MyDogBreeds
Shikoku is originated from Japan but Russo-European Laika is originated from Russia. Shikoku may grow 33 cm / 12 inches shorter than Russo-European Laika. Shikoku may weigh 30 kg / 67 pounds more than Russo-European Laika. Shikoku may live 3 years more than Russo-European Laika. Both Shikoku and Russo-European Laika has same litter size. Shikoku requires Moderate maintenance. But Russo-European Laika requires Low maintenance
The Shikoku is from the Shikoku Island in Japan and they are very much like the Japanese Shiba Inu. There are six native Japanese dog breeds and the Shikoku is medium sized and sits in between the smaller Shiba Inu and the very large Akita Inu. All of the Japanese native breeds are members of the Spitz family. The Japanese have sorted their six breeds into 3 categories by size. Being medium size, the Shikoku is a member of the Shika-inus group. Others in this group are the Ainu Ken, the Kai Ken and the Kishu Inu. There are small differences between the three dogs in the Shika-inus group.
The Shikoku was bred to be a hunting dog in Kochi Prefecture to hunt boar and deer. Other names for the breed include Kochi-ken and Kishu dog or boar hound. This dog is considered to be the purest of the Japanese native dogs or Nihoken. They are today very , very rare. There are very few outsides of Japan, but some in North America are attempting to save the breed.
The are od Kochi Prefecture is a mountainous region with rough terrain that anyone outside of the area would have a hard time accessing. That is why the Shikoku is considered to be so pure as they were pretty well isolated in the mountains. The breeders were also isolated by the mountains and there was very little interbreeding. Although breeding the same dog, these different groups developed different lines of the Shikoku.
Documentation tells us that the number of originals lines was just two and these were the Western and Eastern Shikoku. The Western dog was known as the Mount Ishizuchi Shikoku and the Eastern as the Mount Tsurugi Shikoku. Within these two lines of Shikoku there are additional strains.
Within the Eastern line there is the Tokushima (lya) and the Koci-Aki strains. Within the Western line there is the Hata Uwahara, the Ehime-ken Shuso-gun and the Honkawa. Among these lines and strains, there are different coats and different colors; some heavier and some taller, but all figure into the development of the breed.
Finally, in the Showa Era the Japanese established the Dog Protective League and they began collecting the native dogs from around the country. They protected them so that the breed will go on. The Shikoku is today recognized as Foundation Stock by the AKC and it is fully recognized by the Japan Kennel Club, the Canadian Hound Club and the Shikoku has been declared a living Japanese “natural monument”.
Two bloodlines became the way the Shikoku were know after the war – the Honkawa and the Hata lines The Honkawa line were the descendants of the Choshun-go and the Hata line were the descendants of the Matsukaze-go. They bred the lines separately until 1955, when they mixed them to make the breed stronger. They are no longer considered separate in any way.
Because they are such primitive dogs, the Shikoku are good watch dogs and quite reserved with strangers. They need a lot of socialization to be a family pet but once they are, they make great companions. Intelligent, quick to learn and eager to please. Of the two lines of Shikoku dogs from the Western strains, the current Shikoku owes much of its current development to the Honkawa and Hata strains.
The Russo-European Laika is a hunting dog that comes from Russia.
It is a dog that has been developed from Spitz type dogs. A breeding program was started for the dog in 1944.
The Russo-European Laika dog is recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale in the Spitz and Primitive type group.
Today’s Shikoku is a medium sized breed with a Spitz like body – square with a head that is wedge shaped. The ears are pointed, and the tail is curved and feathered. They have arched toes and hard pads with dark, hard nails.
The two lines of the Shikoku are slightly different in built and look. The Honkawa strain is slender and athletic; agile and single coated. They have dark eyes and most of them are black and tan.
On the other hand, the Hata strain is much heavier boned, with the front more muscular than the rear. They have small ears, a wide skull and a strong undercoat. His eyes are shaped differently than the Honkawa. Their coats are also mostly red and tan.
The Russo-European Laika is a medium sized dog Spitz dog that stands at between 54 to 60cm in height and weighs in the region of 20 – 23kg.
The dog has quite a strong resemblance to the Karelia Bear Dog. They are sometimes mistaken for each other.
The Russo-European Laika has the typical triangular shaped head with small dark eyes, a black nose and erect, pointed ears. These are deep chested dogs.
As with other Spitz breeds, this dog has a thick fur with a densely furred tail which is curved over the back. The double coat is fairly long and usually a dark grey color or black with some white markings. Sometimes the dog has a white coat.
This is a lively, energetic dog breed that loves to spend time outdoors. It has always been used to alert hunters to prey, using its bark to alert the hunter.Training and socialization will be necessary for the dog if you don’t want it to be barking in the house too.
He makes an excellent guard dog, protecting his human family. It is very tolerant of children too, getting on well with them as well as other pets.
The dog is known for being totally devoted to its family, being an affectionate and loyal breed that doubles as a family pet and guard dog.
1.Children friendliness – They might be a little aloof with children. They are hunters.
3.Adaptability with your commitment to exercise they can live anywhere even in an apartment.
This is an intelligent dog breed, loving the time he spends with his human family but reluctant to be patted by strangers.
They also get along with pets that they have grown up with. They get on well with kids and make great watchdogs too. Small wonder they make such sought after pets and companions.
Being isolated as they were, the Shikoku was a fairly healthy breed, no genetic testing has been done. Despite this they suffer a few of the same potential issues as other breeds their size.
Otherwise this is an agile and hardy breed with no known congenital health issues.
These Spitz type dogs are always known to enjoy good health, and owners don’t have to worry too much about their health as only a small number of health issues are reported with this healthy dog breed.
This is a congenital defect in the abdominal muscles and can result in fat or tissues being evident under the skin. A bulge is often seen in the area of the abdomen. Larger hernias will require surgery.
Feeding the puppy Be careful with feeding the puppy and adult as the breed is known to have a tendency toward obesity. Fresh food is better as it is what the breed has been used to, but a high quality puppy kibble is acceptable. Feed three times per day.
2.Feeding the adult He is a high energy dog so feed a high energy food designed for a medium sized dog. Feed in two meals each day.
4. Games and Exercises You will need a fenced yard for this breed and time to play with them. If not, you would need time to walk her more than once a day. They love to play indoors as well, chasing balls, learning new things. The breed make great companions for hiking, swimming, play frisbee or catch outside. They do well at agility, rally, obedience and flyball.
This is an energetic dog and will require a good amount of excerise. This dog isn’t suited to living in the city as they are highly active. Apart from wanting large grounds to run around in, he will need walks as well as ball- and rope games to keep him busy.
He is intelligent and needs some form of mental stimulation. There are good quality toys which one can buy for these dogs than can make them think.
Many things can change a dog’s longevity, and diet is one. A good nutritious diet with vitamins and minerals will give your dog less of a chance to get sick.
If you go for the best quality commercially manufactured dog foods, you’ll find that they are both convenient and well balanced.
To provide your dog with just a bit of variety in his diet, some home-made food added into the dry kibble from time to time will delight your pet.
No need to make preparing the food a huge issue either. Boil brown rice and chicken in a pot and add in sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Chop all this up and add small portions of it into the dry kibble.
Try to include a bit of raw meat occasionally and never let your dog be without a constant source of fresh, cool water