the withers, ranges from 18 to 22 inches for the males and 17 to 20 inches for females. Weight ranges from 25 to 55 pounds.

Faults: Dogs more than 2 inches over or under these limits obese dogs.

The Kai moves with strides of moderate length. It is a quick, agile trot which enables the Kai to travel quickly in the mountains and forests while hunting. Correct movement is essential in this breed.

DISQUALIFICATIONS:

Unilateral or bilateral crypt orchid. Viciousness or marked shyness. Missing more than 4 teeth.