Ichiyo Kensha - Hokkaido Ken

16/08/2024

✨Come and Meet the Hokkaido Ken!✨

Uzume and Momo will be attending the All About Dogs Show this coming August Bank Holiday weekend as breed ambassadors!

We really are excited as this show is local to us and our last show of the year! The girls will be available for pets and strokes, and we can’t wait to teach the people of Norfolk about this fabulous Japanese breed!

Come and see us on 25th and 26th of August, at the Norfolk Showground in Norwich!

Tickets are very limited so snag them up whilst you can, and use code NIHONKEN10 to get 10% off the online ticket price!

We have very exciting plans for 2025, so please come along and say hi and we hope to see you there! 🐶

14/08/2024

✨Momo the Maintrailer✨

We wanted to share a little update about Momo today! Over the last month or so we have been attending mantrailing classes with Momo. We’ve struggled to find something she enjoys as she’s very social pressure sensitive, and isn’t a dog who likes all eyes on her.

Our good friend Kate recommended mantrailing to us and Momo took to it like a natural! For those who don’t know, mantrailing is similar to search and rescue where a dog is given a scent to follow. They sniff an article that has the scent on it, and then they trail that person until they find them! It’s a really great sport and heavy dog led, so any dog or handler can do it!

It’s all about reading your dogs body language, seeing when they have the trial, or when they are off the scent and figuring it out. Momo has absolutely loved it! We started with her finding her dad, her favourite person, and today we levelled up to a stranger and she aced it!

We are so happy to have found an activity Momo enjoys, and her favourite reward is the sausages at the end of the trail! 😏

For some reason Facebook won’t let me add videos and photos, so ill add them in the comments, but there is Momo after he mantrailing session today sporting her lovely Whippa Snappa flea and tick repelling bandana!

09/08/2024

✨ Wellington✨

A happy (and very belated) birthday to our old boy of the pack, Wellington! We have been very busy with life and have been very behind on the updates.

Wellington is our standard schnauzer boy, is 13 years old now and has slowed down a bit in his age however he is very fit despite being an older boy! His favourite place is my parents bed, or the sofa! He loves running and chasing after the football and telling Uzume off for playing too hard!

He loves curling up on the bed with Momo, and cuddling up next to my parents. He loves nothing more than getting little snacks off my dad’s plate!

He was the cutest puppy out of the litter, and the naughtiest one! I seem to have a habit of picking the naughtiest out of the bunch 😅 Wellington is a boy full of character, and full of zest. He never fails to make us laugh, and always lets us know he’s there with his barks! Very typical schnauzer fashion!

Wellington has been my shadow and my special boy for years. Even though he’s with my parents now, I still have a special place in my heart for this phenomenal boy.

It makes me sad that he’s getting old now, but i enjoy every second i have with him! I love nothing more than when he lays his little grey beard onto my lap and looks at me with his puppy eyes, pleading for whatever snack is in my hand 🥺

Happy 13th Birthday Wellie ❤️

01/08/2024

This is very important to remember. We love to build relationships with potential puppy owners. Our pups when we have them will always come first, and they are our top priority. Please understand, we want to build a relationship so we can support one another, and ultimately, do the best for the pups we may place with you 🙏🏽

Remember, submitting an application to a breeder's program is just the start of getting to know each other 💙

26/07/2024

We love learning about all things Hokkaido. That includes about the Ainu people and their culture!

25/07/2024

🙏🏽Sorry for a lack of updates recently, as some of you may or may not know, we are getting married on Monday! We are very excited but have been busy planning so we haven’t had too much time for doggy updates!

🌸The girls are doing well, we are currently waiting for Uzume to come into season. She won’t be bred this year as she’s too young but we are hoping for next year. 🤞🏽

🦊Momo has started mantrailing and she’s really excelling in it so far. Momo struggles with things that are highly spacial pressure sensitive and this includes things where she’s watched like barn hunt. However mantrailing she’s loves and her favourite thing is finding her dad on the trail!

✨Uzume started ring craft again and is doing amazingly. We stopped for a while but are back at it and we are really happy with her progress!

🇺🇸 We are also working on Uzume getting a CHIC number with OFA. OFA is a datatbase that has a dogs health results on, and is used by all ethical breeders in the USA. We know we are located in the U.K. but there’s a tiny chance we may immigrate there in the future. Uzume is also AKC registered so, we wanted to get her results uploaded there. She just needs a few more bits of paperwork done.

Happy Wednesday!

10/07/2024

✨Fun Hokkaido Fact✨

Did you know that if you get a Hokkaido, they can also double up as a hat! Two for the price of one!

