01/10/2025
Please read the original post from BAHK on this situation and share to those who would be interested in helping preservation efforts. Hokkaido / Ainu-ken really are in dire straights. We will have some news to announce for Tohoku Nozomi Kennel soon, and we will be trying to get Pokku bred to Waji this spring.
Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai Birth and Colour Statistics 2024
Firstly, we would like to thank the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai and Okiyama-san, for giving us this information, and allowing us to disseminate it to a wider audience.
Sadly the outlook for the future of the Hokkaido Ken is looking bleak.
In 2024, only 132 Hokkaido Ken puppies were registered with the HKH. This is just 66% when compared to the 199 puppies registered in 2023. Even more eye-opening, the number of puppies born in 2024 is only 12% compared to 1995’s 1059 registered puppies (Shigeru-san, 2020).
The Hokkaido Ken can now be considered to be in catastrophic decline, with the number of births unable to support or maintain a stable future population.
When asked why he thought the number of Hokkaido Ken puppies being born was so low, Okiyama-san cited many reasons, including the following:
~ The larger worldwide economic downturn, forcing families into smaller living accommodation and with less disposable income to take care of pets. Alongside a greater degree of uncertainty when it comes to securing a stable job.
~ The aging of many of the breeds protectors - the breeders and people who own kennels or keep multiple dogs. Many of those who have kept the breed for years are unable to find successors to continue breeding.
~ The Hokkaido is a strong dog who needs a strong owner, which means younger people to take up the mantle of the breed and its preservation, however, the younger generations are finding it more difficult to survive in the economic climate and live in smaller spaces not suitable for this kind of dog.
~ Global warming may be a contributing factor to the breed’s lack of popularity in Japan, where summers are extremely hot, the Hokkaido Ken is not so well adapted to the rising temperatures.
~ The laws of other countries changing and making the import/export of dogs much more difficult will inevitably be a contributing factor to the decline of the Hokkaido Ken outside of Japan.
So, the overarching question: what can be done to save the Hokkaido Ken?
If breeders in Japan lose the capability to breed and place puppies in homes, without younger people to take up the mantle of those who are aging, and without an increase in the breeding population, it’s likely that the number of puppies born each year will continue to dwindle.
If breed clubs and kennel clubs are not able to collaborate, or place restrictive breeding regulations upon breeders, making exchanging pedigrees, bloodlines and information that much harder – the breed will suffer worldwide as a result.
If breed enthusiasts and breeders outside of Japan are no longer able to import dogs, providing a market outside of Japan, the number of Hokkaido residing outside of Japan will also steadily decline, until the bloodlines are so interrelated there will no longer be a viable breeding population.
If the laws on the importation of dogs continue to hamper breed preservation efforts, those of us who have been able to import in the past will be unable to continue our breeding programs in the future.
We believe, that, if nothing else, education and sharing information is key! The more people we can get talking about this issues and sharing the plight of this breed that we love, the better. The more people we can show the breed to and allow them to interact with, the more people will see that the Hokkaido Ken is worth saving.
Thank you for reading this rather long post, for your support, your reactions and your shares!
Accessibility information:
Pictured is an infographic explaining the birth statistics of the Hokkaido Ken in 2024, as registered by the Hokkaido Ken Hozonkai.
In total, 132 puppies were registered. 66 females and 66 males.
57 white Hokkaido Ken puppies were born – 27 females and 30 males.
43 red Hokkaido Ken puppies were born - 25 females and 18 males.
6 black and tan Hokkaido Ken puppies were born – 2 females and 4 males.
5 sesame Hokkaido Ken puppies were born - 3 females and 2 males.
21 brindle Hokkaido Ken puppies were born – 9 females and 12 males.
(Nihon Ken Blogspot - Shigeru Kato - Nihon Ken Population Graph: http://www.nihonken.co/2020/03/nihon-ken-population-graph-for-medium.html)