01/07/2024

✨Health Results are in!✨

I got Uzume’s hip and elbow results back today! We are delighted to say that Uzume scored the following:

Elbows: 0/0
Hips: 8/8

Here in the U.K. we score with the BVA. We are happy with these results, and very pleased that she’s passed all her health tests and we hope to have puppies in 2025! All of our health test certificates are available upon request so please reach out if you wish to view the results! We always have pride in our dogs health results whether they’re good or bad and will always remain an open book!

Please stay tuned for updates on her next few seasons! Uzume turns 2 in January 2025, so we will be looking to breed her after that! Uzumes pedigree can be found here http://www.hokkaido-pedigree.com/details.php?id=64068

There’s a reminder that we have an interest form on our website here https://ichiyo.co.uk/contact/

This does not secure a place on the wait list, but it does allow us to gauge the interest of people for future litters!

30/06/2024

Two pretty girls in the sunshine at Dogstival in June.

Photo: Lindsey Kiba Hiscocks 📸

21/06/2024

✨Health Testing Season✨

Uzume had her health tests yesterday at my work! She had her BVA X-rays and we are hoping for good results as her parents have good results too!

I’m quite lucky because I get to monitor all my dogs anaesthetics, because I am a vet nurse and take her to my work place!

Uzume has been having a LOT of handling at the vets. We unfortunately couldn’t get an IV in her because she didn’t like the feeling despite the handling, however she just simply wouldn’t sit still as opposed to typical Hokkaido screams! She ended up being sedated first, which she was a super good for, and then we placed an IV and induced her with general anaesthetic afterwards.
She was a superstar and really well behaved. My vets have seen 4 out of the 14 Hokkaido in the U.K., and I think it’s safe to say that Uzume is the most tolerant one out of the ones my vets have seen! 😅

She felt sorry for herself yesterday, but today she’s much better and back to her lovely (and annoying!) self 😂

Special thanks to Nadine, Jane, and the rest of the Summerhill Team for being very accommodating with Uzume yesterday! Also thanks Mandy for cleaning up the large p**p Uzume let out in her kennel 😆😅

Once we have the results we will post them here and update everybody!

06/06/2024

A very nice article about the Hokkaido Ken!

Dogs are thought to have accompanied humans to the Japanese isles during the Jōmon Period, traditionally dated between around 14,000 and 300 BCE. Japan’s geographical isolation and the fact that breeding was left up to nature mean that Japanese dogs today remain very similar to their Jōmon Perio...

05/06/2024

Uzume is currently mid shed. The darker black short hair is her summer coat, and the slightly lighter area above it (dark brown) is now her old winder coat coming out in tufts all over our carpet!

Hokkaido have two distinct coats. Summer and winter.

The winter coat is plush, dense, and fluffy to cope with the harsh winters of Hokkaido.

The summer coat is a much thinner, more sparse coat. This is because Hokkaido has very warm humid summers.

We find that Uzume and Momo are different when it comes to shedding. Momos summer coat is still quite plush and dense, but just not as much as her winter coat. She is spayed however (unlike Uzume who is entire), which can change the coat texture, and how they shed.

Once Uzume has dropped all her coat we will post the difference in her appearance!

03/06/2024

The girls are just so pretty ❤️

Left: Toboetsuki go Mimi wo Sumaseba (Momo), 5.5 years old
Right: Amaterasu go Toboetsuki (Uzume), 1 year 5 months old

📸 by: Lindsey Kiba Hiscocks

03/06/2024

This is fantastic news!

02/06/2024

Day two of Dogstival complete! It was a hot day today, and the sun stayed out all day!

The girls had a fantastic time and great fun despite the heat! As usual, Momo and Uzume gain much attention from the public! Dogstival is one of our favourite shows of the year, it’s so fun, and so busy. The stalls every year are fantastic!

We love doing these events as it gets the Hokkaido breed out there and hopefully gets more people interested in this beautiful breed.

Uzume and Momo are very tired now, sleeping in the back of the car on our long drive home! 💤

01/06/2024

Successful first day at Dogstival with
The British Association of Hokkaido Ken -BAHK and Association of Nihon Ken [UK].

We didn’t get many photos today because we didn’t get a chance to leave the stand much! However we should be able to get much needdd photographs tomorrow!

Uzume and Momo had a great time. Uzume was very social with people and enjoyed meeting kids and being pet but them!

Momo who is usually much more reserved and likes her space even let a few people pet her on her terms too!

It was a lovely day and the sun was shining!

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow! We will be at the rare breeds meet up tomorrow from 11-11:30am!

(Left to right: Momo, Satsuki, Chuuya and Uzume)

27/05/2024

We are attending Dogstival this weekend with the The British Association of Hokkaido Ken -BAHK and Association of Nihon Ken [UK]. This is always our busiest show of the year, and we really enjoyed it!
Dogstival will be held at Burley Park, The New Forest, on June 1st and 2nd. We will be attending with Uzume and Momo the Hokkaido Ken who will be our breed ambassadors and available to meet in the fur!

Dont miss this opportunity to meet this amazing Japanese breed!

We look forward to seeing you all there!

19/05/2024

Uzume and Momo made a new friend! Bella the cocker spaniel x Labrador!

05/05/2024

Uzume has been a great ambassador today at All About Dogs Show with Chuuya and Satsuki! She’s been up for cuddles with the public and has enjoyed herself today despite the mud! She came solo this time without Momo, as she’s on a break from shows and being thoroughly spoilt by her (human) dad!

Day 2 tomorrow…we think it’s going to be wet and muddy so if you’re coming to Hylands Park to see us, please bring your wellies! 😅

02/05/2024

🐾 All About Dogs Show, Hylands Park 2024 🐾

We are attending the All About Dogs Show this May Bank Holiday with Association of Nihon Ken [UK] and The British Association of Hokkaido Ken -BAHK to showcase the Hokkaido Ken!

It’ll just me and Uzume only this time, as Momo is going to spend the weekend with her dad and no doubt being spoilt rotten!

Uzume will of course be available for cuddles and pets!

Don’t forget to use the code NIHONKEN10 to get a discount off your tickets for the show online!

We can’t wait to see you there! 🦊

06/03/2024

We encountered a pretty Sakura tree yesterday in the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo 🌸🇯🇵

02/03/2024

The Hokkaido Ken is on the decline. This infographic shows the reality of the breed. Whilst it only shows the numbers registered with the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai (no other registry) in the last 3 years, it is a harrowing tale.

Whilst there’s been a slow increase in dog numbers between 2022-2023, this isn’t enough. It also seems that white and red are the most populous colour.

Many people think colour is cosmetic, and shouldn’t matter but it’s a crucial part of the breed standard, and what makes a breed the breed it is. There is a risk some of these colours due to their recessive nature could be lost forever. The Hokkaido is in a very dangerous place right now, where we could see the breed disappear within 20-30 years.

Every single like and share of this post will count. The more the Hokkaido is spread to the general public, the more the public are educated on the breed and the more exposure they get, could mean the breed is brought back from risk of extinction.

It isn’t just native British breeds that need saving! 🦊 🇯🇵

Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai birth and colour statistics (2021 - 2023)

Firstly we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Okiyama-san and the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai for this data, which gives an insight into how the breed is doing in Japan.

We have known for some time that the number of Hokkaido Ken puppies born each year is low and generally 'in decline'; meaning that less and less puppies are born with each passing year. This data throws into stark relief just how few Hokkaido Ken there actually are, even in Japan. Taking into account the likelihood that many of the dogs produced each year will not go on to have litters themselves, the numbers of dogs will continue to fall. It's likely that the total number of living Hokkaido Ken - born in Japan - is less than 10,000 individuals as a optimistically high estimate (we do not know the number of dogs currently in the rest of the world), this could, in actuality be less than 5,000.

One of our goals as the BAHK is to do our best to get the Hokkaido Ken the visibility it needs in order to survive. Part of that is to try and gain recognition with the UK Kennel Club, to be able to take our dogs to shows and show people what they're all about. Part of that is through education and getting our dogs out into public spaces and events so that people can meet them and learn about their needs and how they can fit in with family life, as well as via online platforms. Accessibility of information regarding the Hokkaido Ken used to be a big issue and we hope to help by providing a point of contact for anyone who wishes to know more.

The bottom line is, that in order to preserve and protect this beautiful breed, first it needs the numbers to be able to survive. If we are unable to import new dogs from Japan and integrate them into the European gene pool, we create genetic bottlenecks where all of the dogs are related to one another in some way - we are already seeing this issue. Removing individuals from the available breeding population for small faults or health issues which do not impact quality of life will also ultimately result in the same effect.

We hope that in 10 or 20 years time, we will still be able to show you the adventures of living with the Hokkaido Ken, but in reality, that may not be a possibility for their future.

We encourage you to share this information. On the lead up to Crufts (the world's biggest dog show), there is often talk and highlights on our native vulnerable breeds, but very little is said about breeds which are slowly going extinct in their own country of origin. So many lesser-known breeds are on the verge of dying out, and they need help!

Pictured below is an infographic detailing the statistics of births and colour distribution from the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai. Discrepancy in numbers are dogs designated as not belonging to any of the five recognised colours.
2023
Total born: 199 (89 female, 110 male)
White 37 female, 45 male (41%)
Red 20 female, 18 male (19%)
Black and Tan 9 female, 14 male (11%)
Sesame 11 female, 17 male (14%)
Brindle 10 female, 14 male (12%)
122 born in Hokkaido, 77 born outside Hokkaido

2022
Total born: 157 (73 female, 84 male)
White 31 female, 42 male (46%)
Red 18 female, 23 male (26%)
Black and Tan 6 female, 5 male (7%)
Sesame 10 female, 8 male (11%)
Brindle 6 female, 4 male (6%)
73 born in Hokkaido, 84 born outside Hokkaido

2021
Total born: 181 (96 female, 85 male)
White 50 female, 46 male (53%)
Red 24 female, 18 male (23%)
Black and Tan 8 female, 6 male (7%)
Sesame 7 female, 6 male (7%)
Brindle 6 female, 9 male (8%)
114 born in Hokkaido, 67 born outside Hokkaido

29/02/2024

Sorry we have been MIA, but we have been travelling….👀

We have arrived in Tokyo, Japan! 🇯🇵

24/02/2024

We have some amazing news! The first breed club for the Hokkaido Ken has officially launched in the U.K.! We are also the president of the club!

We are delighted that the club has finally taken form. It’s been a long time in the making and Liv and Lindsey of Toboetsuki Inuits & Hokkaido Ken have been working tirelessly to get it up and running.

We hope that this is the first step towards U.K. Kennel Club recognition for the breed!

We are the first and only breed club of the Hokkaido Ken in the UK. Protecting, preserving, and educating about this wonderful breed

18/02/2024

🐾 Happy 5th Birthday to our special girl Momo! 🐾

You came into this world as a tiny little slug of a puppy, from the first litter ever in the UK and grown up to be one of the prettiest dogs we know. What a journey with you it’s been. Our first introduction to being need by a Hokkaido Ken, and teaching us so much about this fancinating breed! You have enriched our lives so much and taught us more than we ever thought we could know about all things dog!

You have been such a lovely part of our lives and been the best teacher to Uzume, and you’re very good at being an aunty and telling her off when she’s too much. We love you being our little fun police, but always greeting us every morning with happy wiggles and happy woos! You are a confident dog, who takes the world in your stride. You may not like strangers but that’s ok, we don’t either. You would rather sit there and judge strangers from afar and that’s ok! We love you being our trusty little pub dog, sitting under the table watching the world go by.

We know you’ve got a few health issues, but that’s ok too because we would and do give you the world, regardless of what challenges you may face. You are a fantastic breed ambassador, and you charm everybody with your beautiful eyes and striking looks. Every day we have strangers telling us how pretty you are!

I’m sorry it’s raining on your birthday, which means you won’t get a birthday walk (mainly because you’ll refuse to go out in this weather even if we drag you out there 😂) but we will make sure you get extra chunks of pancreas in your food today (we can’t give you much because it sets off your EPI sorry!)

Thank you so much our best friend Toboetsuki Inuits & Hokkaido Ken for trusting us with this special girl, the first Hokkaido Ken ever born in the U.K.! We are forever grateful that you trusted us with such a special little dog, and we wouldn’t change her for the entire world ❤️ And most importantly, thank you for being an absolutely amazing mentor, and great friend to us over the years ❤️

Happy Birthday Meems! 🦊❤️

13/02/2024

🐾 Hi Guys sorry we haven’t been very active. Life has been crazy for us and we have a big trip coming up soon for us humans! We will become more active once we have some more time on our hands! 🐾

18/01/2024

🥳🎉Happy Birthday Uzume🎉🥳

Today Uzume turns 1 year old! And what a year it’s been! Uzume has been a big bundle of fun! She is so inquisitive, goofy, and hilariously entertaining!

We’ve had our ups and downs but that’s part of dog ownership but I wouldn’t have it any other way! She has been such a joy to have and I am so thankful that our friends at Toboetsuki Inuits & Hokkaido Ken trusted us with this special girl!

Uzume has grown up to be a wonderful dog, who’s confident and playful! We love taking her out and getting her to meet new people! She loves to annoy her auntie Momo, but also they have big playtime zoomies and love to cuddle up on the sofa! She loves to try and instigate play with Wellie although he doesn’t really want to engage because puppies are annoying! 😂

Happy birthday Uzume, I’m sorry I can’t be there today, but Daddy will spoil you with treats and snacks! ❤️

08/01/2024

Uzume is now officially UKC registered! After a long wait the paperwork finally came through!

Uzume is now UKC (United Kennel club) AKC (American Kennel Club) and IKC (Irish Kennel Club) registered. We are working on The Kennel Club (UK) registration but at this time the U.K. kennel club doesn’t recognise the breed so we cannot get her registered with our home kennel club. We are working close with the KC to get the breed recognised and registered here!

It’s very common for dogs to be registered with multiple kennel clubs, even ones abroad.

EDIT: I’ve just realised there is a selling mistake in our paperwork done by UKC. I have reached out to UKC who will rectify this. We will keep this post up as we are still proud of the registration for Uzume!